Long-time Dragon Ball animator Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru revealed his expectation of a Dragon Ball remake in a new interview. He spoke with YouTube channel DBTimes at the Made in Asia 2025 event.
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When asked, “If there were to be a Dragon Ball remake, would you like to be involved?” Nakatsuru replied, “If I could contribute something and be useful in any way, I would love to. But starting again from the Dragon Ball manga, maybe young artists would want to completely re-adapt it, which would probably open up new possibilities. In any case, the original work is there and exists.
From there, there are many ways to create a new series. As I think it will happen one day, I think that whether I participate or not is not that important. Perhaps what matters most is that everyone can enjoy the franchise for as long as possible. And maybe, later… some will be inspired by Toriyama-sensei’s works, and, we could even see a creation that Toriyama-sensei would not have imagined and still, perhaps enjoy it.“
Nakatsuru’s extensive Dragon Ball credits include chief animation direction in DAIMA, character design in Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku, and key animation in several Dragon Ball movies.
Dragon Ball executive producer Akio Iyoku told fans to look ahead to the franchise’s future in a recent interview. “Anime and games can’t be made so quickly,” he told Mantan Web, “it takes time. We are preparing and trying to develop it properly. We want to expand it even further.”
The series’ 40th anniversary in 2024 coincided with the premiere of Dragon Ball DAIMA last October. Iyoku recently shared the behind-the-scenes of the series’ development, including why DAIMA made the cast small and Toriyama’s involvement in most aspects of the series. “There are almost fewer parts that he didn’t do,” Iyoku said elsewhere, praising Toriyama’s creativity and “spirit of service.”
The first Dragon Ball anime aired from February 1986 to April 1989. Crunchyroll licenses the series while VIZ licensed the Dragon Ball manga in English, describing the first volume:
Before there was Dragon Ball Z, there was Akira Toriyama’s action epic Dragon Ball, starring the younger version of Son Goku and all the other Dragon Ball Z heroes! Meet a naive young monkey-tailed boy named Goku, whose quiet life changes when he meets Bulma, a girl who is on a quest to collect seven “Dragon Balls.”
If she gathers them all, an incredibly powerful dragon will appear and grant her one wish. But the precious orbs are scattered all over the world, and Bulma needs Goku’s help (and his super-strength)! With a magic staff for a weapon and a flying cloud for a ride, Goku sets out on the adventure of a lifetime…
Source: DBTimes, via Venixys on X (formerly Twitter)
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