More than seven years on from its conclusion, Dragon Ball Super's reputation within the series' massive and ever-growing fan base has changed. While airing, many die-hard Dragon Ball fans had difficulty accepting the anime as the true canon continuation of Akira Toriyama's original iconic story. In the years since, the series has become an integral piece of the Dragon Ball franchise, gaining affection from the existing older fan base, while ushering in an entirely new generation of fans the way Dragon Ball Z did during the Toonami era of the 2000s.