The future ofDragon Ballmay look bright withDragon Ball Daima’s first major trailer releasing this past week and a theme park on the way, but in reality, the future is in question when it comes to legal rights. Earlier this year, the creator of the famous anime franchise,Akira Toriyama, passed away. His death has left behind a legal debacle when it comes to who exactly owns the rights, and thus the future, of the series.
The latest news about theDragon Balllegal debate was published on Toyo Keizai Online, a website connected to the finance magazineWeekly Toyo Keizai. According to that website, the rights of the franchise are less than clear. They are currently being debated by Bandai Namco, former editor Akio Iyoku, and publisher Shueisha. This is where the situation currently stands regarding the series' rights and future.
The Beginnings of theDragon BallLegal Debacle
Origins Before Toriyama’s Death
The issues involving the rights to theDragon Ballfranchise actually began before Toriyama’s death in 2024, and his death only exacerbated, and it is all heavily connected to Akio Iyoku. Iyoku was the editor-in-chief of the magazineV Jumpbefore becoming head of the “Dragon Ball Room” in 2016. The Dragon Ball Room is thedepartment of publisher Shueishathat is entirely dedicated to all thingsDragon Ball. In the following years, Iyoku worked directly with Toriyama as they planned the future of the franchise.
That all changed in 2022 when Iyoku was transferred to another department. The transfer was a result of the company’s concerns with Iyoku’s management style, citing that he supposedly did not get approvalfrom the appropriate parties before approving projects likeSand Land. According toAnimeNewsNetwork,
The source noted animation studios and TV stations had personality clashes with Iyoku at times. Toyo Keizai also reported that collaborations, such as those on metaverse and AI technology for which upper management had high expectations, fell behind.
This all led to Iyoku’s transfer away from the Dragon Ball Room. One year later, Iyoku left Shueisha behind over the fallout from the transfer.
Akio Iyoku went on to establish a new company called Capsule Corporation Tokyo in May 2023.Dragon Ballfans will instantly recognize the name,taken right out of the series, and be able to surmise what the new company’s focus was. The new company “handles distribution and development of intellectual property from creators, notably Toriyama.” As one can imagine, this did not sit well with Shueisha.
Before Akira Toriyama’s death, Shueisha was already worried about their future rights to theDragon Ballfranchise. Toriyama was not happy with what had happened to Iyoku, and Shueisha knew that. A chairperson from the company even went to Toriyama’s home to try to secure the rights to the franchise that way, but was unsuccessful. The issues were not resolved when Toriyama passed away in March 2024, which is what has led to the ongoing debate today.
Will Dragon Ball Continue Despite Legal Troubles?
The Series' Future is Uncertain
The future ofDragon Ballseems secure - for now. Toriyama had already been working on and establishingDragon Ball Daimabefore his death, luckily for the franchise, so the new series is going on as planned. However, the legal storm cloud of uncertainty is still casting itsdark shadow on the franchise’s long-term future. Of course,Daimais the end of Toriyama’s personal contributions to the series, and everything after it will have to come from a new source.
But will that source be Iyoku and Capsule Corporation Tokyo? Or will it be with Shueisha?Toyo Keizairemarked that the parties involved are hoping to come to a final agreement with the estate of Toriyama, but there is no set date for when that is likely to happen. Until the legal struggles are sorted out, though, there will likely not be any otherDragon Ballproperty produced afterDaima. If they are unable to resolve the situation, it could spell the end of the franchise as fans currently know it.
For now, fans will have to be satisfied withDragon Ball Daima, and startplanning a trip to theDragon Ballamusement parkopening in Saudi Arabia. Regardless of what decision is made legally about the franchise,Daimawill be the last thing to come from its creator, which will make the series special in its own way. Whether it is also the end ofDragon Ballremains to be seen.
Source:AnimeNewsNetwork
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball is a franchise by Akira Toriyama which follows the adventures of Goku, a powerful warrior who protects the earth with his group of friends. A recent title from the series is Dragon Ball: The Breakers, an action style game where 7 players have to survive being hunted by the Raider.
