If you thought the only way you would see new episodes of “Dragon Ball” was if you summoned Shen-Long and wished for them, then look no further as your wish has been granted. Multiple sources like The Verge and BuzzFeed have reported that “Dragon Ball Chou (Super)” will debut in Japan this summer, 18 years after “Dragon Ball GT” went off the airwaves.
Naturally, this was news that caught fans around the world off guard due to the seemingly definitive ending to “GT.” So far, initial reactions have accepted the news as a welcome surprise.
As a fan myself, I couldn’t be more excited to see what Goku and the gang have been up to since they last saved the Earth, especially since series creator Akira Toriyama will be back in creative control.
If you remember the travesty that was “GT” and all of its horrors (such as Vegeta’s Freddie Mercury-esque hairstyle and mustache), the main reason it was so poor compared to the first two series was because Toriyama wasn’t involved.
Because of that, “Chou” will take place after the events of “Dragon Ball Z,” the most popular entry in the series and one of the most iconic animes of all time. This will make it much easier for people to forget what happened in “GT” altogether, which makes me a very happy camper.
It’s probably going to be a while before an English dub of the Japanese series will appear for our viewing pleasure; “Dragon Ball Z” didn’t catch on in America until 1998, two years after it ended in Japan. “GT” was even further away, as it debuted on Cartoon Network in 2003 after its last episode in 1997. No worries, though; if you can’t wait until a dubbed version is made, subtitled versions will no doubt be made available as soon as possible.
It’s exciting to see such an influential pop culture phenomenon find new life after years of living in re-runs. As with any reboots or remakes, there is the nagging concern that the new episodes could be a disappointment, but honestly, it can’t be worse than the slow, overly-talkative and aggressively mustachioed embarrassment that is “Dragon Ball GT.”
As long as “Chou” has exciting fights, badass villains and an ample amount of screaming, I’ll be satisfied.
