It’s April Fools Day and that means you have to keep a close eye on what is real and what isn’t, especially in the world of anime. Taking advantage of the unique twenty-four-hour time frame, Shueisha and the Dragon Ball franchise have taken the opportunity to share a prank that we desperately wish was real. While the Akira Toriyama franchise has offered fans the ability to pick up items like Trunks’ sword, life-sized statues of some of the anime’s biggest characters, and so much more, this April Fools item would help you discover the legendary “wishing orbs.”
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To celebrate the season, the Dragon Ball franchise has revealed a look at a “Dragon Radar Phone.” Taking the technology that Bulma created to find the Dragon Balls, this fake item is one that many anime fans are already hoping will come true. Here’s how Shueisha and Bird Studio describe the merch that we’re hoping to see hit shelves one day, “A Dragon Radar Phone is scheduled for release!? See Dragon Ball locations anytime, anywhere! Features the latest wish-granting AI. Able to register Power Levels. Get hyped for the release!” Going one step further to sell the bit, the shonen franchise even released an image of the item that won’t be hitting stands any time soon, which you can check out below.
[RELATED: Dragon Ball Radar Now Available in Wristwatch Form]
Dragon Radars Are Real
Now this isn’t to say that there aren’t Dragon Radars that you can pick up online, as the shonen franchise has created multiple props that recreate the Capsule Corps devices in the past. While these items don’t actually track Dragon Balls, reveal power levels, and/or create an artificial intelligence version of Shenron to grant wishes, they do create real-life iterations of the well-known anime items. Considering how quickly technology continues to move forward, eventually seeing a “Dragon Radar Phone” might not be entirely outside the realm of possibility.
Dragon Radar’s Return?
The last time that the Dragon Balls played a major role in the shonen franchise was thanks to the events of the latest anime movie, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. In the film, Piccolo wishes on Shenron to give him a boost in power that grants him not one, but two new transformations to finally give the Namekian an upgrade to keep up with his Saiyan allies. Orange Piccolo might not have been enough to defeat the return of Cell, as the newly formed Cell Max, but it gave the green-skinned Z-Fighter a very new look and a much better shot at fighting enemies in the future.
When it comes to when Dragon Ball Super will return, either in its manga or its anime adaptation, that is anyone’s guess at this point. Earlier this year, one of Akira Toriyama’s final chapters was released that told the story of how Goten and Trunks became costumed superheroes, proving that the series is still looking to release new chapters. With artist Toyotaro still onboard following the tragic loss of Dragon Ball’s creator, the Z-Fighters are sure to return at some point.
Want to see what other anime April Fools Day pranks arrive? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things Dragon Ball and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
