When the Great Demon King Piccolo was released, he declared May 9th as “Piccolo Day”…and promptly celebrated by announcing his ownership over the planet. May 9th has seen been coined “Goku Day” but, to make things simpler, I’m using this as a good excuse to celebrate all things Dragon Ball.
Released: 11 July 1992 Director: Kazuhito Kikuchi Distributor: Toei Company Budget: ¥25.5 billion Stars: Sean Schemmel, Christopher R. Sabat, Eric Vale, Chuck Huber, Chris Rager, and Josh Martin
The Plot: Son Goku (Schemmel) and his friends are torn from a peaceful day when androids wreak havoc in the name of the Red Ribbon Army. Overwhelmed by their vast power, the Saiyans and their allies face a greater threat when Android #13 (Huber) absorbs his comrades and becomes a nigh-unstoppable superpowered being!
The Background: Inspired by Journey to the West(Cheng’en, 1592), Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball first appeared in the pages of Weekly Shōnen Jump back in 1984 and centred around Goku, a boy with a monkey’s tail and exceptional martial arts skills who got into all kinds of scrapes searching for the seven magical Dragon Balls. While Dragonball Z added a more science-fiction spin to the lore, it often referenced Goku’s early days, with perhaps one of the most notably recurring elements being the Red Ribbon Army. With Goku having achieved incredible power during his outer space adventures, he returned to Earth to face an Android threat as his old enemies sought revenge, birthing one of Dragonball Z’s most celebrated story arcs. These “Sagas” heavily inspired the feature-length spin-off films, which were mostly produced without Toriyama’s direct involvement and therefore played fast and loose with established canon. For Super Android 13!, a truncated version of the “Android Saga”, Toriyama was brought onboard to design the titular Android and the film was met with mixed to positive reviews that particularly highlighted the high-octane fight sequences. Though the film isn’t canon to the mainstream Dragon Ball narrative, Super Android 13, like many of the movie characters, went on to reappear in subsequent Dragonball Z videogames.
The Review: Taking place in a strange, impossible gap between the end of the “Android Saga” and the start of the “Cell Saga”, Super Android 13! opens with a gory retelling of the last days of Doctor Gero/Android #20 (Martin), the mad scientist behind the creation of the Androids. Slaughtered by his teenage creations, who decimated the world in a possible future timeline, Dr. Gero’s mad ambition to kill Goku lived on in his supercomputer, which continued to analyse the fighting data and capabilities of Earth’s defenders and create newer, stronger Androids. Two of these, the diminutive Android #15 (ibid) and the hulking Android #14 (Rager), are unleashed and immediately make their way to West City and cut a path through buildings, traffic, and civilians alike in their search for their primary target: Goku. In many ways, Goku welcomes this attack since he begins the film bored out of his mind and perplexed by his overbearing wife, Chi-Chi (Cynthia Cranz), and her obsession with shopping. Summer school starts tomorrow and Chi-Chi is determined for her young son, Son Gohan (Stephanie Nadolny), to look his best and force her husband out of his tired old gi. While Goku and Gohan are dragged between shops and forced to carry Chi-Chi’s many shopping bags, Oolong (Brad Jackson), Master Roshi (Mike McFarland), Krillin (Sonny Strait), and Future Trunks (Vale) patiently wait in line for a beauty pageant. Judging by Future Trunks’ appearance, he hasn’t trained in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, yet his very presence suggests whereabouts this movie is supposed to take place within the wider canon, even if it clearly doesn’t fit due to the timeline. Regardless, poor Trunks is left embarrassed and humiliated by his companion’s perverted excitement at seeing the pretty girls and the fact that they arrived a whole day too early! The two groups reunite soon after and, while eating lunch, become aware of the city being under attack.
The three Super Saiyans are in for the fight of their lives when three new Androids attack.
Though Gohan, Krillin, and Trunks get Chi-Chi and the other civilians to safety, Goku is stunned when Androids #14 and #15 attack, pummelling him with their augmented strength and speed and gaining the upper hand since, as artificial lifeforms, Goku cannot sense their ki. Additionally, these Androids also absorb any ki blasts sent their way, drawing power from them and answering with explosive, often homing shots of their own. Overwhelmed, Goku is only saved from an early death by Trunks’ intervention and the young time traveller wisely suggests they lure their assailants away from the city so they can fight without endangering others or causing more destruction. Goku agrees and moves the fight to a faraway ice field and, naturally, Gohan eagerly follows. Though Krillin advises against it, believing they are outclassed, and Chi-Chi forbids it, Gohan leaves anyway and Krillin’s forced to follow, though the two are primarily onlookers. However, while also serving as comic relief at times, delivering exposition, and emphasising Goku’s incredible strength of will, the two also throw themselves in harm’s way to buy their allies time to recuperate. They’re bolstered by the eventual appearance of Piccolo (Sabat), Gohan’s surly mentor and surrogate father-figure, who interjects himself in the fight. Oddly, neither Goku or Trunks think to transform into their more powerful Super Saiyan forms until they’re saved by Vegeta (ibid), the proud Saiyan prince who begrudgingly aids them so he can have the pleasure of killing Goku himself. Headstrong and arrogant, Vegeta throws himself into the fight, turning Super Saiyan to match blows with and eventually destroy Android #15. Similarly, Trunks cuts Android #14 down to size but the fight leaves all three Saiyans severely beaten and unable to sustain their Super Saiyan forms. Thus, they’re left at a severe disadvantage when Android #13 enters the fray and proves to be enough more formidable, especially after echoing his successor, Cell (Dameon Clarke), and absorbing the component parts of his “brothers” to become the titular Super Android #13.
The Nitty-Gritty: The three Androids exhibit some interesting quirks. Android #15 is small but deceptively strong and fast, displaying a sneering arrogance, and regularly swigging from a flask. Android #15 is a hulking brute who distracts the heroes with his powerful presence so Android #15 can catch them off-guard. Android #13 has an odd Southern accent; sporting a relaxed, unimpressive attire, he transforms into a grotesque demon that’s like a bastardisation of the Super Saiyan. As Super Android #13, he’s completely immune to all physical assault and he easily pounds the Saiyans into the ice, blasts them across the snow, and holds his own against even three Super Saiyans. Unlike in the show, none of the characters carry restorative Senzu Beans so they take a hell of a beating. Just defeating Super Android #13’s counterparts takes every ounce of energy the Saiyans have, leaving them exhausted and battered. It’s thus amusing to see Piccolo fly at Super Android #13 with such gusto.I admire his passion and bravery but it’s clear he has no chance against the brute, who can take a shot from Super Saiyan Vegeta without flinching. This determination is what’s primarily on offer in Super Android 13! Goku takes shot after shot and keeps getting up, Krillin is left a broken heap but still cheers on his friends, and Vegeta stubbornly refuses to back down even when he knows he has no chance of winning. Sadly, they reach this critical point far too quickly; once the Androids attack, the heroes are almost immediately left battered and fatigued, meaning the film rushes along at a brisk pace that defies realism.
The film’s a prolonged fight scene that puts our heroes at a severe, unrealistic disadvantage.
Therefore, Super Android 13! is essentially one long fight scene. Once the shopping drama is over and the punches start throwing, the exhilarating action doesn’t let up. The Androids carve a path of destruction through West City and their battle in the ice field shatters the landscape that, sadly, doesn’t make for a particularly visually interesting setting. The Androids mostly rely on punches and slams, though there’s a cool moment where Android #14 slices a cop car in two with a fingertip blast and a particularly nasty ki sphere from Android #13 that’s given a lot of hype but is easily blasted away by Vegeta. Other cool moments include Super Android #13 slamming Vegeta’s spine down on his knee, Android #14 briefly wielding Trunks’s sword, and Goku’s powerful rage causing a vortex to split the battlefield ice floats. While the sight of the three Super Saiyans is admittedly impressive, they don’t fight Super Android #13 as a powered-up unit, meaning much of the film is the titular robot beating the snot out of Goku in his base form. Realising he’s physically outclassed by this new machine, Goku desperately calls upon every living creature on the planet to lend him some of their energy and form his usual solution to the movie-based villains: the Spirit Bomb. Despite Super Android #13 having all the time in the world to intercept Goku before he can finalise the attack, the villain gets distracted with monologuing and pitiful attacks from Goku’s allies, and arrogantly believes Goku’s too weak to complete the sphere. However, Goku powers up to Super Saiyan once more and, in an unexpected twist, absorbs the Spirit Bomb into his body, essentially becoming a second Sun. He then draws Super Android #13 in and delivers a single punch that’s enough to atomise him by the sheer energy of the attack. In the aftermath, Goku jokes about how he had no idea if his body could even handle the energy, indicating that he took a calculated risk, Gohan and Krillin rest up in the hospital, and Piccolo and Vegeta are left floating on a chunk of ice, both too stubborn to even acknowledge each other’s presence.
The Summary: Dragonball Z: Super Android #13 was the first Dragonball Z feature I ever saw. Back in the days of BitTorrent and Napster, I would download the features to watch them, burning them to VCDs to trade with friends, and this one captured my imagination as a kid who was just getting into the franchise mid-way through the “Android Saga”. Unfortunately, I have to say, it’s not that good. The Dragon Ball features are always brisk, truncated affairs that mainly focus on action but it’s especially evident here. It’s odd seeing these powerful characters so easily manhandled and left so injured so quickly. I feel like the film would’ve benefitted from Goku, Trunks, and Vegeta having competitive fights against Android #14 and #15 but coming out on top much faster thanks to their raw power and previous experience fighting Androids. Android #13 then could’ve appeared even more powerful by handling all three Super Saiyans at once before transforming and becoming invulnerable, thus driving Goku to desperately conjure a Spirit Bomb after seeing their combined might fail. I therefore wonder if Gohan, Krillin, and Piccolo were necessary to the film. They chipped away at the runtime and added little beyond some obvious commentary, dialogue that could’ve easily been given to the Saiyans or their adversaries. To make matters worse, Super Android #13 isn’t a very inspired or memorable villain. Both his looks are painfully generic, his attacks are nothing special, and he wouldn’t stand out at all if it weren’t for that weird Southern accent. As soon as the film starts to get interesting, it’s over and things come to an abrupt end, making me question the stakes, especially as the Androids are only driven to kill Goku. I give it an extra star simply for the nostalgia factor but there are far better Dragonball Z features out there. Ultimately, I can’t help but feel like Super Android 13! fails to live up to its potential, delivering a weak, unremarkable reinterpretation of the “Android” and “Cell” sagas.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Pretty Good
What did you think of Dragonball Z: Super Android 13!? Where does it rank for you against the other Dragonball Z feature films? What did you think to Android #13 and where would you rate him as an antagonist? Would you have liked to see the three Super Saiyans battle Super Android #13 or did you like that they were so easily decimated? Which member of the Red Ribbon Army was your favourite? What Dragon Ball character (hero, villain, or otherwise), saga, or movie is your favourite and why? How are you celebrating Piccolo/Goku Day this year? Whatever your thoughts on Dragon Ball, please leave a comment below and go check out my other Dragon Ball reviews.
15 April has been designated National Anime Day to celebrate the stylistic genre, which achieved mainstream success thanks to animators like Osamu Tezuka.
Released: 21 March 1994 to 21 July 1994 Directors: Rintaro, Naoto Kanda, and Tomohiko Ohkuda Distributor: Madhouse Budget: Unknown Stars: Matt K. Miller, Sherry Lynn, John DeMita, Kate T. Vogt, Michael Sorich, Julia Fletcher, and Barbara Goodson
The Plot: 200 years after Final Fantasy V (Square, 1992), the malevolent Ra Devil (Sorich) arrives from the Black Moon and seeks the four elemental Crystals and only a quartet of unlikely heroes – headstrong Prettz (Miller), timid Linaly (Lynn), bumbling Valkus (DeMita), and mischievous Rouge (Vogt) – can stop him.
The Background: In the mid-1980s, developer Square entered the Japanese videogame industry with simple role-playing games (RPGs), racers, and platformers for the Nintendo Famicom but, fearing low sales, forbade Hironobu Sakaguchi from developing a more complex RPG. That all changed with the success of Dragon Warrior (Chunsoft, 1986), prompting Square to reconsider their stance. Thus, Sakaguchi formed a small team to develop what he saw as his last chance at success in the industry. Of course, Final Fantasy (Square, 1987) was a huge hit that not only popularised the genre, but led to a slew of sequels and spin-offs over the following years. By 1994. the series spanned five games (with a sixth, arguably one of the greatest entries, due that same year). Final Fantasy V was a big hit upon release, despite not receiving an English translation, and Square sought to capitalise (and expand beyond videogames) by partnering with NTT Publishing on an original video animation (OVA) based on the title. The first direct sequel to a Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals was originally released in Japan across four episodes on VHS before being dubbed into English and released in two volumes some three years later. At the time, the OVA was warmly received and praised for its visually engaging mixture of action and adventure. While some have criticised it as a poor adaptation and for its more comedic aspects, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals became notorious for its scarcity. The OVA has never been re-released on any other media and is essentially lost to time, known only to a handful of die hard Final Fantasy and anime fans.
