Episodes from New Storyline by Creator Akira Toriyama Source: Funimation Entertainment press release Official Site: toei-anim.co.jp/dragon_s (Japan), DragonBallSuperOfficial.com (US) Special Thanks to Scott Lonski DRAGON BALL fans everywhere just received the biggest gift of the holiday season. Toei Animation Inc., Funimation Entertainment and Adult Swim are pleased to announce their partnership to bring DRAGON BALL SUPER (???????? (????), Doragon Booru-Choo (Suupaa), 2015-) to TV audiences starting next January. DRAGON BALL SUPER is the first new storyline in more than 18 years from original creator Akira Toriyama and the DRAGON BALL franchise, which was first introduced to the U.S. more than 20 years ago. Adult Swim will begin airing the U.S. English dub of DRAGON BALL SUPER Season 1 during the Toonami block starting on January 7, 2017 at 8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. ET. Season 1, which totals 26 episodes, encompasses the BATTLE OF GODS and RESURRECTION ‘F’ story arcs. New episodes of DRAGON BALL SUPER will air each Saturday. “DRAGON BALL SUPER is more than the latest adventure in the DRAGON BALL saga -- It’s a collaboration between the series original creator, Akira Toriyama and a passionate team of men and women who are both longtime partners and talented newcomers. DRAGON BALL SUPER comes with everything viewers can hope for after waiting 18 long years for a new series -- impressible dangers to overcome, the reuniting of beloved characters, and new additions to the mythos that will rock DRAGON BALL’s very foundation,” said Masayuki Endo, President and CEO of Toei Animation Inc. “We are very excited to return DRAGON BALL SUPER to its U.S. broadcast home on Adult Swim.”
“Toonami and the DRAGON BALL franchise have a long and storied history together in the U.S.,” said Jason DeMarco, senior vice president of on-air for Adult Swim. “We are thrilled to be premiering DRAGON BALL SUPER to our audience and keeping DRAGON BALL on Toonami!” Funimation will be producing the U.S. English dub of DRAGON BALL SUPER that will air on Toonami The DRAGON BALL SUPER cast features veteran voice actors from previous DRAGON BALL series including Seán Schemmel (Goku), Christopher R. Sabat (Vegeta), Jason Douglas (Beerus), Ian Sinclair (Whis) and Sonny Strait (Krillin) -- all of whom starred in last year’s hit movie DRAGON BALL Z: RESURRECTION ‘F’ (???????????????, Doragon Booru Zetto: Fukkatsu no ‘F’, 2015) which became the 9th highest grossing anime film of all time in U.S.A.
“We’re extremely pleased to join with Toei Animation in this broadcast partnership with Adult Swim to bring DRAGON BALL SUPER to a whole new generation of TV audiences,” said Gen Fukunaga, CEO and founder of Funimation. “I have no doubt that DRAGON BALL SUPER will eclipse the television success of the original DRAGON BALL series that first aired here more than 20 years ago when anime was still new to the U.S. Those kids that grew up watching DRAGON BALL now have kids of their own.” As part of the English dub production and in advance of the broadcast television premiere, a new DragonBallSuperOfficial.com website has been launched that serves as a hub for all things DRAGON BALL. The site will feature exclusive content, videos, graphics and character bios as well as the latest news on the franchise.
Series Synopsis
With Majin Buu defeated, Goku has taken a completely new role as…a radish farmer?! With Earth at peace, our heroes have settled into normal lives. But they can’t get too comfortable. Far away, the powerful God of Destruction, Beerus, awakens to a prophecy revealing his demise at the hands of an even more formidable being. When his search for the Saiyan God brings him to Earth, can Goku and his friends take on their strongest foe yet?
About Toei Animation Inc.
Based in Los Angeles, Toei Animation Inc. manages the film distribution of Toei’s top properties, including DRAGON BALL all series, SAILOR MOON, ONE PIECE, SAINT SEIYA, and many others to North America, Latin America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Toei Animation Los Angeles office further handles all categories of consumer product licensing based on its film and television brands within these territories. For more information, please visit toei-animation-usa.com.
About Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is the go-to destination for extraordinary anime. By combining its integrated in-house studios along with its technology and distribution partnerships, Funimation leads the industry with its omnichannel approach to offering anime to fans -- from streaming and home entertainment to theatrical distribution and broadcast television. The company’s next generation streaming service, FunimationNow, provides subscribers with instant access to their favorite sub and dub shows in ad-free HD on the widest array of devices and platforms -- from smartphones and tablets to TV’s and gaming consoles. For more information about Funimation, visit funimation.com.
About Adult Swim
Adult Swim, launched in 2001, is Turner’s network offering original and acquired animated and live-action series for young adults. Airing nightly from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET/PT), Adult Swim is basic cable’s #1 network with persons 18-34 and 18-49, and is seen in 94 million U.S. homes. Turner, a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, sports, animation and young adult multi-platform content for consumers around the world. Turner brands and businesses include CNN/U.S., HLN, CNN International and CNN.com, TBS, TNT, TCM, truTV, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Adult Swim, Turner Sports, Bleacher Report, iStreamPlanet and ELEAGUE.
For more information on DRAGON BALL SUPER, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan:
- DRAGON BALL SUPER Debuts on Crunchyroll, Daisuki and Anime Lab
- DRAGON BALL SUPER New Simulcast Episodes on FunimationNow