Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero has introduced a new wave of fans to the famous Dragon Ball franchise. However, with the series going back decades and this being the 21st film in the franchise, is Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero watchable for fans that haven’t been watching the series?
Like many anime fans, I was super excited by the idea of seeing Dragon Ball Super in all its glory on the big screen. However, while I vaguely know of the characters, styles and ideas of Dragon Ball, my only experience of it was a PS2 game I played as a child.
Here are my thoughts on the Super Hero movie, from the viewpoint of someone who isn’t following the series.
Related: Is Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Canon? Timeline Explained
Can You Watch Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Without Watching the Dragon Ball TV Series?
Thankfully, it is possible to watch and enjoy Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero without watching the decades-old TV series. However, there are some things you might miss.
A lot of the first half of the film is stuck between pleasing older fans that grew up with the series and bringing new, younger fans – possibly persuaded by the Dragon Ball Fortnite collaboration – up to speed with the characters and world.
The movie starts with a huge information dump that, honestly, is really hard to keep up with. However, if you’ve seen enough fantasy anime and movies, Super Hero is simple enough to quickly work out what’s happening.
Bad guys in red with an ambitious but misdirected professor are creating super-powered beings to beat the heroes. Remember, this film is designed to appeal to young teenagers, so the plot is hardly extraordinary, and it doesn’t need to be.
The one area where new fans like myself miss something compared to regular series watchers is the character’s relationships and personalities. Every character’s introduction is done on the assumption that the audience knows who they are – the first reveals are all designed for fans of the series.
Again, after a few lines and interactions (and some vague memories from my distant childhood) you can work out the cast’s pecking order and relationships. However, you don’t feel the same gravitas from the characters as you would if you knew their backstories off the bat.
Is Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Good for New Fans? Review
Personally, I would say that Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is a fun action flick for anime fans, even if you haven’t seen the Dragon Ball TV series. Just don’t expect it to blow you away.
Ultimately, the main appeal of Dragon Ball is the martial arts, a universal language that doesn’t need any previous experience to enjoy.
After the first few warmups which felt like watching a videogame cutscene with the 3D animation, the later fights in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero are very cool, whether you’re a die-hard Dragon Ball fan or someone who has never seen the series before.
There is also great appeal in the design and colour palette in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. The retro-space design of the world and the bright characters fill the screen with anime nostalgia. In this respect, it felt like the 3D animation with heavy lines supported that retro vibe while bringing character movements into the contemporary cinema age.
Overall, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, for new fans, makes for a very fun popcorn cinema flick. Don’t expect to be bowled away by an emotionally-charged story – this is just bright and colourful fun that has left me wanting more Dragon Ball afterwards!
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