Dragon Ball Super chapter 103 has just been released, and the chapter contains some important information on the future of the series, all summed up in one phrase fans are used to seeing: “To Be Continued.” This simple message confirms that the series won’t be ending with Toriyama’s passing, assuaging fan concerns that the manga may end abruptly.
Fans of Dragon Ball and anime in general are surely aware of the sudden passing of Akira Toriyama on March 1, 2024. The news came as a shock to fans around the world, including famous mangaka like Eiichiro Oda (One Piece) and Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto), and the internet has been bathed in expressions of condolence and mourning for the legendary creator ever since.
Toriyama was still heavily involved in the Dragon Ball franchise at the time of his passing, having worked on Dragon Ball Super with artist Toyotarou, and the upcoming new anime series, Dragon Ball DAIMA.
Dragon Ball Super Will Continue Into Its Next Arc
The MangaPlus website, where fans can read the official English release of Dragon Ball Super, has confirmed that the series will be taking a break next month, but is scheduled to return in the issue of V-Jump scheduled for May 21, 2024, in Japan (meaning a May 20 release in the US). There has been no indication as to what exactly the writing situation will be when it returns, as yet. It’s possible Toyotarou will take sole responsibility for the series, doing both the writing and the art, but there’s also a chance that he’ll be given a new writing partner.
Whoever ends up writing Dragon Ball Super will certainly have some big shoes to fill. The series still has a major plot hook left hanging with the introduction of Frieza’s new “Black Frieza” transformation, and fans were expecting this to be the next story arc following the conclusion of the Super Hero adaptation. Toriyama surely had some notes and plans for where the Black Frieza storyline was intended to go, so his successor won’t necessarily have to start from scratch.
Dragon Ball Super’s Month-Long Hiatus Gives The Manga More Time to Decide its Next Steps
Given the major decisions about writing the series that have to be made, it makes sense that Jump’s editors would want to give the series a month off to have time to determine how Dragon Ball Super will proceed moving forward. If they do opt to pick up a new writer, there’s sure to be a very thorough vetting process to ensure that this person will be able to handle the responsibility of writing such a popular series, and that sort of thing takes time.
At the very least, fans can relax a little knowing that the series will continue in some form, even if the details of that form have yet to be fully decided. Of course, if anyone is used to a sudden transformation, it’s Dragon Ball fans. Dragon Ball Super may be a little different than they remember it when it returns, but at its heart the series will still be what it’s always been, just like Goku.