The Review: 200 years ago, the Warriors of Light (or “Valiant Ones”, as they’re referred to here) defeated the mad ambitions of Exdeath (dubbed “Exodus” here) to use the four elemental Crystals of Planet R to plunge all life into an everlasting void of darkness. Since then, Bartz Klauser (here called “Batz”), Lenna Tycoon, Galuf and Krile Baldesion, and Faris Scherwiz have passed into legend, with only Batz leaving behind a legacy in his descendants, the elderly Hassam (John Hostetter) and his brave but timid daughter, Linaly. Hassam operates alongside an unnamed Blue Mage (Unknown) as a spiritual advisor to Queen Lenna (Goodson), monarch of Tycoon, who learn from the wind itself of an oncoming danger. Despite his age, Hassam is adamant about journeying to the Wind Temple to investigate, determined to live up to the standard set by his ancestor. When Linaly offers to go in his place, the two reach a compromise to travel together, but Hassam refuses to allow boisterous Prettz to tag along as Linaly’s “bodyguard”. Believing the hot-headed youth would desecrate the sacred Wind Temple (and suspecting that Prettz just wants to impress Linaly), Hassam refuses to divulge their destination or let him on their boat, despite Linaly having a soft spot for the boy. Undeterred, Prettz follows on his bitchin’, steampunk-esque motorcycle, ultimately saving them from a gigantic, insectile desert monster when his nodachi proves more effective than the gaunt, featherless Chocobo Linaly summons. Despite severing the creature’s head with one dramatic slash, Prettz fails to impress Hassam who, too injured and exhausted to continue, insists that Linaly continue by herself. With Hassam returning to their village to rest and offering spiritual guidance to his granddaughter through a mystical talisman, Prettz continues to follow Linaly, whom he has an obvious crush on. Though she steadfastly refuses his offer for a ride since she wants to honour her grandfather’s wishes to go alone, Linaly soon changes her mind when threatened by a massive airship. Piloted by treasure-hungry pirate Rouge and her all-female crew, the pirates accost them, looking to steal their bike and possessions. Although Prettz manages to elude the pirates using his riding skills and one of his trademark spiked bombs, he makes an enemy of Rouge, who vows to hunt him down and make him pay for the humiliation.
Prettz insists on accompanying Linaly and gets mixed up with a magical Crystal.
While taking refuge in a forest, Linaly reveals the true nature of her quest to Prettz and uses her talisman (and telepathic advice from Hassam) to guide them to the Wind Temple, leading them to a raging sandstorm which Prettz rushes head-first into while Linaly allows her faith to guide her. Upon reaching the Wind Temple, however, they find the shrine out of reach. Hitting upon an idea, Prettz doubles back and forces Rouge and her crew to pilot her airship into the temple valley, threatening to blow them all sky-high unless they agree. Begrudgingly, Rouge agrees and, despite her annoyance and doubts that her ship will even fit through the canyon, successfully brings Prettz to the temple’s entrance…where he finds Linaly waiting! While he was off being a show-off, Linaly investigated the area and solved the puzzle to open the way to the Wind Temple and she ventures inside with Prettz while Rouge is distracted by an incoming airship. Braving the temple’s interior, the duo locate the Crystal, which, upon contact, bombards Linaly with visions of the past and a malevolent figure and the spirits of the long-dead Valiant Ones crying for aid. Overwhelmed by the barrage, both Prettz and Linaly are powerless to keep the Wind Crystal from entering her body, where it glows ominously from her perky little butt (leading to much raunchy leering throughout the OVA). Desperate to help his friend, Prettz races from the Wind Temple, reasoning that the Blue Mage would be able to help her, only to be confronted by Valkus, the heavyset commander of the Iron Wings, the same airship that caught Rouge’s attention. Having learned that the other three elemental Crystals have been stolen and their nations have descended into chaos, Valkus and his crew flew to the Wind Temple to secure and protect the remaining Crystal. Naturally, Valkus believes Prettz and Linaly to be thieves and fires on the two when they not only refuse to return the Crystal but when Prettz also pushes his disrespectful attitude too far. Despite the Iron Wings’ bombardment and Valkus shooting at the two with his pistol, the duo topple Valkus and attempt to escape. After being grazed by one of Valkus’ shots, however, Prettz flies into a rage, only to have his sword blocked by the commander’s bare hands and the hostilities between the group ended when Rouge (who had been eavesdropping the entire time) knocks them all unconscious with gas and kidnaps them, lusting after the mysterious Crystal she heard them talking about.
The lovelorn Valkus is locked up with the duo and learns of the impended threat from Mid.
Elated to have captured not only the kids who humiliated her so badly but also the captain of the Iron Wings, Rouge spirits her quarry to her personal island and threatens them with torture. Defiant to the end, Prettz scoffs at her threats, maintaining his insolent attitude even when Rouge subjects him to a tickle machine. When Rouge threatens to snap Linaly’s neck with her whip, Prettz attacks in a fury, only to receive a beating that renders him unconscious. The three are thrown into a cell while Rouge ponders her next strategy. Though Prettz desperately tries to break out, he receives little help from Valkus, who finds himself confused by his attraction to Rouge. While Valkus’s crew frantically search for their lost commander, following sporadic energy spikes emitted by the Wind Crystal, the prisoners are stunned when the Crystal suddenly emerges from Linaly’s chest, and the spirit of Mid Previa (Fletcher) appears before them. The grandson of Cid, an ally of the Valiant Ones, Mid’s restless spirit ignores Prettz’s insolence and drops a bunch of exposition on the captives. Sometime after defeating Exodus, Mid was heartbroken when his beloved grandfather died, taking all his secrets of the Crystals with him since he’d come to realise it was foolish to meddle with their divine power. While mourning at Cid’s grave, Mid was suddenly attacked by the same dark figure that’s been haunting Linaly’s dreams and barking orders at his robotic subordinate throughout the OVA. This demonic being, later identified as Ra Devil, desecrated Cid’s grave, stealing his brain to absorb the old man’s knowledge, and murdered Mid simply for witnessing the act. Unable to rest, Mid pleads with Linaly to keep the Crystal safe within her and reveals that the three of them (and Rouge) have been chosen by the Wind Crystal to be the new Valiant Ones destined to save Planet R from destruction. Despite Prettz’s scepticism and continued hostility towards Mid because of their shared feelings for Linaly, the group soon set aside their differences when Rouge takes Linaly to forcibly remove the Crystal from her. Thanks to spurring Valkus on with promises that he can see Rouge again if they escape, Prettz finally breaks free from the cell and is forced to follow Mid’s lead.
The rag-tag Valiant Ones must awaken a dragon to confront Ra Devil on the Black Moon.
Although Rouge implied that she would surgically remove the Crystal, Prettz is stunned to find the pirate queen serving his friend laxatives! After fighting past Rouge’s guards, Prettz rescues Linaly and reunites with his bike, thanks to Mid, discovering a massive cavern filled with explosives. When their escape threatens to turn violent, Valkus intervenes to try and make peace, only for Ra Devil’s Deathgyunos forces to attack. Prettz lures the alien creatures away, claiming that he possesses the Wind Crystal and allowing the others to flee to the Iron Wings. Prettz leads the creatures to the cavern of explosives and sets off a massive explosion that leaves Rouge’s island in flames, distraught at the sight, Rouge is offered some comfort by the blushing Valkus and Linaly is overjoyed to see Prettz inexplicably survived the explosion despite being at the heart of it. Reunited on the Iron Wings, Rouge is initially outraged when Valkus is forced to put her in chains to appease his loyal crew. However, she’s soon freed per a decree from Queen Lenna, whom the group meets in person upon reaching Castle Tycoon. Queen Lenna echoes much of Mid’s earlier exposition, explaining that the rag-tag group are the last hope for the world, which will be torn apart if Ra Devil acquires the last Crystal and absorbs their powers. Although Mid confirms the villain’s threat, the group remains sceptical: Linaly doesn’t believe she’s special, Prettz refuses to believe he’s been chosen by an inanimate object, and Rouge scoffs at the idea of a pirate like her being crucial to saving the world. Only Valkus accepts his destiny and the challenge of confronting Ra Devil on his base, the Black Moon, though the others are soon coerced into helping when Queen Lenna promises Rouge a treasure trove of riches and Prettz volunteers to protect Linaly, who quietly accepts her calling to save the world. However, to reach the Black Moon, the group must first venture into the depths of Castle Tycoon to awaken their guardian deity, the flying dragon (or “Hyriuu”). While Valkus and Rouge fend off the attacking Deathgyunos forces, Prettz, Linaly, and Mid head into the catacombs beneath the palace, fending off Ra Devil’s soldiers and taking a plunge through the clouds to a hidden stone shrine to the dragon. Prettz is dismayed to find the creature is represented only by murals and a tiny, flightless lizard (though Linaly is instantly enamoured by the cute little dragon). However, when Ra Devil appears in the chamber and kidnaps Linaly, shrugging off Prettz’s attack and terrifying Mid, Prettz finds himself astride the legendary dragon when it undergoes a dramatic transformation into a titanic winged deity ready to spirit the group to the Black Moon.
The Nitty-Gritty: Although I haven’t played Final Fantasy V yet, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals is no less enjoyable both as an adaptation/continuation of the game and as an anime. Setting it 200 years after the videogame is a good way to tell a brand-new story with some original characters, though I do wonder if this may alienate or disappoint fans of the game, who only get to see familiar characters returning as spirits. The visual, action, and humour are all far more reminiscent of Dragon Ball(1986 to 1989), focusing more on touches of lewd humour (mainly with everyone staring at Linaly’s glowing butt) and a fantasy land that’s less medieval and more disparate. I’d wager some of the locations will be familiar to fans of the videogame, especially Castle Tycoon and the Black Moon, and the OVA does a decent job of recreating a few of Final Fantasy’s gameplay mechanics. The group engage in random battles, for example; Linaly is a summoner (albeit not a very accomplished one); Queen Lenna is advised by a Blue Mage; and elements of the iconic Final Fantasy theme are sprinkled throughout the soundtrack. Airships are also few prominent and Linaly’s shown to be able to summon Chocobos. They don’t resemble the cute, furry beasts from the games, but this is attributed to Linaly not having fully realised her power. Each of the new Valiant Ones also has a “class” just like in the classic games, with Prettz being a swordsman, Linaly a mage, Valkus a marksman, and Rogue basically being a thief. Finally, there’s the obvious plot point of them safeguarding magical Crystals (specifically the Wind Crystal), which are so powerful and integral to Planet R that their absence causes nations to fall into ruin. Indeed, Queen Leena warns that simply protecting the Wind Crystal isn’t enough and that the world will end if the other three aren’t recovered, much less if their powers and corrupted by Ra Devil.
The OVA is bolstered by some fun action and amusing moments between the heroes.
Ra Devil is an indistinct and vague threat who spends the first three parts of the OVA barking orders from his Black Moon base and resembling little more than a shadowy, vaguely cybernetic/demonic figure. When he appears before Mid and Linaly, he cuts an intimidating if generic and stoic figure, conveying his menace through desecrating Cid’s grave, murdering Mid, and kidnapping Linaly. Rather than being Exdeath Exodus reborn, Ra Devil is a seemingly alien threat who leaves the heavy lifting to his Deathgyunos soldiers, a nigh-endless swarm of demonic creatures who have the numbers advantage but are routinely cut down by Prettz and Valkus. There’s some enjoyable anime action in this OVA, especially when Prettz blasts about on his motorcycle or busts out his sword (something that, sadly, doesn’t happen all that often). The airships are suitably impressive, being immaculately detailed, and I enjoyed the mixture of action and comedy in most action scenes. Rouge’s “torture” turning out to be tickling and prune juice was amusing, as was Mid constantly winding Prettz up by comparing him to a dog and being immune to his physical reprimands. Although the attraction between Prettz and Linaly isn’t dwelled on all that much and is mainly conveyed through his willingness to endure any hardship to protect her, I enjoyed Valkus’ adoration of Rouge, which left the big man a blushing mess whenever the sultry pirate was around. The mismatched Valiant Ones make for quite the odd partnership; they’re often plagued by doubts or bickering between each other rather than battling Ra Devil’s forces. While only Valkus and Mid (and, to a degree, Linaly) understand the true scope of Ra Devil’s threat, even Rouge is convinced to help save the planet when she’s presented with riches. Prettz may be a sceptic and have an unruly demeanour, but he’s loyal to Linaly almost to a fault, volunteering for dangerous missions without truly understanding what he’s up against and taking on foes and even natural disasters with only his moxie and bombs to back him up. Though he knows when to flee a confrontation, Prettz is quick to join a fight if insulted or if Linaly is in danger and impresses with his defiant spirit. This contrasts with Linaly’s more subdued characterisation and leads to some fun interactions between him and his rag-tag cohorts.
Ultimately Linaly bests the God-like Deathgyunos, saves the world, and honours her ancestors.
Despite none of their airships being protected against the vacuum of space, the flying dragon hauls Valkus and Rouge’s crafts into the void, leaving Rouge and her crew stunned to discover Planet R is round rather than flat. Upon spotting the Black Moon, Mid is dismayed to find that Ra Devil’s plot is already underway. After wandering the universe in search of the ultimate power, the half-crippled demonic entity built an ominous base on the Black Moon and hooked the three Crystals up to an elaborate machine. With Linaly in place alongside Cid’s severed brain, Ra Devil begins siphoning the Crystals’ energy to channel the cosmic power of the universe into his very being! While his minions cry out in joy as Ra Devil slowly absorbs the power and knowledge of the universe, a lightning bolt causes our heroes to crash to the Black Moon’s surface, which is both hospitable and strewn with debris. After ordering her crew to repair the damage and nurse the dragon back to health, Rouge joins Prettz, Valkus, and Mid in tracking Linaly using her talisman (which Prettz retrieved in the dragon’s chamber) and Cid’s desperate pleas. When Ra Devil completes his transformation into Deathgyunos, the “God of Oblivion” (a titanic Eldritch abomination of organs and metal), Valkus and Rouge return to their airships to counterattack his forces, leading to Valkus flying into a rage when Rogue is wounded and his ship to be destroyed in an ultimately futile attempt to bring the behemoth down. Although Prettz rescues Linaly, he’s attacked by her thanks to Deathgyunos’ influence and it’s only through Mid’s intervention that the girl is brought to her senses. After Valkus’s men retrieve the other three Crystals and Mid reunites with his grandfather’s brain, Mid stalls Deathgyunos’ advance to allow his newfound friends to escape. Undeterred and seemingly unkillable, Deathgyunos continues, relentless in its desire for complete obliteration and torturing Prettz after the Wind Crystal joins with him. Though Valkus destroys the abomination’s hand, Linaly’s left to confront the creature alone when it subdues her friends with its energy blasts. Summoning a flock of Chocobos, Linaly rips Deathgyunos to shreds, leaving it vulnerable to Prettz’s final sword slash. Victorious, the newly formed Valiant Ones bid a fond farewell to Mid, who crosses over to be with his grandfather and friends, before returning home. Linaly relates their adventure to Hassam, who reacts with awe and pride, and the OVA ends to show Vulkus joining Rouge’s pirates to be with his sultry queen.
