For several months now, the next manga chapter of Dragon Ball Super has been awaited. A possible reason is a rights dispute.
On March 1, 2024, the mangaka Akira Toriyama unexpectedly passed away. His most famous work is the Dragon Ball series. He was responsible for classic Dragon Ball as well as Dragon Ball Z, GT, and Super.
After the release of chapter 103 of Dragon Ball Super on March 20, 2024, it has become very quiet around the beloved manga. Since then, fans have been waiting in vain for the release of chapter 104.
In addition to grieving Toriyama’s death, there could be another reason responsible for this delay.
Dispute over rights could delay the next chapter
What is the reason? The reason could be a rights dispute that has erupted. Here, editor Akio Iyoku and publisher Shūeisha are in conflict. Akio Iyoku worked until 2023 as the head of the Dragon Ball Room. As the head of this department, Iyoku’s task was to manage Toriyama’s intellectual property.
Iyoku, who was considered a close confidant of Toriyama and was also involved in the development of Dragon Ball, reportedly initiated a film adaptation of SAND LAND in the past without communicating this to his superiors. SAND LAND is a manga also created by Toriyama. The film was released in 2023.
This action was not well received by those in charge. As a result, Iyoku was transferred to a new department. He disagreed with this decision and subsequently began to make a name for himself independently.
You can find the relevant article about the incident on the X account of Dragon Ball fan SupaChronicles:
In 2023, Iyoku finally founded his own company, which he named Capsule Corporation, in reference to Dragon Ball.
This sparked a dispute regarding the rights to Dragon Ball. While Iyoku demands more rights, the Shūeisha publisher does not want to relinquish its rights.
Companies like Bandai Namco, which are responsible for licensing Dragon Ball, are put in a difficult position by this. It is challenging for companies like Bandai Namco to determine whether Iyoku’s new company or Shūeisha is the right contact. The sudden death of Akira Toriyama further complicates the situation.
This could be the reason why the new chapter of Dragon Ball Super continues to be awaited. Originally, May 20, 2024 was considered as the release date for the new chapter. However, this date was not met, and to this day, the new chapter has not been released.
What do you think of the situation? Are you also eagerly waiting for the new chapter? Feel free to share your opinion with us in the comments and let us know what you think. By the way: There was an opponent in Dragon Ball who would have been very useful as a secret weapon.
