Dragon Ballhas one high-quality manga which has yet to be adapted as an anime, but it’s probably one fans have never considered before. However, the time just might be right to makeThat Time I Reincarnated as Yamchaas an anime.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamchais a comedic manga about a boy who’s aDragon Ballsuperfan getting brought into theDragon Ballworld, isekai style. However, the fan in question is put in the body of Yamcha, and that’s a problem, because Yamcha has a lot of pain ahead of him in the future, including his death. Thus, the reincarnated Yamcha sets about training hard and uncovering every power-up in the world ofDragon Ballto help him keep up as much as he can, and avoid getting killed when Yamcha normally dies.
The Popularity of Isekai Makes a Dragon Ball Isekai a No-Brainer
A Dragon Ball Isekai Could Draw In a Massive Audience
As a result of the reincarnated boy’s interference,That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamchaworks as an alternate telling ofDragon Ball, since events go very differently with a dedicated, knowledgeable figure in Yamcha’s role. Yamcha even does things like travel to Namek to have his latent potential unlocked by Guru, making Yamcha a far, far more powerful figure than he is typically portrayed as in the main series. In that sense, the manga is similar to many modern Isekai, as the reincarnated individual has special knowledge that allows him to become ultra-powerful.
With the popularity of Isekai as a genre, aDragon Ball-themed Isekai story could certainly do well, drawing from not onlyDragon Ball’s massive fanbase, but also those who love reincarnation stories. TheDragon Ballframework provides a familiar setting and characters, but allows for a wildly different story to be told using those same tools. It also helps put the viewer in the place of Yamcha—fans are just as familiar with the world as the reincarnated protagonist is, making him and his decisions very relatable.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamchaalso subverts the expectations of the Isekai genre somewhat; one might expect to be reincarnated as Goku or Gohan, with their massive power, but the protagonist is instead in the role of Yamcha, who’s relatively unimportant to the overall story.Yamcha really has to struggleto remain relevant, so while he ends up powerful, it’s not just given to him the way many Isekai do. And, ultimately, the truth is that regardless of power-ups, Yamcha just can’t keep up with Goku forever, even in an Isekai world.
The Yamcha Manga is Short, But It Could Be Expanded
An Anime Adaptation Could Expand the Short Story
That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamchais only one volume with a handful of chapters, so it’s a bit short to adapt into a full anime season. However, the manga is quite compact, skipping over wide swaths of time and only hitting major events to give readers some context as to where they are inDragon Ball’s story.It wouldn’t be hard to expand the story to cover more iconic moments inDragon Ballhistory, and see how they play out differently with this reincarnated version of Yamcha involved.Alternate versions of major scenes would be a huge draw for fans.
The reincarnated Yamcha is also very differentin terms of personality; he doesn’t mess up his relationship with Bulma, for example, which has long-lasting consequences for the story. He’s more serious and dedicated to training, understanding the stakes ofDragon Ball’s world all too well. After all, just because the Dragon Balls can bring one back from death doesn’t mean they should be okay with dying. The manga also has its own villain, and it could be interesting to see some things from his perspective as well. Ultimately, this story has a lot of room for expansion.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamchais a funny Isekai tale that plays with a world that every anime fan is familiar with. With the popularity of Isekai as a genre right now, it makes perfect sense to consider adapting the manga into a short series just for fun. The manga is ripe for added material as well, allowing it to offer alternate takes on classic moments and perhaps even surprise long-time series fans. The audience will definitely come away from the story with a new appreciation of Yamcha, ofDragon Ball, and possibly even Isekai as a whole.
