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Two of the greatest Dragon Ball villains are back as a pair of sinisterly stylish clogs. Frieza and Cell are the latest additions to the momentous collaboration between Dragon Ball Z and Crocs.

Following the release of Goku and Vegeta, Frieza and Cell will be released nationwide as the latest anime-themed footwear in the Dragon Ball Z x Crocs Collection. The upcoming pair of devilishly good-looking clogs will be released exclusively through Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker and Champs Sports on May 28, 2025. This latest collaboration comes right after the English dub finale of Dragon Ball Daima, available exclusively on Crunchyroll.

Frieza & Cell Look So Good Being Bad in the Latest Dbz Limited Edition Crocs Release

Dragon Ball Z Frieza and Cell Classic Clogs will be available for children and adults. Adult sizes will cost $70, while kids' sizes will retail for $55. Like in previous Dragon Ball character releases, the Frieza and...

The Undertaker and Triple H have been some of the most successful wrestlers in the WWE. Both had a huge fan following in their prime. They have delivered multiple iconic matches throughout their WWE career and are regarded as legends.

Though they both defeated several tough opponents throughout their lifetimes, the legends faced each other in one of the most brutal matches in the WWE, Hell in a Cell, to decide who was the ultimate Goat.

They both came into the match with experience, as the Dead Man and the Game had already been through several Hell in a Cell matches in their careers. However, the result of this match eventually declared the ultimate Goat of Hell in a Cell.

Who is the Goat of Hell in a Cell between the Undertaker and Triple H? The Undertaker, Triple H & Shawn Michaels | Credits: WWE

Even after losing in the previous year,...

If someone talks about the Dragon Ball franchise, one would straight away think about insane transformations and badass fights. Be it against dangerous enemies like Cell or Frieza, or even against the weaker antagonists, each battle is carefully curated to showcase the abilities of both parties until the winner emerges.

It is usually the Z fighters winning, though they occasionally retreat to strategize. But there is one strange part about how the fights in Dragon Ball have worked so far. The Z fighters do not gang up on the enemy, but instead opt for one-on-one battles, despite the desperation and immense strength of the enemy.

We see this happening a lot in the series. Often in Dragon Ball Z, the characters attack the enemy one by one in the ascending order of strength, hyping the character up for when Goku usually defeats them. This is not something long past, as...

Cartoons from the 1980s hit differently. Maybe it was the fact they were all clever subliminal advertisements to bankrupt parents into buying endless merchandise and unnecessary items like Michaelangelo's Sewer Exploration Belt (though this author still asked for two of them for his birthday). The point is these animated series continue to be spoken about to this day, remaining cherished pop culture artifacts.

But how in the world do you rank the best of the best? That proved tricky, to be honest. The /Film team wrestled with all options, considering which shows had the greatest legacy and influence -- both then and now. Heck, I even suggested a Hell in a Cell match to settle a spot for "BraveStarr," but the idea was vetoed as "too dangerous" or something. Nonetheless, shoutout to "BraveStarr," "My Little Pony," and "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends," as these shows deserve honorable mentions here.

With...

For decades, the fandom has believed that Goku and Superman are parallel to each other. They are both aliens, had super strength from when they were young, were raised by kind people who taught them good virtues, and went on to become saviors of the world.

But hidden beneath all the outward tropes is the true essence of what it means to be Goku or Superman. And when we make a comparison, both Goku and Superman are extremely different from each other.

It is not the past but the personality of the characters that defines them. This reveals a shocking truth that has taken too long to come out. Goku was never Superman’s true counterpart in Dragon Ball; it was Goku’s son, Gohan, all along.

Gohan’s tale is more aligned with Superman’s

Gohan’s story mirrors Superman’s evolution in ways Goku’s never could. Even...

Dragon Ball is a massive, multi-generational franchise that has evolved a lot since little Goku went around on his flying Nimbus. The action has become far more intense, and there are many attacks that have cosmic consequences.

But few attacks stand taller than the mighty Kamehameha. From the original Dragon Ball itself, the attack has come to become a defining part of the battles in the series. It’s the heartbeat of the franchise and the blast that launched a thousand imitations across anime history.

And yet, despite the extremely cool moves and the devastating consequences (for the antagonists), the creator, Akira Toriyama’s favorite Kamehameha wasn’t unleashed by Goku, but by the originator, Master Roshi. Yet, there is a moment that far surpasses all other Kamehameha moments in the series that fans think of until today.

Master Roshi’s first Kamehameha was the origin of an era

In a 1995 interview,...

Stephen King has only occasionally written film or television adaptations of his own stories, including the 1989 "Pet Sematary" movie, the 1994 miniseries version of "The Stand," and the 2016 film "Cell" (which is King's lowest rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes). Be that as it may, King was adamant that only he would be allowed to adapt "Lisey's Story" for the small screen.

