Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero - The Ballad of Gohan and Piccolo
Dragon Ball has been releasing new films in the more recent years, with the fourth one titled, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. When this movie was announced, I, honestly, was not excited for it. The hold up for the continuation of the anime became tiring, and it came off as a less serious endeavor compared to the previous movie, Dragon Ball Super: Broly. The animation also seemed like a step down from the previous movie too. It wasn't until more details started to surface (such as the movie focusing on Gohan, Piccolo, Goten, Trunks, and Broly), that I started to become intrigued. How does this movie stack up to its predecessors? Well, grab a bag of senzu beans, and I'll get right into it! Fair warning, this review will have some spoilers.
One of the most controversial aspects of this movie is the art style and animation. Super Hero’s animation shifts between a 2D and 3D style and if there's one way to anger an anime fan, it's to use 3D animation in virtually anything. DBS: Broly, laid the foundation as arguably the best art style/animation of anything Dragon Ball related, so, when I compared Super Hero to that movie, the standard wasn’t as high in my opinion. However, seeing it in motion, I thought it looked great. The fights were fluid, beautiful to watch, and the characters were very expressive as they showcased their power levels against each other. The effects and colors still packed a punch, similar to the Broly movie, however, at times, it did seem a bit awkward when characters were just standing still, talking to each other. There were also a few parts of the movie that used a full 2D style and they looked great, such as the prologue, or when a part of the character is being seen through video chat on a cellphone. This movie most likely went into production during the Covid pandemic, so one has to wonder if that had an effect on the animation. Overall, I ended up loving how the movie looked after seeing it in full.
As with most of the DB series, there are fans that absolutely adore Goku and always want him to be the hero. This time, however, the series does something that is both refreshing and breaks the Goku cycle. For Super Hero, Piccolo (the namekian), and Gohan (Goku's son) are the main stars, with Goku and Vegeta playing the background. Although they are still in the movie, they’re more of a subplot than a factor. Honestly, I don't care if Goku can't fight for a few days, if that's what it takes for other characters to take a leading role, it's a win for me.
The first half of the movie focuses on Piccolo (still portrayed by Christopher Sabat) and shows him in his daily life (that we don't normally get to see). It's hilarious to see him as he’s trying to adapt to a more human lifestyle, like using a cat-shaped cellphone and always being asked to pick up Pan (Gohan's daughter) from school. Because we’re accustomed to a more stern, serious character who always focuses on training, Super Hero portrays him more like a great uncle, or dare I say it, a surrogate father. He's also the first character that encounters the new threat, two new androids Gamma 1 and 2, created by the Red Ribbon Army. Part of Piccolo's motivation in the movie, especially with Goku unavailable, is to draw out Gohan's true potential. His methods are harsh, clever, and hilarious as Piccolo portrays the drill sergeant pushing Gohan forward, with the other characters knowing it's just an act.
Gammas 1 & 2
This movie also places Piccolo in new situations. For example, rather than take on the entire Red Ribbon Army, he knocks out a Red Ribbon Army soldier, takes his outfit, and infiltrates the facility. Furthermore, Piccolo not only gets to fight and win a bit more, he also gains access to an awesome new transformation.
Around the second half of the movie, we see Gohan (still portrayed by Kyle Hebert) gaining access to a larger focus in his power. In the beginning, he's locked up in his study researching a super saiyan ant, and asking Piccolo to pick up Pan from school. Personally, I've always preferred Gohan over Goku, ever since Gohan fought Cell in Dragon Ball Z. He has more character, is more emotional, and I love to see him unleash his rage in battle. While I always respected the concept of him focusing on both fighting and academics, it was a shame to see him pushed to the sidelines and become weak over time. Cathartic is not a strong enough word to explain how great it was to see him front and center in the action again, even if it wasn't in the whole movie. It just shows that Gohan doesn’t just fight for the fun of it; when it comes to his friends or family, his enemies should start praying. With beautiful effects and heavy intensity, Gohan is a spectacle to watch. Thankfully, like Piccolo, Gohan also gains a new transformation. In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful forms for an existing Dragon Ball character since The Battle of the Gods film.
Gohan
As with the good of this new transformation, there are a few gripes I have with it: first, he’s only in this new form for a very short time before defeating the main antagonist. Second, Gohan's new form, (unlike Piccolo's) comes out of nowhere with no official name mentioned in the movie. I can appreciate that it was supposed to be more of a subtle explanation that tied to earlier parts of Dragon Ball Z, but it would've been great for such a stunning new form to be clarified a bit more. At the end of the day, I’m still grateful for the love that Gohan received after a long time of neglect.
The Red Ribbon Army (which are a reoccurring group of antagonists in the Dragon Ball series), first starting as an evil army, then as a single mad scientist (Dr. Gero) that created new adversaries (as well as allies) for the Z fighters. With Super Hero, this movie takes the descendants from the army and teams them up with the mad scientist. This leads to the creation of Gamma 1 and Gamma 2, the grey superhero-like androids that have been promoted heavily within the movie (portrayed by Aleks Le and Zeno Robinson). Personally, I thought they were a bit silly at first, and was concerned that they were going to be the main antagonists. Seeing them in action, however, and learning more about their motivation made me care more about them. The movie’s marketing team did a good job of subverting expectations and hiding the “bigger threat” than the Gammas.
Red Ribbon Army HQ
I will say that the final battle against the “main threat” of the movie made me realize that this movie was similar to the Bio-Broly film that came out in the late 90's, just a better and more interesting version. While this villain was done much better than Bio-Broly in terms of design and fight scenes, it was a shame to see them have their personality stripped away, followed by their dialogue with the protagonists. I also enjoyed all of the detail that went into explaining what the Red Ribbon Army has been up to, their hierarchy, Gero's family tree, and the wide variety of easter eggs present in the film.
Gotenks
Compared to Dragon Ball Super: Broly, I still have to say that the Broly movie is still superior. The animation and fight scenes made Broly into a character that I enjoy even more as well as Gogeta, as he was inserted into the “canon” storyline. This switch-up, possibly, opens the door for other non-canon characters to make a return. The large amount of comedy didn't take away from the film as their antics gave each of the characters a better sense of humor and offered a deeper perspective. In terms of voice acting and dialogue, I'd say Super Hero did great here as most of the reoccurring Dragon Ball cast was present, and was willing to try new things with the series. Of course, some things could've been executed better, such as Gohan's new form. The resolution for him as well as the returning “surprise” villain seemed a bit rushed, and some of the few characters who were present were still treated as a joke (I’m looking at you Gotenks). Overall, this movie/episode felt more like a love letter to all of us that just wanted to see the side characters take center stage, and with Gohan, they mastered that perfectly. Hopefully it won't be the last time this occurs.
Final Score: 8/10
