A Brief Look Back At The Dragon Ball Z Films

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, it’s Christmas Eve and my present to you lot is another film-related topic that is ripe for discussion and today I’m sharing my thoughts on the 15 Dragon Ball Z films via my podcast, Film Focus.

Okay so here is a subject I’ve wanted to cover for a while, and after a few delays, I finally got around got around to discussing the Dragon Ball Z films. With Dragon Ball Super: Broly recently released in Japan and the western release in cinemas dropping in January, I thought it would be interesting to revisit all 15 of the Dragon Ball Z films and see how they held up. Now I love the Dragon Ball franchise, I grew up with DBZ and the films have are an interesting collection of material that ranges from pretty awesome to very bad, and I thought it would be fun to examine each of the films briefly and discuss:

1) The pros and cons.
2) The story, characters and presentation.
3) Whether the films have gotten better or worse after my recent viewings from a subjective point of view.

So join me on an epic journey through these series of films to see which of them hold up and which ones do not. 😀

P.S. I tried my best to be as thorough and objective as possible, but this episode does feature some minor mistakes, some biased opinions and some films that don’t get as much time as others due to certain films having more interesting elements than others. So if any of this stuff bothers you, apologies in advance.

Check out my review below:

So have you seen any of the Dragon Ball Z films and if so what did you think of it? Also, which one is your favourite and are you excited for the Broly film? I really want to hear your thoughts on this film so drop your thoughts in the comments below and if you have some spare time subscribe to my podcast, Film Focus on Soundcloud and iTunes. Until next time, laters! 😀

 

QUICK THOUGHTS: Dragon Ball Super: Broly Trailer

Good day to you ladies and gents, from out of the shadows I have emerged again to talk about something very, very important to me; the first trailer for Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

Now I really liked Battle of Gods and thought Resurrection F was decent, and while Super was one of the most up and down experiences I’ve had with any TV show, however when it was good, it was hella good. So Dragon Ball in recent years has gone from being fairly invisible and nostalgic to being right back in the conversation of current anime and media in general, so when Toei Animation announced a new film and the teaser dropped with the new art and animation style, I was surprised but so intrigued. Since last year I’ve been following this guy online called Ajay who is really knowledgeable about animation and people who work on Dragon Ball and did a great job to detail the pros and cons of Super.

Now it was recently revealed prior to this trailer that this new film would feature Broly, the legendary Super Saiyan from Movie 8 and the two subsequent sequels, and this caused a mixed opinion from the DB fans I saw online, some people were hyped for this character to come back, some weren’t so happy and some just didn’t care. But with word that Akira Toriyama would be involved in the story and would be finding a way to integrate Broly into the official canon of DB, that’s what got a lot of us fans hyped that the character would return with more depth and purpose than before.

And last night the first trailer and it is glorious! Check it out either the Japanese or English dub below:

Simply put, this film looks insanely good. It looks like a lot of stuff will be going down and all of the key players from Super will be back to play a part in this film.

From the teaser trailer, I knew this film would be special and interesting because of its art style, colour palette and animation, and this trailer just dialled it up to one hundred. The movement of the characters is so smooth, elastic, expressive and is so fluid when compared to anything Dragon Ball has done in the past. The art direction is notably different from the recent/current DB animated material, with art that looks more illustrative or from the pages of a manga with detailed line art and a colour scheme that feels in line with the old DB manga. I also appreciate the camera angles and scaling as it makes this film feel more cinematic than the TV show.

Here are some personal highlights:

• The facial close-ups look great: There are some nice shots of character faces up close and especially with Goku at 14 seconds, Broly at 27 seconds, and wonderfully detailed shots of Vegeta and Goku at 29 and 30 seconds. It all looks so beautiful.
• Broly looks intense: While there hasn’t been any of his classic “Kakarot!!” shouting just yet, I do appreciate how he comes across in the trailer. He’s mostly quiet, stern-looking, emits powerful energy and when he is fighting he packs a punch. There’s a shot of Goku in Super Saiyan Blue looking shocked at Broly’s power, so that has to tell you something about this dude’s strength.
• Vegeta looks cool: Vegeta is one of my favourite characters and he looks like he’s getting his time to shine here. I love how when Broly first punches him and he smiles, such a classic Vegeta thing to do, I love it!
• Frieza’s back: Now in a different reality, seeing Frieza again would be a major turn off, but because he was handled so well in Super I love the fact that he’s getting be part of this film and witness Broly first-hand.

