Dragon Ball Super fans were hit with a truth bomb today that took thousands by surprise. Reports from Japan confirmed the anime is losing its time slot starting in April as Dragon Ball Super will come to an end. The announcement has fans freaking out, but many want to know if the show’s end is really – well – the end.
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Really, is there any reasonable way for Dragon Ball Super to mark the end its anime franchise? Not by a long shot.
So far, Toei Animation has yet to make any official comment about Dragon Ball Super. Fuji TV has said the anime will end in March, and while it has no current plans to broadcast any new Dragon Ball series, it won’t overlook such an opportunity. One quote from the network made sure to stress that the show’s end didn’t mean the franchise will die out entirely
After all, Toei Animation has every reason to keep Dragon Ball going.
If you lay out the facts, Dragon Ballis truly on the up-and-up. This month will see the release of Dragon Ball FighterZ go live, one of the most hyped games debuting in 2018. Not only that but Toei Animation has already announced a Dragon Ball film is slated to debut in December 2018.
Oh, that’s not even to mention Goku will be one of the ambassadors for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Talk about clout, yeah?
When it comes to ratings, Dragon Ball Super was nothing to laugh at. Its screenings on Toonami in the U.S. often topped charts for Saturday programs, and Dragon Ball Super broke viewership records across Europe when its dub began. Over in Japan, the show even outdid ratings for the titan that is One Piece in June. Within the anime sector, Dragon Ball Super often ranks in the top ten highest-rated programs against monolithic series such as Doraemon, Detective Conan, and One Piece.
To put simply, Dragon Ball Super did super well from a business standpoint, and fans were also very receptive of the series.
The show may come to an end in March, but fans have hope Toei Animation is closing Dragon Ball Super to broaden its anime horizons. Fuji TV is not ruling out the franchise’s return, and Toei Animation has made its long-term interests clear with its 2018 film. Hopefully, Dragon Ball will return to TVs sooner rather than later even if it isn’t under the Dragon Ball Super umbrella.
But, just to be safe, you may want to start collecting those Dragon Balls now. You may have to wish the series back via Shenron if things don’t pan out.
Are you sad to see Dragon Ball Super go? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!
