Over the years, shonen anime has seen significant change, most of it positive. Historically, anime versions of iconic shonen series like Naruto or Bleach were infamous for having a sluggish pace, uneven animation, and, of course, protracted filler sequences that detracted from the main story.
The problem of pacing has never entirely disappeared because many of these series are adapted from manga that is meant to run as long as possible, but in terms of animation quality and reducing filler, they have made significant progress. In addition, thanks to the lavish productions of series like My Hero Academia, Fire Force, and Demon Slayer, fans of battle shonen have had a good few years. Naturally, the drawback of having so many excellent options is that they eventually start to vie for the attention of the consumer.
Although the majority of these series have become very well-known, a few have remained relatively unknown (at least to English-speaking anime fans). This could be because they weren’t well-marketed or came out at the same time as a more well-known series that managed to overshadow them. One such series is the 2020 reboot of Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, which is a great tragedy because it is unquestionably among the best examples of a battle shonen anime done correctly in the current era.
The narrative centers on a small child named Dai who, despite living in peace on a monster island, longs to become like the legendary figure who vanquishes the Dark Lord Hadlar and preserves the planet. He appears to have his opportunity when he and another child, Popp, are trained by a warrior named Avan; however, before they can finish their training, they quickly learn that Hadlar has been raised from the dead and is now under the control of the Dark King Vearn. After Avan gives his life to keep the boys safe from Hadlar, Dai and Popp embark on a quest to get revenge on their master and finally vanquish Hadlar and Vearn. You’ve probably heard of this very standard hero’s journey structure before, but the series offers much more than you may anticipate for something so basic.
However, I should probably first discuss the background of Dai before delving into what makes it so fantastic. The manga series, written by Riku Sanjō and illustrated by Kōji Inada, was first published in Shonen Jump in 1989 and ran for 37 volumes. It was a manga offshoot of the video game series Dragon Quest, which served as the model for modern JRPGs. Though the title may suggest otherwise, this is a cheap video game tie-in rather than a hot-blooded battle shonen manga. It ran alongside Shonen Jump classics such as Yu-Yu Hakusho, Saint Seiya, and Dragon Ball, the latter of which it shares a lot of stylistic similarities with (Hadlar is essentially “Vegeta but green”).
That impact makes sense because Dragon Ball author Akira Toriyama is largely responsible for the appearance and feel of the Dragon Quest games in addition to designing many of the franchise’s recognizable monsters. In spite of the fact that Dragon Ball is unquestionably the more famous and influential of the two manga, this series was also quite influential in and of itself. For example, any contemporary isekai anime featuring a hero’s party is essentially a parody of Dragon Quest, and every example of the “whiny guy who sucks at the start, but gets better later on” archetype that has appeared in shonen manga over the past few decades—such as Zenitsu from Demon Slayer—can be attributed to Popp for creating the framework for it.
It’s also probably important to remember that the series did previously have an anime adaptation from Toei in 1991. This adaptation aired for 46 episodes and covered the first 10 volumes or so of the manga. Because it covers the whole manga in 100 episodes, the 2020 remake is therefore the most comprehensive version.
But unlike Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which hurried through the manga’s early chapters that the 2003 FMA anime had already covered, or Hunter x Hunter, which didn’t fully establish itself as an adaptation until the Yorknew City arc, the 2020 Dai version doesn’t feel the need to set itself apart from the original anime, and that greatly improves the show’s quality as both an adaptation and a TV series.
Like the JRPGs it is based on, the first five episodes serve as a kind of prologue, but once the show starts, it doesn’t stop. Although the 100 episodes of the program may seem daunting, they pale in comparison to the 700+ episodes of the Naruto franchise or the 138 episodes of My Hero Academia that are now airing. Additionally, this series has the benefit of being able to progress fully at its own pace because it is an adaptation of a manga that was completed some time ago. Even with little filler, comparable battle shonen anime frequently drag their heels, but DQ Dai excels at saving you time and moves along rather quickly without ever feeling like it’s rushing anything despite having a ton of source material. I can honestly say that, in the entire runtime of the program, I think I was only ever somewhat bored in two or three episodes, at most. That’s really astounding for a series that requires that much time commitment.
