Dragon Ball is an undying franchise, and capitalizing on it is often a guaranteed success. It seems that by relying on this very idea, the new Dragon Ball installment, meant to feel unique, is now facing alleged poor quality concerns that are affecting fans’ perspectives online. Dragon Ball‘s latest launch isn’t a new series or announcement but the first official store of the franchise, which opened in Tokyo. Named “DRAGON BALL STORE TOKYO,” it has been operating since November 14th, 2025, on the first floor of First Avenue Tokyo Station, coinciding closely with the Dragon Ball franchise’s 41st anniversary. The store’s promotion claimed it would offer exclusive merchandise unavailable anywhere else.

However, the promotion also emphasized that the store’s interior design would be uniquely immersive, aiming to bring fans into the Dragon Ball world. Unfortunately, this interior design is exactly what fans are criticizing online. The revealed designs feature Goku in four different transformations, yet none of them seem to capture the true essence of Goku or what his transformations represent. With designs that don’t feel faithful to the franchise, the new Dragon Ball store is off to a terrible start, as many feel it reflects the overall quality of the store itself.

DRAGON BALL STORE TOKYO Gets Slammed for Featuring Bad Goku Designs

The designs for Goku shared online feature him in four different transformations: Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, Ultra Instinct, and the newest take on his Super Saiyan 4 form. However, not a single design feels authentic to what these forms represent. The coloring appears overly bright, Ultra Instinct Goku’s anatomy seems improperly proportioned, and the Super Saiyan 4 design lacks the depth and shading meant to highlight the rawness of the Saiyan’s ape heritage. Fans online are criticizing the artwork, even comparing it to designs made for Fortnite.

Since Fortnite’s character style is known for its gimmicky and exaggerated cartoonish aesthetic, it in no way reflects what Goku is supposed to embody: a Saiyan warrior whose transformations convey the hardship and intensity of his race. Considering that the official and only Dragon Ball store is failing to capture even the basics of Goku’s design, it suggests that the store’s main aim is to simply capitalize on the franchise.

There is, however, a possibility that these designs, photographed with a phone at poor angles and lighting, may appear worse than they actually are. But for now, fans remain deeply disappointed, and the only way to redeem the situation is for the official Dragon Ball store to present proper marketing with designs that genuinely capture the essence of the franchise as originally promised.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!