The essentials in 30 seconds
Dragon Ball DAIMA takes place after the defeat of Majin Buu and before the epilogue set ten years later in the original manga. Goten and Trunks are still children, Buu lives on Earth and Uub has not yet entered Goku's life. If we compare DAIMA to Dragon Ball Super, its natural place is before the meeting with Beerus; the series does not, however, provide an explicit connection that resolves every difference between the works.
DAIMA returns to an already very busy period of Dragon Ball: the years of peace between the victory over Buu and the last tournament of the manga. Its starting point is clear, but its detailed relationship to Super and GT requires caution. A form or character absent from another series is not enough to automatically declare a contradiction or a merger of chronologies.
Warning: This guide reveals the full plot of Dragon Ball DAIMA, including its final transformations. We separate the cues told on screen, the logical connections and the elements that the franchise does not explicitly connect.
What clues do DAIMA place after Majin Buu's defeat?
The first episode shows Gomah and Degesu observing the events of the Buu arc. They watched as Goku, Vegeta, and their allies defeated the threat that once dominated the Demon Realm. Their fear of these warriors sets off the plot.
Majin Buu is alive in his good form and is among the people of Earth affected by the wish. Vegeta lives with Bulma, Trunks is present, Goten exists, and Dende serves as Earth God. These situations all assume the conclusion of the battle against Buu.
Gomah uses the Earth Dragon Balls to rejuvenate Goku and his companions, while the youngest become babies. He kidnaps Dende in order to limit the heroes' reaction. The guide to rejuvenation in DAIMA details this wish without confusing it with that of GT.
The series also evokes the link between the Demon Kingdom, Babidi, Dabura and Buu. It does not replace the end of the arc: it starts from its consequences to open a journey into a hitherto little-explored territory.
The article on Majin Buu's forms helps to understand why the peaceful Buu can exist after the destruction of Kid Buu. The Frieza, Cell and Majin Buu collection places this bodily continuity at the heart of the starting point.
Why does DAIMA take place before the manga's epilogue?
The original manga ends ten years after the victory over Kid Buu. Goku then meets Uub at the Tenkaichi Budokai and goes to train him. DAIMA, on the contrary, shows Goten and Trunks still very young and does not place Uub in the group.
Trunks celebrates a birthday at the start of the story and remains close to his age from the Buu arc. This youth places the adventure early in the period of peace, well before the adolescent appearance of the children in the epilogue.
Uub can already exist as a reincarnation without having met Goku. Its absence is not an inconsistency: the decisive encounter is reserved for the final tournament of the manga. Uub’s energy guide explains this reincarnation and its potential.
Dende is already the guardian of Earth and the Dragon Balls operate under his authority. The portrait of Dende connects the Cell arc, the battle against Buu and his kidnapping in DAIMA.
The minimum chronology is therefore solid: Buu defeated, then DAIMA, then the epilogue ten years later. This classification does not automatically give an exact calendar date to each episode, but it sets the necessary narrative boundaries.
It is also necessary to distinguish the date of broadcast and the date experienced by the characters. DAIMA aired after many Dragon Ball Super productions, but its story returns earlier in Goku's life. The output order is therefore not the internal order. Reading the series after Super can reveal new elements about the Demon Realm without meaning that Goku discovers them after the Tournament of Power.
The Son Goku collection allows us to compare his adult appearance after Buu, his mini form imposed in DAIMA and his age at the end of the manga. The Piccolo collection follows another hero rejuvenated by the same wish.
Does DAIMA take place before the meeting with Beerus?
Dragon Ball Super also begins after Majin Buu's defeat and before the manga's epilogue. Goku meets Beerus there, discovers the Super Saiyan God then trains with Whis. DAIMA uses neither this divine ki nor these transformations at the start of her adventure.
If we read the two series in the same continuity, DAIMA is naturally placed before the arrival of Beerus. Goku uses up to Super Saiyan 3 in the Demon Realm, then reaches a Super Saiyan 4 form specific to DAIMA, without calling on God or Blue.
This square remains a reconstruction from the events, not a transitional scene where a narrator explicitly says "then begins Super". Certain situations would still require a connection. Shin and Kibito are separated in DAIMA, while other later stories show them merged before explaining a separation in another way.
It is therefore more accurate to say that DAIMA occupies a time period before the events of Beerus by its internal clues, while recognizing that the franchise has not provided a detailed harmonization of every dialogue and character state.
The Beerus Quest Guide describes the beginning of Super. The article on the Super Saiyan God shows why this power should not be projected onto DAIMA's fights.
The Vegeta collection helps follow a particularly revealing progression: DAIMA shows him a Super Saiyan 3, while Super then develops his divine training.
Why isn't DAIMA a direct prelude to Dragon Ball GT?
