Nearly eight years after the anime series concluded in 2018, Dragon Ball Super is finally poised to return, with Toei Animation confirming that the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga arc is in production. Dragon Ball Super originally ran from 2015 to 2018, with the manga continuing until its hiatus in March 2024. While fans have expressed frustration over the prolonged wait, the extended break may have inadvertently solved one of the franchise's most persistent problems: burnout.
When Dragon Ball Super premiered in 2015, it arrived with baggage that plagued the early episodes. The rushed animation during the Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F' arcs became infamous, with quality issues that required extensive fixes for the Blu-ray release. The series was caught in a punishing cycle: adapting movie content while simultaneously creating new material for the Universe Survival arc, all while maintaining a weekly broadcast schedule.
The Burnout Problem Super Couldn't Shake
The nonstop production created a familiar Dragon Ball problem: quantity over quality. Power scaling escalated rapidly, with new transformations introduced at a breakneck pace. Ultra Instinct, Super Saiyan Blue, and various god forms emerged in quick succession, leaving little time for the narrative weight these transformations deserved. The franchise was moving so fast that both creators and fans struggled to keep up.
The Manga Found Its Own Path
While the anime concluded with the Tournament of Power, the Dragon Ball Super manga quietly continued, diverging from its animated counterpart in significant ways. Under artist Toyotarou's pen, the manga introduced the Galactic Patrol Prisoner and Granolah the Survivor arcs. These stories refined the franchise's direction and introduced genuinely compelling threats, such as Moro and Gas.
These manga-exclusive arcs benefited from something the anime never had: breathing room. Without the pressure of weekly episodes, Toyotarou could develop character moments, establish stakes, and create villains with actual depth. The result was Dragon Ball storytelling that felt more deliberate and focused than the franchise had managed in years.
A Creative Reset, Not a Failure
The hiatus that followed Akira Toriyama's tragic passing in March 2024 left Dragon Ball's future in doubt. Rights disputes between Shueisha and Bird Studio further complicated matters, extending the manga's pause beyond anyone's expectations. But this extended gap may prove beneficial in ways fans didn't expect.
The break allowed the franchise to step back and evaluate its direction. Dragon Ball Daima, which concluded in February 2025, offered a nostalgic return to the series' roots with Toriyama's final creative input.
Meanwhile, discussions about Super's return centered not just on continuation but on improvement, including plans for an enhanced remake of the Battle of Gods arc that would fix the original anime's shortcomings.
Anticipation for Dragon Ball Restored
Perhaps most importantly, the hiatus restored something Dragon Ball Super had lost: genuine anticipation. The Tournament of Power's conclusion felt more like exhaustion than excitement, with power levels reaching absurd heights and stakes that had become difficult to care about. Years away from new content have given fans time to miss the series and manga readers time to appreciate the stories that came after.
The positive, hyped fan reactions to the announcements at the Genkidamatsuri event only prove this. Dragon Ball Super appears ready to return with a clearer vision. The continuation of the Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc in anime form and potential movies adapting manga content could both learn from the anime’s mistakes during its rushed early days.
The Dragon Ball franchise has always thrived on momentum, but sometimes the best thing you can do is stop, breathe, and figure out where you're actually going. Dragon Ball Super's extended hiatus doesn’t have to be seen as a failure but as the reset button the franchise needed to press to move forward.
Rewatch and catch up on the latest Dragon Ball Super episodes on Crunchyroll while you wait!
