Dragon Ball DAIMA doesn’t shy away from exploring the depths of the Dragon Ball world by introducing fans to the Demon Realm, something that they’ve been waiting for since the Buu Saga days of Dragon Ball Z. This is a special project since this is Akira Toriyama’s final work celebrating the franchise’s 40th anniversary. But when the main cast were revealed to be turned into children, fans began calling DAIMA as GT 2.0.
However, Dragon Ball Producer Akio Iyoku has assured fans that DAIMA is very different from Dragon Ball GT and requested fans to treat it as such. Nevertheless, Toei Animation still inserted a bunch of references that made fans wonder whether the makers did rewatch GT before drafting the story for each episode of DAIMA.
The similarities between Episode 5 of Dragon Ball DAIMA and Dragon Ball GT
Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 5, titled “Panzy,” will be remembered not only for the fact that Goku got another marriage proposal but also because he went Super Saiyan against King Kadan’s royal guardsmen. Glorio told King Kadan that Goku is strong enough to take down King Gomah and make him the next Supreme King of the Demon Realm. But Kadan wasn’t sure of Goku’s strength so he had his men fight him.
Funnily enough, this is very similar to Dragon Ball GT Episode 5 “Goku vs. Ledgic,” where Goku faces off against a powerful new foe while he, Pan, and Trunks attempt to escape the oppression faced on planet Imecka. Just like King Gomah for the citizens of the 3rd Demon Realm World, Imeckians are suffering due to high tax prices set up by their ruler, Don Kee.
One of Don Kee’s guards, Ledgic, challenges Goku for a fight. Goku is pushed to go Super Saiyan, marking the first time Goku transforms in GT after honing his kid-like body. This transformation lets Goku get the upper hand over Ledgic and allows him to win the battle, with Ledgic leaving Goku with a new level of respect. Both the shows feature Goku and the gang traveling through different worlds to find a set of Dragon Balls but since DAIMA is more concise and Toriyama’s final work, it is deemed to be more promising.
What DAIMA can do better for Dragon Ball than GT
Both DAIMA and GT take place in 2 different time periods. While events in DAIMA take place after Majin Buu Saga and before Dragon Ball Super, the non-canon Dragon Ball GT begins after the end of Z, approximately 14 years after DAIMA. It’s more than obvious that GT Goku will be stronger than his DAIMA counterpart, but DAIMA Goku and his journey in the Demon Realm are already a lot better than the 1st arc of GT.
For starters, DAIMA wastes no time dilly dallying and goes deep into the Demon Realm, tying the Saiyan, Namekian, and Kaioshin lore by revealing their true origins. Each episode unveils something new and interesting that changes the way we look at each character forever but in a good way. And in the Demon Realm, Goku and Shin are joined by Vegeta, Piccolo, and Bulma, along with 2 new characters.
While in Dragon Ball GT, the first arc only features Goku, Trunks, and Pan as they travel to different planets in the universe looking for the Black Star Dragon Balls. It doesn’t get interesting until the Baby arc and until then, the journey doesn’t reveal anything startling that grabs the viewer’s attention. The first arc is boring, draggy, and overall unsatisfying. The fans were left wondering about Uub’s strength after his training with Goku but he doesn’t show up until the Baby arc.
Despite the similarities, Dragon Ball DAIMA can make a story like GT 10 times better with new lore, interesting characters, and enthralling fights.
Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, and Dragon Ball DAIMA are all available to watch on Crunchyroll.