So yeah if you couldn’t tell already I’m really excited by this trailer, it was everything I wanted and then some. I reminded me of some of the best moments of Super but magnified on a whole new level with crazy slick animation and artwork. I really hope to see this at the cinema when January comes around.

So what did you think of the trailer for Dragon Ball Super: Broly? Did it increase or decrease your hype for the film? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them in the comments section below and I’ll see ya on the next video, laters! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’

Howdy ladies and gents, a belated happy new year to you all and hope you had a good transition into 2016. So with my first post of the new year what better way to start than to do a film review, and today I’ll be talking about Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’. I had the fortune of getting to watch this early this morning and after it was over I had to review it just like when I covered Battle of Gods. So without further ado let’s talk about this film.

The story can be summed as the following:

“After The god of destruction Beerus decided to not destroy the Earth, the planet is back again in peace. But, Sorbet and Tagoma, previous Frieza’s servants, decide to revive his leader using the Dragon balls. Succesful in his plan, Frieza decides to return to Earth to start his revenge against the Saiyans who humiliated him once.”

The story for this film is serviceable, there is nothing significant that takes place and it is more like an episode of the old show, but adapted for film instead. What makes this film work though is the attention to detail when it comes to the history of the series. I love how this film was in direct continuity with not only Battle of Gods but also with the show, it made everything feel simple and cohesive. There are plenty of references and call backs to characters and events that took place, whether it was character interactions between Frieza and the Z-Fighters, the mention of Majin Buu or the fact that Future Trunks came back to the past to kill Frieza, there are a lot of cool easter eggs to be found, some are big and some are subtle, but it is a lot fan service. And there lies the film’s biggest strength; the fan service. It’s in full force, from the dialogue Frieza has to the use of the secondary Z-Fighters in battle to the crazy transformations and power increases, this is classic DBZ and there’s plenty to appreciate if you’re a long time fan of this franchise.

However, the film has issues like:

1. The film doesn’t further the law: Battle of Gods was great because there was a lot of interesting themes, but also because it or expanded the DB universe by introducing Beerus, his history and the concept of the Super Saiyan God. With this film, there wasn’t too many new elements incorporated.
2. Inconsistencies with the previous film & series: There were a few things that felt inconsistent or handled strangely like how powerful was Frieza’s new transformation was in comparison to Goku’s Super Saiyan God form and how could he fight on such a level after only four months of training? Or how in the last film Shenron granted one wish and left, but then in this film he could grant two (which was something Dende sorted out for Earth just after the Cell Games), so that was a bit off. And there were just a few other things that bugged me like that.
3. The story was a bit underwhelming with a lack of stakes: For all the nostalgia the story was a bit inconsequential and formulaic, Frieza’s return was fine and all but his motivations were so petty and his actions had no real consequences for anyone outside of Earth. And when something pretty crazy does happen, it is underdone by a simple plot device, and by the end of the film, as fun as it was, it feels like there was no need for it to have taken place.

But where this film succeeds over the last DBZ film is in its presentation, as this film provides far more action and fights from veteran characters outside of Goku and Vegeta. Visually this film was incredible. This is the classic art style married with some very slick and fluid animation which makes all the punches and kicks, beams and flying sequences really pop. There were a lot of really cool “Fuck yeah!” moments from several of the individual fight sequences and with some modern camera movements incorporated it added a level of speed and intensity that the series wasn’t able to pull off before. Oh and the english dub voice talent return to great effect and the sound effects are just as great as ever. Now some of the CGI sequences are ugly and unneeded, and some of the 2D animation looked like it could have been better, and I wasn’t keen on some of the music inserts too, but overall everything came together nicely.

In the end Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ was a lot of fun and from a nostalgic standpoint it succeeds at being an entertaining session with all of the action sequences and throwbacks to the DBZ series, however, there were certain issues with the plot and use of characters that held the film back from being better. Make no mistake, if you want some classic DBZ action with modern animation and nothing more, then this is for you, but if you’re looking for something a little more substantial, then you may be disappointed.

Rating: 8/10 (The film gets one extra point for the action sequences)

So have you seen Resurrection ‘F’ and if so what did you think of it? Please comment below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

New Dragon Ball Series Entitled “Dragon Ball Super” To Debut In July!

