While these two segments are short, they prove that a Sengoku-period Dragon Ball series would be a fantastic way to carry the franchise forward after Dragon Ball DAIMA concludes. One thing fans will notice when they watch these segments is how Dragon Ball’s visual style and character designs naturally fit the aesthetic of the Sengoku period. Even when clad in historical costume, each Dragon Ball character remains instantly recognizable, but at the same time, they don’t clash with the backdrop or the setting as a whole. This is especially true of Vegeta, Master Roshi, and Mr. Satan, as they look so natural in their outfits that it’s easy to imagine them wearing them during regular Dragon Ball arcs without them seeming out of place.
Plus, Dragon Ball’s usual plot structure fits a Sengoku-inspired warring states narrative. At their core, most Dragon Ball arcs are about one faction invading territory owned by someone else to take it over and steal its resources. For example, Dragon Ball’s Red Ribbon Army Saga sees Goku battle a group that is occupying towns and villages so they can collect the Dragon Balls and take over the world. Later, Dragon Ball Z’s Vegeta Saga sees the space-faring Saiyans invading Earth to once again steal the Dragon Balls and take over the planet.
Even Dragon Ball Super plays into this, as the Universe Survival Saga’s Tournament Of Power is basically a fighting tournament version of a Sengoku period narrative, with entire universes fighting each other to be the last universe standing, no matter the cost. So, all a hypothetical writer needs to do is split the various characters into defined armies before dropping them in a world divided into regions or countries and give each army a reason to invade and take territory from the others.
A Sengoku-inspired installment would also allow a future series to build on the formula that has made Dragon Ball DAIMA so successful, as it would drop Goku and his friends into a new, visually distinct world that would push them outside their comfort zones and force them to utilize different tactics and strategies to get what they want, as the setting would remove most of the technology Goku has come to rely on in his modern adventures.
Plus, much like Dragon Ball DAIMA’s Demon World, a historical setting would open the door for a slew of new and unique characters as well as many interesting new setpieces. Because of this, a historical series would be able to retain Dragon Ball’s distinctive core and trademark fight scenes while also feeling different enough to make it stand out and not feel like a rehash of the many Dragon Ball stories that have come before it.
However, it shouldn’t be surprising that Dragon Ball and the Sengoku period go together so well. Dragon Ball is heavily inspired by the Chinese novel Journey to the West. Toriyama even admitted that the original Dragon Ball characters are direct copies of Journey To The West‘s cast, telling an interviewer that:
The Journey To The West novel was first published in the 16th century (though oral versions of many of the tales predate publication). This means Wu Cheng’en was writing Journey to the West as Japan went through the Sengoku period. Because of this shared era and Japan and China’s geographic closeness, several elements from the story, including fashion, technology, and the general way of life can easily be used as a basis for fiction set in this era of Japan’s history without it feeling painfully out of place or anachronistic, especially if the new work has magical elements.
TERSEDIA JUGA: