Geeks logo

My thoughts on Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (Spoilers!)

A love letter to Gohan and Piccolo fans!

By Just a guyPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
Like

So a couple of days ago I finally got the chance to watch Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, and I gotta say that I loved that movie from start to finish. I watched Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z growing up and this movie took me on a huge nostalgia trip. It also gave me a decent amount of satisfaction because the primary focus of the movie was on Gohan and Piccolo! Honestly, at this point I can't think of I didn't like about the movie. Let's get into why!

I Liked: Nostalgia

The opening of the movie really brought us to the very beginning of the franchise by outlining events that happened in Dragon Ball. They spoke about the Red Ribbon Army, and how Goku stopped them as a child. It showed us characters that we have not seen in so long, the kind-hearted Android 8. Then they spoke about the Android Saga in DBZ and how Dr. Gero created the androids, and Cell. In the span of 2 minutes they showed us all we needed to know going into the movie, and briefly got us to relive parts of our childhood.

That wasn't the only scene that had callbacks though! The entire movie was filled with them! We saw characters like Orin and Yajirobe who we do not see very often! During the fight scene with Cell Max, Piccolo grows into giant size, which also happened during the World Martial Arts Tournament when King Piccolo tried to fight a child Goku. Those aren't the only callbacks that are present in the movie, there are lots more cameos and references that long-time Dragon Ball fans will appreciate.

On the Fence: Animation

I have to admit I am used to the usual 2D animation style used in Dragon Ball episodes and movies. The new 3D animation style that they used in this movie was not bad, but it did take some getting used to. This honestly is not a huge deal, it's more so that I am just not used to it yet. I feel like if they continue to use this animation style I'll end up accepting it wholeheartedly. There were times, especially during fight scenes, when the animation style actually really worked out well.

Didn't Like: Lack of Gohan

I was told that this movie would center around Gohan, and to an extent, it did. However, he did not have much screen time. The character that had the most screen time was actually Piccolo, and it seemed like he was more the center of focus for moving the plot than Gohan. It's only really in the later part of the movie that Gohan does any kind of action. I, like many other Dragon Ball fans, really started to like Gohan during the Cell Saga. He reached Super Saiyan 2 level as a teenager and showed a lot of potential to become incredibly powerful and potentially surpass his father, Goku. And then after the Cell Saga, nothing really happened with him. He got with Videl had a kid, and was kind of just there. Sure we had him as the Great Saiyaman and he was also around during the Buu Saga, but he never really did quite as much as during the Cell Saga. Of course, I am happy that they gave Gohan a power-up with his new form and gave him a pivotal role in the movie.

I Liked: The Transformations

The transformations in the Dragon Ball franchise always got me incredibly hyped. Whenever it happened I would go, "oh damn, shit is about to go way down." Or when someone gets a new transformation, you know the other guy is going to get his ass kicked. In Super Hero, I am actually so glad that both Gohan and Piccolo got their own transformations. Gohan hadn't really gotten a new transformation since Super Saiyan 2. Piccolo, if I'm not mistaken also never had a transformation. He has gotten power boosts from Namekian fusions with Kami and Nail, but not his own full-blown transformation. Not only did both Gohan and Piccolo get new forms, but their designs are actually really freaking cool! Gohan's Beast Form looks a lot like his Super Saiyan 2 form, but with grey hair and red eyes. He looks so intimidating! Piccolo looks just as good. His new form looks pretty much the same as his base form, but he has orange skin and is super buff. His antenna also points upwards and not downwards like his base form. This makes him look a bit more demonic, which makes sense as he is the reincarnation of Demon King Piccolo.

I also thoroughly enjoyed seeing teenage Trunks and Goten! They've canonically been kids for so long that it's about time that they got older! I hope that more stories are written with the aged-up Trunks and Goten! We even got to see the characters do the fusion dance to become Gotenks! It was quite unfortunate that it wasn't a perfect fusion though.

Didn't Like: Certain Plot Points

So when it came to the plot, there were quite a few plot points that didn't really make sense to me. The first glaring issue was the use of Dragon Balls. At a certain point, Piccolo realizes that he can use the Dragon Balls to help with the revitalized Red Ribbon Army. For those who don't know, the Dragon Balls are a set of 7 magical orbs that summon the mystical dragon, Shenron. Once Shenron is summoned, he can grant one wish before disappearing and scattering the Dragon Balls around the world. Before Shenron is summoned, Dende upgrades the Dragon Balls so you can make 3 wishes instead of one. Piccolo decided he only needs one. Bulma notes that Piccolo's pride would not allow him to just magically wish away the Red Ribbon Army or make a wish that would make them no longer a threat. Instead, Piccolo wishes for his hidden potential to be accessible. Bulma then uses the other two wishes for cosmetic purposes. Then the two realize they could have used a wish to summon Goku and Vegeta! I don't know, I just felt like the whole plot point of upgrading the Dragon Balls and then explaining why they can't summon Goku and Vegeta was a bit half-assed. However, I will say that it was pretty funny.

I Liked: Goku and Vegeta's Appearances

Okay, I get that Goku and Vegeta are the primary focus of the franchise and having them in the movie is somewhat necessary in that respect. They didn't contribute to the plot to be completely honest with you, and saw no reason for them to have actually shown up. That does not mean, however, that they did not have a pretty cool fight scene. I especially liked that Vegeta was able to beat Goku in a sparring match. Vegeta has always been one of my favourite characters, and seeing him beat Goku was just really good fan service!

Okay, so to wrap things up, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was a very enjoyable movie. It was not perfect by any means, but it was filled with plenty of nostalgia and fan service. The movie was funny, action-packed and an all-around good time. I would definitely watch it again!

entertainmentmoviepop culturereviewsuperheroestv
Like

About the Creator

Just a guy

I like to read comic books, watch tv shows, and write about them. Ill also write about other things too!

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.