Howdy people of the internet, time for some TV news, more specifically anime related news. It has been a good while since I posted any news on this blog, but I just haven’t been that interested in posting anything in the world of films. HOWEVER, today I’m chilling online and I see this these crazy words on my Facebook news feed, “New “Dragon Ball Super” TV Series Announced For 2015.” and I’m like “WHAT!?!” I don’t believe it, but then I check on Google and it is true, Dragon Ball is coming back and it isn’t another version of Dragon Ball Z, but something new entirely and this is something I have to talk about.

The following information comes from Kanzenshuu:

“A new Dragon Ball TV series has been announced: Dragon Ball Super will debut this July and will run as a weekly series at 9:00 a.m. on Fuji TV, taking the time slot of the Dragon Ball Kai TV series. The story and characters will be developed by original manga author Akira Toriyama himself and will star veteran voice actress Masako Nozawa.

The “Dragon Ball SSSS” website provided quotes from the cast and production staff in conjunction with the announcement, most of which was also reiterated and translated in an English-language press release from Toei Animation:

Toei Animation Begins Production on Dragon Ball Super
Drawn From a Plot By The Brand’s Original Creator, Dragon Ball Super Is The First New Series In
Eighteen Years

TOKYO (April 28, 2015) – Toei Animation has announced production on Dragon Ball Super (Japanese title; tentative for English release), the first all-new Dragon Ball television series to be released in 18 years. Following the recent events of the hit feature film, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’, Dragon Ball Super will debut in Japan in July 2015.

Reuniting the franchise’s iconic characters, Dragon Ball Super will follow the aftermath of Goku’s fierce battle with Majin Buu, as he attempts to maintain earth’s fragile peace. Overseen by Dragon Ball’s original creator, Akira Toriyama and produced with Fuji Television, Dragon Ball Super will draw on its historic past to create a bold, new universe welcoming to fans and endearing to new viewers.

Introduced as a manga in Weekly Shonen Jump (published from SHUEISHA Inc.) in 1984, Dragon Ball has evolved into a globally beloved brand. Seen in more than 70 countries, with over 230 million copies of its comic books sold, Dragon Ball remains one of the most popular anime series of all time.

“Having loved Dragon Ball since childhood, it is very exciting to be a part of this project,” said Osamu Nozaki, producer for Fuji Television. “Mr. Toriyama has developed a plot that’s not only a dream come true for Dragon Ball‘s millions of fans, but one that will foster in a new generation of viewers.”

“When I joined Toei Animation, one of my first assignments saw me working on the production of Dragon Ball Z,” said Atsushi Kido, producer for Toei Animation. “While there for only a short period of time, being a part of the series left a lasting impression. We look forward to carrying on Dragon Ball‘s tremendous legacy, bringing audiences a brand new Dragon Ball with the same sense of heart and commitment that went into past Dragon Ball productions.”

“I’ve used the word ‘cho’ (super) in so many commercials, games and other media, it is fantastic that the long awaited Dragon Ball Super will finally begin,” said Masako Nozawa, Japanese voice actress of Dragon Ball’s Son Goku, Son Gohan and Son Goten. “I hope that this series will last a long time and have the same impact around the world as its predecessor.”

Much like with the arcade and PlayStation 2 fighting game Super Dragon Ball Z, the chō in the new TV series’ title (ドラゴンボール超) is accompanied by a sūpā pronunciation as Dragon Ball Z Super.

The new TV series will be directed by Kimitoshi Chioka, whose only work with the franchise thus far was as a story boarder in Battle of Gods, and will be produced by Osamu Nozaki (Fuji TV), Naoko Sagawa (Yomiko Advertising), and Mutsumi Kido (Toei Animation). While Nozaki and Sagawa were both recent producers for Dragon Ball Kai, Kido served a short time as an assistant producer during the production of Dragon Ball Z.

Fans are sure to question whether or not this new series’ timeframe will overlap or lead into Dragon Ball GT. While the new series is said to pick up in a period of peace following the battle with Majin Buu, there is not yet any word on the specific timeframe (for example, a year in the “Age” calendar) that the story may take place. The 2013 and 2015 theatrical films — Battle of Gods and Revival of “F”, respectively — have both taken place in the ten year time skip between the defeat of Majin Buu and the 28th Tenka’ichi Budōkai. Toei Animation’s various guide books place the events of Dragon Ball GT as beginning in Age 789, five years after the events shown at the end of the original manga.”

So I’m just like “Damn, it’s actually happening? Wow… Fuck yeah gimme!” Now I have to admit I’m not the biggest Dragon Ball fan these days, DBZ used to be my life, it introduced me to the world of anime and I will always love the crazy, nostalgic fun it provides. But after my teenage years I became more of a One Piece kind of guy and discovered more anime shows. With that being said, any time some new Dragon Ball material surfaces I get all giddy and can’t wait to see what new stories can be told with today’s animation technology. That’s why I liked Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!, that’s why I really liked Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and that’s why I hyped to see Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’. It’s like how all Star Wars fans are freaking out about The Force Awakens, it is the same for most of the Dragon Ball community.

Even though I’m super surprised about this announcement, at the same time I knew that this would have to happen. Given the fact that the world of Dragon Ball has been getting more and more attention in the animation department in terms of OVAs, new films and footage for video games, it feels inevitable that a new series would have to come. I mean it just feels right that this classic franchise would return to the world in these times of long-awaited sequels and reboots. Dragon Ball (especially Dragon Ball Z) has always been something of a nostalgic property in the world of anime and only people in their 20’s and older would know about it. A lot of fans have wanted to see new material for many years, but it just seemed unlikely because of Akira Toriyama’s lack of involvement, but now it seems like the times are a changing and he’s back in the game to give us some more adventures with Goku and the crew, and I’m totally down for it. 🙂

So now one has to wonder what will this series be like? Right now we’re really scarce for details, however, it has been stated that this series takes place after DBZ but before Dragon Ball GT and to be honest that’s fine with me because the less I see of GT the better. I just wonder what will be the catalyst that starts the Z fighters up again? Who or what breaks the peace? Will there be more transformations, team-ups or fusions? Will there be returning characters who haven’t been seen for ages (like from Dragon Ball)? Will the series be primarily serious or take the Dragon Ball approach having a combination of humour and seriousness? So many questions and yet we have so long to wait. I guess we’ll get more information nearer to July and when the series eventually debuts. I’m just happy to know that the kids of today will get to experience one of my favourite shows in present times.

So have you heard about this news and if so what do you think of it? Please be sure to leave your comments below. Until next time, laters! 😀

 

How I Feel In Pictures #7

Good day to you ladies and gents and welcome to the 7th edition of How I Feel In Pictures. In these posts I’ll upload a piece of art that I’ve drawn that basically represents how I feel at that current point in time. I hope you’ve had a great and productive Christmas, today is Boxing Day, I’m bored, so I’m here to give you a blog post of happiness haha. This time we have a few that I’ve bunched together.

Check out my set of pictures below:

So here we have some of the art I’ve been working on from October to December.

As you can see above, there are for pictures. from left to right, the first is of Goku in Super Saiyan 3 form from Dragon Ball Z, then there’s Princess Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy, on the bottom left we have Kirby of Nintendo dressed up as Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach and finally we have Sonic and Tails from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. If you go from bottom to top you can see that the amount of detail has improved somewhat and while it is looking good so far, I know that my Photoshop skills can get better, that they can improved and become super powerful. All of these pictures I did on my computer, but they’re all based on pen and pencil sketches which you can see below:

As you can see above, these are the original pieces of art, some look prettier than others and they were all drawn at different times, on from 2006/7, another from 2010 and two from 2014. I drew all of these with the intention of making them better, more finished-looking pieces of work and now this year I feel like I’ve done it. I have many more sketches that I want to upgrade into digital work which you’ll probably see in near future so kee your eyes peeled.

Thanks for reading and checking out my artwork yo. If you wish to see more of my artwork be sure to head to thehypersonic55.deviantart.com to see more. Until the next time, laters! 😀

 

First Details For The New Dragon Ball Z Movie Emerge!

Howdy ladies and gents, time for some film news and today it is related to the world of anime as today I’ll be talking about the next Dragon Ball Z film that will be coming out next year. The following information comes from superherohype:

Following the success of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods earlier this year, it’s no surprise that another “DBZ” film is set to follow it. Anime News Network brings word today from V Jump Magazine about another film set to debut in 2015 titled Dragon Ball Z: F is for Fukkatsu (or ‘Resurrection’), which will see the return of fan-favorite villain Frieza.

Series Akira Toriyama noted that the F in the title stands for the iconic villain who will, as the name implies, be revived for the film. It’s also set to feature Beerus, the villain from “Battle of Gods.” The magazine relays the film’s synopsis (translated from Japanese) as follows:

“An Earth where peace has arrived. However, remnants of Frieza’s army Sorbet and Tagoma arrive on the planet. Their goal is to revive Frieza with the dragon balls. Their dastardly wish is granted, the “F” that plans its revenge against the Saiyans is revived…!”

The film is set to debut in Japanese theaters next April. Check back here on any news of a domestic release as we learn it. You can check out the key art and a teaser trailer for the film below.

So what do I think of this news? Cool, sign me up. Listen, say what you will about Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, but to deny the film’s charm, nostalgia and feel-good factor would be foolish. As a fan of Dragon Ball the film entertained me a lot and I thought it was badass, the only problems I had with the film was the lack of unique fight sequences and the questionable-looking 3D animation, otherwise I liked it a lot. Now we have this new film on the horizon and it sounds alright, don’t get me wrong it’s not like I’m not excited, but the concept of bringing Frieza back to life with the Dragon Balls thanks to two of his followers who haven’t been in existence until now, doesn’t sound that unique or innovative. That being said, bringing Frieza, arguable one of the best villains in the Dragon Ball series back for a film-adaptation in present times just screams of fan service. It does make me wonder when and where does this film take place in the DBZ timeline or will it even be canon? And what will happen to Frieza when he comes back, will he be resurrected even more powerful than before or will he be the same as when he was defeated by Goku or Trunks? Because if Frieza comes back and he’s the same power level, but we’re at the latter half of the series, then both Goku and Vegeta will be able to wipe the floor with him without even trying. Heck maybe even Krillin may stand a chance. Point is, there are a lot of things to speculate about because we all have so many details. Plus the teaser trailer doesn’t give use any details besides the fact that Shenron will be involved and Goku will power up.

In conclusion I’m curious to see what Akira Toriyama comes up with this film, Dragon Ball Z is one of my all-time favourite anime and to see it back in the mainstream again beyond the crappy video games is a nice thing to see. I can only hop that this new film exceeds the last film and stops the fanboys from moaning.

So what do you think of this news? Are down with the new information released for this upcoming DBZ film or not? Also are you still interested in seeing more animated material from the Dragon Ball universe or do you feel like this series should be left in the past? Whatever your thoughts are be sure to drop them below and I’ll see you on the next blog post. 🙂

 

New Dragon Ball Z Movie Set For Spring 2015!

Howdy ladies and gents, time for some film news and this is a special bit of news that I will be reporting today. I was just messing around on Facebook today and I saw in my news feed something related to a new Dragon Ball Z film I knew I had to blog about it. The following information comes from Saiyan Island:

Here we go! A brand new animated Dragon Ball Z movie is making it’s way to Japanese theaters in the Spring of 2015! The news comes from the September issue of V-Jump magazine which reveals Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball Z, brings his genius back once again with an original concept, screenplay and character designs for the movie. “The entire universe eagerly awaits!!”

The new Dragon Ball Z movie will be an animated film like it’s predecessor. Toriyama-sensei confirmed in the magazine it will have a new story, one he intended to have this during his manga’s original serialization. Although he did not plan on it, he is putting a lot of effort in drawing the art and “fussing over the smallest dialogue lines.” He also promised more action scenes and teased the story is still secret, but will be “utterly funny.”

Much work is going into the Z Warriors’ 2015 big screen release according to Toriyama-sensei and he is confident fans will be able to enjoy the movie. Toriyama-sensei even mentions his first manga editor praised him on the work he has done, even though he rarely ever does that!

Not much else is revealed, but the prospect of a new Dragon Ball Z movie is quite exciting! Nothing has been mentioned for an North America English dub at this point either, but we hope to keep you up-to-date with the latest right here on Saiyan Island!

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, the previous movie in the series, made it’s Japanese theatrical debut March 30, 2013. FUNimation, the North American licensor, has announced the movie will have over 350 theaters screening the English dubbed version of Battle of Gods throughout the United States and Canada in August of this year.

Well all I can say is heck yes! In recent years I’ve actually started to go off of Dragon Ball Z because of the recent line of crappy games and better anime I had experienced over the last few years. But after watching the last film; Battle of Gods (which I really liked), it showed me that I still have a lot of love for the Dragon Ball series and that I’m not done with DBZ just yet. So when I hear there’s a new DBZ film on the horizon with involvement from original creator Akira Toriyama I can’t help but feel joy and hope in my heart for what will come in the future. Now even though I liked Battle of Gods, it definitely wasn’t the best DBZ film or the best anime film I have seen, it lacked a lot of the best characters and fight sequences that made the series so much fun. So what I would like is a bit more of an adventure added to the story, more of a focus on other characters outside of Goku and more action sequences.

