I only recently got back into the shounen genre, thanks to the stellar efforts of newer series that have changed up the otherwise predictable but entertaining pillar set by the classics. And as much as I adore the original Dragon Ball, not having read the SAND LAND manga, I was cautiously optimistic about the late Akira Toriyama’s final adaptation.
Thankfully, outside of a few technical shortcomings, the first major arc in the SAND LAND anime has been a joy to watch, recapturing the magic of Akira Toriyama’s ability to effortlessly tell a story that dots the line between light-hearted fun and over-the-top action.
As the name may suggest, SAND LAND takes place in a primarily arid desert setting. Due to the lack of water, both humans and demons struggle to survive, and what little remains is under the strict and unlawful control of the King. Speaking of royalty, like Demon King Piccolo, or at least his good-willed offspring, SAND LAND‘s protagonist, Beelzebub, just so happens to have a bigger heart than a set of fangs or a pointy pitchfork, decidedly planting him firmly as one of the good guys.
Beezelbub exemplifies the shounen character archetype, with his seemingly indifferent exterior undercut by his desire to do good, his demonic powers, and, of course, despite being the Prince of the underworld, still very much behaving like a child. Like any kid, his attention is usually attuned to the nearest video game console or handheld, mirroring the very same target audience of the manga, something that goes a long way to humanize an otherwise very pink, spikey-haired devil child.
“Thanks to its iconic art and unmistakable charm that exudes Toriyama’s greatest strength, his ability to craft a gag-manga, Sand Land feels like a return to the glory days of the original Dragon Ball.”
The first six episodes of SAND LAND focus on Beezelbub, his fellow demonic advisor Thief, and Rao, a human ex-military officer, on the hunt for an oasis that can potentially restore SAND LAND to its former glory.
Out of the three, Rao easily steals the spotlight. Without delving into spoilers, the ex-military officer, who at first glance comes off as what you’d expect—a human begrudgingly making a pact with the devil for the greater good—ultimately ends with a fantastic character arc that cements my trust in the future of the story.
In fact, much of SAND LAND follows this formula, where at first glance, the simple premise of the story and its trappings can come off as feeling juvenile or even routine, but thanks to its iconic art and unmistakable charm that exudes Toriyama’s greatest strength, his ability to craft a gag-manga, Sand Land feels like a return to the glory days of the original Dragon Ball.
“The SAND LAND TV series very much fits into that mould, lending itself as a lowbrow but full-of-heart good time behind the glow of a TV screen.”
Unfortunately, not everything in SAND LAND is a picturesque paradise starring the demonic Prince, with much of the show relying heavily on 3D models for its on-screen characters, which, at times, can feel jarring against the otherwise fantastic-looking painterly backgrounds — if you’ve watched 2022’s Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero film, you’ll know what to expect as far as animation goes, although, in SAND LAND’s case, the reliance on 3D models feels more like a budgetary restraint than an aesthetic one.
Unlike Toriyama’s other works, which have spanned countless volumes, TV projects, and other multimedia ventures, SAND LAND is mostly self-contained to a one-shot manga, movie and the upcoming Bandai Namco-produced game. This makes its anime debut something worth checking out, even if you’re not a diehard fan of the source material or Akira Toriyama’s work on Dragon Ball.
Suppose you’re like me and are watching SAND LAND for the first time with little context to its source material. In that case, the best way I can describe the series is saying that it feels like Toriyama’s take on something like Mad Max, or more fittingly, Fist of the North Star with a healthy dose of Dragon Quest thrown in for good measure.
Even if you have no nostalgia or affinity for Dragon Ball or the SAND LAND manga, or even anime or manga in general, but miss that Saturday-Morning-Cartoon itch left by shows like Power
Rangers and TMNT, The SAND LAND TV series very much fits into that mould, lending itself as a lowbrow but full-of-heart good time behind the glow of a TV screen.
