Dragon Ball Super Will Likely Make a Huge Change for New Anime’s Release

Dragon Ball Super is coming back to screens with a brand new anime, but it’s probably going to make a big change to how it releases if the recent changes to One Piece are anything to by. Dragon Ball Super excited fans with the announcement that the franchise is finally returning for a new anime adapting the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc from the original manga release. While there’s no set release window or date as of the time of this initial announcement, there have been changes to how Toei Animation and Shueisha are approaching their projects.

Dragon Ball Super’s original TV anime series came to an end eight years ago, and had over 100 plus episodes to tell its story. It was a weekly anime release where fans got to see new adventures from Goku and the others with each new week, but that’s probably not going to be the case with this new era of the anime. It’s likely going to shift to a seasonal release schedule with 23-26 episodes planned max for each year much like One Piece did.

New Dragon Ball Super Anime Likely Going to Be Seasonal

Toei Animation really shook the anime world when they announced a huge change to One Piece’s anime schedule last year. Rather than continue releasing new episodes throughout the year on a weekly basis like they had before, the team behind the production announced they were shifting to a new seasonal release schedule. They are planning to only release 26 episodes a year starting in 2026, and each episode will more closely adapt Eiichiro Oda’s original manga than seen before. That is likely the same pattern that the new Dragon Ball Super anime will follow with its own release.

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Rather than being another 100 plus episode kind of return, Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol will likely only run for 26 episodes a year. That’s even if it needs to go on for longer than two cours of episodes. This new anime is adapting the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc of the manga, which runs from Chapter 42 through 67. With only 24 or so chapters to adapt for this new anime, we’re likely only going to see two cours of episodes. So don’t expect to see another triple digit long anime compared to before.

This Is Going to Be the Best Thing for Dragon Ball Super

This might be a major change to Dragon Ball Super‘s anime for fans, but it’s going to be the best thing for the anime in the long run. Part of the reason why fans are so receptive to the idea of a remake for Dragon Ball Super in the first place was because the original TV anime felt so bloated in comparison to the original films it was inspired by, and this new anime won’t be facing that issue. If it directly adapts the manga, and leaves room for experimentation, then a solid 26 episode run will cover everything it needs to.

A seasonal version of Dragon Ball Super is also the best case scenario for its future as well. The series only has two arcs to adapt from the manga, and both can be covered with two cours of episodes. It’s going to need the breaks in between to buy more time for the story as Dragon Ball Super‘s manga has yet to return from hiatus to continue with new arcs. It might be a shorter life span for this new anime comeback overall, but it’ll work out better in the end.

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