So what do you think of this news relating to a new DBZ film? Are you hyped or not bothered? Be sure to comment below and let me know! Laters. 😀

 

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods Review

Howdy ladies and gents, tonight I’m gonna give you a review on an anime film I’ve been meaning to review on this blog for a while now which is Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. Now when this film was announced in July of 2012, I pretty much blew up after the teaser trailer came out, then the film got released in March last year, but it didn’t get english subtitles until September. Now I love DBZ, that was my childhood, so having any new material from that franchise (besides the now shitty video games) makes me happy. So how does Battle of Gods fare? Read on and find out.

So the story in this film involves Beerus, the God of Destruction, learning of the defeat of the galactic overlord Freeza by the hands of Son Goku. Seeking an opponent worthy of his power, Beerus, along with his companion Whis, travels to the north galaxy to challenge Goku to a battle.

First off I have to say I really liked the story in this film. It wasn’t overly complicated or dark a moody, just simple stuff that is straight-to-the-point. The film felt just like the days of Dragon Ball with DBZ aspects meshed together, it felt so nostalgic and new at the same time and I think that is due to Akira Toriyama’s involvement in the film as you can feel is presence here. One thing I didn’t expect was the amount of humour, much like the recent Iron Man 3, Battle of Gods plays the balancing act between seriousness and humour and for the most part it works. There is a lot to laugh at it is thanks to some good jokes and comedic timing when it comes to the dialogue and physical stuff. Another great thing about this film is all the ties to previous DB history whether it be flashbacks of verbal mentions, it is littered with references and I loved it. Now I will say that the story isn’t your straight-up action adventure, there is a lot of down-time and very silly moments throughout the film, some secondary characters also get ignored, some things happen to no consequence and there is an anti climatic nature of the film. Some of these elements will probably turn a few fans off but for me it wasn’t too much of an issue.

As for the characters they are all pretty much exactly how you remember them. Goku is still the loveable oaf who is super strong and always wants to battle the next strongest fighter. Vegeta is still the prince with a lot of pride and moodiness, but he is given a lot more screen time than I thought he’d get and has one of the most unexpected funny moments ever int his film. I also really liked Gohan’s contribution to this film, the return of Emperor Pilaf, Mai and Shou was very welcomed and Buu was another funny guy as well. Now let’s talk about the big new bad guy Beerus, man he was not what I was expecting, he’s like the nicest, quirky and most odd bad guy ever. He is very eccentric, lazy and confident, but he has anger issues and one small thing can make him switch like a light. I loved his more light-hearted side because it lend to some really funny dialogue moments. As for Whis, Beerus’ partner, he was very strange, but also funny.

When it comes to the presentation it is gorgeous. Before the DB short film of 2008, me and countless other fans had wanted to see what DBZ would look like in present day, but the dream seemed so unfeasible. Sure we had the short anime openings in DBZ Budokai 2 & 3, but we wanted more. Since then we have seen more and more glimpses of DBZ in other animated intros in video games, the DB Kai opening and closing animations, one remade OVA and the anime crossover with One Piece and Toriko. Toei Animation had basically been teasing fans for years… Until this film came out and let me tell you I think it looks brilliant.

Considering how great Toei are with One Piece films, it should come as no surprise that Battle of Gods looks awesome. Everything is visually crisp, vivid, full of colour and the fluidity of the animation is INSANE with some of the most crazy dynamic tracking shots and camera angles that have ever been used for a DB animation. The character designs are also very nice, detailed and are familiar and yet slightly new. This film also employs Toei’s use of blending a lot of 2D and 3D animation and for the most part it works, though there are times I wish it was more 2D.

The soundtrack by Norihito Sumitomo is another aspect I like about this film, it is very good and suits every situation it is used in. I especially like it when the music when it ramps up and gets all epic when something serious is going down on-screen. Also the cover of Hironobu Kageyama’s “Cha-La Head-Cha-La“, the original opening theme of DBZ, by the rock band Flow is alright, it has its moments but it never gets as exciting as the original version.

In conclusion Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods is a lot of fun and is another solid addition to the animated world of Dragon Ball. The film feels new but at the same time incredibly familiar thanks to its comedic tone, memorable characters and chaotic action sequences. Some fans may be turned off by the more light-hearted tone, villain personality and the overall ending of the film, but if you’re a true DB fan who enjoys this franchise then this is the film for you. It is all sorts of awesome.

