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REVIEW: Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO – Gohan’s Return

 
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Overview
 

Directed by: Tetsuro Kodama
 
Produced by: Norihiro Hayashida
 
Written By: Akira Toriyama
 
FG RATING
9.0
9/ 10


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Made for those who grew up with Dragon Ball, Feels more Dragon Ball Z than Dragon Ball Super

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If you don't like Dragon Ball this might not be for you


Dragon Ball is one of the longest running mangas since it started in 1984 and still counting. Over the years it has released 21 full length anime movies with the latest being Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO. If you grew up in the same generation who religously watch Dragon Ball Z in RPN 9 and […]

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Posted August 29, 2022 by

 
FULL REVIEW
 
 

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Dragon Ball is one of the longest running mangas since it started in 1984 and still counting. Over the years it has released 21 full length anime movies with the latest being Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO.

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If you grew up in the same generation who religously watch Dragon Ball Z in RPN 9 and then later on GMA 7, Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is the sequel to the Cell Saga. After Goku and company had put an end to their plans, remnants of the Red Ribbon Army has been working in secret to make their return to their power. Part of this resurgence is the creation of the ultimate androids who made their debut in this movie, Gamma 1 and 2 who called themselves “Super Heroes”.

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Even if you aren’t updated with the current Dragon Ball Super series or if this is the first Dragon Ball movie that you would watch in years, you wouldn’t feel lost as the film had a flash back at the onset of the movie to get you reacquainted with the franchise. Another good thing about Dragon Ball movies is that even if they’re part of the anime continuity, movies are self-contained that it doesn’t require background knowledge to appreciate it.

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For most of the Dragon Ball filmography, Goku has always been the lead. The basic Dragon Ball formula is that an evil being who plans to take over/destroy the world, Goku comes in and saves the day. This formula works, which is why Dragon Ball is still running to this day.

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In Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO they had revisited the idea that was introduced during Dragon Ball Z’s Cell Saga. In Cell Saga, they introduced Gohan as the chosen one, the most powerful Saiyan to ever lived. However, he got over confident and missed the opportunity to defeat Cell and in the end, it was still Goku who saved the day.

After the Cell saga, the next time we see Gohan was when he was in high school and had chosen the path that his mother Chi-Chi wanted, as a scholar. Instead of seeing his powers developed, he stopped training and became a crime fighting super hero, the Great Saiyanman. I was disappointed with this direction as I was hoping that Gohan would catch up to Goku in terms of power.

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Gohan got the opportunity to be great again here in Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO. During the early part of the movie, we see Gohan swampped with research but his mentor, Piccolo never lost his faith and still saw the greatness that Gohan has within. Goku and Vegeta are missing in action as they are in training with Whis and Beerus in their planet and this set-up the perfect opportunity for Gohan to stand out. You’ll be delighted to see Gohan’s final evolution, Gohan Beast, which is his potential unleashed and unique to him. This in my opinion, could rival Goku’s Ultra Instinct.

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Fighting side by side with Gohan is Piccolo, who, without spoiling anything, finally had his moment of power. After being the big bad great demon king Piccolo in the first Dragon Ball, he was relegated as a supporting cast in the series.

It is great to see the tandem of Gohan and Piccolo back in action. It’s heartwarming seeing their relationship rekindled, it’s like seeing a Jedi master and his Padawan if this was Star Wars. The last time we saw them both in action was still in Dragon Ball Z. There was even online talk that if you think about it, Piccolo was more of a father to Gohan than Goku as he was for the most part of the series, an absentee father.

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With Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO being a continuation of the Cell Saga, it is more Dragon Ball Z than Dragon Ball Super. From the action sequnces down to the film’s humor, you can clearly see the influence of series creator Akira Toriyama, who is also behind the film’s original story, screenplay and character design. The animation style is something that you’ll get used to as it is a mixture of classic 2D animation and 3D elements of buildings and effects. We’ll also get the original Japanese audio with subtitles for the film’s Philippine release.

Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is a nice spring board to get back in to the series. It rejuvenates the love for the series that we all had as kids. It’s interesting to realize that having grew up with Dragon Ball, we are now watching the series’ future timeline. In a way it would make you feel a bit old but Gohan’s a dad now and Piccolo’s a legit tito. Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is possibly one of the series’ best movie. It’ll make the kid in you kamehameha in joy!

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Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO will be shown exclusive in Philippine cinemas on August 31, 2022.

We would like to thank Columbia Pictures Philippines for the advance screening invite of Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO.


Ryan Villanueva

 
Your resident all around Flipgeek, from comics,movies,games,toys,music and even sports. A big Spider-man fan raised in the ways of the Jedi,who listens to punk rock and a sucker for chick flicks.


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