For over ten years, Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has been a consistent highlight at Shueisha’s annual Jump Festa convention. However, the recently released lineup for Jump Festa 2027, published on November 2, marks a significant shift: Dragon Ball Super will no longer have a dedicated presence in the Jump Original Art World exhibition area.
This change arrives amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of the manga after the passing of its creator, Akira Toriyama, in 2024. While the manga itself remains on an extended hiatus exceeding two years with no confirmed return date, Toei Animation will still participate in the event. The studio is slated to showcase anime projects, including the recently launched Dragon Ball Super: Beerus remake, ensuring the franchise maintains visibility despite the manga’s absence.
Complex Stakeholders and the Manga’s Uncertain Future
The Dragon Ball franchise involves multiple key stakeholders: Toriyama’s estate, the publisher Shueisha, animation powerhouse Toei, gaming company Bandai Namco, and Capsule Corporation Tokyo, a company founded by Toriyama’s longtime editor, Akio Iyoku. The intricate relationships among these entities have sparked speculation regarding the reasons behind the manga’s prolonged hiatus and its future publishing framework.
Despite such conjecture, there is currently no verified evidence suggesting that Shueisha is losing control over the manga or that changes in publishing rights account for the exclusion of Dragon Ball Super from the Jump Festa 2027 lineup. Fans and industry observers continue to await concrete updates on the manga’s status.