"Lisey's Story" is one of King's most unique books. It's not a horror tale as you would traditionally expect from King, but it is suspenseful. It's mainly a love story that spans decades of marriage between Lisey and Scott Landon: the petty fights, the romantic moments, the "Alice in Wonderland"-style language the couple invents, and the difficulties of sharing a life with a famous creative.

After his death, Lisey is left to sort through her husband's study. There, she comes across the nostalgic objects of their shared memories and his unfinished writing.

Goku’s best fight in the Dragon Ball Z anime is coming to life through a new action figure release by Bandai Namco.

Goku has a number of memorable fight scenes in Dbz, from his battle with Frieza on Namek to his duel with Kid Buu in the Other World. However, for many fans, Goku’s absolute coolest battle was actually his first-round bout against Perfect Cell during the Cell Games. While the fight itself didn’t end in Goku’s favor, it contains some of the anime’s most celebrated fight choreography and animation, making it a staple in any discussion of Goku’s greatest battles in the Dragon Ball series. Now, Bandai Namco’s toy-making brand, Tamashii Nations, is bringing Ssj Goku’s sensational Cell Games showing into the real world via a new action figure release by way of its Sh Figuarts line.

Goku Steps Out of...

Toriyama’s Dragon Ball stands out as unique because of the immensely distinctive powers and personalities that the major antagonists depict. Of these, Perfect Cell remains one of Dragon Ball’s most iconic villains. Even though he was one of the earlier ones, his massive potential for evolution meant he was a fearsome opponent who would keep pursuing growth and never stop getting stronger.

Cell was at a level that he could take the best from the many entities and adapt that into himself. If Gohan had not unlocked his potential and used Super Saiyan 2 to defeat him, the Earth might have become Cell’s domain.

Cell might be able to use Kaio-Ken, which was unique to Goku

Cell wasn’t just any being; he was carefully created from the DNA of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Frieza, some of the strongest beings with different racial traits. Cell can naturally perform all their unique techniques.

Over the years, Dragon Ball has evolved a lot. With each subsequent installment, it went from a simple martial arts story into a layered epic with gods and angels, alternate universes, and endless transformations and power-ups. But if there’s one thing that hasn’t changed, it’s the way Vegeta gets treated by the narrative itself. The once arrogant Prince of all Saiyans is made the butt of many jokes and has to be second-best all the time.

Piccolo’s voice actor, Christopher Sabat, recently shared his thoughts on this, and it might be what the Vegeta fans have been wondering all along. Did Toriyama intentionally nerf and turn Vegeta into a character that seems to get no wins?

Vegeta’s struggles aren’t random, but Toriyama’s gags

It is evident that Goku is the protagonist, but with time, Vegeta grew from an annoying brat to a mature,...

Yu Kondo, the Dragon Ball editor for Akira Toriyama's work during the "Frieza" and "Cell" sagas, has revealed how the late author kept the series on top of the Shonen Jump rankings until its end. On the recent episode of the KosoKoso podcast, Kondo discussed his fascinating history with Toriyama and more.

Kazuhiko Torishima and Fuyuto Takeda joined Kondo on KosoKoso, a Japanese podcast series co-hosted by Torishima and Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii. Like previous talks, the former editors of Dragon Ball discussed their 11-year work history on the popular Shonen Jump title and their relationship with Toriyama, who passed away in March 2024. The topic of conversation was Kondo’s reign as editor, who succeeded Torishima after accepting the role of Editor-In-Chief. Despite the promising new role he gained in half a year of working at Shonen Jump, Kondo remained mixed about his future with the company.

Dragon Ball...

Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball Zhas some of the best shonen anime action in the entire genre. This action is characterized by arcs and then into sagas. Sagas are the names given to a respective collection of arcs that summarize the plot of a collection of events that happened. For example, the Saiyan Saga begins right after Dragon Ball ends and covers the events like Raditz arriving on Earth, kidnapping Gohan, Goku's death, and the arrival and eventual defeat of the Saiyans. From that point, a new saga was created called the Namek Saga.

From the intense Saiyan Saga to the world-ending Buu saga, nothing is held back when Goku and the Z-Fighters face off against a new threat. Not all Dragon Ball sagas, however, are made equally. Where some sagas moved the plot forward, had great action, or some of Toriyama's best writing, others fell flat in almost all those areas.

Everyone knows that Goku is the main character of Dragon Ball, but he isn't the protagonist in every saga and many storylines simply wouldn't work with him as their primary hero. With the Black Frieza Saga fast approaching, fans are currently wondering if it will focus on Goku, or on one of Dragon Ball Super's other main characters.

Dragon Ball Super isn't always about Goku, and the Black Frieza Saga definitely shouldn't center around him. The conflict between Goku and Frieza is played out, it would be boring to see Goku defeat Frieza for a third time, and the manga doesn't have anywhere left for Goku to go. Vegeta, Gohan, Broly, and Piccolo are all being billed as main characters now, but there's one among them who clearly most deserves to take center stage.

