The Return of the Legendary Super Saiyan
- Episodes : 1 (feature film)
- Genre : Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Shounen, Super Power
- Airing Date : December 14, 2018
- Studios : Toei Animation
Contains Spoilers
Dragon Ball Super: Broly Introduction
5 years prior to Frieza wiping out Planet Vegeta, Broly was born with a high power level. Fearing that Broly’s power was uncontrollable, King Vegeta sends Broly to Vampa, a desolate planet, so he would die under its extreme conditions. Paragus, Broly’s father, follows him only to find him easily defeating and eating the creatures. With their ships destroyed, they stay on Vampa for the next 41 years until they’re rescued by two of Frieza’s henchmen, Cheelai and Lemo. Amazed by Broly’s strength, they bring him to Frieza hoping to get a big pay day.
Still wanting revenge against Gokuu and Vegeta after the Tournament of Power, Frieza seeks the dragon balls. He steals the first six from Bulma’s home and discovers the seventh on an ice continent. Shortly after they catch up to Frieza, Broly arrives and with Paragus finally seeing his chance at revenge, he unleashes Broly like an attack dog on Vegeta and the ultimate fight begins.
What We Liked About Dragon Ball Super: Broly
First, we’d like to give praise to the new style of animation. Its panning, angles, and frame rate just feel appropriately theatrical. So, we recommend you don’t watch this on a smartphone or tablet because the presentation is certainly for big screen viewing! Also, the color tones to the Broly movie offer a different kind of shade viewers are used to. As opposed to brighter colors, the colors to this movie appropriately compliment Toriyama’s style of coloring in his art books. While we understand CG hasn’t always been well-received in some anime, the Broly movie does an excellent job of not only implementing it, but mixing it with the regular animation.
3. Kick Ass Action
If anyone is going to watch anything Dragon Ball, it’s obviously because of its intense action. We can promise you’re going to get that along with a bag of senzu beans. The fight is distinctively crazier in comparison to past fights, and since new concepts have been introduced into the Dragon Ball mythos since Broly’s last appearance (such as Super Saiyan God and Fusion), it adds new dynamics to make the fight more exciting and fresh. As seen in the trailers, Gogeta is back and when he’s introduced, it does get intense like the Jiren fight, but to a whole different level that exceeds time and space.
2. Broly is more likable
Broly in the original movies was a vicious monster whose only goal was to destroy Gokuu, and everybody has to admit, the logic to his motivations made absolutely no sense. Seriously, who remembers other babies in the maternity ward crying and making them cry when they were a baby!? In context to that, the OG Broly is rather lame.
Thanks to Cheelai, viewers can better sympathize with him. He’s a child trapped in a 41-year-old’s (heavily muscle bounded) body! If you’ve seen Unleashed starring Jet Li, Broly is pretty much Jet Li’s character. He never really had a childhood other than his father abusively training him on a barren planet. The fact that he has water for the first time when he meets Cheelai masterfully shows how innocent he really is.
1. The dynamic of Gokuu and Broly’s relationship
The relationship between Gokuu and Broly in this movie feels more “Toriyama.” Gokuu actually tries to appeal to Broly as a fellow Saiyan. There is no ill will between them and Broly’s final reactions to Gokuu is more like everybody else who encounters him. He sees Gokuu as odd, but still cool. (Maybe) Thanks to Broly, you see Gokuu finally accepting his birth name, Kakarot, and hopes to fight again.
2. Low Roster
Most of the movie (reasonably) revolves around Gokuu, Vegeta, Frieza, and Broly. If you’re expecting more of Gohan, Kuririn, and/or Yamcha, don’t hold your breath. Considering that the movie has enough on its plate already, the movie does an excellent job of justifying why it mostly centers around these characters. Granted fan service cameos would be appreciated for some, but the movie has a story to tell and even if they were given some sort of feature, they’d have no contribution.
1. Retcons
The movie retcons more than Broly. If you’ve seen the Bardock special, the beginning of this movie retcons it big time. As opposed to gaining the power to see the future, Bardock deductively reduces that Frieza wants to wipe out the Saiyans when he thinks it’s strange that he orders them all back to Planet Vegeta (and Vegeta, Raditz, Nappa, and a few others just happened to ignored the order). Due to his hunch, him and Gine (Gokuu’s mother) send Gokuu to Earth to keep him safe. We understand the Bardock special has been excellently received and for fans of it, they may be upset by the changes presented here.
Final Thoughts
As we’ve said before, people love Dragon Ball for its super insane high-octane action sequences, and this movie delivers that in over 9000 fold. Broly being all brawn and no brain is still in-tact, but the movie does an excellent job of showing and telling why. In the end, he just needs a hug, or he just needs to get laid and everything’s cool. The door is open to bringing him back and the movie shows he’s developable compared to his previous incarnation. If you’re a fan of Broly, prepare to like him more than ever. If you didn’t like him, we can promise you’ll like this version more.
Author: Justin "ParaParaJMo" Moriarty
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