Rating: 8.5/10 (Some kick ass nostalgic fun with great visuals, characters and humour)

So readers out there, what did you think of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods? Have your seen or are you gonna watch it, whatever your thoughts are drop them in the comments section below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀

 

One Piece Anime Review

Howdy ladies and gents and welcome to another review-related blog post. Tonight I am going to give you my thoughts on what I believe to be one of the best anime shows in existence; One Piece.

Firstly I shall give out a little background information as to what One Piece is. Like most anime, it started out as a manga and was first published in 1997. Eiichiro Oda is the author and illustrator of One Piece and because his manga was so successful, the animated adaptation was born in the shape of an Original Video Animation called “One Piece: Defeat The Pirate Ganzack!” that was produced by Production I.G in 1998. A year after the anime started airing on Fuji Television through the power of Toei Animation, the studio that gave life to Dragon Ball. Since then the series has had over 500 episodes (538 at the time of this review), 11 movies, 3 OVAs and several specials. Yes, One Piece is a pretty huge when it comes to anime shows.

When it comes to story it follows the journey of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy who wants to become a pirate but not just any pirate, he wants to be the pirate king! In order to do this he must get a ship, a pirate crew and search for the legendary treasure known One Piece that the deceased King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger left many years ago. Along the way Luffy acquires 8 unique crew members, obtains a ship and travels across the sea to many locations, making new friends and enemies and battles other pirate crews, the marines and the seven warlords. The great thing about the story of One Piece is that it is always interesting, the whole concept of pirate lifestyle has always been a captivating one with potential stories of adventure, action, drama, romance and so on. All of those types of stories are realised in the world of One Piece in a strange, happy-go-lucky and dramatic fashion thanks to Eiichiro Oda’s good storytelling and capitalizing on the adventure aspect that made Dragon Ball so successful. But what makes One Piece so great is its ability to be fresh but also familiar, and this mainly comes from Oda’s amazing knack for creating new material which is just as good or better than what has come before, and the world of One Piece is so rich with content and mythology that any time we learn something new about the past, it just adds more quality to the overall universe.

Give it some time and these characters will become attached to ya, they’re THAT awesome 😀

When it comes to the characters of One Piece whether they be main cast, secondary cast or people who just show up for 1 or 2 episodes, each person has their own personality and style that they bring to the show. Monkey D. Luffy, the main protagonist is a happy-go-lucky lad, full of charisma and energy; he is also very naive and stupid, but also very strong and has a great sense of justice. If this all sounds very familiar let’s look at the character I call Luffy’s predecessor, Son Goku from Dragon Ball. Now it’s obvious that they share many similar features as the ones pointed out above, but they also have big appetites and don’t fight or move well without food among other things. Luffy’s other comrades are: Roronoa Zoro (a man known as the pirate hunter who wields 3 swords), Nami (a thief who loves money and is the navigator), Usopp (a cowardly fighter and inventor), Sanji (the Cook), Tony Tony Chopper (a reindeer who happens to be a doctor), Nico Robin (archaeologist), Franky (the cyborg shipwright) and Brooke (the skeleton musician). Each member of Luffy’s crew including Luffy himself have dramatic backstories full of hardship, suffering, death, and some more painful than others, and when these events of the past cross over into later points in the series you’ll come to understand and sympathize for the people involved. The villains are also interesting coming in all shapes and sizes, literally. All have different types of powers or weapons and normally come with a stylish or wacky dress sense. And most importantly each antagonist comes with their own levels of charm, charisma and evilness whether they are the main enemy or subsidiary members. My favourites are Captain Buggy, “Hawk-Eye” Mihawk, Admiral Aokiji, Bartholomew Kuma and Rob Lucci to name a few.