Goku Shouldn't Be the Protagonist of Dragon Ball Super's Black Frieza Saga Goku Has...

Dragon Balljust keeps finding ways to raise the stakes and push every character to greater heights. The Dragon Ball universe has been growing for four decades now, and it’s always exciting to see which details evolve and what falls to the wayside with time. It didn't take Akira Toriyama very long to figure out villains who can transform multiple times were a perfect formula for building suspense and excitement.

Multi-form antagonists are a staple in all of Dragon Ball Z’s major story arc, a trope that's largely carried over into Dragon Ball Super & beyond. The Dragon Ball franchise often opts for sleek and simplified designs for villain final forms – going for a less is more approach. It's not unusual for a Dragon Ball Z villain’s scariest and most creatively designed form to be a middle stage transformation.

Third Form Frieza is the Series' Most Alien Transformation (Literally...

Vice Sports' hit docueseries Dark Side of the Ring returns with 10 new episodes making up its sixth season. Ahead of the Season 6 premiere on March 26, all 10 episode subjects were confirmed with a pair of official posters.

Shared on X, the posters reveal the order of the subjects that will be covered in Season 6 of Dark Side of the Ring. The season will kick off with Mick Foley's famous Hell in a Cell match with Undertaker, which saw the former risking great bodily harm by getting thrown from the top of a steel cage through a table onto the concrete below. New episodes will be released every Tuesday at 10 p.m. following the premiere on March 26. The posters can be viewed below.

The first poster also highlights the other episodes making up the first half of the season. They include episodes about Ludvig Borga, whose real name was Tony Halme,...

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ballhas become a celebrated, evergreen classic for many reasons, but it’s hard to deny the cathartic appeal of a powerful Super Saiyan transformation. Super Saiyans helped elevate Dragon Ball’s storytelling and action to unprecedented heights. Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and most of Dragon Ball’s Saiyans accomplish remarkable feats that would otherwise have been impossible without turning Super Saiyan.

The Super Saiyan transformation is initially treated as a momentous milestone, but it’s become increasingly common and there are countless stronger Super Saiyan stages at this point. Super Saiyan transformations are still some of Dragon Ball’s most popular and powerful forms, but Dragon Ball Super seriously leveled the playing field with powerful new forms that put golden (and multi-colored) hair to shame!

Evil Third Eye Giant Gomah Nearly Destroys The Entire Demon Realm Anime Debut: Dragon Ball Daima, Episode 16, "Degesu"; Manga Debut: N/A...

Frieza is the most recurring villain in all of Dragon Ball. Evil to his core and responsible for more atrocities than any other antagonist in the franchise, he's naturally given many of the Z-Warriors personal motivations to kill him. With Frieza now having become the strongest mortal in the multiverse as Black Frieza, there are only five heroes who stand a chance against him – and they've now been positioned as Dragon Ball Super's five main characters.

Goku, Gohan, Broly, Piccolo, and Vegeta all have reasons to hate Black Frieza in Dragon Ball Super, but only one can defeat him. Frieza has taken these men's homes, wiped out their species & loved ones, and tortured, manipulated, & killed them on different occasions. The warrior who saves the multiverse in the Black Frieza Saga should be the one who deserves to kill Frieza the most and, when breaking down exactly what Frieza...

Being a part of Dragon Ball‘s animation team might seem like the biggest dream come true to many. But in reality, it was nothing short of a headache to actual animators who worked on the projects. The amount of detailing on the characters made almost every major staff member frustrated.

One character in particular that made the lives of animators difficult was Cell. This guy had way too many spots for anyone to be excited about animating him. But in order to stay true to Akira Toriyama’s designs, animators had no choice but to keep working with a smile on their faces.

Animating Dragon Ball was “a huge hassle” Transformation sequences were hard to draw | Credits: Toei Animation

Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru is a character designer and key animator for the Dragon Ball anime franchise. He was interviewed at Made in Asia Spring 2025 in Brussels. The animator was asked about...

One of the most panned horror movies based on the works of seminal author Stephen King has found surprise success on free streaming. Despite the quality of the source material, the films based on the works of horror author Stephen King are not always great. The big screen has hosted plenty of masterpieces like The Shining, Stand by Me, and The Shawshank Redemption, but his name is not exactly equivalent to guaranteed success. Cell, The Dark Tower and Riding the Bullet are a few which failed to earn acclaim. And, in the middle ground, where the most divisive movies remain, you will find Thinner.

Thinner, the body horror film based on the book of the same name by Stephen King, has suddenly become a hit on the streaming platform Tubi, a.k.a. one of the few streamers that doesn't require you to pay a single penny or even register.

Who would win in a battle between the strongest versions of Majin Buu: Kid Buu or Super Buu? A famed animator and character designer for the Dragon Ball anime franchise has chimed in on the question.

Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, a key animator and character designer on numerous Dragon Ball projects such as Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Daima, was interviewed by @/SofianLeGEEK during his appearance at Made in Asia Spring 2025, which took place in Brussels, Belgium, from March 7 to 9, 2025. The interview was translated by social media user @/Venixys on X (formerly Twitter). Nakatsuru was asked about various details of past and present Dragon Ball anime series, such as how Daima and Super connect and his thoughts on the late Akira Toriyama’s softer take on Bardock. Among the provocative questions, Nakatsuru was given lighthearted queries about fan-favorite hypothetical matchups, one of which involved the two most popular forms of Majin Buu.

Hitman 3 is a fairly realistic game; so much so, that certain aspects of it would appear to mimic reality – including suicides. A recent discovery by multiple netizens has only stirred up a fair bit of controversy, especially regarding the depiction of self-harming behaviour in the game.

While somewhat unfortunate, it highlights an unsettling trend amongst game developers to push forward realism – at the cost of keeping things in a game, well, fictional. Overall, while this isn’t exactly a deal breaker, it does put into question the ethical and moral consequences of such a move.

Npc commits suicide in Hitman 3, over a job loss Agent 47 has had his fair share of controversy | Image Credits: Io Interactive

As depicted in an Instagram video, players can very easily find a rather depressed Npc during the events of an in-game event. Spying on the Npc, one can clearly notice the chatter – he has...

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ballhas covered a tremendous amount of ground throughout its four decades of entertaining storytelling. It’s remarkable to look at where modern Dragon Ball is today in comparison to the extremely humble origins of the original Dragon Ball. Change is necessary in order for a series like Dragon Ball to stay relevant and many of the later additions in Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super have been worthwhile. Dragon Ball continues to introduce completely new characters and expand upon its growing universe.

Dragon Ball is also a series that loves to indulge in fan service and nostalgia whenever it’s possible. This has led to modern Dragon Ball being filled with old villains who return with a new color-coded form. There’s plenty of value in new and powerful villains, but the return of old enemies has the potential to connect with even greater impact.

The following contains spoilers for the Solo Leveling manhwa.

Solo Leveling is truly on top of the shonen anime game, and it doesn’t seem to be losing that spot anytime soon. This puts Solo Leveling in great company, as Akira Toriyama's iconic martial arts series Dragon Ball is itself the undisputed king of shonen manga even 40 years after it was first serialized in Shonen Jump magazine. Other than the fact they’re both considered shonen series that focus heavily on battles, the overall tone and themes of Solo Leveling are dramatically different than those of Dragon Ball. That said, Dragon Ball's influence on Sung Jinwoo's story is quite apparent when looking closer at Season 2's best fight so far.

In particular, Sung Jinwoo’s fight against the Demon Monarch Baran draws heavily from one of Dragon Ball Z’s most memorable moments. Like the Demon's Castle arc in Solo Leveling,...

As of Dragon Ball Super Chapter 104, "The Birth of Saiyaman X," Olibu is finally canon. This is made official when Trunks visits a museum of heroes who protected Dragon Ball's Earth long before Goku, and a statue of the Otherworld fighter is present. Having first debuted as a rival to Goku and Pikkon in Dragon Ball Z, he's weaker than them both, as best demonstrated by his loss to Yamcha.

Olibu was the strongest human in existence prior to the events of Dragon Ball Z, and the Z-Warriors didn't surpass him until the Cell Saga. However, with how massive the leaps in power are throughout the Cell and Buu Sagas, Olibu likewise can't defeat many of the characters introduced in them. At the same time, King Kai's second-greatest student would have no trouble defeating the Frieza Saga's toughest warriors.

Nail Was the Champion of Planet Namek Nail Was...

It's the first day of a new month, and you know what that means — a bevy of titles have just been added to all the streaming platforms. It's a bit of a small month for Netflix, at least in terms of older films coming to the platform for the first time. While the streamer hopes that a few of their original titles in March will be huge (specifically The Electric State and Adolescence), it's otherwise a pretty mild month of movies. Friday and Next Friday will bring the comedy, along with 50 First Dates and Ted, and Do the Right Thing will bring Spike Lee's masterpiece to the streamer; plus, the final cut of Blade Runner has just been added. They added some high-adrenaline action movies as well — Black Hawk Down, Blood and Bone, and the brilliant Sicario, along with a real delight, Cell 211.

While you've probably heard...

Meghan Markle’s delayed debut as a lifestyle goddess; a new epic series adaptation of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Leopard; the second spinoff movie in the fast expanding SpongeBob movie universe; a new season motorsports greatest docuseries; Anthony and Joe Russo’s latest big-budget feature; and a screwball murder mystery from Shondaland are some of the highlights among the new films and series hitting Netflix in March.