The Summary: It’s a shame that Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals isn’t more readily available. The best you can hope for are poor transfers on video streaming sites or maybe a battered VHS copy. It really should be more widely available and I’ve never understood why it isn’t, especially as Final Fantasy and anime fans would probably lap it up. This is a really fun OVA with a lot of amusing moments and memorable characters. I really liked how hot-headed and brazen Prettz was, how he treated everyone except Linaly with such a smart-mouthed disdain and how he impressed with his defiant, never-say-die attitude. He charges into situations without thinking, full of piss and vinegar, and never betrays his friends, no matter the situation. Linaly was probably my least favourite character since she’s so sombre and laid back. Though I enjoyed the relationship between her and Prettz, I would’ve liked to see more of her struggling with her ancestry. Valkus and Rouge were also great; I loved how the big, bossy oaf was left a blushing schoolboy whenever Rouge sauntered about and how mischievous and roguish the pirate queen was. Mid also proved an enjoyable foil for Prettz, even if he’s mostly there for exposition and as a link to Final Fantasy V. Again, I suspect the large gap between the game and the OVA may be disappointing to fans of Final Fantasy V as it may as well have just been a standalone Final Fantasy story since it’s so far removed from Final Fantasy V. I suspect the biggest issue from this is with Ra Devil, a painfully generic threat compared to Exdeath, though he at least visually makes up for it by transforming into a nigh-unstoppable Lovecraftian monstrosity at the end. I would’ve liked to see more from Ra Devil, perhaps have him physically interact with the heroes a bit more, and maybe create a link between him and Exdeath based on their shared desire for destruction. Similarly, while I enjoyed that much of the conflict came from the mismatched Valiant Ones learning to co-operate, it would’ve been nice to see a few more action scenes to show off the gorgeous animation. Otherwise, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals is a lot of fun and has a lot to offer. It’s definitely worth seeking out and petitioning for an official release for, if only to drag it out of obscurity so I can stop thinking of it as a “hidden gem”.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Great Stuff
Have you ever seen Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals? Were you disappointed that it was set 200 years after Final Fantasy V or did you enjoy the new characters? Which of the new Valiant Ones was your favourite and what did you think to their interactions? Did you like Ra Devil and how do you think he compares to Exdeath? Would you like to see the OVA be more widely available or do you think it deserves to be forgotten? What was your introduction to anime and how are you celebrating National Anime Day today? Whatever your thoughts on Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals, or anime in general, feel free to share them in the comments, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other anime and Final Fantasy content.
When the Great Demon King Piccolo was released upon the world, he broadcasted a message on television declaring May 9th as “Piccolo Day”…and promptly celebrated by announcing his ownership over the planet. Since then, May 9th has been officially recognised as “Goku Day” but, to make things simpler, I’m using this as a good excuse to celebrate all things Dragon Ball,
Released: 26 January 2018 Developer: Arc System Works Also Available For: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S
The Background: Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball franchise, particularly Dragonball Z, is no stranger to videogame adaptations. In 1990, the first Dragonball Z videogame released for the Family Computer (Famicom) and, since then, various titles based on the long-running manga and its popularanime counterpart have been released, generally as shameless rip-offs of Street Fighter II: The World Warrior(Capcom, 1991), tournament fighters or one-on-one beat-‘em-ups that retell the events of the anime over and over again. After Bandai Namco acquired the rights to the franchise in 2009, they routinely released new Dragon Ball titles on an annual basis, with the games now incorporating elements from the long-awaited Dragon Ball Super (2015 to 2018). Following the critical and commercial success of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (Dimps, 2016), the publishers turned to Arc System Works, known for their Guilty Gearfighting games (ibid, 1998 to present), to develop a three-on-three fighter to address issues with power balances. Akira Toriyama designed a brand-new character to act as the game’s antagonist and the game was initially met with a great deal of enthusiasm. This was reflected in the sales, with Dragonball FighterZ becoming the fastest-sellingDragon Ball game at the time, and the reviews, which praised the anime-style visuals and explosive combat, with the game seen as one of the best in the franchise. While some criticised aspects of the gameplay, the game performed well enough to not only be bolstered be additional downloadable content (DLC) but also to receive an updated PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X port.
The Plot: The Red Ribbon Army continues to plague Son Goku and his allies when the hitherto-unknown Android #21 uses the Dragonballs to resurrect their fiercest foes. Their powers dampened by Android #21’s energy waves and faced with an army of puppet-like clones, the Z Warriors join forces with their worst enemies and a mysterious possessing soul to combat Android #21’s threat.
Gameplay: Dragonball FighterZ is a 2.5D fighting game in which players initially pick from a roster of twenty-one characters from across the Dragonball Z and Dragonball: Super series’ to take part in fast-paced, cinematic bouts. From the moment you start the game, you’re bombarded with pop-ups, messages, and notifications and that’s before you even start to work out how to navigate the main hub, which is a chibi-fied recreation of famous locations from the franchise, such as the World Tournament arena and Master Roshi’s island. Thankfully, you can either guide your chubby little avatar to various gameplay options, warp there with the Left Trigger, or bring up the options menu to take a look at the game’s controls. As you might expect, a practice and tutorial mode are included and tutorials are commonplace throughout the “Super Warrior Arc” of the game’s story mode so you can quickly get to grips with the fighting mechanics. Although you’re initially taught the basics in a one-on-one scenario and you have the option of fighting one-on-one (as well as customising the difficulty level of the computer-controlled opponents, setting the rounds and timer limits, and other options before fights outside of the story and Arcade modes), Dragonball FighterZ is primarily a team-based fighter. You pick three characters to form a team and can tag in and out in, which continues to be an aggravation for me as I’ve never really clicked with team-based fighters and find it to be an even more overplayed cliché than a Street Fighter II clone.
Rush in to pummel your foes with attacks or finish them in explosive fashion with your ultimate attack!
Thankfully, Dragonball FighterZ only takes inspiration from Street Fighter II; the fighting mechanics, while obviously similar given the presentation, are noticeably different and perfectly suited to reacting the anime’s explosive, high-intensity battles. X sees you throwing a light attack, Y a medium, and B a heavy (which can send you opponent flying away or through the environment for a “Destructive Finish” if timed correctly). Successive presses of each button pulls off different combo moves; you can mix and match, but the focus is more on mashing, say, Y as your character will automatically pull off a Super Move at the end of that simple combo string, negating the need to perform quarter-turns on the left stick or directional pad. A tosses out a ki blast; you can hold or rapidly tap it and press A after pushing towards your opponent to swat away their projectiles, just like in the anime. Although you can jump, dash, and sidestep towards and away from your opponent, the Right Trigger and Right Bumper allow you to dart at them with a “Dragon Dash” and “Dragon Rush”, respectively, allowing you to close gaps quickly, land a hit, and pull off a quick combo in mid-air or on the ground. These will also break your opponent’s guard, sadly executed by holding away from your foe just as they land an attack. I would much prefer a dedicated block and counter button as pushing back isn’t very reliable, though you can always press Y and B together to instantly teleport behind the opponent for an attack as long as you have at least one bar on your ki gauge.
You’ll need to call upon your allies to help withstand the barrage of attacks from your foes!
The ki gauge builds up as you dish out and take damage, but you can also manually power up by holding X and A together. The more bars you have, the stronger and more elaborate special moves you can pull off and, when you’re at maximum power, you can pull off your character’s ultimate attack using a simple input of a quarter-turn back or towards your opponent and pressing RT or RB afterwards. These ultimate moves certainly are visually impressive and are a great way to end a match, and they’ll also partially destroy the stage for maximum impact. As it’s a team-based fighter, you can call in an assist from one of your teammates at any time with the Left Trigger and Bumper; this allows you to string together massive two- or three-way energy attacks or dish out an even bigger combo, though be warned as you can easily get inescapably caught in your opponent’s team attacks as well. Holding either trigger allows you to switch to one of your team mates; this is essential as switching allows those not in play to regain a bit of health and some characters are better suited for different situations, such as larger characters like Nappa being slow and powerful and smaller characters like Teen Gohan being more agile and nimble. When playing the game’s story mode, the damage you take carries over between fights; you’ll regain some health (and downed characters will be revived) after a victory, but it’s best to switch often during the more intense battles to keep your health up. However, while you can set the difficulty of the computer in local play, arcade bouts become progressively difficult depending on which route you take. The easiest sees you fighting past three teams and the hardest has you battling seven and defeating each route unlocks a harder version for a greater challenge, and you can also play online or take part in a tournament.
As annoying as it is to have to navigate a map screen, the repetitious clone fighting is just as bad.
At first, Dragonball FighterZ seems intimidating but the story mode and practice options help guide you through the basics and the game initially plays very simply. Combos are easy to pull off with just a few mashes of the same button and it’s pretty easy to get into a rhythm of dashing at your opponent, pummelling them with a light combo, then focusing on medium combos with a super finish and calling in a team assist to speed things up. When playing the story mode, you’re actively encouraged to battle as many opponents as possible to grow stronger as, narratively, this unlocks your character’s full power. Each chapter presents a map and a set number of turns; your goal is to move around the map, taking out opponents and earning rewards, on your way to the boss fight. You cannot simply skip to a space and must actively move step by step around the map, which is either painfully linear or slightly more complicated, but always very restrictive and annoying. I never ran out of turns so I’m not sure what happens if you use them all up but I do know that you need to manually save on this screen as a game over mean replaying the entire map from the start, which can be very annoying in the later, more difficult arcs. Generally, fights aren’t very difficult and you’ll breeze through them; even higher-level bouts against Kid Buu or boss battles against the likes of Perfect Cell and Frieza can be painfully easy, but don’t let yourself become complacent. I fought every single opponent across the three arcs, finishing the story at around level forty, and eventually did have to take the battles more seriously as the computer upped its game. You’ll see this difficulty spike more prominently in the arcade mode where, after the first fight or two, you’ll get absolutely decimated if you don’t keep your wits about you. The “Super Warrior Arc” likes to pepper the map with tutorial fights; completing these will earn you extra rewards, and you’ll earn similar additional rewards if you fight Kid Buu when he appears, but otherwise it’s just a series of fights over and over with little variety apart from recuing a new character or the amount of opponents you face or characters you control, meaning it gets very repetitive very quickly.
Graphics and Sound: In terms of presentation, Dragonball FighterZ is on a whole new level! Of all the Dragon Ball videogames I’ve played, this is the one that most closely emulates the kinetic action of the anime. Everything from the character designs to the stages, cutscenes, music, and voice acting is all ripped straight from the anime and the attention to detail is really impressive. Unlike some cel-shaded Dragon Ball videogames, Dragonball FighterZ sticks to a 2.5D aesthetic so characters never appear award or blocky and the illusion of playing as hand-animated sprites is very convincing. You can pick to have Japanese or English voices, which I know is a big deal for some “purists”, and the English voice cast all return to tell the game’s interesting (if somewhat derivative) story. The story is basically just a mish-mash of familiar arcs from Dragonball Z but I appreciated that it was an original story for a change and not just retelling the same story over and over, though the game does pepper in some classic story moments if you meet the right criteria for a “Dramatic Finish”. Indeed, it’s the fights where the presentation really shines; sticking to the 2.5D plane is admittedly a little more restrictive than more 3D-orientated Dragon Ball videogames but it makes the action so much easier to follow and all the attacks, special moves, and ultimate attacks are beautifully animated, with the game employing cinematic perspectives and drawing from the anime for the more destructive energy attacks.
The game does a fantastic job of recreating the look and energy of the anime.
Sadly, the game’s stages don’t fare quite as well. There are numerous stages to pick from, all of them very familiar, such as the Supreme Kai’s world, Planet Namek, a futuristic city, the rocky wastelands, and even the depths of space. Some stages will react to your attacks, breaking and crumbling apart around you, and you can even transition to other stages by finishing your opponent with a heavy attack in some locations. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot happening in them; you can’t directly interact with anything, there are no stage hazards to worry about, and they’re simply just there for the characters to have somewhere to fight, which is fine but I like it when there’s a little extra to do. The hub world takes on a completely different visual style; you pick a chibi-style character to wander about with and access different modes, which is cute and a little different but initially a bit puzzling. The story mode’s cutscenes can all be advanced with the press of a button, or skipped entirely, but they’re enjoyable enough. It’s fun seeing Goku interact with Perfect Cell and Frieza and you’ll trigger unique dialogue and interactions the more characters you rescue and recruit, though some characters are reduced to simply being silent clones for you to fight. Outside of the story mode, you can select different colour schemes for your characters but this is disappointingly limited; rather than selecting different skins for characters, they just take on a different hue, with the only bit of creativity I found being that you can apply Vegeta’s original colour scheme. It would’ve been nice to see different gi for certain characters, maybe Yamcha’s bandit look or Adult Gohan’s “Great Saiyaman” persona or Vegeta’s “Majin” form, but sadly we just have to make do with them sporting ill-fitting alternate colours.
