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When Akira Toriyama began conceptualizingDragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, the time period it was set in played a pivotal role in defining its direction. Toriyama specifically chose to place the movie shortly after the Majin Buu arc, when the characters were at their most powerful.
This timing also helped avoid depicting older versions of characters, such as Bulma and Kuririn, who are relatively normal and mortal and had aged significantly by the time of the final parts ofDragon Ball Z.
The Saiyan transformations had reached their peak during the Majin Buu saga and the power scaling issue was a major problem. By selecting a period when the characters were balanced in strength, he shifted the focus away from power and on the narrative on the arrival of Beerus, the God of Destruction. The introduction of concepts like “Super Saiyan God” was also done at this time.
Evolution of Characters in Battle of Gods
Toriyama’sdecision to include gods and extraterrestrial beings in his stories is nothing new, but inBattle of Gods, the introduction of Beerus is different from previous gods inDragon Ballas he is not human or human-like. Toriyama’s decision to make Beerus a cat-like deity was because he wanted to give a unique visual to the character.
The design, with its Egyptian influence, gave Beerus a distinct identity among other gods, who were mostly humanoid in earlier stories. Beerus stands as a combination of cuteness and terror, remniscent of the successful strategy of Majin Buu, a continuation in embodying Toriyama’s signaturetheme of deceptive appearances.
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Alongside Beerus,Whis, his attendant, was introduced as a character with a “naïve obliviousness.” Toriyama admitted that the pairing of Beerus and Whis reflected his tendency to develop characters in pairs, as seen with previous duos like Vegeta and Nappa. Later on, he limited interactions and focused on chemistry to further the plot.
Toriyama Focused on Simplicity To Please Fans
One of Toriyama’s core principles as a storyteller is keeping things straightforward, especially in his films and manga, which are aimed at younger audiences. This is the reason he decided to downplay emotional arcs inBattle of Gods, where romantic and emotional moments were intentionally kept simple and lighthearted.
This leads to a decrease in the quality and is not highly regarded by fans. Although the new characters and the elements helped salvage it, the movie feels rushed, like a quick-filler making up for missed opportunities forDragon Ball Zepisodes.
InBattle of Gods, new story elements such as Beerus’ castle and the small size of Planet Kaiō were added not just for world-building but to expand the universe without overcomplicating the story.Toriyama saidas he added new elements to the story-
“‘Super Saiyan God’… if you ask me, that’s an exaggeration.” Anyway, I re-read the work for the first time in ages, and you know how Super Saiyan just keeps getting flashier? So, I decided to pare it down as much as possible.
Toriyama has always been a manga artist who has worked solo; he accepted input on the presentation ofthe proud Saiyansand trusted the animation team with the action and battle scenes. He believed that the collective creativity of a team can result in a product greater than his original vision.
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You can stream theDragon Ballseries on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Chandra Shekhar
Anime Writer
Articles Published :856
Chandra Shekhar is an Anime Writer at FandomWire with over 800 published articles under his belt. A law student by training but a storyteller at heart, he blends his sharp analysis with a deep love for all things anime. From the old-school Yu Yu Hakusho to the eldritch horrors of Lord of the Mysteries, his knowledge spans decades and genres. When he’s not writing, he’s likely buried in webnovels, silently hoping his favorite ones get the anime adaptation they deserve.
