Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is the latest movie in the Dragon Ball franchise. It was released in North America on August 18, 2022 to a warm reception from fans of the Dragon Ball series.

Dragon Ball is a shounen anime and manga created by Japanese manga artist Akira Toriyama back in 1984. The series focuses on the life and adventures of Son Goku, a strange boy who grows and changes throughout the course of the story, fighting many powerful opponents on the way. The anime grew to be one of the most popular and recognizable pieces of media ever, so many movies were made throughout the years to capitalize on it.

One year after its initial release, Toei Animation announced at Comic Con 2023 that a 4K Blu-ray DVD version of the movie is set to release on November 21, 2023. In celebration of this news, as well as news of more Dragon Ball content, I decided to rewatch Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero to see if it still holds up.

From the beginning, Super Hero sets itself apart from the rest of the Dragon Ball series in a few major ways: the biggest being the use of CGI. Dragon Ball movies have used CGI before, but this is the first one to be entirely animated in 3D, giving it a unique look while staying faithful to the classic Toriyama art style.

Another way the movie differentiates itself is through the choice of the protagonists. The movie changes focus from the typical main characters (Goku and Vegeta) and puts the spotlight on Gohan (Goku’s son) and Piccolo (Gohan’s mentor). When watching for the first time, this was quite the surprise as both characters had been cast aside for years.

As for the plot of the movie, the Red Ribbon Army (a longtime antagonist in the series) develop two new powerful androids in an attempt to conquer the Earth. After Goku and Vegeta are stuck training on a different planet, Gohan and Piccolo are left to combat the threat. 

The plot is fairly simple, but still manages to be effective. An important thing to note about the movie is that the plot does not take center stage. The story is not meant to blow anyone away; the main appeal of the movie comes from the spectacle. Super Hero’s fight choreography, soundtrack, and animation come together to make an astounding viewing experience.

The fights are a major highlight of the film; every fight is well-choreographed and entertaining. Each fight feels unique and exhilarating in their own way, while also setting out to make each fight better than the last. Moreover, every fight is elevated even further by the phenomenal score of the film, ranging from tense and eerie to triumphant and uplifting.

Putting everything together, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is a strong movie. It offers an entertaining experience for both old and new fans of the series. I had just as much fun watching it again as I did the first time more than a year ago. Though it may not be perfect, it was definitely worth rewatching just for the sheer enjoyment I had being reminded why I was a Dragon Ball fan.