If the source material itself wasn’t fantastic, however, none of anything I’ve written here would matter. To put it succinctly, DQ Dai’s appeal may be summed up as relentlessly delightful. The series proudly exhibits an old-school action animation intensity, much like the Dragon Quest games itself. Dai and his allies vociferously declare their commitment to fighting for justice and love; numerous spells in the series are given absurd names like “Woosh” or “Kaboom,” while the antagonists are referred to as the Dark Army. However, it recognizes that there is appeal to that kind of simplicity, just like the Dragon Quest games, and it more than makes up for its lack of uniqueness in execution.
The show’s overarching themes are fairly simple and essentially revolve around the Dark Army’s “might makes right” mentality versus Dai and his friends using their strength to help others or the resilience of the human spirit in the face of hardship. These themes have persisted in shonen manga for a reason, and DQ Dai fully explores these ideals. The show never stops being authentic, even at its most corny times, and because of this, it is able to execute its plot beats so well that even its corniest scenes are handled with enough drama to make them actually engaging again. Even after almost 30 years, the program still has some elements that feel a little out of date, but overall, the plot remains ageless despite its advanced age.
The ensemble of the program, who are arguably the most important factor in its success, possesses the same timeless quality. Though Dai’s demeanor is rather typical for a juvenile hero, his desire to grow up and become a legitimate hero is endearing because he is still a child. His character journey is largely around his need to live up to the expectations of others and how he must mature into that role. His companions, such as Hyunckel, a former student of Avan who initially sides with the Dark Army and struggles to atone for his past, or Maam, a warrior priest who is the most outspoken about her beliefs in justice and is compassionate even towards her enemies, are also pretty compelling and do a great job of rounding out the main cast.
Even the Dark Army members have compelling characterizations, with Killvearn and Zaborera in particular having charmingly nasty antics. Some, like Baran or Mystvearn, on the other hand, are driven by a sincere feeling of loyalty or resentment towards mankind, which makes every one of their confrontations with Dai’s group noteworthy.
The show’s finest highlight is undoubtedly Popp’s transformation from a coward who would desert his friends in the first hint of danger to a dependable friend willing to risk all for those he loves. He truly stands out among the cast. The story is nearly entirely about him rather than Dai in many ways. By the time it’s all over, he’s got a strong argument to be considered among the best written shonen manga supporting characters ever, right up there with characters like Kuwabara from Yu-Yu Hakusho and Vegeta from Dragon Ball.
Naturally, the program also has plenty to offer those who are more interested in awesome anime combat scenes than in intricate ideas or characters.
The 2018 Dragon Ball Super: Broly film, which had several of the animators from the original series, also had series director Kazuya Karasawa as one of its assistant directors. The outcome was nothing short of amazing. While it can’t quite reach the same levels of consistently excellent quality as seasonal shonen anime like Jujutsu Kaisen or Demon Slayer due to its ongoing two-year production, the program looks fantastic both within and outside of action sequences. Still, it comes very close.
Dai features a few truly amazing fights of its own. Additionally, it maintains the encounters’ relative simplicity and employs battle tactics more akin to Dragon Ball than contemporary shonen, with the majority of special strikes being straightforward spells or basic magic weapons. That may disappoint fans of the more intricate power structures of shows like Hunter x Hunter’s Nen or Jujutsu Kaisen’s Cursed Techniques, but on the bright side, it makes the battle scenes in this series flow naturally and the action is consistently very simple to follow. The only major criticism I have of it is that, similar to the Broly film, the program occasionally uses computer-generated imagery (CGI) for some of its more intricate action scenes, with varying degrees of success. However, the level of hand-drawn action always more than makes up for it, and all things considered, this TV anime production is among Toei Animation’s best-looking works to date.
If I have any complaints about this show, they are more related to its visibility than its quality. For its whole run, the series was simulcast on Crunchyroll, but neither they nor Toei did much to promote it, therefore it remained relatively unknown in comparison to other shonen heavyweights.
Fortunately, problems have marginally improved with the release of the dub, which does a fantastic job of embracing the show’s 90s action cartoon sensibilities and is the best way they could have handled it. Having only recently begun to stream on Netflix, the program otherwise possesses all the qualities that make it an excellent gateway anime, so perhaps this will help it garner more notice. Nevertheless, the West needs a lot more support than it currently receives, so if anything I’ve mentioned here appeals to you, I suggest watching the show. This series was redone for a reason, and even while it may seem a little basic by today’s standards, it still has a lot to offer in comparison to its more contemporary shonen counterparts.