Enemies and Bosses: There are twenty-one playable characters in Dragonball FighterZ; three more are unlockable and a further twenty can be purchased as downloadable content, meaning you’ll face forty-four different fighters from across the franchise between the different game modes. In the story mode, the vast majority of enemies you’ll face are cloned versions of the main roster; these guys sport a black colour scheme with red eyes (a look that is also missing from the colour options, I might add) but are otherwise indistinguishable in their fighting style. The game seems to categorise fighters in three ways: small and fast, balanced, and big, slow, and powerful. Thus, playing as Krillian is not exactly the same experience as playing as Tien Shinhan, which is also different from playing as Majin Buu, even though the button inputs remain largely the same for all characters. Sometime you’ll have to press down, down, A for a move; some characters have you pressing X more than A, and very rarely you’ll find they have unique aspects to their characters. Future Trunks, for example, uses his Z Sword and Frieza can temporarily transform into “Golden Frieza”.
While fighters can feel samey, there’s enough to distinguish them through their feel and specials.
This extends to even more unique traits at times. While both Kid Buu and Piccolo can extend their limbs, Majin Buu, Kid Buu, and Android #21 can turn their enemies into chocolates and sweet treats to deal massive damage and power themselves up. Some characters will even call on other recognisable faces to aid them in battle: Captain Ginyu, for example, sends the Ginyu Force to attack you in place of more traditional projectiles, Nappa spawns in Saibamen, and many of Android #18’s attacks see her working in tandem with her brother, Android #17, who appears only here and in cutscenes unless you shell out for the DLC. Consequently, while it’s useful to have an understanding of how the different fighters play and what they’re capable of, it’s rare that you have to alter your strategy too much, but it does factor into how you play. Android #16, for example, is slow and bulky but makes use of rocket-powered punches and grapples, piledriving you into the ground if you get too close; his ultimate move also sees him left with the tiniest slither of health, so that’s something to consider when fighting. Kid Buu can rain destruction across the arena with his “Human Extinction Attack”, Adult Gohan can power up to his “full potential”, and many characters, like Goku and Vegeta and their variants, make use of screen-filling energy attacks, sometimes even warping about for increased damage.
Alongside repetitive fights, you’ll face Kid Buu and Android #21 in more challenging encounters.
You’ll only encounter actual boss battles in the game’s story modes; here, you’ll battle some recognisable Dragonball Z villains and heroes in each arc, often recruiting them after victory. Generally, you’ll fight the same clones over and over and they don’t pose much challenge until later in the story, and the same is true of guys like Captain Ginyu, Perfect Cell, and Frieza. While they’re sold as formidable opponents, you often fight them with a three-on-one advantage so they can be complete pushovers, especially compared to other teams made up of ki-spamming assholes like Vegeta and Yamacha. As ever in Dragon Ball videogames, I found that the weak human characters were more of a problem than God-tier enemies like Majin Buu; Yamcha, Tien, and Krillan always seem to cause me issues in these games, though I’m not sure if that’s an actual gameplay feature so they can go toe-to-toe with Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Goku or if it’s just a mental block on my part. As you explore the various maps, additional battles will spawn in and Kid Buu will sometimes take over a spot. These battles are touted as being tougher since Kid Buu is a few levels higher than you, but don’t actually become more challenging until the last story arc and, by then, you’ve pretty much mastered the fighting mechanics and team-based combos. Thus, the only real “boss” of the story mode is Android #21, a hybrid of android and majin who acts as the final boss for each of the three story chapters. Although she’s capable of consuming foes for massive damage, slicing an explosive energy blade across the arena, and attacking in a flurry of super speed, her most dangerous trait is that she can absorb abilities from her foes using her “Connoisseur Cut” technique. Each time this lands, a bar fills up above her health meter and, when it’s full, she’ll pull off a new attack, one dependant on the type of character she’s facing. Still, while she’s always at a higher level and far more aggressive than other enemies, she only poses a real threat at the end of the “Android 21 Arc”, where you first have to battle her with your team and then alone as you control her “good” half in a battle to the finish.
Power-Ups and Bonuses: In addition to building your ki gauge in battle, which allows you to pull off more elaborate special attacks, you can also power up your fighter and restore a little health by pressing RB and RT together once per match to enter a “Sparkling” state. By battling with specific fighters on specific stages and performing a specific attack, you can also recreate moments from the anime such as Goku obliterating Frieza on Planet Namek. Every battle earns you various rewards; primarily, you’ll earn Zeni, the currency of the Dragon Ball franchise, to spend in the shop, though there’s really not much worth buying in there. In the story mode, you’ll earn different Player Skills; up to three can be equipped at any one time and these will buff your attack, defence, regenerate health, or fill your ki gauge faster, amongst other perks. You’ll earn higher levels of Player Skills as you progress, but there’s no crafting, combination, or discard system here so it’s pretty basic. You’ll also earn experience points (EXP) in the story mode; earn enough and you’ll level-up, though I can only assume this raises your fighter’s stats as I never actually looked too deeply into it. Unfortunately, only fighters you play as earn EXP so you either need to mix up your team or stick with the same fighters to have the best chance as higher-level opponents definitely present more of a challenge; they’re faster, more aggressive, and string together greater combos and can easily down your lower-level fighters if you’re not careful. Each team member can be further customised to perform one of three assist actions when called into the fight and you will recruit more characters, though not every character will be playable and there are some restrictions based on the narrative. This isn’t the case in local or arcade fights, though you don’t need to worry about EXP or Player Skills or anything here, though you can acquire the seven Dragon Balls by pulling off combos outside of the story mode. Once you have all seven, another combo string will summon Shenron and allow you to pick from four wishes, including reviving an ally or regenerating your health, which is a fun bonus.
Additional Features: Dragonball Fighter Z offers thirty-five Achievements for you to earn, three of which you’ll automatically earn just by completing the story mode, though you’ll inevitably snag a few more just by playing through it. Defeat Kid Buu, for example, and you’ll snag some G; another will pop for triggering a “special conversation sequence”, and a couple more once you level-up high enough. You’ll also earn Achievements for clearing each of the different arcade mode paths, completing combo challenges and tutorials, and for playing online, but there aren’t many fun ones to get here. There are no Achievements to earn from Destructive Finishes, for example, or recreating the Father/Son Kamehameha against Perfect Cell for a Dramatic Finish or for summoning Shenron, which is a shame. You can purchase items from the shop, but they’re pretty pointless; you mainly buy new chibi avatars, colours, and stickers for use online. You can unlock Android #21 by beating story mode and there are a couple of ways to unlock Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Goku and Vegeta, from clearing harder arcade paths or the story mode or buying them, but note that you cannot have two of the same character in your team at once (so, you can’t have Vegeta > Future Trunks > and Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Vegeta in the same team). You can also play online or against a friend in a local battle, saving replays and such, and there are twenty DLC characters to add to the roster, though no additional story modes or Achievements tied to them so it’s probably better to wait for a sale as the packs are quite expensive and I’m not sure I’m that desperate to play as Bardock!
The Summary: I’d been waiting to play through Dragonball FighterZ for some time. I put it off not because I wasn’t interested in it, but because I wanted to wait to see if the game would be re-released with all the DLC included. Sadly, it wasn’t, so I bit the bullet and went for it, with only my lack of skill at Street Fighter II-style fighting games being a concern. Then it turned out to be a team-based fighter and my concerns grew; then the difficulty curve went all wonky, being ridiculously easy for most of the playthrough and then steeply rising as the story mode progressed or I tackled one of the arcade modes. As someone who is rubbish at “frame cancels” and all that nonsense, I really enjoyed how simple the game’s combat was; with just a few button presses, you can easily recreate the fast-paced, high-impact fighting style of the anime and I loved the big, explosive special moves and the voice acting on offer here. The game looks absolutely gorgeous, too; it’s easily the closest I’ve ever seen to playing the slick, action-packed anime. I also liked that it wasn’t just a retread of the same stories; while the original story might be a bit derivative, it’s still refreshing not to have to play the damn “Cell Games Saga” again! However, there’s a disappointing lack of content here; once you’ve beaten the story and arcade modes, there’s not much to come back to as the roster is pretty thin outside of the three unlockables and DLC characters, with no skins or variants to purchase or unlock. There’s also not much to the combat and gameplay beyond mashing buttons faster and making better use of your teammates; you can plough through most fights without issue and simply tank your way through others, but a little variety would’ve been nice, like maybe take a cue from the variables seen in Mortal Kombat X’s (NetherRealm Studios, 2015) Towers rather than just asking players to complete the same basic tutorials over and over. In the end, while it’s definitely the best looking Dragon Ball game I’ve ever played and I did really enjoy it, Dragonball FighterZ quickly outstayed its welcome with repetitive and mind-numbing fights akin to grinding and a lack of tangible rewards.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Pretty Good
Did you enjoy Dragonball Z FighterZ? What did you think to the team-based mechanics and action-orientated gameplay? Who was your go-to team? What did you think to the original story and Android #21 as a villain? Were you also disappointed by the lack of skins and playable characters? Did you ever clear all of the arcade pathways? What is your favourite Dragon Ball videogame and how are you celebrating Dragon Ball day today? Whatever your thoughts on Dragonball Z FighterZ, or Dragon Ball in general, leave a comment below or on my social media and check out my other Dragon Ball content!
15 April has been designated National Anime Day to celebrate the stylistic genre, which achieved mainstream success thanks to animators like Osamu Tezuka.
Released: 31 August 2007 Director: Tetsurō Araki Distributor: Madhouse Budget: Unknown Stars: Brad Swaile, Alessandro Juliani, Brian Drummond, Shannon Chan Kent, and Chris Britton
The Plot: In the Shinigami realm, the mischievous Ryuk (Drummond) regales his fellow Death Gods with tales of his time in the human world, specifically the complex game of cat-and-mouse between Light Yagami (Swaile), who used Ryuk’s killer notebook to punish criminals, and the eccentric “L” (Juliani), a detective determined to bring Light’s alter ego, “Kira”, to justice.
The Background: Death Note (stylised as “DEATH NOTE”) was a manga created by author Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata that began as a very broad and basic concept regarding Shinigami and a series of strict rules. Ohba and Obata developed a system where they would draft storyboards alongside their editor; Ohba visualised the panels during his downtime and Obata was apparently afforded a great deal of creative freedom for his artwork. Published in Weekly Shōnen Jump between 1 December 2003 and 15 May 2006, Death Note was incredibly successful and widely praised for its art, compelling characters, and complex plots and was so popular that it received an equally well-regarded thirty-seven episode anime between 3 October 2006 and 26 June 2007 and two highly praised live-action, Japaneseadaptations. To coincide with the end of the anime, two feature-length specials were produced that retold the story, with new footage linking the condensed format. Many have criticised the films for simply existing as a recap of the anime and a shameless cash-grab, ones that might do a good job of telling a more concise story but ultimately have little appeal for those that have already watched the entire anime series.
The Review: If you’re familiar with the anime version of Death Note, then Death Note Relight may hold few surprises for you; the bulk of the special’s runtime is made up of re-edited scenes and sequences from the anime, recontextualised into a condensed version of the story that acts as both a celebration of the anime and a fantastic way to digest its first twenty-six episodes or so. Death Note Relight is framed as a flashback, of sorts, a tale told by Ryuk to another, unnamed Shinigami (Unknown) who is bored of their realm and wishes to hear stories of Ryuk’s time on Earth before heading there himself. Although unimpressed by the Shinigami’s gift of a rotten apple, Ryuk agrees to share his tale and the story quickly introduces us to budding criminologist Light Yagami who, angered by the various injustices sweeping the world, vowed to stamp out crime and change society for the better using the titular Death Note, a notebook from the Shinigami world that allows the writer to kill and alter the lives of any names written in its pages, in order to become a God of a new world order.
Using Ryuk’s Death Note, Light executes criminals in order to establish a new world order as “Kira”.
A genius prodigy, Light found himself easily bored in classes and by his academic success; although his curiosity was aroused when the Death Note randomly fell from the sky to the campus grounds, he believed the notebook to be a sick prank but couldn’t help himself from trying it out based on the helpful instructions written inside. Realising that the notebook was legitimate, Light soon found himself consumed by a murderous need to punish evildoers everywhere, and quickly overcame his horror at Ryuk’s appearance, apparently ready to face the consequences of his actions with a blasé arrogance. However, even Light was stunned to find that Ryuk approached him not to punish him, but to enjoy the show, with the only consequences of using the notebook being that Ryuk himself would take Light’s life when the time came and the would-be God would be trapped in purgatory afterwards. Despite these warnings, Light continues to use the Death Note to punish those he deems guilty and quickly becomes renowned as a bringer of justice, with his followers dubbing him “Kira” and praising his actions and swift brutality. Although he isn’t happy with the pseudonym, Light can’t help but be pleased by the following he builds and the influence he’s already having, but his joy is short-lived when he’s publicly challenged by the secretive and equally intelligent private detective “L”. Slighted by accusations of his methods, Light doesn’t hesitate to try and kill L, switching from a twisted sense of moral justice to a manic desire to prove his superiority over his newfound rival, even if it means murdering lawmen or those who dare to speak out against his divine actions.
The eccentric L’s suspicions about Light are accurate but he’s frustrated by a lack of evidence.
