A Dragon Ball Remake Is Inevitable, And That's Totally Fine by One Anime Legend

Dragon Ball's very first anime adaptation is nearly 40 years old, originally premiering on Fuji TV in Japan on February 26, 1986. Akira Toriyama's original manga, which saw the iconic Goku grow from a mysterious tailed boy to Earth's greatest defender, debuted in Shōnen Jump on December 3, 1984. In the decades since, the Dragon Ball brand has become one of the most successful in entertainment history, and continues with no signs of slowing despite Toriyama's passing in March 2024.

With the passage of time, however, comes the inevitability that aspects of the franchise will age. Though Toriyama's masterpiece manga is still largely as fresh as it was during its serialization, the same can't be said of Dragon Ball's TV anime adaptations. Outdated, though undeniably still pretty, visuals and pacing issues plague both 1986's Dragon Ball and 1989's Dragon Ball Z. The recent trend of anime remakes has fans around the world calling for updated versions of Goku's many adventures, and as it turns out, one of the series' legendary animators is all-in on the idea.

Dragon Ball's Anime Adaptations Are Showing Their Age

Custom image by Merlyn De Souza

For years, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z acted as gateways into the world of anime for countless viewers around the world. Breaking onto television in the west in the late '90s and early 2000s, Goku and company inspired generations of soon-to-be fans. 2009's Dragon Ball Z Kai took the series and gave it a fresh coat of paint, cleaning up its visuals and redubbing dialogue, while axing much of the filler that extended its length to nearly 300 episodes.

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Even with the update, however, Dragon Ball Z shows its age. Fluid animation during major fights is rare to come by and, though the vintage aesthetic is pleasing, the series lacks the flash of a modern shōnen action anime. The 1986 Dragon Ball anime was never given the 'Kai treatment', and is only available, warts and all, to watch in its original state. While both series retain their charm, Akira Toriyama's masterful manga would be well served by a modern adaptation, and one animator believes a remake is inevitable.

Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru Wants In on a Dragon Ball Remake

The Animator Lent His Talents to Dragon Ball From the Very Beginning

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Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru began work on the original Dragon Ball anime as a young artist breaking into the industry, and only just recently wrapped up his work on 2024's Dragon Ball Daima. Throughout the franchise's entire history in animation, Nakatsuru was involved. Sitting down to discuss his role in the series with French YouTube channel DBTimes, the topic of a remake came up, and the animator was surprisingly willing to dive into the topic. In fact, he expects it to happen someday.

When asked if he would like to participate in a potential remake, Nakatsuru said, "If I could contribute something and be useful in some way, I would love to." Fans of the series should be delighted by his answer, seeing as Nakatsuru was trusted and held in high regard by creator Akira Toriyama. In a 2003 interview, Toriyama stated several times that he would often confuse the animator's work for his own, and was always delighted when Nakatsuru would assist with his own illustrations for cover art or promo images.

Adding to the topic of a potential remake, Nakatsuru also said, "This would probably offer new possibilities... Since I think (a remake) will happen one day, I also think whether I participate or not is not that important." While this is not any confirmation of a planned Dragon Ball remake, it is incredibly promising that someone so deeply involved in the series is so open to the idea. And though he says otherwise, any studio spearheading a remake would be wise to bring Nakatsuru into the fold.

The Recent Trend of Anime Remakes Is a Positive for Dragon Ball

Other Classic Shows Are Finding Success In Remakes

Discourse within the anime community regarding remakes can be somewhat divided. Some enjoy it when a classic series is given new life, while others believe the original work will always be the best way to enjoy a production. Remakes typically work best when they aren't meant to replace a work, but rather stand alongside it as another entry in a franchise, ultimately functioning to compliment already existing shows. Nevertheless, it seems remakes are the newest trend in the anime industry, which is a positive for Dragon Ball.

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The recent success of MAPPA's Ranma 1/2 and the announcement of an upcoming One Piece remake opened the door for a full remake of Dragon Ball, and 2024's Daima gave fans a small glimpse of what an adaptation might look like with modern visuals. Though some in the community may not be fully on board with the idea of remakes in general, it's undeniable both Dragon Ball anime series would benefit from an update.

A Dragon Ball Remake Can Fix Many of the Franchise's Anime Wrongs

Though They Are Iconic, Dragon Ball's Anime Series Have Their Issues

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Both 1980s Dragon Ball adaptations often soar to incredible heights, but they also suffer their share of lows. Airing alongside the serialization of Akira Toriyama's original manga, the adaptations often had to slow their pacing to a crawl in order to not catch up to the source material. They also made use of a great deal of filler to avoid the same problem, which would stretch battles or sections of the series to frustrating lengths. A remake would have the opportunity to more closely adapt the manga, scrapping filler and keeping the pace tight.

Dragon Ball's anime adaptations still offer quite an enjoyable viewing experience, but it's difficult to deny that they've suffered from aging. Some may not be fans of remakes, but revisiting the series with modern visuals and a closer attention to the original manga could help to usher in an entirely new generation of fans, just as the original shows did decades ago. Whenever the time comes for a remake, the legendary Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru is on-board, and the studio in charge would be wise to include him.

Sources: DBTimes (translation by Venixys on X), TV Anime Guide: Dragon Ball Z (translation by Kanzenshuu)