Finally debuting on March 4th is Netflix’s lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, which is hosted and executive produced by Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. The show was originally slated to launch on Jan. 15, but was postponed due to the Los Angeles wildfires. The unscripted series, which was filmed at a farmhouse in Montecito, California, is a blend of practical how-tos and candid interviews with prominent people. The guests slated for the first season include Roy Choi, Mindy Kaling, Abigail Spencer,...

The Dragon Ball franchise has gone on for an enormously long time, but this was not the plan the legendary creator, Akira Toriyama had. The franchise was originally meant to conclude with the Cell Saga, but due to the massive popularity that the series had amassed, both within Japan and worldwide, the ‘show had to go on.’

A still from the Dragon Ball series featuring Buu | Credits: Toei Animation

Akira Toriyama had originally intended for Gohan to take over as the protagonist, considering the amount of spotlight and character development he had gotten by then and peacefully marking the end of Goku’s journey.

As we know, this did not happen, and many decades later, our carefree protagonist is still here. There was one character that came out of the pressure that Toriyama was under to continue the series, and that is Majin Buu.

Cell could not be the end...

Dragon Ball Super Chapter 104 is a welcome one-shot nearly a year after the series went on hiatus following the passing of the legendary Akira Toriyama. While many fans were eager to see Goku and Vegeta finally take on Black Frieza, the chapter instead shifts focus to Goten and Trunks’ origins as Saiyamen X-1 and X-2—revealing that their superhero idol, Clean God, is none other than Son Gohan.

Gohan’s reveal as Clean God is a clever nod to his Great Saiyaman days in Dragon Ball's Majinn Buu Saga. Though some fans cringe at that era, Toyotaro and the Dragon Ball Super team have reimagined it in a way that highlights Gohan’s growth. This twist adds depth to his character, leaving readers intrigued and eager for what comes next.

What Happened in Dragon Ball Super Chapter 104: "The Birth of Saiyaman X" Gohan's Reveal as Clean God Proves...

A former Dragon Ball editor denies reports that he influenced the late Akira Toriyama to change a crucial detail of a fan-favorite Dragon Ball Z story. This denial concerns the initial antagonists of the "Cell Saga," the story arc where Future Trunks warns the Z-warriors about two killer androids that will wipe out humanity in three years.

Kazuhiko Torishima, a prolific Shonen Jump editor, is denying a long-standing story about criticizing Toriyama’s lineup of antagonists for the "Cell Saga" of Dragon Ball Z. As the story goes, Toriyama originally envisioned Dr. Gero, also known as Android 20, and Android 19 as the main antagonists of the futuristic storyline but was ridiculed for making the villains "an old man and a fat guy." In response to the criticism, Toriyama created the twin androids Android 17 and Android 18. However, he was mocked for making the main villains "kids," or "brats" as it’s often translated.

In a recent interview, three former Dragon Ball editors, Kazuhiko Torishima, Yu Kondo, and Fuyuto Takeda, shared insights about the creation of Trunks.

Speaking on the Feb 22, 2025, episode of the KosoKoso podcast, the editors revealed that when Trunks first appeared in the manga, effortlessly defeating Frieza, even series creator Akira Toriyama had not yet decided on the character’s identity or backstory.

It was only later that Toriyama connected Trunks to Vegeta and Bulma, declaring, “Okay, Bulma marries Vegeta.”

This revelation stunned the editorial team, as Bulma had shown no prior romantic interest in Vegeta.

Some editors suggested that the relationship should be further explored and explained in detail, but Toriyama dismissed the idea with a casual, “Eh, more or less.”

This, they explained, was reflective of his storytelling philosophy, i.e., avoiding excessive planning, introducing new ideas on the spot, and changing things whenever they became inconvenient or uninteresting.

The Dragon Ball series is the face of nostalgia in the anime community. Even if you haven’t watched a single episode of its expansive universe, any fan would know the iconic characters. From Goku to Frieza, Akira Toriyama has made some incredibly memorable characters.

Frieza vs Goku from Dragon Ball. [Credit: Toei Animation]

This popularity, however, was its curse. A series should end when the author feels is the right time for it to conclude. For Akira Toriyama, it was the three-part Cell Saga. According to his editors, he didn’t wish to continue the Dragon Ball series beyond this arc.

Due to Dragon Ball’s popularity, Toriyama’s editorial team did not want to end the series with just the Cell Saga. Although the manga reached 400+ chapters already, they wanted to profit from the franchise, ignoring the mangaka’s intentions.

Toriyama’s editors confirmed he wanted to conclude it...

Dragon Ball tells the never-ending story of Goku’s adventures and his endless pursuit of strength – but it wasn’t always supposed to be that way. During Dragon Ball’s initial run, the series was always supposed to have a very definitive ending point. In a brand-new radio interview with Kosokoso in Japan, three of Toriyama’s editors on Dragon Ball, Kazuhiko Torishima, Yu Kondo and Fuyuto Takeda, revealed that the rumors among the fandom were always true: Akira Toriyama really did want to end Dragon Ball Z with the Cell Saga.

