For the average Dragon Ball Z fan in the 90’s the idea of a Super Saiyan God had probably never even crossed their minds. The casual fan was likely getting their Dragon Ball fix on Saturday morning television, while the hardcore of us were hitting our local “suppliers” for the latest imported VHS from Japan to stay ahead of the game. Being able to hold over your casual friends heads at lunch how much more you know about DBZ felt amazing. But in 1993, Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z dropped a bomb on the community. Giving fans new insight into the lore of the Saiyans and breathing life into the Legendary Super Saiyan known as Broly. A fighter that could completely dominate the Z fighters in every way and in one film managed to cement himself as one of the most prolific characters Toriyama would ever give the DBZ fanbase.
Fast forward 25 years. The Dragon Ball franchise has gone through two more iterations (GT now non-canon), multiple films, animation changes and remasters. Still one name continued to echo through the fanbase. Broly. Broly had returned for a few feature films but never had the same impact that he did in 1993, and unfortunately never broke into the main Dragon Ball storyline, until now.
Dragon Ball Super: Broly doesn’t just reintroduce Broly to the fanbase. Toriyama, finally adding Broly to the official storyline, makes a point to reinvent the character and give him more depth. This Broly, is exiled as a child by King Vegeta due to his immense natural power. “Saved” by his father, he grows up on a harsh unforgiving planet and is groomed to return and seek vengeance on King Vegeta and his family. After years of exile, Broly and his father are rescued by the members of the resurrected Frieza forces and almost immediately sent to do battle with Goku and Vegeta on earth. What follows is about an hour of the best fight animation ever produced for the DBZ franchise.
Dragon Ball Super: Broly isn’t really a writing masterpiece. It knows what it’s fans want and delivers almost as fast as a narrative can allow. The changes to Broly make him a way more likable character and removing the evil destroyer personality actually had a massive effect in endearing the character in my opinion. As one of those fans that had a decent anime “supplier” back in the 90’s I admit that I never latched onto Broly outside from the combat that took place in his original movie. I also admit that I barely cared when he was brought back for a two sequels. However, this version is magic. When DB Super debuted, the goal was to do more with the story, clean up the fight animation and remove the filler. Broly benefits from this change. It feels like a high speed kung fu movie where the characters can fly and shoot energy blasts with impunity. It’s clear that the animators love the combat as much as I did. The moves are clear and easy to follow, with real MMA holds, Judo throws, reversals and slams that pause the action at key moments just to give viewers a minute to breathe. DB Super: Broly also marks the return of another fan favorite in the form of the fusion Gojeta! Without spoiling it for the two fans who haven’t seen the film yet, the art team saves the best bits of combat for his clash with the Legendary Super Saiyan!
Personally, I think Dragon Ball Super: Broly has some of the best combat the DBZ team has ever produced. I watched this film four times in 24 hours before putting together this writing. While Broly may never be my favorite character in the series, the artistic direction that Toriyama wanted for this version really manages to take his character to another level. I don’t personally think that the pacing will be a problem for most fans as enough story is given to justify and flesh out almost every moment in the film. There are also some noticeable changes in animation throughout the film. This is probably my only real criticism as in some places the art feels more like a rough draft then a finished product. It didn’t ruin the film at all but my eyes couldn’t help but notice it every time the animation shifted. All in all, DB Super: Broly is a great addition to the DB story. It delivers for fans of the series, but may leave the uninitiated scratching their heads at the story before they are treated to the amazing battles. For the fanbase I highly recommend this movie. However, I would suggest the casual viewer to get a bit of a DB primer from a fan before they indulge.
Eric Snell
esnell@comicattack.net
