The creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama, died on March 1, 2024, leaving the rights to his famous franchise in an uncertain situation

The creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama, died on March 1, 2024, leaving the rights to his famous franchise in an uncertain situation. According to a report by Toyo Keizai, discussions are underway between Shueisha, Akio Iyoku, and Bandai Namco regarding the future of the work. Iyoku, formerly responsible for managing Dragon Ball, left Shueisha in 2023 to establish his own company, Capsule Corporation Tokyo, which led to tensions surrounding the series' rights.

Shueisha is concerned about losing the rights to the manga, particularly because of Toriyama's dissatisfaction following Iyoku's departure. Attempts to secure the rights through negotiations with the Toriyama family and Iyoku have failed. In Toriyama's absence, the future of the franchise remains unclear, as the stakeholders seek to resolve this conflict.

Despite these disagreements, the franchise continues to move forward with the upcoming release of Dragon Ball Daima, a new anime scheduled to air in Japan in October 2024. Fans hope that Toriyama's legacy will be preserved as discussions over the rights continue behind the scenes.