Considering the events and the narrative prevalent in the Cell Saga, this wouldn’t be a surprising place for the story to end at all. The true final major arc of Dbz, the Majin Buu Saga, is deserving of the criticisms it receives, but it’s nowhere near skippable. Toriyama’s initial instinct to end with the Cell...

Akira Toriyama originally intended to conclude Dragon Ball with the Cell saga, but strong editorial pressure forced him to extend the series, according to a recent interview with three former Dragon Ball editors: Kazuhiko Torishima, Yu Kondo, and Fuyuto Takeda.

This was revealed during a recent episode of KosoKoso podcast on Feb 22, 2025.

During the conversation, they confirmed that Toriyama repeatedly expressed his desire to conclude the series during the final phase of the Cell saga.

According to them, the editorial team did not fully grasp his intentions, believing the series could continue in a different direction even after the Cell Saga’s conclusion.

Due to the franchise’s massive popularity, the pressure to keep the series running overruled the author’s creative wishes.

However, Takeda had sided with the author and sought ways to ease his workload.

He supported Toriyama’s desire to end the series, though the pressure from...

Former editors of the late Akira Toriyama have revealed why the legendary manga creator abandoned exploring Gohan’s life as a teenager in Dragon Ball Z.

Kazuhiko Torishima, Yu Kondo and Fuyuto Takeda -- three legendary manga editors who worked with Toriyama on Dragon Ball for Shonen Jump -- discussed their history with the series and its celebrated author on the Japanese podcast KosoKoso, hosted by Torishima and Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii. The conversation, translated by @/Venixys on X (formerly Twitter), revealed remarkable information regarding Toriyama’s creative process. It also cleared up longstanding preconceptions about controversial creative decisions Toriyama made during the Dragon Ball Z era, such as bringing back Goku as the series’ lead after building up his son, Gohan, to be his successor.

RelatedDragon Ball's English Dub Finally Ends the Ki vs. Energy Name Debate After Nearly 30 Years

Dragon Ball Daima's latest English dub episode finally...

It's official. Dragon Ball Z was meant to end with the conclusion of the "Cell Saga," according to the former editors of the late Akira Toriyama.

While fans have often speculated, there’s now confirmation that the "Cell Saga" in Dragon Ball Z was initially intended to close out the series during its publication in Shonen Jump magazine. This surprise reveal was announced by Toriyama’s former Dragon Ball editors: Kazuhiko Torishima, Yu Kondo and Fuyuto Takeda. The legendary trio were interviewed for the Feb. 22, 2025, episode of KosoKoso, a podcast hosted by Yuji Horii (Dragon Quest) and Torishima -- who was forever immortalized by Toriyama as Dr. Mashirito in Dr. Slump.

RelatedMarch 19 Will Be a Good Day for Dragon Ball Daima Fans

Dragon Ball Daima fans will have an exciting March, as the official soundtrack featuring the Super Saiyan 4 Goku theme and more will be released.

Dbz's 'Cell Saga' Was...

In 1961, Richard Matheson published a short story called "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" that became a cornerstone of TheTwilight Zone franchise. Rod Serling's original series included an instant-classic adaptation that has been endlessly referenced, and remade twice. 1983's Twilight Zone: The Movie, and Jordan Peele's 2019 reboot series both tackled the tale in contrasting ways, and watching the three versions together reveals much about why the Matheson story is so special.

The 1963 Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" featured a performance from William Shatner that makes up for the low-budget creature he sees on the wing of his plane. 20 years later, George "Mad Max" Miller remade the story with advanced FX for Twilight Zone: The Movie, and in 2019 the reboot series included "Nightmare at 30,000 Feet," a modern take that may be the most paranoid of them all.

Richard Matheson's Story Was Monstrously Influential Image via CBS.

Author Richard Matheson's...

Dragon Ball Zbuilds upon the original Dragon Ball’s foundation and fearlessly pushes the franchise to exciting new places. Many of Dragon Ball’s most popular ideas, such as Super Saiyan transformations and fusion, get their start in Dragon Ball Z. There’s a lot to love in Dbz and the anime’s biggest moments are truly unforgettable.

Goku turning Super Saiyan for the first time, Piccolo’s sacrifice to save Gohan against Nappa, and the Earth’s destruction at the end of the Fusion Saga are all hugeevents. That said, one major milestone stands above the rest. Super Saiyan 2 Gohan's transformation and his subsequent victory against Cell crystalize everything that makes the shonen anime so special. SSJ2 Gohan is Dragon Ball Z at its very best.

Related10 Things Dragon Ball Super Does Better Than the Rest of the Franchise

Dragon Ball Super is one of the later additions to Akira Toriyama's shonen masterpiece,...

