Dragon Ball Super: Beerus brings a tighter first episode to NYCC
The enhanced anime revisits Goku and Beerus's first clash with redrawn scenes, a tighter structure and a New York Comic Con premiere.
The first episode of Dragon Ball Super: Beerus premiered at New York Comic Con 2026, where the English voice cast joined a packed panel before attendees watched the enhanced series opener. Anime News Network reports that Monica Rial, Jason Douglas and Ian Sinclair appeared, while Masako Nozawa and Koichi Yamadera sent messages to the event. 1
The new version revisits the material from the opening of Dragon Ball Super, but it is not simply a straight replay. According to the official website, Dragon Ball Super: Beerus adds and redraws cuts, reconstructs the narrative and aims for a more faithful visual interpretation of Akira Toriyama's original work. 2
What changes in the first episode
The episode begins with Beerus waking and searching for clues about the Super Saiyan God from his dream, while Goku trains on Earth and reflects on his earlier battles. The ANN report says the remake condenses the original series' opening episodes and removes some of the detours around Goku's efforts to earn money.
That tighter structure also shifts the emphasis. Goku's frustration at needing help to defeat Majin Buu becomes an early motivation for his next challenge, while Beerus is presented as a more immediately threatening presence. The report describes redrawn scenes, heavier shadows, smoother animation and new connective material between returning sequences. 1
The official site confirms that the new edition is built around a reconstructed story and a substantial volume of newly added or redrawn cuts. It also lists the series' official SUPER Surge trailer, which is embedded below. 2
Our opinion
The useful story here is not that Dragon Ball Super has returned to its most familiar starting point. It is that Dragon Ball Super: Beerus is trying to make that starting point feel deliberate rather than overextended. A faster route through the early material should give Beerus and Goku's opposing arcs more room to drive the episode, while the new animation can address some of the unevenness associated with the original broadcast.
That promise still needs to be tested across the series, but the NYCC premiere suggests this is a substantial reworking rather than a cosmetic remaster. For returning fans, the appeal will be seeing familiar scenes rebuilt with a sharper visual identity; for newcomers, the condensed opening may offer a cleaner way into the same conflict.