Since its inception in 1984, “Dragon Ball” has maintained its position as one of the most profitable and beloved franchises in the world. According to app research firm Sensor Tower, the two Dragon Ball mobile games, including Dragon Ball Z DOKKAN BATTLE, released in 2015, surpassed US$1.4 billion in global revenue as of February 2024. The film “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero”, released in 2022, achieved a global box office of 13 billion yen. Furthermore, in Saudi Arabia, the construction of a theme park on a scale comparable to Tokyo Disneyland has been announced.

In March, original creator Akira Toriyama passed away, causing great sadness among his fans. However, Dragon Ball’s momentum shows no signs of slowing down and continues to accelerate its global presence. Those involved in the franchise agree that “simplicity” is key to its appeal. A member of the Bandai Namco Group explained: “When looking at why the games were successful in North America, it seemed that the simplicity of 'Let's fight to see who's the strongest', which can be enjoyed without much thought, resonated with people.“.

Last year, an incident shook the Dragon Ball business. In May 2023, Akio Iyoku, former head of Shueisha's Dragon Ball Room, went independent along with several subordinates and founded a new company, Capsule Corporation Tokyo, with the purpose of managing creative activities and handling intellectual property rights. Iyoku, who became head of Dragon Ball Room in 2016 after serving as editor-in-chief of V Jump, made this decision without consulting his superiors. A source at Shueisha recalled: “Without consulting his superiors, Iyoku unilaterally decided to make a film adaptation of Toriyama-sensei's 'SAND LAND'. He always focused on serving the author, for better or worse. At the same time, there was criticism from anime production companies and television networks about his condescending attitude.“.

Furthermore, the lack of progress in collaborations with the metaverse and artificial intelligence, as predicted by superiors, led to his transfer to a new department in 2022. This unwanted transfer was the trigger for its independence in less than a year. Iyoku, who was Toriyama's spokesperson, became independent, but the manga rights were managed by Shueisha, which led to confusion about who should be consulted on matters related to the original work.The Dragon Ball meetings were organized very loosely, inviting 'all relevant parties', which subtly included representatives from Iyoku and Shueisha, making coordination extremely stressful.“said a member of Bandai Namco.

Toriyama's death came in the midst of this battle for rights. The discussions continued without the original author, and “the disputes continued and have not yet been resolved“said a Shueisha official. Some industry executives are seeking a resolution involving Toriyama’s family, stating that “It depends on how the family feels about it.“The question remains who will ultimately take the lead in managing this massive intellectual property.” The future of this stalemate battle, which is not typical of a shonen manga, remains uncertain.

In conclusion, while dragon ball continues to be an unstoppable force in the global marketplace, the franchise faces significant internal challenges that must be addressed to ensure the continuity of its legacy and prosperity.

Source: Toyo Kezai via @SupaChronicles