Nov. 20, 2024, marks the 40th anniversary of the Dragon Ball franchise. Despite the series' four-decade history, Dragon Ball continues to show signs of tremendous growth in licensing deals and international popularity that will undoubtedly increase with the upcoming fall premiere of Dragon Ball Daima.
Per a press release, Toei Animation is celebrating the successful brand agreements the Dragon Ball franchise has showcased over the past 12 months as the Japanese animation studio looks forward to the future. "Dragon Ball fans have a truly unquenchable demand for branded goods — as illustrated by the breadth and depth of our licensed product categories," Toei Animation President Masayuki Endo said. "We’re thrilled that these new agreements will bring Dragon Ball’s beloved characters and stories to fans — not only in North America but also around the world. The dedication and commitment of both our team and our partners has made this possible. And together, we’ll continue to bring new and exciting products to Dragon Ball fans of every age."
Dragon Ball's Latest Brand Deals Include Cereal & Sushi Collaborations for Hungry Fans
Over the past several weeks and months, Dragon Ball collaborated with a variety of popular names to produce an assortment of merchandise for anime fans of all ages. The list of new branded licenses for 2023-24 includes:
Crunchyroll Expands Its Massive Anime Library With More Dragon Ball Streams
Crunchyroll, the anime streaming giant that recently merged with Texas-based dub company Funimation, also launched the entire English dub of Dragon Ball Super in March 2024. The addition of the latest Dragon Ball anime TV series complements the massive Dragon Ball anime library currently available on the popular streaming service. Both Toei Animation and Crunchyroll will be present for the Licensing Expo 2024 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada to meet with current and potential licensing partners for the Dragon Ball series.
Although the 40th anniversary of the Dragon Ball franchise will occur without the presence of its legendary creator, the late Akira Toriyama, fans and creators worldwide continue to honor the memory of the iconic manga artist and his work. Dragon Ball Daima, the upcoming new anime series slated for the fall, was the last Dragon Ball anime project Toriyama contributed to before his passing. 2024 will also see new developments in the highly-anticipated fighting game, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, for PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
Source: Press release
