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The appeal of Dragon Ball goes far beyond just anime – it is a genuine pop culture phenomenon that transcends genres. So, it makes sense that Netflix, the biggest streaming service in the world, would want in on the action. With anime becoming a more important part of the Netflix library each year, they’re adding Dragon Ball Daima to their Fall line-up just a week after the first episode debuts on Crunchyroll.

The announcement shows the growing competition that Crunchyroll faces in the anime streaming world. This season, Netflix has the Ranma ½ remake and is streaming new episodes of Dan Da Dan at the same times as Crunchyroll, but the acquisition of the latest – and potentially last – Dragon Ball anime is a bit different. Crunchyroll, in its previous form of Funimation, was responsible for bringing what is arguably the most famous Dragon Ball English dub to Toonami. This brought the series to the English-speaking world in a more accessible way and gave a whole generation their first taste of what anime could be. The franchise is tied to the company’s history in a very real way.

Typically, Netflix has a handful of exclusive anime like Delicious in Dungeon each season, or it picks up the rights to the first season of a popular anime from Crunchyroll’s library. This works well for both parties – Netflix gets a popular show to add to its library and Crunchyroll remains the place to see new episodes when they air. Plus, legions of new fans are exposed to shows like Spy x Family and Jujutsu Kaisen, giving them an incentive to subscribe to Crunchyroll when new episodes air.

With Dragon Ball Daima coming to Netflix on October 18, 2024 – just a week after its Crunchyroll debut – it feels like the two companies are entering a much more direct competition. Even with parent company Sony’s backing, it is unlikely that Crunchyroll can compete with the simple number of subscribers that Netflix has. 

Each week, Popverse's resident anime expert Trent Cannon runs down the latest and, dare we say "greatest," in anime and manga in Popverse Jump. Some recent columns have included... 

• Why the finales of My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and One Piece feel like the end of an era in manga
• Why is One Piece more popular now that the anime is 25 years old? We asked around and found out
• Dan Da Dan is weird, profoundly inappropriate, and the perfect anime this season
• Why One Piece's Monkey D. Luffy is the perfect anime hero for the dark times ahead
• 40 years after its debut, Dragon Ball is a pop culture force like few others