Naturally, Kira’s actions quickly attract the attention of the International Criminal Police Organisation (ICPO), who were so confused and frustrated by the random series of heart attacks and murders of criminals that they quickly embrace L’s input despite his controversial methods and odd behaviour. An enigmatic figure whose deductive skills are as legendary as his arrogance, L both shocks his colleagues, including Light’s father, detective superintendent Soichiro Yagami (Britton), and impresses Ryuk with his ability to outsmart Light using body doubles, aliases, and distorted voices. Soichiro and his staff are stunned to find that L (who allows them to address him as “Ryuzaki”) is an emaciated, pale, soft-spoken young man with a penchant for sweet treats provided by his handler, Watari (French Tickner). Regardless, L exhibits near-superhuman insight into the Kira murders; simply by observing Kira’s methods, L accurately deduces Kira’s personality and basically everything about him except for how he executes his victims and his true identity. Naturally, volunteers are few and far between since many quit the case to avoid being targeted by Kira, leaving L with Soichiro and a handful of his most loyal officers at his disposal and L somewhat alienates even these men when he proposes closely monitoring them and their families since he suspects that Kira is closely linked to the police department. This leads to surveillance cameras being placed around the Yagami house and public messages being broadcast to try and flush Kira out but, thanks to Ryuk, Light is fully aware of this and goes to great lengths to continue his studies and his vigilante actions while appearing to be just a fastidious student. Though impressed by this, L remains convinced that there’s more to Light but is frustrated by a lack of evidence, and ultimately agrees to officially bring Light into the investigation when the even more dangerous “Kira II” appears.
Guided by Rem, Kira fanatic Misa will do anything, even kill and shorten her life, to earn Light’s love.
At first, Light is fairly routine in his approach to the Death Note and is content to allow his victims to die of simple heart attacks; however, once he learns of the police investigation into Kira, he starts to become more elaborate and complex in his methods. He threatens Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Raye Penbar (Michael Adamthwaite) and his family with death to learn the names of every FBI agent assigned to the case (and then kills him anyway), which sets his fiancée, Naomi Misora (Tabitha St Germain), on a path of vengeance against Kira. A coincidence of fate sees Light cross paths with Naomi, whose attempts to protect herself with a fake name fail spectacularly when Light emotionally manipulates her into trusting him with her true name, thereby allowing him to compel her to kill herself through the Death Note’s power. Thanks to the Death Note’s ability to alter the lives and destinies of those written in it, Light covers his tracks and picks off both criminals and police officers alike to continue operating as Kira, but even he lacks the “Shinigami Eyes” that Kira II, beloved celebrity Misa Amane/Misa-Misa (Kent), possesses. A Kira fanatic who believes so strongly in his work that she’s willing to indiscriminately murder police officers and anyone who dares to speak against Kira, Misa owes her life to the diminutive Shingami Gelus (Michael Dobson), who broke a cardinal rule of his kind and saved her life at the cost of his own; out of loyalty to Gelus, Rem (Colleen Wheeler) guides and protects Misa on her quest to join forces with Kira. Thanks to the Shinigami Eyes, she’s able to seek out Light and pledges to follow his every word if he agrees to be her boyfriend, even entrusting him with her Death Note and happy for him to use her however he sees fit out of appreciation for him, as Kira, unwittingly punishing the man who killed her parents.
The Nitty-Gritty: The Death Note Relight films are, so far, my only exposure to the anime version of the manga and, from what I’ve seen, there’s certainly enough visual impetus to check out the anime; in fact, the only reason I haven’t yet is simply due to lack of time. The animation and level of detail in Death Note Relight is truly astounding, however; the Shinigami realm, in particular, is a notable highlight. A realm of desolate darkness, gothic architecture, and a veritable bone graveyard as far as the broiling grey clouds allow you to see, the realm is a bleak, nightmarish landscape where the Shinigami sit around, toiling with boredom and unable to find a decent meal. The human world is equally impressive; there’s a fantastic use of lighting and shadows, especially whenever Ryuk appears or Light’s obsessive demeanour is explored, which effectively showcases that Light is seeping further and further into the darkness of the Shinigami world he more he experiments with the Death Note’s capabilities and the more his morality deteriorates. This is also emphasised in the constant framing of eyes; L’s are always half-open and shrouded in shadow, either due to poor natural light or his mop of hair, while Light’s dramatically change colour to an ominous purple-red whenever he’s conspiring to kill to revelling in his sadistic form of justice.
Even the impressive and aloof Shinigami end up subjected to Light’s malicious machinations…
As ever, the most visually impressive and thematically intriguing aspect of Death Note, for me anyway, are the Shinigami; Ryuk appears as a towering, gaunt, gothic figure, never blinking and with a permanent shark’s grin on his face. He observes and comments upon Light’s actions with an unbiased glee, delighting in Light’s murderous actions, and becomes deeply invested in the game of cat-and-mouse between him and L simply because it provides him with a source of amusement for the first time in ages. However, while Ryuk follows Light about, hovering over his shoulder unseen by anyone who hasn’t touched the Death Note, he certainly doesn’t play favourites; he can see the names and life span of others with his Shinigami Eyes but only offers to share this gift in exchange for half Light’s natural life, and rarely offers Light any assistance simply because he finds it amusing to see how Light deals with each obstacle in his path towards Godhood. However, Light coerces the omniscient Shinigami’s assistance in locating the surveillance devices placed throughout his house by threatening to deny Ryuk his beloved apples, which have the same addictive properties to Shinigami as alcohol and cigarettes, showcasing that even a God of Death isn’t beyond Light’s scheming. Ryuk is contrasted by Rem, the skeletal, androgynous (but clearly more recognisably female) Shinigami who has vowed to protect Misa in Gelus’s place. Unlike Ryuk, Rem is far more protective of her Death Note handler; she reluctantly wipes Misa’s memory when she’s held in captivity, threatens to kill Light if he doesn’t find a way to rescue her, actively intervenes to protect her when she infiltrates the Yotsuba Group, and reveals to L and the other officers that Light has been fooling them with fake rules. Rem is horrified both when Misa further shortens her lifespan by dealing with Ryuk and when she realises that Light has manipulated events to take her out of the equation, forcing Rem to kill to keep Misa alive, destroying herself as a result and galvanising Light’s sense of superiority over even the Shinigami.
The intriguing dynamic between Light and L remains despite the special rushing through certain events.
Due to Death Note Relight being comprised of snippets and key moments from the first twenty-six episodes of the anime, there are some issues with the special’s pacing; while I’m familiar with the general story thanks to the live-action films and anyone who’s watched the anime would be able to follow along without much issue, the uninitiated may be put off by how the special breezes through certain aspects of the story, jumping from beat to beat to recap the most narratively important aspects of the anime. Consequently, there’s a disconnect regarding Light’s character, for example; we don’t really get to see him before he acquires the Death Note, which means he appears far more malevolent and self-centered rather than tragic and morally corrupt. A lot of L’s initial mystery is quickly swept aside when Ryuzaki reveals himself so he can work more effectively with Soichiro’s task force, and even Misa’s introduction feels a little rushed considering how important she is to the second half of the story. Regardless, the essential intrigue of Light’s descent into egomaniacal obsession and his tense back and forth with L remain in Death Note Relight; both know so much about each other and yet so little, specifically their true identities, either of which would result in ultimate victory for the other. Light gains a significant advantage when he agrees to team with Misa, but his attempts to manipulate events so he can discover L’s real name are compounded by L’s suspicions about him, which means Light can’t just arrange L’s death without incriminating himself, and L’s incarceration of Misa since she’s far less adept at covering her tracks than Light.
Light’s manipulations put him on track to becoming the God of the new world.
This would spell victory for L if Misa didn’t willingly forfeit her ownership and memories of the Death Note in order to protect Light; however, L is baffled when Light willingly allows himself to be incarcerated and briefly succumbs to despair after his deductions seem incorrect. When Light suddenly changes his demeanour after giving up his own memories as part of a complex plot to manipulate events in his favour, a brief scuffle breaks out between the two that ends with Light being chained to L and uncovering a link between Kira and the Yotsuba Group, which has profited from the killings perpetrated by Light’s patsy, Kyosuke Higuchi (Andrew Kavadas). Higuchi plots to use the Death Note to take over Yotsuba and coerce Misa into marrying him and, when he’s apprehended following an action-packed car chase, L and the others finally learn about the Death Note and the presence of the Shinigami. L is so stunned by this that he completely misses that Light has undergone another dramatic change after reacquiring the Death Note; regaining all of his memories, Light revels in his victory and intellectual superiority, though his plot to murder L stumbles when Misa’s unable to recall L’s true name, forcing her to reduce her lifespan even further to earn Light’s love and respect. Just as L attempts to test the rules of the Death Note, he’s aghast when Watari suddenly dies of a heart attack and all their data is deleted thanks to Rem, who sacrificed her existence to ensure Misa’s safety. Rem also writes L’s name in the Death Note, killing the eccentric and tragic detective and awarding Light ultimate victory. Light plays the part of an enraged, grieving victim well but, once the mourners disperse from L’s grave, Light descends into maniacal laughter; he boasts of his triumph and superiority over his rival and promises to entertain Ryuk further with the creation of his new world. The special comes to an end with Ryuk ruminating over Light’s perceived Godhood and wishing the unnamed Shinigami well in his search for excitement on Earth after all his experiences with Light.
The Summary: As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I just don’t have the time or motivation to sit down and watch every episode of the Death Note anime, especially if I was to put together an in-depth review. So, for me, Death Note Relight 1: Visions of a God is a fantastic way to experience the general sense of the anime’s story in a relatively painless two hour stint. I make this distinction only because it can’t be denied that the story suffers a bit from the re-edit; if I were to go into this completely blind, I might find some of the characters a bit one-dimensional, the lore of the world a little undercooked, and the pacing a bit suspect as the story jumps between a series of barely-connected events without much cohesion. However, I am initiated so this isn’t a massive issue for me and all the things I love about Death Note are here, from Light’s unbearable smugness, L’s quirky demeanour, and the always impressive Shinigami. The moral implications of the Death Note and Kira’s actions aren’t delved into too deeply (he’s simply seen as a murderer who needs to be stopped, regardless of who he’s targeting), robbing Visions of a God of some of Death Note’s normal nuance, but the character study and dynamic between Light and L is still fascinating to watch. The sequences are all gorgeously animated as well, with fantastic use of atmosphere and a hard rock soundtrack to give even tense dialogue a bit of a punch, and it ends on a cliff-hanger that’s just enticing enough to encourage a watch of the second part. Overall, I think there’s a lot to like here for die-hard and casual Death Note fans alike but Visions of a God is a must-have for anyone who’s a fan of the series but doesn’t want to waste an entire weekend binge-watching the anime.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Great Stuff
What did you think to Death Note Relight 1: Visions of a God? Did you think it was a bit pointless considering the entire story was told in the anime series or did you enjoy the condensed story? What did you think to Light, his campaign against crime, and his tense rivalry with L? Which of the Shinigami is your favourite and how would you use a Death Note? What was your introduction to anime and how are you celebrating National Anime Day today? Whatever your thoughts on Death Note, or anime in general, feel free to share them in the comments or on my social media.
15 April has been designated National Anime Day to celebrate the stylistic genre, which achieved mainstream success thanks to animators like Osamu Tezuka.
Released: 6 August 1994 Director: Gisaburō Sugii Distributor: Toei Company Budget: $6 million Stars: Hank Smith, Ted Richards, Mary Briscoe, Donald Lee, Steve Davis, and Phil Matthews
The Plot: M. Bison (Matthews), the vicious and powerful head of the notorious Shadowlaw syndicate, is brainwashing street fighters across the world to carry out assassinations and has his sights set on Ryu (Smith), a formidable martial artist who bested one of Bison’s lieutenants. When he’s unable to track Ryu down, Bison targets Ryu’s friend and sparring partner, Ken Masters (Richards), and Ryu finds himself joining forces with Captain Guile (Lee) and Interpol agent Chun-Li (Briscoe) in an effort to track down Bison and stop his mad schemes.
The Background: In 1987, Capcom brought the very first Street Fighter to arcades across the world; conceived of by Takashi Nishiyama, who sought to expand upon the boss fights of Kung-Fu Master (Irem, 1984) and inspired byThe Game of Death (Lee, 1972), Street Fighter stood out from other videogames by utilising unique pressure-sensitive pads for its controls but was generally met with widespread criticism for its graphics and gameplay. Undeterred, Capcom chose to develop a sequel that expanded on the alternative, six-button control setup; Street Fighter II: The World Warrior(Capcom, 1991) expanded on everything from its predecessor, from the graphics to the roster of playable characters, and took the world by storm, ushering in an entire sub-genre dedicated to competitive fighting games that only expanded further when the game was bolstered by ports and upgrades. Such was the popularity of Street Fighter II that Capcom began expanding their franchise outside of the videogame industry; Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie was not just the first anime film I ever saw, but also the franchise’s first foray into animation. The slickly animated anime couldn’t have been more different from the much-maligned live-action adaptation that released in the same year; it became one of the top-grossing films of that year in Japan and is widely regarded as one of the best videogame adaptations ever produced.
The Review: I have a bit of a confession to make…I’m not actually a massive fan of the Street Fighter franchise. Sure, I researched it and wrote extensively about it for my PhD, but my actual experience with playing the games is quite limited. I grew up playing Street Fighter II on the Amiga, and my version was “cracked” so it had all kinds of helpful cheats to make playing through it a doddle. When I moved on to Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (ibid, 1993) and Street Fighter II’: Special Champion Edition (ibid, 1993), I didn’t have the benefit of any cheats so my tactic to just blindly flailing away as Blanka or Ken didn’t really amount to a whole hell of a lot. To this day, I struggle with the franchise, which is so dependent on frame cancels and complex button combos, but I do have an affinity for it and that’s mainly down to the glorious slice of cheese that was the live-action adaptation and this slick, beautiful anime that not only introduced me to the concept of anime but remains, for me, the quintessential Street Fighter II adaptation.
