Dragon Ball Daima fans complaining about Majin Kuu's design are missing the point
Dragon Ball Daima went viral with the latest episode because of the new character, Majin Kuu, and his design being not embraced by the fandom. By and large, the majority of fans have claimed that the look of this character is underwhelming and not living up to expectations, but a lot of people tend to forget the way author Akira Toriyama operated as an author.
Toriyama has been defined by several writing tropes of his and Dragon Ball Daima was the last project he worked on before sadly passing away on March 1 of this year, with Majin Kuu being a prime example of how he handles designs. This guarantees that the new Majin is going to be a hit with fans but it does give greater context to his looks.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a publication.
Fans miss the point of Majin Kuu's design in Dragon Ball Daima
Dr. Arinsu and Marba created Majin Kuu in the most recent episode of Daima and generated a lot of criticism for the design, with several fans claiming that it was uninspired, too goofy, and lacking any threatening feel. While fans are entitled to their opinions and to be critical of their favorite series, they are also missing the point of author Akira Toriyama when it comes to his designs.
Toriyama, at his core, had always been a gag mangaka, evidenced by his previous hit, Dr. Slump, and several of the designs he made in his series are fairly goofy and comedic. A good example of that is Demon King Piccolo's strongest underling, Tambourine, who had a somewhat unserious design and still made a very strong impression, taking Krillin's life in a very ruthless manner.
Moreover, the mangaka was always known for making shorter, less threatening-looking characters to be the biggest threat. Vegeta and the final form of Frieza are prime examples of this trend in the arcs where they were the main villains, coupled with the fact that the original manga ended with Kid Buu, who was small but extremely powerful and destructive.
More examples to back this claim
There are valid claims from an aesthetic perspective, such as the color combination or perhaps changing a couple of details, that the Majin Kuu could be better while keeping the original structure in Dragon Ball Daima and Toriyama's style. No one is forced to like the design but is also easy to undermine a character who has yet to have a chance of proving his worth and leaving a positive impression.
The character can still show up and deliver in the series, with Tamagami Number Three being a good example of that since the latter only had major screen time in one episode and proved to become a beloved part of this anime thus far. Therefore, if Majin Kuu manages to be a good character, it will overcome the issues with the design.
Moreover, there is also the fact that Dragon Ball Daima could give Majin Kuu a transformation, which is a staple of this franchise. The likes of Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu had several transformations, so is likely that this character could do it as well, especially considering that on paper, he should have the ability to absorb people.
Final thoughts
Dragon Ball Daima has generally been well-received by the fandom but Majin Kuu's design has been one of the most divisive elements in the series. However, it does fit with Toriyama's style of writing and the character can still deliver where it matters.
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