More than forty years have passed since its debut, and Dragon ball, Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece, remains one of the most influential franchises in the history of anime and manga. However, since the death of the legendary mangaka last year, the saga has gone through a period of silence. No new animated projects have been announced, and the Dragon ball Super manga continues on an indefinite hiatus. Although it was confirmed that Toyotaro would take back the reins of the series —even surprising fans with a special chapter in February of this year—, there is still no official date for its return to regular publication.

In the field of anime, the situation is similar. Since the end of Dragon ball Super in 2018, which culminated in the spectacular introduction of Ultra Instinct, no television sequel has been released. The absence of news has kept the community of followers in suspense, waiting for any official news.

Meanwhile, fans’ attention has been focused on the Dragon ball Complete 42-Volume Double Cover Box Seta commemorative edition that compiles the entire series in 42 volumes with double covers. The launch was originally scheduled for February 4, 2026, but publisher Shueisha has confirmed a delay until April 3, 2026due to the very high demand in pre-sales. According to a statement published on the official Dragon ball account on X), the date change will allow publishers to satisfy the unexpected volume of orders. Even so, deadlines may vary depending on each region.

Notice Regarding the Delayed Release of the Dragon ball Complete 42-Volume Double-Cover Box Set pic.twitter.com/SInqiCWqdw

— Dragon ball OFFICIAL (@DB_official_en) October 7, 2025

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This is Dragon ball Super Gallery

This launch is part of the ambitious project Dragon ball Super Gallerylaunched in 2021 to celebrate the franchise’s 40th anniversary. Forty-two renowned mangakas—including Eiichiro Oda (One Piece) and Tite Kubo (Bleach)—paid tribute to Toriyama by reinterpreting the original covers of each volume with their own artistic style. Each illustration was published monthly in Saikyo Jump magazine along with a personal note from each author, highlighting the influence of Dragon ball on their lives and careers. The first tribute was the work of Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto), while the last was carried out by Oda himself.

The box set, officially announced in May 2025, includes the 42 original covers and their reinterpretationsplus eight exclusive dividers and a collection of double-sided commemorative cards. Initially, pre-sales opened only in Japan and sold out in a matter of weeks, officially closing in August.

The article Dragon ball delays its most anticipated release to 2026 was originally published in Alfa Beta Juega.

The Dragon ball franchise, over the years, has introduced a lot of characters, some being more relevant than others. In fact, we can find individuals who have tried to contribute something to the issue of combat and defend the planetwhile others function more as support and even comic relief.

And recently, as part of the “Toriyama files” section, the franchise has shared a special illustration of one of the original characters of the saga who appeared in Dragon ball, although little by little it has been given away to the background. We are referring to Oolong, one of the first companions that Goku had in his adventure when he was a child.

Dragon ball shares an illustration of Oolong, made by Toriyama for Dragon ball Z: Battle of the Gods

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Oolong is a character that has had a certain degree of prominence in the Dragon ball franchise, at least for a long time.

The Dragon ball Z movie: Battle of the Gods It premiered in 2013 and began this new era that was renamed Dragon ball Super, also renewing the essence and experience.

There were many characters who returned for this film, including those who are not warriors, but rather a supporting and even comedic figure in the franchise. Oolong was one of themalthough, as expected, it did not have a large participation.

However, recently, the official Dragon ball site has shared an illustration that Toriyama made many years ago, specifically for the Dragon ball Z movie: Battle of the Gods. This sketch stars Oolong with the outfit he had at Bulma’s birthday party.

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It is important to note that this drawing is a way to represent and honor the design that Oolong had at the beginning of the franchise. It is a very interesting military green color set that conveys to us, to those of us who grew up with Dragon balla feeling of nostalgia for those adventures.

Curiously, although Oolong is often used as comic relief in the franchise, the truth is that he had a leading role in the Quest for the Dragon Balls arc, when Pilaf managed to get hold of these mystical objects and with the intention of dominating the world.

When Emperor Pilaf tried to make his wish, Oolong jumped onto the scene and exclaimed his wish first than the villain. This request was the most selfish and trivial thing you could imagine, since you wanted women’s underwear. However, despite this foolishness, he managed to stop Pilar from taking over the entire world.

This was quite a feat, considering the writing of the character. And Oolong was created to star in some comic scenes and offer his help by changing shapes, but beyond that it had not had much relevance. Although, little by little, it lost prominence until it stopped appearing continuously.

In the Dragon ball Z movie: Battle of the Gods, Bulma had her birthday, so she celebrated with a big party and invited all her friends. Evidently, Oolong was invited, since he was one of the first protagonists of the franchise. Here we saw him in that military green uniform that seemed like a nod to the past.

Considering the evolution that the Dragon ball franchise has had and that it seems that we are at the climax of Dragon ball Super, It is practically impossible for Oolong to regain prominence. Therefore, it is curious and somewhat positive that its existence has been honored with this illustration. Not to mention he saved the world from being conquered by Pilaf.

The article Dragon ball reveals the original design of one of the franchise’s classic characters was originally published in Alfa Beta Juega.

The Dragon ball Daima phenomenon reached its climax with the premiere of the power of the Goku’s Super Saiyan 4. This event marked a before and after in the history of the franchise, as the form is officially integrated into the canonical Dragon ball line, consolidating its status within the legacy created by Akira Toriyama.

Released last year as part of the 40th anniversary of the original Dragon ball manga, Daima continues the events after the Majin Buu saga and takes Goku and his companions on an ambitious new adventure within the Demon Kingdom, territory hitherto unexplored in the main continuity. The series, considered the last original story written by Toriyama before his death, has served as an emotional closing and an expansion of the universe that conquered generations of viewers.

SSJ4 Goku (mini) Kamehameha to Gomah – ENGLISH DUB pic.twitter.com/Agzr1hq6cV

—Hype (@DbsHype) May 9, 2025

The English dub, which was released somewhat late compared to the original Japanese version, revealed How does Goku sound in this final form?. In a specific chapter, Goku and his allies face the Supreme Demon King Gomah, an enemy powered by the mysterious Evil Third Eye. Faced with the overwhelming strength of the villain, Goku receives magical help from Neva that unlocks his transformation into Super Saiyan 4, even within his child’s body.

The story of Super Saiyan 4

This moment gives a new voice to Goku Super Saiyan 4 and introduces him to the official canon. Until now, this legendary form It had been exclusive to Dragon ball GTa series produced without the direct participation of Toriyama and considered for years as a “non-canonical” story. Although its concepts influenced video games such as Dragon ball Heroes and Xenoverse, the events of GT were never part of the official chronology.

On the other hand, Dragon ball Daima completely changes that paradigm: being a creation supported and written by Toriyama himself, everything that happens in the series—including this new incarnation of Super Saiyan 4— It’s officially part of the main story.. It should be noted that the English voice of this child version of Goku is once again provided by Stephanie Nadolny, a return that has been celebrated by the community as a tribute to the classic era of the character.

The article Dragon ball Daima has a new voice for Goku Super Saiyan 4 was originally published in Alfa Beta Juega.