After defeating Sagat, Ryu looks for inner peace while Ken struggles to find a real fight.
Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie begins with a brief prologue, which takes place between the opening credits. Framed very much like the iconic opening of Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers and bolstered by some rocking electric guitar chords, we are introduced to main character Ryu at conclusion of his violent battle against Muay Thai champion Sagat. Despite Sagat’s mountainous size and incredible speed, Ryu is able to match him blow for blow and even counter his ki-based attacks with one of his own, a devastating Shōryūken that splits open Sagat’s chest and leaves him with a humiliating scar throughout the remainder of the movie. Driven to a mindless rage by the disgrace and his inability to put Ryu down, Sagat charges head-first into the blast of Ryu’s Hadōken, which puts Sagat down and earns Ryu worldwide respect as one of the world’s most powerful fighters. However, in the time following this fight, Ryu has become a nomad; travelling the world learning to focus his ki and carrying with him the lessons of his master (George Celik) and memories of sparring with his friend, Ken, Ryu makes a point to help others in need but, despite his fantastic abilities and fighting potential, is haunted by his master’s unanswered riddle: “What do you see beyond your fist?” In their youth, Ryu and Ken were like brothers; they constantly trained together, and Ken’s more playful, carefree nature often clashed with Ryu’s more pragmatic and focused mindset. While Ryu dropped off the face of the earth, Ken is a much more public figure who regularly participates in street fights for cash. Not that he really needs the money, judging by his fancy sports car; instead, Ken fights to try and find an opponent worth his time and effort, and is continuously disappointed to find that nobody can give him a fight quite like his old sparring partner. Despite the affections of the beautiful Eliza (Toni Burke), Ken is just as haunted by this lack of competition as Ryu is by his master’s riddle, and vehemently declines to fight glory hounds like T. Hawk (Richard Cardona) since he sees it as a waste of his time and skills. Since Bison’s unable to locate Ryu, he targets Ken, whose fighting potential is theorised to be equal, and personally arrives to “recruit” him into his organisation. Ken’s desire for a real fight is more than met when Bison comes calling and he’s easily overwhelmed and subjected to Bison’s intense and horrific mind control powers, transforming him into a violent and mindless assassin.
E. Honda adds a bit of levity, but sadly Chun-Li gets sidelined and Guile gets wrecked by M. Bison.
While wandering the world, Ryu is pushed into an underground fight by a raucous crowd, instantly besting his opponent with a headbutt to the nose. This attracts the curiosity of Fei Long (Phil Williams), a champion of the underground fight scene who has since become an arrogant and successful action movie star. Fei Long would much rather get into the ring with Ryu than heed the call of his director (Kevin Seymour) but, while he’s a talented and agile fighter with his own mastery of ki, Fei Long’s ego means he doesn’t know when to quit and results in him being badly beaten and defeated by Ryu. Still, the two find a mutual respect for each other from the fight and Fei Long gives Ryu the rundown on where Sagat headed after his defeated, bringing Shadowlaw to his attention for the first time. Ryu’s travels then take him to Calcutta, where his ki arouses the attention of Dhalsim (Don Carey) and intrigues him so much that he forfeits his fight against E. Honda (Patrick Gilbert). A bombastic and aloof sumo wrestler, E. Honda is the film’s comic relief and he offers both shelter for Ryu out of a sense of brotherhood and amusing commentary on the film’s events. The main plot kicks in right after the opening credits, when government minister Sellers (Peter Brooks) is brutally executed in front of a gaggle of reports and eyewitnesses. The assassin was Cammy White (S. J. Charvin), an MI6 special agent who was brainwashed into becoming a terrorist for Shadowlow, an underground criminal organisation that seeks out street fighters and subjects them to torturous mind control. Heading the investigation into Shadowlaw is Chun-Li, a pragmatic and committed Interpol agent who almost immediately clashes with Guile, who holds a personal vendetta against Shadowlaw’s head honcho, M. Bison, after he killed his best friend. Guile’s abrasive attitude and refusal to cooperate winds Chun-Li up, but they soon reach an understanding after she shares with him that she also has a personal stake in the investigation as Bison killed her father. Unlike the live-action movie, though, neither Chun-Li nor Guile really have that much impact on the plot; despite having the most personal investment in Bison’s schemes, they’re merely supporting characters there to deliver exposition on Shadowlaw, and Chun-Li ends up being hospitalised after a brutal attack. Guile does show up for the finale and gets to engage with Bison, but is pitifully cast aside with very little effort on Bison’s part and left a broken, helpless mess at the bottom of a ravine, leaving the heaving lifting to the real main characters of the franchise Ryu and Ken.
M. Bison is a cruel would-be dictator who bends others to his will with his extraordinary powers.
Bision’s cyborgs constantly monitor the street fighters, giving us a rundown of their fighting potential, strength, reflexes, and other statistics and keeping him a persistent and ominous presence throughout the film despite the fact that he only really appears sporadically. When he’s introduced, Bison is flanked by his three lieutenants (Sagat, Balrog (Joe Michaels), and Vega (Davis)) and cuts quite the intimidating figure; a massive muscle-bound freak garbed in a glorious cape, Bison strides through his hidden facility with purpose and wears both a constant grimace and stoic expression. Tellingly, both Bison and Sagat are completely devoid of pupils, giving them a demonic air; but where Sagat is a mostly silent underling whose only spark of individuality is his lust to settle the score with Ryu, Bison is a malicious individual who demands results and doesn’t tolerate any questions or insubordination. Cold-hearted and cruel, Bison thinks nothing of breaking minds with his “Psycho Power” or discarding his “puppets” once they’ve outlived their usefulness. Bison’s abilities are portrayed as near limitless and incredibly powerful; he exhibits a degree of psychic power, being able to lift and toss people around with his mind and can easily bounce back projectiles and move faster than the eye can track. Essentially superhuman and untouchable, Bison relishes the thought of toying with and punishing his prey, so drops his power down for the finale and yet remains a fearsome opponent even when the odds are stacked against him.
The sadistic Vega lays an unsettlingly and brutal beating on Chun-Li to take her out of action.
Bison’s mercenaries are a strange bunch; despite his big introduction in the anime’s prologue, Sagat is basically a non-factor throughout the film and his vendetta against Ryu has absolutely no impact on the film (he doesn’t even fight Ryu again, or appear in the finale). Similarly, Balrog really doesn’t get much of anything to do except stand around, look good in a tuxedo, and trade blows with E. Honda at the end. Thus, the standout from the group is easily Vega; hiding behind his blank mask and carrying a nasty claw, Vega’s physical threat is matched only by his perverse nature; he and Bison drool over security footage of Chun-Li and Vega takes a sadistic pleasure in targeting her right after she’s finished showering (making for one of the anime’s most memorable moments of full frontal nudity and, of course, a fight sequence where Chun-Li is brutalised while wearing very little). Fast and vicious, with a bloodlust that matches his sick fantasises, Vega mercilessly slices and beats on Chun-Li, licking her blood from her claws and overwhelming her but, of course, his greatest weakness is his narcissism; when Chun-Li attacks his exposed face, he flies into a rage that ultimately proves his undoing, as she’s able to summon the last of her strength to kick him out of a window. Although it’s stated that Sagat chose to work for Bison, presumably to get the power and opportunity to fight Ryu again, Bison subjects his underlings to the full extent of his Psycho Power, in conjunction with a sophisticated machine, to twist and individual’s mind into that of a cold, vicious servant. This easily allows him to prey on Ken’s passion for fighting and relationship with Ryu and fashion him into a replacement for Vega, but he underestimates the depth of the bond between the two friends and unwittingly brings about his own end as a result.
The Nitty-Gritty: To clarify (and no doubt upset all the anime “purists” out there), I am watching (and pretty much always watch) the American dub of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. There are, however, some fantastic benefits to this; first and foremost is the inclusion of songs from bands like Korn, Alice in Chains, and Silverchair and, perhaps even more memorably, some fantastically memorable lines from the dubbed script. Sure, Ken’s delivery is a little weird at times and Ryu’s very American for a Japanese guy, and there’s nothing to match or better Raul Julia’s iconic lines from the live-action adaption, there are some brilliant lines here: Ken scoffing at Bison and killing him “buffalo” is hilarious, as is Guile pointlessly and awkwardly flexing his muscles while vowing to avenge Chun-Li. Guile delivers again in the finale, when he promises to “rip [Bison’s] fucking heart out” and Bison wonderfully taunts him with this line soon after; Bison also delivers a brilliant callous “I don’t give a shit; if her jobs finished, she’s finished!” that’s equalled only by E. Honda’s random outburst of “I gotta kill this nut before I kill myself” and he and Balrog hilarious screaming “Oh shiiiiit!” while tumbling off a cliff edge!
The film is very violent and full of some tantalisingly adult content.
Although the lighting in anime is very dark at times, this actually gives it a real mood; the film is surprisingly adult and serious, especially compared to its live-action counterpart, and the fights are slick, fast, brutal, and beautifully animated. Guile is introduced at an airbase that greatly resembles his stage and the characters are all ripped right from the videogame artwork and all wear their game-accurate costumes and even adopt recognisable stances; even better, they all perform their signature moves, and even announce them more often than not, with no other explanation other than the idea of them being skilled fighters with a lot of potential. For a fan of the Street Fighter videogames, this is a dream come true and just goes to show that you don’t need to skirt around the concept of ki or superhuman abilities; you can just showcase them and have that be enough of an explanation because we’ve all played the games and we all expect them to have these abilities. However, it does have to be said that the anime is a little bloated and a little short on character development for a lot of its characters: Guile is little more than a gruff, buff guy with a personal vendetta and a rod up his ass. He develops a camaraderie with Chun-Li, who is revealed to have a far more playful personality than is first evident, simply because the plot demands that they get on the same page and the sidelining of Sagat for the finale is very odd considering how important he is seen to be at the start, but this prologue is mainly about establishing how strong Ryu is rather than placing any significance on the rivalry between him at Sagat.
Although some characters being mere cameos, the finale pitting is a slick and brutal affair.
However, there’s no tournament structure and street fights aren’t really a part of the plot; every character from Super Street Fighter II is included in some way, though many amount to little more than cameos, such as when Guile and Chun-Li ask Dee Jay (John Hammond) to help gather information about Shadowlaw but this is never revisited and serve sonly to alert Bison of Guile and Chun-Li’s presence. Sadly, this also means that characters such as Zangief (William Johnson) and my favourite fighter, Blanka (Tom Carlton), are reduced to bit parts, with these latter two simply showing up for an action-packed brawl in Balrog’s casino that is cut short to get to Chun-LI’s titties. Still, the main focus of the film is the bond between Ryu and Ken; rather than focusing on the politics or a military movement against Shadowlaw, the friendship between these two are their unfinished business is a central part of the anime. We get to see them training together, the brotherly bond between them, and origin of Ryu’s headband (Ken gave it to him after accidentally injuring him), and both have struggled to find an opponent or a purpose as meaningful as what they found in those years training together. This reaches a fantastic culmination in the finale, where Ryu refuses to fight his brainwashed friend despite Ken attacking him with a relentless brutality; Ryu is able to get through to Ken and help him remember their friendship, which breaks Bison’s control over him just in time for them to join forces and destroy Bison. Thanks to Bison lowering his power level, the two are able to double-team him very effectively with their most powerful and iconic signature moves, finally finishing him off with a double Hadōken and the United States/Interpol assault on Shadowlaw effectively ends Bison’s threat once and for all. In the aftermath, Ryu and Ken awkwardly part was and, as Korn’s “Blind” blares up, it’s randomly revealed that Bison actually survived and the anime ends on a massive cliff-hanger as Ryu leaps in to confront the would-be dictator once more.
The Summary: I still have vague memories of spotting Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie scheduled to run late at night on the Sci-Fi Channel and setting up my VCR to record it. I’m pretty sure that this was my first ever exposure to anime and I was absolutely blown away by his crisp and beautiful the animated was, the memorable soundtrack and lines, and the level of violence, swearing, and nudity on offer. My interest in anime spring-boarded from there, though I’ll admit that I haven’t been exposed a huge variety of movies or shows since I used Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie as the bar of quality for the longest time. While the narrative is pretty bare bones and many of the characters are one-dimensional or inconsequential, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie remains, for me, the best and most accurate adaptation of the source material ever produced; I’ve seen all of the subsequent cartoons and anime and still consider this to be the most entertaining and faithful of them all. Bison is a fantastically alluring, malevolent villain who exudes menace even when he’s just striding through a hallway or sitting in a chair, to say nothing of him being a fearsome opponent thanks to his Psycho Power. I love that the anime focuses on the relationship between Ryu and Ken and is framed around bringing them together for the first time in years to fight both against, and alongside, each other. While this does unfortunately mean that other characters do get pushed to the side, there’s plenty for series fans to enjoy here thanks to the accurate depiction of the characters’ looks, abilities, and special moves, and that’s not even mentioning Vega’s brutal attack against Chun-Li or the lewd showcase prior to that fight, which I’m sure has a great deal of appeal for horny teenagers. Still, the action and animation quality make Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie an endlessly appealing experience and I always enjoy revisiting it to see the action-packed fight scenes, rock along to the soundtrack, and marvel at the ridiculousness of some of the dubbed lines.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Fantastic
Are you a fan of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie? Did you like that it focused on Ryu and Ken or were you disappointed to see the other characters pushed aside? How do you think the anime compares to its live-action counterpart and which of theother Street Fighter cartoons and anime is your favourite? Did you enjoy the soundtrack and the fight scenes in the anime and what did you think to the adult content in the film? Which Street Fighter character or videogame is your favourite? How are you celebrating National Anime Day today? Whatever you think about Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie, or anime in general, please do sign up to comment below.