How boring would Netflix be if they did not have as many foreign language films and series as the streamer does? This allows viewers to choose a global talent pool, and not just what we have in the United States, Australia, and the UK. The highly entertaining number of programs is vast.

Of the current Netflix top 10 list as far as series are concerned, a good many are foreign languages. The trick is to watch the shows in their original languages and go with English subtitles if English is your first language. The actors' real inflections make the viewing experience better.

But which shows among the current top 10 are binge-worthy? The five below definitely are. Some you can stream all in one day.

Five binge-worthy series among Netflix's current top 10 listPrison Cell 211

First, let's just say the acting in this series is ridiculously good. The material isn't always on the same level,...

Dragon Balldoesn't often treat Vegeta and Goku as equals, no matter how many fans see them as such. Besides losing important fights far more often than Goku, Vegeta doesn't get all the same power-ups his eternal rival does. Dragon Ball Daima partially addressed this by finally giving Vegeta Super Saiyan 3, but it's become obvious the series isn't actually interested in elevating the Saiyan Prince's status.

The debut of Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta was the biggest moment in Dragon Ball Daima, but the anime has already made it meaningless. Just as the final battle against Gomah is getting started, Goku has begun using Super Saiyan 3 again, while Vegeta has been taken out of commission. As per usual, Goku looks to be hogging the spotlight for himself.

Vegeta Fans Have Always Wanted Him to Have Unlock Super Saiyan 3 Only Goku & Gotenks Trigger Super Saiyan 3 in Dragon Ball Z

By the end of Dragon Ball Z,...

There is no such thing as a perfect Dragon Ballarc. Outstanding as the Saiyan and 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament Sagas may be, they still have flaws. The Cell Saga isn't the most flawed arc between the original anime and Dbz, but it has the worst balance between its strengths and weaknesses. Many Dragon Ball Z fans cite the Cell Saga as their favorite arc of the anime, but it's easily the shonen series' weakest link.

Its plot is a mess, its fights largely aren't up to par, the power-ups the characters undergo are constant and meaningless, and its villain is the anime's most bland, to name only a few of its critical issues. While many of the characters introduced in it are iconic, its time-travel-based story is intriguing, and it's filled with memorable moments. This, unfortunately, isn't enough to save it from being inferior to the Saiyan, Frieza, and Buu Sagas.

For your viewing pleasure, Netflix has added 23 new shows and movies to your rotation. Well, not yours personally, as that would be presumptuous and a bit rude. But I'm pretty sure you'll find something to like in this week's offerings.

Your favorite streaming service kicked off February with a pretty busy slate. But that was just a taste of what's coming up. This week brings 22 more great shows and movies to your living room, weekly commute, or that window you've got open during another endless Zoom meeting. You know who you are.

The week begins with an acclaimed biographical drama starring Michael Keaton, and wraps up with an acclaimed biographical drama starring Kristen Stewart. Between those two films, you're invited to have a chat on the big red couch, chase through the jungles of Costa Rica, investigate a murder, jump back into your college days, and so much more. Speaking of jumping,...

Toei Animation is one of the top-tier animation studios in Japan that has produced some landmark anime. Be it Gegege no Kitaro, Mazinger Z, or Cyborg 009, the studio gave us some of the trailblazing series in the shonen genre.

Above all, though, they did a splendid job with Akira Toriyama’s magnum opus on the whole. For decades the franchise has sustained its legendary status and the studio might be a solid reason behind it.

Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Transformation in the anime | Credit: Toei

In particular, Dragon Ball Daima’s status as Toriyama’s final project is being treated with utmost care. To the extent that some say that the series is solely carried on by its impeccable animation.

And while this is partly true, Toei went above and beyond with the series. Be it lore or pacing, the anime proves to be a just and faithful adaptation.

You guys really seem to be digging on Michael Crichton huh? Well let’s look at what almost stopped his adaptations from happening. After a heck of a run from his adaptations both good and mediocre, Sphere would be a big enough bomb that it would follow with two straight sub-par adaptations before a quiet death of his worked being put on the big screen. The movie should have been a no doubt success with stars like Dustin Hoffman, Sam Jackson, Sharon Stone and a more than capable, Oscar winning, director in Barry Levinson. What we would end up with is one of the biggest bombs of the late 90s and a movie that is derided or outright forgotten from the annals of 90s cinema. Was it the cast, the story, or the general public being over Chricton things that didn’t have dinosaurs in it that was the culprit.

Since the start of the anime, Dragon Ball Daima has been dropping lore after lore about the Demon Realm and its characters. For some fans, this has been a treasure. Others have found it rough to sit through. One of the biggest points of contentions with fans recently has been about Demon King Dabura, a character introduced in the Majin Buu Saga in Dragon Ball Z.