One of the key aspects that make One Piece such a good show is the story and narrative. It’s all about adventure and the journey that you as the viewer go on, it can be an emotive one as you feel moments of anger and sadness but at the same time moments can also very funny and joyful and gives you a reason to smile and laugh even in the face of danger. As previously mentioned the show is funny, the stupidity of certain characters will have you in stitches and has to be experienced to be understood. The story arcs are very intriguing and surprising with a good deal of complexity in some areas. Now I have heard some people say that One Piece is for children, but then isn’t most shōnen anime? However unlike most children’s shows, One Piece has very dark stories and characters that affect the overall tone, that along with a lot of adult themes and levels of violence involved, you are left with a show that really isn’t that well-suited for kids. Plus in my opinion there are a lot of story elements and dialogue that younger audiences couldn’t begin to comprehend. At one point back in 2010 I happened to see on a website where someone compared One Piece to Fairy Tail and said that Fairy Tail was much better, less child-like and for mature audiences… Now I’ve watched a good number of Fairy Tail episodes and I have found nothing that makes it any more ‘mature’ or ‘better’ then One Piece. At this point I feel One Piece is more mature due to themes, morals and ethics, violence and the emotional stories of characters involved. It should also be noted that the filler arcs and TV specials of One Piece are also pretty good and while some filler can be a bit tedious, here they’re a lot better than other anime where the filler doesn’t advance the series and normally are skipped because their lack of quality.

Visually One Piece is one of the most unique anime out there; one could say that the look of One Piece is very abstract when compared to most other anime of present in the same genre or any genre. this is mainly due to Eiichiro Oda’s art style crafted in the manga which has a very unique and unusual look when compared to other manga. Some people have even put off watching this show purely based on the look of the show which is a darn shame because they are doing themselves a massive disservice. While One Piece isn’t as detailed as other shōnen anime like Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto or Bleach, which have highly detailed characters in the facial, hair, and clothing areas, One Piece has is simple in composition but has a lot of artistic flair and creative things that you’d never find in other anime. The characters are very simple, not very detailed and look kind of wacky and funky when compared to other shows. However I feel that the look of One Piece‘s characters, creatures, settings and animation are very interesting and is one of the unique selling points of the show and if you give it time you will adjust and come to love it.

Just look at the different between episode 1 and episode 474 and tell me you can’t see the difference in quality here.

I would also call One Piece an “evolution anime”, a term that I use on an anime that has progressed since its conception and become visually different. Now this can apply to many shōnen shows, but I mainly apply this term to anime shows that really have changed from a visual standpoint. Dragon Ball Z is a good example of an anime that looks noticeably different from when it started to when it ended, and while the main design of the characters and settings are the same in One Piece, viewers will notice differences in the levels of detail in episodes as time goes by. For example, when you look at an episode in the East Blue Saga when the series started in 1999 and then compare it to the Skypiea Saga, there are noticeable differences in the art design and animation thanks to the different animation directors that keep the look of the show varied and interesting. And when you take into account the 2-year Time Skip in the manga that eventually took place in the anime in October 2011, the look of the show now compared to the start of the series is incredibly different, thanks to a higher quality of animation from Toei Animation and the new character updates/redesigns from Oda which really add a new level of spice to the show’s visual style. Also I don’t think I could talk about this anime without mentioning the soundtrack which is handled by Kohei Tanaka and Shiro Hamaguchi. The music for this show is totally incredibly epic, catchy, and varied with musical themes for every scenario. Each character has a certain theme that’ll play while they’re fighting or doing something sneaky and the songs work very well. Another great aspect with One Piece‘s soundtrack is that the music evolves along with the show with different themes for new locations, characters or battle music and it really immerses you in that world too. Eventually you’ll find yourself humming away with some songs, whether they are opening songs or particular tunes in the show’s soundtrack.

I believe that One Piece is the definition of what shōnen-based anime is all about. Now One Piece is a shōnen by genre which normally means that one is dealing with an action/adventure-based cartoon. The codes and conventions found in this anime are similar to other shōnen anime like Dragon Ball, Naruto, Bleach and Fairy Tail. You have the main protagonist who is a man, accompanied by other main characters who are either friends, allies or enemies. The main cast of protagonists are normally in a group or crew of some kind travelling from place to place of varying look and feel, coming across different obstacles and overcoming them through meeting their problems head-on and fighting their way to victory. And obviously as the journeys continue the obstacles become harder to triumph over. But I believe the way that One Piece does it is just wonderful, subtle and done with a great deal of style that it stands out from other anime.

In conclusion, if you couldn’t tell already I am a major supporter of One Piece and I really do recommend it to anyone who wants to a different yet rewarding experience when it comes to anime. It is truly brilliant and very enjoyable with amazing stories, larger than life characters and crazy amounts of action and madness. Even though the series is over 500 episodes long you should give it a chance, I have been watching for almost 4 years come this summer and I’ve never regretted it, and if you start I doubt that you will regret it either 😀

Rating: 10/10