Both DAIMA and GT start with a rejuvenated Goku, but the causes are not the same. In DAIMA, Gomah uses the Dragon Balls to reduce several heroes. In GT, a wish involving Pilaf and the Black Star Dragon Balls transforms Goku alone.
The chronological positions also differ. GT takes place after the epilogue of Dragon Ball Z, when Goku has already trained Uub. DAIMA takes place before this epilogue, when Goten and Trunks are still children.
Both series use the name Super Saiyan 4. This creates an obvious echo, but the designs, circumstances and journey are not identical. DAIMA's form appears in the Demon Realm facing Gomah, while GT's is linked to the giant golden monkey and the return of the tail.
The guide to GT status explains its animated origin. To say that DAIMA “replaces” GT or necessarily prepares for all its events would go beyond what the series shows.
DAIMA is also an original anime series, not an adaptation of an arc from the Dragon Ball manga. Akira Toriyama participated in its concept, story and characters. This creative involvement does not, however, transform GT into a direct sequel to DAIMA.
The broly collection provides another example of versions to be distinguished: the old Broly from the films and that from Super share a name without having exactly the same story.
What does DAIMA reveal about the Demon Realm?
Goku, Shin and Glorio cross the different worlds of the Demon Kingdom, joined by Panzy then by Vegeta, Piccolo and Bulma. The Tamagami keep the Dragon Balls local, while Gomah uses the evil third eye to enhance her power.
DAIMA connects several characters to this kingdom. Shin, Degesu and Arinsu belong to the Glind people. The Nameks are also linked to an ancient demonic origin, which enriches their history without undoing their settlement on Namek.
Arinsu and Marba create Majin Kuu then Majin Duu from elements linked to Buu and the Saibaimen. These new Majins are not simply additional forms of the earthly Buu. They have their own birth, personality and role in the conflict.
The finale restores the heroes' size and concludes the threat of Gomah. Knowledge of the Demon Realm remains, even if later series do not mention it. A lack of reference does not automatically equate to a deletion from the adventure.
The Dragon Ball figurine collection allows you to compare these new designs to those of previous arcs. The Injured Super Saiyan 2 Gohan figurine recalls that Gohan is present in the general period, but does not participate in the main group of the demonic expedition.
Is the word “canon” enough to classify DAIMA?
The word is useful, but often too vague. DAIMA is an official production with strong participation from Akira Toriyama and a complete story. This establishes its importance, but does not replace a scene-by-scene timeline.
It's best to ask three separate questions. Where does the plot fit in compared to the original manga? After Buu and before the epilogue. What is its exact relationship to Super? A place prior to Beerus is consistent, but certain connections are not explained. Is this the same continuity as GT? There is no obligation to merge them.
The comparison between manga and anime Dragon Ball Super already shows that the same period can have versions with different details. The franchise sometimes operates along broad lines rather than through a single chain without variation.
This method also avoids transforming a transformation into chronological proof. Goku uses Super Saiyan 4 in DAIMA, but that name doesn't automatically carry GT's story. Vegeta uses Super Saiyan 3, without the absence of a later scene forcing us to deny this fight.
The Super Saiyan 3 Cost Guide helps to read the limits shown in DAIMA. We must analyze what the form does in this story before comparing it to another work.
The Black Goku Rosé figurine with scythe finally reminds us that Super multiplies temporal branches. Franchise coherence therefore does not always mean a single sequence of events experienced by all the characters.
Frequently asked questions
Is DAIMA set after Majin Buu?
Yes. Gomah reacts directly to Buu's defeat, the peaceful Buu lives on Earth, and the characters occupy the situations established at the end of this arc.
Does DAIMA take place before Dragon Ball Super?
His clues naturally place him before the meeting with Beerus if the works are compared. No complete connection, however, resolves every difference between their character states.
Is DAIMA's Super Saiyan 4 the one from GT?
They share a name, but their design, triggering, and context differ. DAIMA does not tell the story of the transformation by the giant golden ape used in GT.
Why are Goten and Trunks still children?
The adventure takes place early after Buu and before the epilogue ten years later. Gomah's wish rejuvenates them even further with the rest of the group.
Does DAIMA come from a manga?
No. It is an original animated series. Akira Toriyama worked on the concept, story and characters, but this is not an adaptation of a previously published manga arc.
In summary
Dragon Ball DAIMA clearly takes place after the victory against Majin Buu and before the epilogue of the manga located ten years later. The still young characters, peaceful Buu, Dende and the absence of the meeting with Uub set these limits. Compared to Dragon Ball Super, the adventure is logically placed before Beerus and the Super Saiyan God, but no bridge explicitly resolves each difference, particularly around Shin and Kibito. DAIMA is also not an obligatory prelude to GT: the two rejuvenations and the two Super Saiyan 4 follow distinct mechanics. The most accurate reading is therefore to fix the position after Buu, then honestly report which fittings remain open.