Released: 25 March 2014 Director: Kenichi Shimizu Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Budget: Unknown Stars: Jennifer Carpenter, Brian Bloom, Grant George, JB Blanc, Eric Bauza, and John Eric Bentley
The Plot: After interfering with a top secret mission, Frank Castle/The Punisher (Bloom) is apprehended by Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate (S.H.I.E.L.D.) agent and Avenger Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow(Carpenter) and the two are ordered by director Nick Fury (Bentley) to stop the terrorist organisation known as Leviathan selling stolen S.H.I.E.L.D. technology.
The Background: After his impressive debut in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #129, the Punisher quickly became one of Marvel’s most popular anti-heroes thanks to his tragic backstory and unwavering commitment to the eradication of crime. His popularity has led to the character appearing in a number of multimedia projects outside of the comics, including videogames and both live-action and animated portrayals. Between 2010 and 2011, Marvel Entertainment teamed up with Japanese animation studio Madhouse to produce four anime projects, known as Marvel Anime, to little success. Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher was the follow-up to those projects; released mid-way through “Phase Two” of the massively successful Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the anime drew a mixedreception despite making over $1 million in domestic home video sales.
The Review: The movie opens to find the Punisher monitoring a rise in criminal and gang activities, as well as newspaper reports on himself, from his apartment (which, as is tradition, doubles as his armoury) while Black Widow expresses frustration at the Punisher’s mounting reputation as a vigilante. The opening credits play over a very quick montage of stills and images that give a quick recap of each character’s background and origin, showing Frank’s time as a family man and the deaths of his family in a mob hit and Natasha’s time training as a spy and assassin and association with S.H.I.E.L.D.
The Punisher and Black Widow appear to be physical equals but their fights are constantly interrupted.
The Punisher makes short, brutal work of some black-market weapons dealers, filling them with bullet holes and easily taking them apart by himself (despite them having more weapons and the numbers advantage) until only one man, Cain (Hebert) is left. Though disturbed at the high-tech weaponry Cain was selling, his efforts to torture more information out of the perp are interrupted by the arrival of Black Widow. Unimpressed with Fury’s operation and Widow’s criticism of his methods, a fight between the two ensues; though the Punisher demonstrates greater physical ability and immediately goes for his pistols, Widow is easily able to match him blow for blow with her superior acrobatic skill until Fury (modelled after his Ultimate and MCU counterpart) and his soldiers interrupt and Frank is subdued by one of Widow’s tranquiliser darts. However, during all the commotion, Cain manages to slip away unnoticed.
Fury manages to coerce Frank into teaming with Black Widow to infiltrate a Leviathan base.
Aboard the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Fury attempts to reconnect with Frank, whom he has a shared history with, and to impress upon him that his methods, while effective, are disrupting the bigger picture since he has started to interrupt S.H.I.E.L.D.’s procedures. Frank, however, is disgusted at the potential lives Fury’s methods have cost and it’s very quickly established that he and S.H.I.E.L.D., while working towards the same goal, are diametrically opposite. Still, Fury is able to inform Frank that the terrorist organisation Leviathan is selling stolen S.H.I.E.L.D. technology and the two are able to reach an agreement since the Punisher sees that the only reason he has been brought into custody is so that he can be unleashed upon Leviathan. Teamed with Black Widow, the Punisher shares the information Cain gave him and, begrudgingly, the two head to a Leviathan base in the frozen wastes of Slovenia; Widow exposits some background on Leviathan, who have grown into a sophisticated and deadly terrorist organisation that, it is soon revealed, has begun to experiment in created super soldiers and bioweapons. Thanks to their unique skills and training, the two are easily able to infiltrate the base and dispatch of the handful of guards with lethal effectiveness, but the Punisher immediately goes off script as soon as he spots Cain and another fight between the two breaks out.
Amadeus accidentally sends the Punisher on a rampage with Leviathan’s mind control technology.
This time, however, it’s much briefer and Frank simply storms out and leaves Widow to blindly follow Fury’s orders. Although he captures Cain, his efforts to torture him for more information are once again thwarted when Cain blinds him with a flash of light and slips away once more. Continuing on mission alone, Black Widow subdues the Leviathan scientists non-lethally before being attacked by her former lover, and ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Elihas Starr (George), who faked his death and has joined Leviathan. Angered at his betrayal, Widow is no match for Elihas, who easily avoids, counters, and matches her frantic attacks while expositing that he chose to develop super soldiers for Leviathan to prove himself worthy of being Natasha’s equal and partner. Elihas attempts to convince Widow into joining him in Leviathan but, though heartbroken at his betrayal, she vehemently rejects him and fights him with renewed vigour and purpose; the Punisher aids her and destroys the facility and the two bring Cain’s cell phone to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s resident kid super genius, Amadeus Cho (Bauza). Though slovenly, excitable, and a teenager pervert, Amadeus is able to decrypt the phone but inadvertently sets the flash function off once again, which puts the Punisher into a bloodthirsty trance that sees him killing numerous S.H.I.E.L.D. agents before he is brought back to his senses. However, while Widow advocates for the Punisher’s state of mind, he is shaken at his actions and willingly submits himself to S.H.I.E.L.D. incarceration after killing innocent men.
United by a common goal, the Punisher and Black Widow eventually form a mutual respect.
Natasha is left feeling further betrayed when Fury reveals that he not only knew about Elihas but was also fully aware that leviathan possessed mind control technology and that he had stolen the Avengers’ blood in order to create his super soldiers. This is, of course, perfectly in keeping with portrayals of Fury as the ultimate spy whose “secrets have secrets” but his willingness to sacrifice both her and the Punisher spurs Black Widow into defying Fury’s orders and convince the Punisher to help her bring down Elihas and Leviathan. This takes the two to an underworld auction in Mandripoor where Elihas’ super soldiers are being sold off to a number of Marvel’s notorious supervillains and, ultimately, forces the two to pool their resources as a more effective team rather than being at odds with each other. In the end, though the two have opposing methods and beliefs, they are able to find some common ground and build a mutual respect for each other’s methods that culminate sin Widow willingly letting Frank return to his never-ending, one man war on crime rather than arrest him as per Fury’s orders.
The Nitty-Gritty: Of course, every anime lives and dies by the quality of its animation and Avengers Confidential is a pretty slick and smoothly animated feature. Blood and gore fly in the air with a beautiful grace and characters move with either grace and poise or a heavy, weighty physicality when not standing around like statues. Amadeus is probably the most over the top character in terms of his animation, which plays into his quirky and impulsive personality, and the film does a decent job of emphasising the differences between its two main characters through their movements and physicality as much as their personalities.
While the Punisher is a blunt, brutal instrument, Black Widow is sleek and efficient.
The Punisher is cold, blunt force while Black Widow is slick efficiency; the Punisher seems disconnected from humanity and focused only on solving problems in the most direct way possibly, while Widow (and Fury) are concerned with the bigger picture and a strategic approach to secured the safety of millions. The Punisher’s presence turns a lot of heads around S.H.I.E.L.D., who view him with a mixture of awe and fear, and he earns this reputation thanks to his vicious efficiency; when under the influence of Leviathan’s mind control, he resembles little more than an emotionless killing machine. In comparison, Widow is effortlessly smooth and sexy in her movements, moving like liquid and with a serene grace that allows her to easily incapacitate even larger foes. Initially, Elihas is positioned as the primary antagonist of the feature and, thanks to his rushed connection to Black Widow, ensures that Natasha has a more personal stake in the film’s events beyond simply doing her duty to safeguard the world from Leviathan’s technology. Elihas exposed himself to his own super soldier serum, augmenting his strength and abilities in an effort to prove himself worthy of Widow’s love; though he believe that she loved him in the past, he was spurred by her always choosing missions with the Avengers and her life as a superhero over him and resolved to find a way to truly be her equal. Elihas truly believes that S.H.I.E.L.D. is actually oppressing people rather than saving them and that war and conflict are inevitable; as a result, he is perfectly fine with escalating and even starting wars with Leviathan’s technology and resources and sees his super soldiers as the next logic step towards consolidating their influence on the world.
Both the Avengers and Orion show up too late to do much of anything.
Although the Avengers get top billing in the film’s title and feature prominently on the DVD artwork, they don’t actually play a big role in the film and only show up right at the end. Despite having defied Fury’s orders, Black Widow and the Punisher’s mission to stop Leviathan is provided much-needed support when Tony Stark/Iron Man (Matthew Mercer), Doctor Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Fred Tatasciore), Thor Odinson (Unknown), Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Mercer), James Rhodes/War Machine (Unknown), and Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (ibid) all arrive to help fight off Leviathan’s super soldiers. This leads to some high-octane action but never really overshadows the more grounded and gritty storyline featuring the two leads, who remain at the forefront of the narrative thanks to Natasha’s arc with Elihas and the Punisher’s vendetta against Cain. This is made even more explicit with how unimpressed the Punisher is by Stark’s bravado and the Avengers’ powers and abilities; he’s there with a mission to fulfil and merely tolerates their presence rather than jumping at the chance to join forces with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. The true head honcho of Leviathan is the mysterious Orion (Blanc), a semi-cybernetic, cloaked madman who doesn’t even physically appear until the last moments of the film. However, despite Orion’s influence and power, we learn basically nothing about him and he is ultimately unable to hold sway over Elihas; during his climatic and emotionally charged showdown with Black Widow, Elihas finally comes to his senses and realises that the love they two of them shared is still there. This proves to be his undoing, however, as he sacrifices himself to save Natasha’s life after Orion shoots at her and dies in her arms. The film does a decent, if rushed job, of trying to place some emotional significance on Elihas’s character and sacrifice but I find myself oddly apathetic since I have no idea who he is; all of their backstory is conveyed through flashbacks and is told to us. We never get to see them as a proper couple or in action together, which I feel hurts the emotional core of their story; he an extra five or ten minutes been included at the start of the film to show their relationship before his downfall, this might have gone a long way to addressing that issue.
The Summary: Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher is a really weird production, to be honest; the animation is great and it has that slick, silky smooth quality that you expect from an anime and some brutal, bloody fight scenes but I’m not really sure what the purpose of it is. As far as I can tell, it’s not supposed to tie into any other Marvel production, which makes characters such as Elihas, Orion, and Leviathan very underdeveloped and inconsequential since I have no real personal stake in their story or motivations, and they exist solely to give the title characters someone to fight against and force an emotional conflict for Black Widow. I feel like Punisher is a strong enough character to have carried the anime by himself but, while it is interesting to juxtapose his more extreme measures with the likes of the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., this doesn’t really work when partnering him with Black Widow. Sure, her methods and motivations are different enough but she’s still a spy, a former assassin, with plenty of “red in her ledger” so I can only imagine that she’s partnered with the Punisher to give the anime some sex appeal. In the end, it’s a short and decent enough story; it doesn’t really add anything new to the Punisher or show you anything you can’t see in other Marvel animations or productions but it manages to be just entertaining and action-packed enough to stay afloat despite its mediocre plot and characterisations.
My Rating:
⭐⭐
Rating: 2 out of 5.
Could Be Better
Have you ever seen Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher; if so, what did you think to it and how do you think it holds up against Marvel’s other anime and animated depictions of these characters? What did you think to the concept of teaming these two up and the animation style? Do you think it would have been better to see a solo Punisher feature or to emphasise the more popular Avengers more or were you happy with the story it told? Do you know who Elihas Starr is and, if so, can you tell me why I should care? What is your favourite Punisher story, character, and adaptation (whether it be a movie or videogame)? How are you celebrating the Punisher’s debut this month? Whatever your thoughts on Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher, and the Punisher in general, drop a comment down below.
When the Great Demon King Piccolo was released upon the world, he broadcasted a message on television declaring May 9th as “Piccolo Day”…and promptly celebrated by announcing his ownership over the planet. Since then, May 9th has been officially recognised as “Goku Day” but, to make things simpler, I’m using this as a good excuse to celebrate all things Dragon Ball,
Released: 23 January 2014 Developer: Bandai Namco Games Also Available For: PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita
The Background: Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball franchise, particularly Dragonball Z, has a long history with videogame adaptations; the first Dragonball Z videogame released for the Family Computer (Famicom) back in 1990 and, since then, a range of different titles based on the long-running manga and its popularanime counterpart have been released, generally in the form of tournament fighters or one-on-one beat-‘em-ups that retell the events of the anime over and over again. In 2009, Bandai Namco acquired the rights to the franchise and, since then, got into a bit of a routine of releasing new Dragon Ball titles on an annual basis. With Dragonball Z set to make a long-awaited return with the first feature-length production in seventeen years, Dragonball Z: Battle of Gods (Hosoda, 2013), the publishers produced a new Dragonball Z game to coincide with the film’s release, one that focused on team-based combat rather than one-on-one fights or role-playing mechanics. Dragonball Z: Battle of Z received mixed reviews upon release, however, with criticisms levelled at the game’s repetitive and unreliable combat mechanics and artificially augmented difficulty.
The Plot: Through a series of battles, ranging from one to four characters at a time, Dragonball Z: Battle of Z retells famous events from the long history of the Dragonball Z franchise, from the arrival of the Saiyans, to the Z Fighters’ battles against Frieza, the Androids, Perfect Cell, and Majin Buu, and even select fights from the many non-canon movies and alternative timelines, culminating in battles against the franchise’s biggest names, enemies, and characters and a showdown with the God of Destruction himself, Beerus.
