Mission Statement:

From its humble beginnings in the mid-1980's to its meteoric rise in international popularity throughout the 90's to its current resurgence in the 2010's, the Dragon Ball franchise has endured as one of the most beloved media properties of all time. Countless professionals in the entertainment industry have been influenced by its story, itself a thrilling reimagining of the classical Chinese epic Journey to the West. It tells of the adventures of a young boy named Goku, who travels with his friends in search of the mystical Dragon Balls. As he grows into a man, he amasses great strength, eventually taking on the mantle of Earth's sworn protector.

Series creator Akira Toriyama is famed for making up most of the original manga's plot as he went along, preferring to fly by the seat of his pants than brainstorm the entire chronology beforehand. This paid dividends when fielding the pressures of keeping up with a then-concurrent anime adaptation. And while this afforded him no small amount of creativity and wiggle room (and is mostly to blame for Dragon Ball's anything-can-happen feel), this approach to storytelling is not without its drawbacks. There is very little in the way of foreshadowing throughout the multi-saga saga. Many fan-favorite characters gradually get pushed into the background, some fading into total irrelevance or utter obscurity. Several half-started character arcs are never resolved by series end. Much of the story begins to retread itself over time, with each major chapter inevitably devolving into a struggle against a Big Bad that our heroes can barely fend off until Goku is either healed or finishes training for in order to do the job himself. And perhaps the greatest disservice of all is that we are given a rich, complex fantasy world replete with its own history and mythology, but very little detail or explanation to flesh out and build said world.

Perhaps I am in the minority of lifelong fans who love the series dearly, though can view it through a critical lens. To many, I'm sure the story is perfect as is, and nothing need be changed. But for those like-minded to myself, this project will serve to reinvent Dragon Ball for a new generation, while also pleasing its most diehard fans. Not only will it aim to retell and reinvigorate a timeless classic, but also to incorporate many facets of the series' widespread fandom, as well as the best elements from its many adaptations, off-shoots, and spinoffs. Most of all, this endeavor will live and die by its mission statement: that more than thirty years later, we can (and should) do better.

This is…

Dragon Ball: Reborn

I know, I've probably already lost the handful of readers who are aware of my usage of the would-be title for the sequel to Dragonball: Evolution which never came to be. Assuredly, that film is nothing if not a blight on the franchise and its fans. And yet, just like any extant piece of DB esoterica, there are nuggets—germs of interesting ideas within it that will be incorporated (sparingly, and with any luck, intelligently) into this reimagining. The entirety of the Dragon Ball mythos is up for grabs here, not just what's commonly considered canon or close to the manga.

Throughout this text, we will embark on a journey with Goku and friends. Familiar ground will be tread. Curveballs will be thrown. Together, we will chart the timeline of this new series in the order I imagine it would be experienced by a viewing audience. All reviews, questions, comments, concerns, critiques, and discussions are welcome (in fact, encouraged).

I hope you all enjoy. Thanks for reading!