DAIMA producer suggests Super as an Alternate sequel to the official manga

When Dragon Ball Super came out, Dragon Ball fans all across the globe were euphoric; also, it was marked as a sequel to Dragon Ball Z. With the Universal Survival arc, the show went into an undeclared hiatus. But before the new seasons came out on television, Dragon Ball DAIMA arrived!

When Super was released, the news came out that Dragon Ball GT was non-canon, and fans accepted it, but everyone wanted the Super Saiyan 4 level to be shown in Super. But Super had other plans, and the God levels arrived. In Daima, everyone witnessed Vegeta going Super Saiyan 3 on many occasions. And even with the boost from Neva, the Namekian on the Demon Realm, Goku attained Super Saiyan 4.

Sowing the Seeds

Everyone was overwhelmed with excitement. Doubts rose, like why didn’t Goku or Vegeta exhibit these levels in Super’s tournaments? Some assumed that it could be something none of them remembered, as they forgot everything about the Demon Realm once they exited it. Also, Super Saiyan 4 was boosted due to Neva from the Demon Realm, it was a dark level so he couldn’t call upon it in Super as he and Vegeta had entered the Super Saiyan God levels, and the red hair of Super Saiyan God mode and Super Saiyan 4 must be DAIMA’s way of sowing seeds for Super Saiyan God forms for Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and Dragon Ball Super first saga.

But then the unthinkable happened!

In the final episode of DAIMA, Zenkai, Goku, and friends leave to bid farewell to everyone on the Demon Realm, and it seems none of them will ever forget the happenings at the Demon Realm. This is puzzling to fans, including us, so why didn’t Goku and Vegeta attain Super Saiyan 3 and 4, respectively, in Super, when DAIMA happened a year after the Majin Buu saga, while Super happened a decade later?

Though there were minute contradicting statements regarding Goku’s departure in the DBZ and his appearance in DBS.

The only explanation

In an interview by YouTuber @SofianLeGEEK during Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru’s appearance at Made in Asia Spring 2025, “Super Saiyan 4 doesn’t appear in Dragon Ball Super, but Akio lyoku has stated that Dragon Ball DAIMA is a canonical sequel to the original manga. Should we consider Dragon Ball Super an alternate sequel to the original manga?” Nakatsuru answered, “I don’t know, it’s possible. I worked quite intensively on DAIMA, but maybe there’s a deeper meaning behind all this that I’m unaware of.”

This was the first time the alternate sequel theory was imposed on an official staff, and was answered in a perplexing way. Many are excited, but many aren’t. A short online web series, Dragon Ball Heroes, has explored the concept of the Dragon Ball multiverse regardless of its canon or non-canonical status.

What can we say!? We just hope both become canon smoothly, because, as many say, after the end of Dragon Ball DAIMA, the team wasn’t shown getting back on Earth (they just left for Earth, but anything can happen), which could make up season 2 and further fuse DAIMA and Super. As per Manga, Super is on track, while DAIMA is the intruder, but a perfect piece to connect them.

^{Pic Credits: Dragon Ball/Toei Animation}