Dragon Ball Super 2 Won’t Be The Same Without Tatsuya Nagamine

It seems a new anime season is finally on the way. However, it might not be as good as the first one.

Tatsuya Nagamine, the acclaimed anime director best known for his work on Dragon Ball Super, sadly passed away this summer. Many fans credit him with revitalizing the DBS anime during its peak, and he will be greatly missed if the series continues.

Nagamine Was Behind All The Best Parts of the Dragon Ball Super Anime

Tatsuya Nagamine died in August 2026 after a year-long illness. The news wasn’t shared publicly for several months, reflecting the strong cultural emphasis on privacy surrounding death in Japan. This is similar to how the death of Akira Toriyama wasn’t announced until after his funeral.

Tatsuya Nagamine’s passing is a significant loss for fans eagerly anticipating the next season of Dragon Ball Super. He played a crucial role in creating some of the most memorable moments of the original Dragon Ball Super anime.

Nagamine initially joined Dragon Ball Super as a co-director for episodes 77 through 131, a period many fans consider the show’s strongest in terms of animation and overall quality. While DBS had some great moments throughout its run, the quality could be inconsistent, especially in the beginning. The anime reached its peak during Goku’s incredible fight with Jiren, and Nagamine’s direction was a major reason why it was so memorable.

The director of Dragon Ball Super, Nagamine, was known for carefully overseeing every detail of the story. After his passing, co-director Megumi Ishitani shared that Nagamine often wrote small lines of dialogue that beautifully reflected the personality of the character Trunks.

Nagamine later oversaw Dragon Ball Super, culminating in what many consider the franchise’s peak with the movie Dragon Ball Super: Broly. The film’s animation is widely regarded as the best the Dragon Ball anime has ever achieved, and it remains unsurpassed. While Dragon Ball DAIMA featured excellent battles, the fight choreography and visual style of Dragon Ball Super: Broly were truly exceptional.

Dragon Ball Super 2 Can Still Be Great – But It Won’t Be The Same

Fans are starting to feel the loss of Nagamine, and that impact will likely grow in the coming months. Two big announcements related to Dragon Ball are planned for January at the Genkidamatsuri event.

Although the details are still unknown, many fans are hoping to hear news about a new season of Dragon Ball Super. With the recent Genkidamatsuri event, the possibility of the anime returning seems more likely than ever.

It’s unfortunate that Dragon Ball Super is returning now, as the director who oversaw its most successful period is no longer with us. However, that doesn’t mean the anime can’t still be fantastic. The upcoming story arcs in the manga are highly regarded, providing a strong foundation for the anime. Even with great animation, though, Dragon Ball Super won’t feel quite the same without Tatsuya Nagamine’s guidance.

Tatsuya Nagamine was a key figure in several popular anime series, including Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball GT, and DBZ: Kai. He also directed Pretty Cure and worked on One Piece from 2019 to 2024. His death is a significant loss for both the Dragon Ball series and the entire anime industry. While he can’t be replaced, his work will hopefully inspire future generations of anime creators.

Read More

2025-11-18 05:39