The Dragon Ball franchise celebrated its 40th anniversary, and the series is charging into a new era that promises to thrill fans worldwide.

Dragon Ball marked the milestone by hosting Genki Damatsuri, a newly established event dedicated entirely to major franchise announcements.

The anniversary showcase featured new anime projects, video game reveals, and tributes to Dragon Ball’s creator, Akira Toriyama, who passed away on March 1, 2024.

When Dragon Ball first debuted in the 1980s, Toriyama wrote and illustrated the manga. His unique art style and storytelling helped turn Dragon Ball into one of the most influential manga and anime franchises ever created. Even after his death, the series continues to follow his style, with longtime collaborator Toyotarou carrying the torch.

Even without a weekly anime, the Dragon Ball franchise has proven to be a juggernaut. In 2025, it set a record for the highest annual revenue of any Bandai Namco IP, generating over ¥190 billion ($1.2 billion) in a single year. This extraordinary success has kept Dragon Ball at the forefront of pop culture.

In total, the Dragon Ball franchise is estimated to be worth over $45 billion worldwide, making it one of the most valuable anime properties in history.

Even as the franchise continued to grow in global popularity, its modern television run eventually reached a turning point.

The Dragon Ball Super television run concluded in 2018 following the Tournament of Power, and while the series continued through films such as Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, the absence of a weekly anime left many fans questioning whether the main series would return.

Despite the anime’s halt in content, the manga has pressed forward with new arcs under the guidance of Toyotarou, who worked closely with Akira Toriyama and has since carried on the series following the creator’s passing.

Given the franchise’s continued success and the story still unfolding in the manga, many fans believed it was only a matter of time before the anime returned.

Because of the Genki Damatsuri, fans now have something to look forward to.

One of the biggest announcements from the event was the return of the Dragon Ball Super anime in the form of reworked episodes. 

Saint Paul’s senior Edward Pope is a die-hard Dragon Ball fan, “I’ve been waiting for this for forever,” Pope said. “I’ve grown up watching it, and I’m just so excited to finally see new episodes again. I’ve been hoping they’d bring it back for years, and now that it’s actually happening, I’m stoked!”

The first project that was announced was Dragon Ball Super Beerus.

This project might sound like a simple remaster of the original series and movie (Battle of Gods); however, it appears to be a full re-cut and re-imagining. Rather than lightly polishing existing episodes or doing a new movie, the production will condense and restructure the entire story.

For example, the Battle of Gods storyline, which originally ran for 14 episodes in the anime, will reportedly be shortened to six episodes.

Similarly, they announced the Resurrection F arc rework as well. The Resurrection F arc, which follows Beerus, is expected to receive the same treatment, with the number of episodes reduced from 14 to 6. 

Early promotional footage suggests a noticeable upgrade in animation quality, with more polished visuals and newly crafted shots. The remaster will still maintain the character designs created by veteran animator Tadayoshi Yamamuro, keeping the original look of the characters.

This approach means that the new version of Dragon Ball Super, which will be reworked by Toei Animations, could run at less than half the length of the original 131-episode series.

This could make the show far more accessible to newcomers. It also eliminates the confusing overlap between the anime and its film adaptations while presenting a more definitive version of the story’s opening arcs. 

Another upgrade coming to this remaster is more material from the Dragon Ball Super manga.

While the Dragon Ball Super television series and the manga follow the same story, there are stark differences.

Each arc usually ends the same way, but the events it takes to get to the end usually differ slightly.

More good news is that the remake isn’t the only thing they are working on.

The anime stopped with the Tournament of Power in 2018, with the exception of very successful movies released in 2018 and 2022. 

Yet, the manga has never stopped.

The manga has had two major story arcs, the “Galactic Patrol arc” and the “Granola the Survivor arc.”

During the anniversary presentation, Toei Animation confirmed that they will be making the long-awaited Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc.

The announcement was revealed by longtime Goku voice actress Masako Nozawa and Dragon Ball executive producer Akio Iyoku.

The new anime project will continue the story following the Universe Survival Arc and the Broly movie. 

In the manga, this continuation is known as the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc, which introduces the powerful antagonist Moro, an ancient sorcerer capable of consuming the life energy of entire planets.

In the story, Goku and Vegeta join forces with the Galactic Patrol, a law enforcement organization that “protects the universe,” to battle Moro.

Although the project is still in early development, the announcement suggests that the Dragon Ball anime is preparing for a long-term return. If adapted in full, the Moro storyline could mark the beginning of a new era of Dragon Ball animation.

However, anime wasn’t the only focus of the anniversary event. Major news also arrived from the gaming side of the franchise.

Bandai Namco Entertainment revealed a brand new Dragon Ball project currently known as “Age 1000.” 

The real name of the game will be released eventually.

Age 1000 is scheduled to release in 2027; the game explores a future setting more than 200 years after the events of Dragon Ball Super.

Many of the previous Dragon Ball games often retell the story of Dragon Ball Z, but this project introduces an entirely new era of the universe.

Saint Paul’s freshman Aaron Dunne believes this game could be the best one to date: “We’ve had some flops of Dragon Ball games, but I really think this one could be different,” Dunne said. “I love that it’s set so far in the future and has all new characters—you can tell they’re actually trying something fresh.”

The setting allows developers to create new characters, conflicts, and locations without being tied directly to the main cast.

According to the announcement, the game will feature original characters designed by Akira Toriyama, including a new protagonist revealed briefly in the teaser trailer. Whom many fans refer to as John 1000.

Because these characters were created by Toriyama before his passing, the project may represent one of the final opportunities for fans to experience new designs from the legendary creator.

More details about the project are expected to be revealed during Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour, an annual showcase dedicated to Dragon Ball games and competitive tournaments, on April 18-19 2026.

Something missing from the announcements was the return of the Dragon Ball Super manga.

Although the anime will adapt arcs from the manga, there has been no official update regarding when the manga itself will resume publication. This leaves several major storylines unresolved, including the emergence of the powerful villain Black Frieza.

For many, allowing Toyotarou to complete the story he developed alongside Toriyama remains an important step in bringing the modern Dragon Ball storyline to a satisfying conclusion.

Forty years after its debut, Dragon Ball remains one of the most influential franchises in anime history. From manga and television series to films, games, and merchandise, its impact continues to reach audiences around the world.

The announcements at Genki Damatsuri suggest that the series is far from over.

With a Dragon Ball Super remake, a continuation of the anime, and the new games, the franchise appears ready to enter another major chapter.

For fans both old and new, the message of the anniversary event was clear: the world of Dragon Ball is still growing, and the next adventure is only the beginning.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Toei Animation