90's Kids Living the Dream

Dragon Ball Super: Broly!

Where it all began:

Growing up a kid in the 90s, I would no doubt gorge myself on all the great action cartoons and Saturday morning spectacles laid out like a buffet before me on the table of the weekend. In particular however, I remember staying up to watch Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, or waking up early, to catch a glimpse of the violent and flashy style of Japanese animation. Even before my family had cable, I would look forward to our family trips, as I knew hotel stays meant cable access, and I could binge all the series I'd missed, and just indulge in the anime I couldn't access at home. Much like the other youth of my era, I become completely obsessed with shows like Pokemon, and Dragon Ball Z.  At the time, my mom was unsure about the risks propagated by the media, about how violent shows bred violent youth, or the all consuming craze that swept the nation. Eventually, my mom accepted anime as just a more mature platform of storytelling to the usual American cartoons, and even began to support my interest by buying VHS imports of certain specials and movies. When we finally got cable, I would sit and watch entire blocks of anime episodes, even those I'd seen before, and when we got internet, I would download and draw images of my favorite characters (all while screaming like a madman, or sound-fx with my mouth). I bought the merchandise, played the games, and spent hours sketching with friends. I enjoyed playing these heroic characters, calling out their special moves, and imagining myself pushing beyond my limits to be a hero. 

The only thing I could never do, was convince my family to make the 3 hour drive to the nearest city, so I could actually SEE an Anime film on the big screen. Even those that did get a US theatrical run, were usually 1-3 day limited events, and were almost impossible to catch unless you lived anywhere near a metro center. Instead, it was either resorting to importing fan subs, or waiting the 2 (or more) years for localization. The closest I ever got was the global release of the first Pokemon and Digimon movies. It wasn't until recently that mainstream acceptance of foreign films and animations, has allowed anime to reach beyond it's niche appeal.

Fast Forward 20 years... 

Following the success of the Dragon Ball series reboot with "Super", and it's relatively profitable movie releases, Toei Animation and Funimation took a gamble with their largest theatrical release yet, premiering a trailer for Dragon Ball Super: Broly at San Diego Comic Con 2018! 

The trailer received a immensely positive response, and made it resoundingly clear that they could confidently continue the series on the big screen. Adding to the excitement, was the announcement that this was the first movie since the late 90s to be written by series creator Akira Toriyama himself. While he humbly denies his creative writing ability, there is a consistency he bring to the story-telling, a sort of comforting sense of familiarity.

With the same admiration for the series I've held all these years, my youthful vigor overtook me, and I KNEW, this would be the first of many feature length animes I would see in theaters, no matter how far I had to go; after all, I'm an adult now, so the power was in my hands, and I could share this life long dream with my own family. 

Reaching the next level... 

Thanks to Fathom Events, DBS: Broly happened to be showing in Albuquerque, NM on the same weekend we would be traveling for my daughter's gymnastics tournament, and so the pieces fell into place! One of the awesome benefits of seeing a film hosted by Fathom Events, especially one back by a massive theater chain, is the way it really feels like a special occasion. Due to limited showtimes, the seating is always nice and full, and every person in attendance is as excited as you to be there. Before the movie, there is a low murmur of excitement, and in place of the usual ads for local business, or upcoming blockbusters, there are previews of future event films, usually comprised of anniversary runs of classic anime, or independent releases. The best part however, is the content related specifically to what you're watching; anything from trivia games, to cast and production notes, to audio clips from the soundtrack.

Speaking of soundtrack,

one of the DBS: Broly's greatest strengths, was just how good the music was! Every moment captured the essence of the scene it was attached to. Gone were the days of the alt.-rock "bangers" from US releases, or quirky lighthearted "bops" of previous Japanese soundtracks, and in it's place was a driving and powerful industrial amalgam of the best of each, coupled with a sweeping original score. It managed to somehow be heavy, but sensible, and it never felt gratuitous. One of the evening's highlights, was after the movie ended, there was a rousing round of applause, followed by a couple of "bros" seated next to me asking their friend if he wanted to sit through the credits for their favorite song, or if he'd rather head out to their truck and pop in their imported CD!? Special moments like these that people share, really showcase how universally beloved this franchise has become. 

Sounded Good, but looked even better! 

The advancements in digital animation have benefited the anime industry as much as it has been a detriment. While the movements have become more fluid, they often feel cheapened by recycled attributes, or uncanny textures against the surrounding environment. Usually this is the most apparent with characters, especially those in the background. One thing long time fans of the Dragon Ball series have pointed out, is that the anime borrows from Toriyama's style, but it often looks too clean, and discards his traditional influences. Thankfully, DBS:B looks every bit as good as previous entries, and the "over polished" nature of Dragon Ball Super doesn't appear as prevalent as it does in the series. Since I am not an animator, I can't speak on the amount of digital work done for the film, but can say, that whatever they did do, blends more seamlessly with parts that appear to be drawn by hand. It is very artistic style, almost reminiscent of the original Dragon Ball and Z cartoons, with clear classic influence.

Final Thoughts

The Story So Far...

It would require almost an entire other blog to do a proper review breakdown on the the technical aspects of the movie, and to treat it like a more conventional write-up. However, It's hard to really scrutinize this film, when it really hits on almost everything fans and the general audience could hope for. Instead, I wanted to share what the series meant for me, and how Dragon Ball Super: Broly was able to fulfill a life long dream for fans like myself. Obviously none of the things I spoke about would mean much if there wasn't a coherent story to frame this audio and visual masterpiece of anime, and I can assure you, it is probably the most cohesive addition to the DB Universe outside of the core series itself. It fleshes out fan favorites like Bardock, giving him one of the most powerful moments in the series, while canonizing characters like Broly and Gogeta into epic forces that will become true staples in the franchise. Being restricted to feature film length has forced the writing to be more concise and creative, as they no longer have the luxury to draw out a narrative over the course of several episodes, but must instead communicate their theme with more consideration. Due to the time contraint, DBS: Broly is probably the best paced entry since the original Dragon Ball, or maybe the Goku Black Saga, and never feels bloated or overwhelming.

Support anime in theaters.

I was fortunate enough to catch it in a large format theater, and that really was something I wanted to express; If you plan to see this, try to do so on the big screen. This is not only so that you can support the industry and encourage more releases like it, but to also enjoy it the way it was meant to be seen. It is such a multi-sensory spectacle, it would be a shame to miss out on all the fantastic details, and epic nature of this Shonen. DBS:B has seen massive critical and financial success, and will no doubt spawn sequels, but movies like this can't flourish without support from their fans. Thankfully, wider distribution, and mainstream attention is helping to boost their roles in the media.

If you aren't able to see it in theaters, don't worry, it more than delivers on everything you would want from a Dragon Ball film, even if you end up watching it at home with a living room of screaming children trying to become Super Saiyans!

With wonderful pacing, jaw dropping action, and moments of honest emotional gravity, DBS: Broly is a re-imagining of the previously non-canon origin movies, done in a fashion that is a return to form of Toriyama's masterful story telling. I was captivated from start to finish, and at times literally moved to tears by the tale of family, friendship, abuse, and redemption. In classic DB fashion, moments of drama are broken up by frenetic combat, or well timed humor, and when taken as a whole, it is truly a worthy continuation of the Dragon Ball story.

Score: 5/5