Dragon Ball Super at Jump Festa 2027: is the manga over?

Dragon Ball Super has reportedly been dropped from the special exhibition at Jump Festa 2027. Many people are reading that as a sign the manga is finished. I don't think that follows. The return of Toyotaro's Dragon Ball Super manga probably isn't getting announced at Jump Festa, but it doesn't have to be. It could be announced a number of different ways.

There are misconceptions and misinformation going around about this, with people assuming things. So here is what the report says, what we know about the manga's long hiatus, and why I don't think this one event decides anything.

Dragon Ball Super reportedly replaced at the Jump Festa 2027 Original Art World Zone

The news comes from a post by DBS Chronicles. According to that post, Dragon Ball Super has been replaced with Metaphor: ReFantazio at the Jump Original Art World Zone of Jump Festa 2027. In this zone, the post says, original artwork and signed illustrations from the serialized works are on display, along with a special exhibit showing some of the most memorable scenes on a grand scale that you wouldn't normally see.

The post says Dragon Ball Super has been removed from that special exhibition. However, it adds that there might still be the signed Toyotaro illustration that we get every year. Toyotaro draws a little something for Jump Festa annually, and that may still happen.

Jump Festa 2027 is coming this December. It's the annual Shonen Jump convention where many new projects are announced, with panels and interviews. Dragon Ball has been an important part of it every year. We don't always get big announcements there, although sometimes we have. The announcement of the 20th Dragon Ball movie, which wound up being Broly, happened at Jump Festa. The Tournament of Power trailer was shown at Jump Festa. They often announce big things there, but not always.

The Dragon Ball Super manga has had no new story since Black Frieza in 2022

We haven't had a new manga chapter in about a year and a half, almost two years, since the bonus chapter, chapter 104. Before that, the last new story we got, other than the three chapter Goku versus Gohan fight and the Super Hero material, was in August of 2022. That's when Black Frieza appeared, a little more than four years ago, which is crazy to think about.

There's been no follow up to that story at all. We don't know what the future holds for Frieza, Goku, Vegeta, Broly, Gohan and Piccolo as far as what comes next. I'm positive the death of Akira Toriyama affected all of this. Even so, it's still very bizarre that we haven't gotten the continuation of the manga to this day.

Normally I would assume the manga is probably over. Toriyama is no longer with us, and maybe they should just end it. Maybe it's best if they end it. What's weird is that this doesn't appear to be the case when you ask people involved with it.

V Jump and Toyotaro keep suggesting more Dragon Ball Super manga is coming

Last year, a figure at V Jump told one of the French Dragon Ball fans that the manga is going to return, but not for the rest of that year. Now we're approaching the end of this year and there's still no return. Toyotaro, meanwhile, continues to make comments suggesting there will be more manga, but there hasn't been an announcement.

Every single month in V Jump, without fail, the Dragon Ball Super manga is mentioned. There's a small note saying the manga will remain on hiatus, and it's been that way since that bonus chapter. The people at V Jump still want us to anticipate more Dragon Ball Super. There just doesn't appear to be an announcement yet.

A Dragon Ball Super manga return doesn't need Jump Festa

Just because Dragon Ball Super isn't part of this Jump Festa exhibit doesn't mean there won't eventually be an announcement for the return of the manga. That announcement doesn't have to happen at a big event. It could come on a random week in Weekly Shonen Jump or V Jump, with a notice saying it's coming back on a certain day. They could do that. I don't know if they will.

They have done it before. The arcs for Moro and Granolah, and Super Hero, were all announced in Jump Magazine with no big event attached. So the next Dragon Ball Super arc doesn't need a Jump Festa stage.

I think every year people get their hopes up for something and then get their hopes dashed. That's why I keep telling everyone to keep expectations low, because as of right now there's no information at all about this manga.

Internal issues around the Dragon Ball Super manga

A few months ago, I discussed that there had been an internal issue with the manga that was resolved. However, there appear to be more internal issues. What they are, I have no idea. That's above my pay grade, and I don't know if anyone will ever comment on it.

Unlike the Dragon Ball Super anime, which has a relatively large staff, the manga does not. It's controlled by four or five people who keep things among themselves, and very few things about it ever leak. The only manga leaks we usually get come when somebody gets V Jump early, typically a couple of days before the official release of a chapter.

Why I don't believe the delay is about mourning Toriyama

Some people will say the team is still mourning Toriyama. I don't believe that's the case, because they've moved forward with other projects. I do think there was a period where they were mourning him, as many of us were. But it's been enough time now, and there are already other Dragon Ball projects being worked on, including Xenoverse 3. It's not like they've stopped everything. For some reason, though, with this manga there's nothing.

I would not blame Toyotaro for this. Based on his social media posts, he clearly wants to start working on it again. We just don't know when and where, and it's a strange story. There's a lot of strange things going on in the world of Dragon Ball right now, and this is the one I think everyone's waiting for.

I know it's not good news. My advice is to focus on the positives: what is coming out, and the other things and fandoms you're into. Don't think about the manga until we get the announcement, as best you can. We'll see what they do. But it's going on like five years now, and this is crazy.