Few artists have managed to transcend in the same way that Akira Toriyama did in his lifetime. Millions of children and teenagers have experienced countless adventures through the strokes of the beloved mangaka, who passed away on March 1, 2024. Although the majority will recognize him for Dragon Ball, the truth is that pieces of Toriyama can be found in many places, such as video games (Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger…). However, what brings us here is one of his lesser-known works, Sand Land.
On the occasion of the arrival of Sand Land to Disney +, we will review the manga, its plot, the premiere of its series, and finally, the highly anticipated video game by Bandai Namco.
The origin of everything: the Sand Land manga
Toriyama’s wit is palpable in all his stories, and this is also true in Sand Land. First published in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 2000, it is a self-contained story that, although not as popular as Doctor Slump or Dragon Ball, remains an essential work for the mangaka’s fans.
Sand Land is set in a distant future, devastated by wars and natural disasters where humans and demons coexist. The world, turned into a desert wasteland, suffers from a great water shortage. It is the king of Sand Land who controls its supply and, moreover, takes advantage of the situation to sell it at a high price.
Here we will follow Rao, an old commissioner, and Beelzebub, the eccentric prince of demons. Together, they will embark on a journey in search of the great spring to save their people from drought and desperation. We must not forget characters like Thief, Beelzebub’s servant who accompanies us in the manga.
As they say, appearances can be deceiving and that’s what happens with Beelzebub. Despite his mischief and continuous water thefts, his strong moral convictions make him a very different demon from the rest of his kind.
Sand Land: The Series
On March 20th, the Sand Land anime landed on Disney+. It has 13 episodes, of which the first seven became available on the same day of the premiere. After this, we will get to enjoy one episode per week until May. In Spain, it can be watched through the Star Anime Series section, within Disney+.
If, like a good Toriyama fan, you also watched the Sand Land movie, it’s more than likely that what you see on screen will sound familiar. And that’s because the first six episodes have been taken from there. It’s from the seventh episode onwards that the story begins to take other paths. It’s worth mentioning that the conception of the series arises thanks to the enormous success of the Sand Land movie in Japan, released in 2023.
The series also features unpublished material that will further expand the Sand Land universe. This new story also has Toriyama’s approval, a very important detail to keep in mind.
What do we know about the Sand Land video game?
If you need more doses of Sand Land, you’ll be glad to know that the release of its video game is coming soon. Here we will find an adaptation of the original manga story, full of references and locations that fans will instantly recognize. We will control Beelzebub and travel through the desert, while facing numerous enemies and searching for the legendary spring.
Sand Land is an ARPG developed by ILCA and published by Bandai Namco that puts the player in front of a gigantic world. Its division into regions and its beautiful artistic section will invite us to explore all the areas we see.
Inside Sand Land we will find all kinds of pieces and resources that will allow us to build tanks, weapons and even battle robots. Each vehicle is adapted to different terrains and situations. For example, the motorcycle will help us move quickly around the map. However, the tank will be more useful for firing cannons left and right.
However, driving a vehicle won’t make you invincible. Luckily, you can reverse the damage thanks to the repair kits. In addition, vehicles are customizable and we can add stickers, change patterns, etc.
The game will also include an exclusive area called Forest Land, a new biome exclusive to the game and the Disney+ series. There we will also find new characters, such as Ann, General Bred, or the champion Muniel. In this trailer, you can appreciate it in great detail.
Within Sand Land, we can also set up a base camp in the city of Spino. According to the Bandai Namco website, “watch as the city and its possibilities grow thanks to the exiles you will bring from the desert.” Listening to the inhabitants and fulfilling their requests will unlock useful materials to make Sand Land “a prosperous place.”
Beelzebub primarily uses melee combat and also employs dark magic to defeat his enemies. On the other hand, Rao and Thief will dedicate themselves to giving you advice and providing support during battles. Our enemies will be dinosaurs, scorpions, and all kinds of bugs, each one more entertaining than the last.
Prices and versions of Sand Land
For a few days now, we have a demo available, just an hour long, which, although not much, will allow us to taste the world of Sand Land. However, to fully enjoy Sand Land, we have to wait a little longer. The game’s release date is set for April 26, 2024 and it will be playable on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Unfortunately, Nintendo Switch users will miss out on trying Sand Land.
As for prices, we can tell you that it won’t be exactly cheap. The standard version of Sand Land will cost €69.99 and will include three types of vehicle colors. On the other hand, the Deluxe Edition will cost €79.99 but will also give us a little more: Military Base furniture set, Lair, demon of speed set, Beelzebub stickers set, and the vehicle colors. On Steam, you will have the option to pre-purchase Sand Land for €59.99 and the Deluxe Edition for €69.99, which is slightly cheaper than the console version.
If you consider yourself an absolute fan of Sand Land, you can always go for its Collector’s Edition, which includes a steelbook, set of postcards, an exclusive box, a 20 centimeters Beelzebub figure and the game in its Deluxe version. However, prepare your wallet: its official price is 139.99 €. You can always choose the Steam version, which is digital and costs 129.99€.