Dragon Ball Daima Episode 15, "Third Eye," is a fantastic episode with a bold tragedy but imperfect pacing, but it also dove into Dabura's backstory in a way Dbz never did. Amid Goku's battle with the Gendarmerie Force, the anime revealed that Hybis had been wearing the Third Eye the entire time. To confirm the Third Eye's validity, the series quickly cuts to a unique flashback revealing Dabura and his father's connection.

Related Goku & Vegeta's Biggest Flaws are Risking Everyone's Lives in Dragon Ball...

The following contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima.

Dragon Ball is generally the Goku show, which is unlikely to change anytime soon. That said, the one warrior with the most impressive display of power in Dragon Ball Daima has been none other than Vegeta. After Vegeta showed off his Super Saiyan 3 form for the first time in franchis history, he officially pulled off the most monumental feat yet in Daima. Unfortunately, it won’t last.

It may come as a surprise, but Vegeta being the most powerful character in Dragon Ball isn't something new – he's done it many times before. The one caveat is that he never stays that way for long. Now that he has once again been shown to have the strongest from used yet in the series, Vegeta remains an underrated threat for Demon King Gomah’s end goal of securing his place on the threat. If...

The official website for the live-action film adaptation of Akane Shimizu's manga series Cells at Work! has announced that the film's cumulative total domestic gross surpassed a milestone of five billion yen on January 16. According to Animate Times , the film has earned 5,002,624,050 yen (32 million Usd) from 3,731,753 ticket sales in 35 days since its release in Japan. After debuting Japanese theaters on December 13, 2024, the film stayed on No.1 in the box office ranking for four consecutive weekends. Now it has become the fourth top-grossing Japanese film of 2024. To commemorate this phenomenal hit, messages from the two lead actors, Mei Nagano (Red Blood Cell) and Takeru Sato (White Blood Cell ), and director Hideki Takeuchi have been posted on the website. Message from Mei Nagano: I am very happy that the movie “Cells at Work!” has reached so many people and is loved by them! Thank you very much! It has become a major representative work for me.

The entire Dragon Ball series is undoubtedly filled with a plethora of iconic villains who left an indelible mark on the franchise. From the enigmatic Piccolo to the ruthless Broly and Turles, each antagonist brought their own unique flow of chaos to the world of Dbz.

Android 17 from the Dragon Ball series | Credits: Toei Animation

However, there’s one particular villain in the series who stands out in all the wrong ways and still, for some inexplicable reason earned one of the most satisfying and redemptive conclusions! It is none other than the despicable Android 17, a being so hated by fans for all the atrocities he committed before that it is surprising he gained back our sympathies.

No. 17 gets the perfect retired life that every man dreams of! Android 17 after Cell Saga | Credits: Toei Animation

According to an interview with the creator, Akira Toriyama himself, we got to know that after the Cell arc,...

The longer Dragon Ball goes on, the more new powerful characters will be introduced. This applies even in Dragon Ball Daima, despite it being set before Dragon Ball Super. The anime has already introduced formidable new fighters like Gomah, the Tamagamis, and the Majin brothers, but they've now all been topped with the introduction of Megaths.

The main inhabitants of the planet Mega in the Second Demon World, Megaths are giants and the second-most dangerous species in the Demon Realm. In Episode 13 of Daima, "Surprise," a mere Megath child is able to hold an edge over Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo in battle. Megath children are incredibly strong, and most Dragon Ball Z characters couldn't defeat one.

Related Dragon Ball Daima Found a Genius Way Around Dbz's Power Level Creep

Dragon Ball Daima's Megaths existence entirely removed from the franchise's traditional power scaling.

Android 18 is Stronger Than Normal Super Saiyans...

Jennifer Lopez easily has one of the most successful and acclaimed careers in modern Hollywood history, with her exceptional feats as both an international pop star and a respected blockbuster actress. Ranging from classic romantic comedies to exceptional displays of talent like Hustlers and The Cell, Lopez has proven time and time again that she is just as talented as an actress as she is a musician icon. However, especially in a career as wide and varied as Lopez's, there have been a handful of misfires and disappointments in each era of her career.

Dale Wilson, who was a renowned Canadian voice actor best known for his role as the voice of Cell in the Ocean dub of Dragon Ball Z, has sadly passed away at the age of 74. The tragic announcement had come through a heartfelt social media post on Facebook by his wife, Gail Wilson.

Cell in Dragon Ball Z | Credits: Toei Animation

Wilson’s career spanned many decades, during which he succeeded in leaving an indelible mark on both the anime world and the realm of Western animation (the cartoons). The Ocean dub of the series introduced countless fans of the Dragon Ball franchise to his voice, giving Cell an unforgettable gravitas.

In addition to Cell which Wilson is renowned for, he voiced other pivotal characters in the Dragon Ball series’ English dub, characters which include Kami, King Yemma, Goz, and Android 8.

Dale Wilson’s enduring legacy in anime and cartoons...