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A World without Goku: How Akira Toriyama's death could make Dragon Ball Daima the end of Goku's story

A tangled mess of copyright law leaves the future of one of the biggest franchises in pop culture history in question

Dragon Ball Daima Goku And Korin
Image credit: Toei Animation

Few people have left as big a mark on anime as Akira Toriyama, whose death earlier this year quite literally rocked the industry. Between the manga, multiple anime series, and dozens of video game appearances, Goku has become one of the most recognizable characters in pop culture history, rivaling the likes of Superman and Mickey Mouse in large parts of the world. Now, with Dragon Ball Daima set to be the latest entry in the iconic franchise that has inspired generations of people around the world, we’re faced with the previously unthinkable possibility that this may be the last Dragon Ball anime we ever get.

As with many such conflicts, it all stems from copyright issues. Very little has been said publicly, but financial magazine Toyo Keizai reported that the issue involves Toriyama’s estate, Dragon Ball manga publisher

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Trent Cannon

Trent Cannon: Trent is a freelance writer who has been covering anime, video games, and pop culture for a decade. (He/Him)

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