Latest news with #DragonBallSuper:SuperHero
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Why Gohan is missing from Dragon Ball Daima — And what it could mean for his future
Dragon Ball Daima is the newest installment in the legendary anime franchise Dragon Ball, and fans all over the globe are anticipating Goku's return to his childhood form for a brand new adventure. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Even starting with episode 1, something is definitely wrong — Gohan, one of the series' most popular and powerful characters, is missing. For longtime viewers and newcomers alike, Gohan's absence is raising red flags. If he keeps getting cut out of the story, why is that? Will he come back? What does this mean for his future in the franchise? Gohan's absence in episode 1 explained In the premiere episode of Dragon Ball Daima, a lot of our favorite characters get together for Trunks' birthday — featuring Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Bulma, and Supreme Kai (Shin). That Gohan is shockingly absent. When confronted about where he's at, Goku avoids the question by saying this Gohan is working on his studies. That's the last time he's on record. This excuse is not new at all. Back in Dragon Ball Super, Gohan's exclusion from the Tournament of Destroyers was for that same reason. This time, it's different. He is absent even from a single scene, as a flashback, which makes this his most notable absence to date from a Dragon Ball production. Might Gohan be used in a different way, down the line? Even though Gohan may be temporarily out of the picture, that doesn't mean he's disappeared forever. That's the premise of Dragon Ball Daima, as Goku, Vegeta and the rest are banished to the Demon Realm and transformed into children. Earth is endangered. If a new threat emerges during Goku's absence, Gohan might have to become the strongest warrior remaining on Earth to defend his home. With his brand-new Mighty Form—first introduced in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero—Gohan has the power to confront the biggest of threats. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This configuration would allow him a major surprise hero moment closer to the end of the narrative, fighting off villainous threats to Earth in The Flash's absence. Why it's smart to exclude Gohan While Gohan is indeed a fan-favorite, his absence from the screen isn't too shocking. After the Cell Saga in Dragon Ball Z, with Gohan as the savior of the series, creator Akira Toriyama pulled a bait-and-switch and put the focus on Goku again. Even when we got into the Buu Saga, Gohan was meant to take over, Goku still saved the day. This pattern has persisted for decades. In actuality, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero producer Akio Iyoku admitted that Gohan was nearly cut from the film completely. He wouldn't have made it in at all if Iyoku hadn't personally told Toriyama to put him in. Piccolo got more decent character development and focus than Gohan did. So as much as fans would like to believe otherwise, the fact of the matter is that Toriyama hasn't had Gohan's character at the top of his to-do list for a long, long time. Does Dragon Ball Daima really need Gohan at this point? Ironically, Gohan's absence may be the right choice for the story Daima is trying to tell. The new series captures that classic Dragon Ball spirit — a whimsical, jokey, adventure-filled treasure hunt with much younger versions of the main cast. Gohan, whose heart is more suited for a quiet, scholarly life and only trains when the times demand it, doesn't exactly match up with that vibe. Gohan, after having his own big moment in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, where he awakened his new Beast form and defeated a strong foe with it. With that story still fresh, there's no real reason for Gohan to be a significant focus of Daima's early episodes. How will Dragon Ball Daima affect Gohan's recent development? This was Dragon Ball almost 30 years ago, where nothing is what it seems and surprise twists and late game reveals are the norm. If the narrative returns to Earth, or a greater threat emerges, there's a strong possibility Gohan might come back and save the day, maybe even saving the day without Goku. For the time being, at least, Gohan is sitting on the bench. Given his sudden popularity and newfound power level, Hope Springs Eternal, True Believers. We would say his next big moment was deservedly a long time coming, that might be just around the corner.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Dragon Ball Cell problem: Why animators feared this famous villain
Cell is one of Dragon Ball's most famous villains. He pushed Gohan to unlock his greatest power and gave fans one of the best battles in anime history. But behind the scenes, things were very different. While fans love Cell, the anime staff saw him as a nightmare. Drawing him was so hard that many animators hoped he wouldn't return. Here's why the team behind the Dragon Ball anime had trouble every time Cell showed up. Drawing Cell was a big problem for Dragon Ball artists When Frieza returned in Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F', fans wondered why Cell didn't come back instead. A big reason? He was just too hard to draw. In an old interview, creator Akira Toriyama admitted, 'I think giving him spots was a mistake.' The cell's body is covered in tiny dots, and those made every frame take longer to finish. Animator Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru also said the staff disliked working on Cell. Even key animators found him frustrating. Shading his design took extra time and effort, slowing down production. Compared to other villains like Frieza or Buu, Cell caused the most trouble during Dragon Ball Z's original run. Cell's 2022 comeback brought the same trouble In Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero , Cell made a short return in a hand-drawn opening. But even with today's tools, drawing Cell was still hard. Lead animator Chikashi Kubota said he only sketched Cell quickly, then passed the work to another top artist, Naohiro Shintani. Even Shintani got tired of the job and didn't want to finish it. To avoid further problems, most of Super Hero was animated in CGI. This move helped avoid frame-by-frame drawing and made it easier to handle Cell's detailed body. It was a smart choice to keep the movie looking smooth without slowing the team down. Cell Max looked cool, But lost his classic style The version fans saw in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero wasn't Perfect Cell. It was Cell Max a giant monster with no real personality. He didn't talk, just roared. This made the animation easier but disappointed fans who missed the original Cell's smart, evil attitude. Even though the new design helped the animators, it lacked the charm and danger that made Cell one of Dragon Ball's top villains. Still, his return showed the series is open to bringing back older characters even in new forms. Can the perfect cell return in a future Dragon Ball Series? Many fans still hope to see Perfect Cell return in a future anime or movie. But because of the trouble his design causes, it might not happen unless things change. He could return with a new look that's easier to animate or be done in CGI again. Cell is still one of Dragon Ball's most popular villains but he's also one of the hardest characters to animate. Whether he returns depends on whether the artists are ready to face his tricky design once again.
