“I’m sure you’re wondering where DAIMA fits into the Dragon Ball series, and we’re trying to show the various connections to Dragon Ball. Even if we don’t know about it, I think there are connections in Sensei’s mind, and I’m not aiming for that, but I’m trying to show that as well. The part that surprised me the most was that: ‘all those with pointy ears are inhabitants of the Great Demon Realm.’ I think this is an idea Sensei had vaguely in mind for a while, and I was surprised to find it. Sensei has a firm grasp of the world of Dragon Ball, and he changes his focus depending on the work. I didn’t force him to come up with the ideas. The twists are important, and since the anime started without the original manga, I’m very conscious of having the kind of ‘pull’ that you get in the manga.”