Gameplay: I’ve played a handful of Dragonball Z videogames in the past; I remember really enjoying Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (Spike, 2007) and have been putting off picking up Dragon Ball FighterZ (Arc System Works, 2018) for ages as I’m waiting to see if it gets re-released with all the downloadable content (DLC) included. As a result, and being a big Dragonball Z fan, I was intrigued when I was gifted Dragonball Z: Battle of Z but instantly a bit perturbed when I discovered that the game was a team-based fighter. Call me a traditionalist but I really don’t enjoy team-based fighters; I find it just artificially drags out the gameplay and the fights because you’re forced to fight two or more fighters in every round, meaning more chances to lose and more frustrations. I just don’t get why games that utilise this feature can’t just have the option to disable it and let players fight one-on-one. Interestingly, you can do this in Battle of Z but it’s really not recommended as you’re generally fighting a slew of enemies at once so you’ll need all the backup you can get.
Rush at your opponent and smash them into the air to pull off a Meteor Chain combo.
Controls and fighting in Battle of Z are surprisingly complicated for a fighting game; you can attack your enemy with Y, fire a ki blast with B, and use X and A to ascend and descend, respectively. You can target an enemy with RB (remember to do this or else you’ll have a hard time actually landing a hit on your opponent), cycle through available targets with the right analogue stick, and dash towards your intended target (and, usually, head-first into their attacks) by holding A or X. Holding LB will see your character put up their guard to minimise the effects of incoming attacks (though, annoyingly, there is no counter attack system in place), and you can press LT and RT simultaneously to unleash your character’s signature attacks when they have enough ki energy. You can also perform a side step and dodge with LB and the left analogue stick and hit your opponent with a “Strike Impact” blow that allows you to chase after them and bash them around the environment and build up a “Meteor Chain” combo with your teammates.
Fill up the Genki Gauge to unleash your character’s most devastating Ultimate Move.
As you attack your opponents, you’ll build up the “Genki Gauge” as well as your ki energy. When your ki energy is full enough, you’ll be able to pull off more powerful ki attacks such as Son Goku’s Kamehameha, Vegeta’s Garlick Gun, or Majin Buu’s Chocolate Beam. However, wasting your ki on normal ki blasts and your character’s other special attacks can make it harder for you to pull off these more powerful attacks and, if the bar is completely drained, you’ll be left stunned and vulnerable as you wait for it to refill. If you manage to completely fill up the Genki Gauge, though (and if you’re playing as the right character), you’ll be able to pull off an Ultimate Move, such as Goku’s Spirit Bomb or Super Saiyan 2 Son Gohan’s Father-Son Kamehameha blast. In some battles, the only way to win is to pull off these Ultimate Moves and fights are specifically structured in these cases to allow you to perform them but you’ll still have to work to build up the gauge. Occasionally, you’ll be asked to rapidly tap B to “share your energy” from the Genki Gauge, which seems to restore the ki energy of you and your fighters but, honestly, I must have missed the actual point of this as it just seemed like a waste of time, especially when you’re forced to switch your team out in the next mission more often than not. Of course, a major feature of Battle of Z is its team-based mechanic; before each mission, you’re asked to assemble a team of four fighters (comprised of you and three computer-controlled players or you and fellow human players if you’re connected to the internet) but, unfortunately, you’re rarely ever given free reign to pick your team as the characters you can select are restricted to the Saga you’re playing. For example, in the Saiyan Saga, you won’t be able to play as characters from the Cell Saga and you won’t be able to play as the Androids when taking on the Buu Saga.
Assemble a diverse team of fighters and issue commands on the fly to best your opponents.
You can, however, assemble a team of multiple duplicate fighters, which can be helpful for the game’s tougher missions. Each fighter has a different speciality and, thus, each behaves and controls a little differently: Melee Types excel in up-close melee attacks; Ki Blast Types deal greater damage with their ki attacks and can fire three blasts at a time instead of just one; Interfere Types specialise in distracting and disrupting enemy movements; and Support Types will prioritise healing, reviving, and restoring you and your teammates in battle. During a fight, you can issue basic commands to your team using the directional pad (D-Pad) to instruct them to fight at full power, join forces with you against an opponent, go on the defensive, or hang back and leave the fighting to you (not really recommended and I never found a time when this was preferable). If you co-ordinate with your teammates, you can chain together Meteor Strikes to bash a target all over the place and even perform a “Synchro Rush” combo where you and your allies will pummel a chosen target with a combo of strikes. You can also target your allies and restore their health, ki, or revive them if they’re fallen but I found it much easier to concentrate on the offensive and leave the reviving to my teammates. When you head into a battle, you share a limited number of retries with your team mates; when your health is drained, your allies have ten seconds to revive you before you lose a try and, if all tries are exhausted by you and your teammates falling too often, the battle ends. It’s essential, then, to keep an eye on how many tries you have left as, quite often, battles can abruptly end without warning simply because your allies have fallen once too often. You’re also constantly battling against a time limit (usually about ten minutes), which makes every fight a constant struggle and a chore to get through, especially when you’re faced with wave upon wave of seemingly endless enemies.
Battles are hetic and leave you pummelled relentlessly, which can be extremely frustrating.
Like pretty much every single Dragonball Z videogame, Battle of Z takes you through an (extremely) truncated retelling of the entire Dragonball Z saga using a strict mission-based structure, with a few bonus missions tossed in that adapt some of the feature films or present hypothetical scenarios. If you’re not that familiar with Dragonball Z then you might get a little lost as the story is told in brief snippets and character interactions before each fight and split across different missions; if you simply play the main missions, you’ll only experience events from one perspective and will have to switch to playing as the villains to experience the full story. On the one hand, this is a pretty decent way of getting you accustomed to a variety of different fighters but, on the other, it makes the story mode very fragmented and has you constantly switching out your load outs and setups as you’re forced to assemble new teams each time. Personally, I found it much easier to stick to one fighter (usually Super Saiyan Goku, Super Vegeta, or Full Power Frieza) and have three computer-controlled allies who all specialised in healing (such as Android #18 or Jeice) to avoid being pummelled into oblivion within the first few seconds battle. Since you’re forced to make a team of four for every fight, Dragonball Z’s story is tweaked to accommodate characters who weren’t present at certain events. Other times, you’re forced to battle against waves of opponents or certain foes (such as Raditz) who are inexplicably joined by disposable grunts who relentlessly bombard you with ki blasts. Every time you win (or, at least, complete) a fight, you’re given a ranking, earn a number of Battle Points (BP), and acquire cards and items. Unlike most Dragonball Z fighting games, Battle of Z opts for a quasi-open world presentation which allows you to freely fly and dash around a large environment ripped right from the anime from a third-person perspective. Unfortunately, the camera, physics, and controls are often as detrimental to your success as the often overwhelming difficulty of your opponents and you’ll be struggling with the janky camera as much as trying to land blows on your chosen target. If you forget to lock on to a target, you’ll simply swipe at thin air and, often, you’ll be battered by ki blasts from all angles or attacked from behind and, in the time it takes you to switch targets, you’ll probably end up knocked out on the ground like a chump. Helpfully, you can view your character’s abilities, your mission objectives, and the difficulty level of each mission from the pause menu and can simply manually retry if you are close to failure, which you may have to do a few times as, while the game starts off pretty simple, it quickly ups the difficulty level. It doesn’t help that downed enemies don’t seem to lose health when you attack them and you can never assemble a team of your favourite characters as you often need to have specific characters of Support Types on your team in order to succeed.
Graphics and Sound: As is the case for pretty much every single Dragonball Z videogame, Battle of Z emulates the style and fast-paced, kinetic energy of the anime by employing a cel-shaded aesthetic. This is fitting but nothing you’ve not really seen before in other Dragonball Z games or similar fighters and results in character models looking pretty much spot on, if a little static and lifeless at times as they tend to just stand there or strike a dramatic pose while spouting abridged lines from the anime. Battle of Z expands on its roster by having each character’s different forms and transformations take up a character slot; as a result, you won’t be powering up or transforming mid-battle like the characters do in the anime and, instead, must select these forms from the character select screen. This means that we miss out on the iconic visual of the characters surrounded by crackling auras and powering up (outside of cutscenes, at least) but the game does a pretty good job of recreating the big, explosive special attacks from the anime…when you actually have enough ki to pull them off, that is. Still, it’s pretty cool to finally bust out attacks like Evil Buu’s Assault Rain, Super Vegito’s Spirit Sword, and Super Saiyan Broly’s Burst Eraser.
Environments may be accurate to the anime and partially destructible but they’re also quite barren.
Environments are just as faithfully recreated, almost to a fault; you’ll battle out in the countryside, in the middle of cities, out in the desert, and on iconic planets such as Namek and the Supreme Kai’s world. Unfortunately, while much of the environments are destructible (if you manage to smash your opponents into them properly), they’re largely barren and lifeless and often only varied by such exciting elements as different times of day. They’re also quite large, which is helpful if you’re trying to take a break from being relentlessly attacked and means that the onscreen radar actually comes in useful at times, but also means that it’s very easy for you to be attacked from afar due to lack of cover and results in you flying head-first into attacks as you desperately try to dash across the open plains to reach your target.
After an incredible anime opening, the game relies on its in-game graphics to give a little context to its fights.
As I mentioned, the game’s story takes a bit of a backseat; the in-game graphics are used to relay a condensed version of Dragonball Z’s sagas and movies through a few brief interactions between your team and their enemies. This can result in some different lines and interactions if you have different characters from the Saga present, and unique interactions between characters like Goku and Bardock, and all of the voice actors from the anime return to recreate and redub their lines from the anime. The game also recreates the music from the anime, including a remix of the iconic theme song, ‘Cha-La Head-Cha-La’, over an impressive anime opening sequence created specifically for the game that is, honestly, one of the more entertaining moments of Battle of Z.
Enemies and Bosses: Since Battle of Z recreates the events of the anime and a handful of the feature-length movies, you’ll be tasked with tackling all of the series’ most iconic villains and characters as you play through the different missions with certain specific characters. Along the way, you’ll also have to contend with waves of disposable enemies who either come at you over and over again, support the more formidable characters, or respawn after being defeated. This means you’ll face numerous palette swapped variants of the Saibamen, Frieza’s grunts, Cell Jnr’s, and facing off against Z Fighters like Piccolo, Yamcha, and Tien Shinhan who often come in to tip the odds against you right when it seems like you’re on the cusp of victory.
The Saiyans arrive on Earth to cause trouble and wreck havoc in their Great Ape forms.
In the Saiyan Saga, you’ll have to battle Raditz, Nappa, and Vegeta in a variety of different formations; the first time you face Raditz, you’ll first have to dispose of a wave of Saibamen, which can leave you quite drained and underprepared for the actual battle against Goku’s brother. After recreating Gohan’s training against Piccolo out in the wastelands, you’ll then have to take on Nappa, first accompanied by Saibamen and then joined by the main antagonist of this Saga, Vegeta. Vegeta’s ultimate threat comes when he transforms into his gigantic Great Ape form, which you can stun by targeting its limbs while trying to dodge his massive mouth laser and crushing grip. Honestly, though, the most annoying enemies in this Saga are Nappa (who constantly targeted me with relentless melee attacks) and Vegeta (who fires a non-stop barrage of ki blasts when you’re trying to fend off his cohorts). When playing as the villains, you’ll have to take on the Z Fighters as the perspective shifts to you mainly battling against Goku; you’ll also have to take on Gohan’s Great Ape form, which is far more rampant than Vegeta’s and likes to toss boulders right at your head.
To finish off Frieza, you’ll have to also battle against a tight time limit and deal with his rapid teleporting.
In the Frieza Saga, you’ll mostly be confined to the planet Namek in various stages of disarray; Frieza’s soldiers are a constant headache all throughout this Saga and make battling the Ginyu Force much more annoying than it needs to be. The Ginyu’s are also far more versatile and frustrating than their Saiyan counterparts as Guido will freeze you in place with his telekinetic powers, Recoome will constantly fly at you with melee attacks much like Nappa, and things only get more annoying when the entire Ginyu Force comes at you in waves. Thankfully, Captain Ginyu doesn’t bust out his annoying change form mechanic (or, at least, he didn’t in my playthrough) so you don’t have to worry about him taking over your body or being forced to play as him but it’s quite a shock to find the Ginyu Force being so formidable when they’re generally depicted as being incompetent nincompoops. Once you get past the Ginyu Force, you’ll have to battle against Frieza’s various forms as Namek disintegrates around you. While his first form is a walk in the park, his second form allows him to shield himself with a protective aura and, as if that wasn’t bad enough, you’ll be forced to take on his third form in the same mission, making it more of a gauntlet. Another mission has Frieza zap your team to half health and asks you to either defeat him or survive for three minutes before he reaches his full power form, which you’re given just five minutes to defeat him. This makes this fight needlessly frustrating as Frieza is an absolute bitch and teleports all over the place while blasting at you with devastating ki attacks but it does work to your advantage in the villain story where you get to play as Frieza and battle against Super Saiyan Goku. Another alternative mission in the Frieza Saga has you battling all of Frieza’s forms at once which, honestly, I found easier than battling the damn Ginyu Force!
After besting the Androids, you’ll face your toughest challenge yet in the form of Perfect Cell.
In the Android Saga, you’ll first have to spar against the other Z Fighters before tackling Future Trunks and then confront Android #19 and Doctor Gero; unlike in some Dragonball Z videogames, and the anime, the androids are susceptible to your ki attacks rather than absorbing them and you’re also given a bit of a break as you don’t have to defeat Dr. Gero when he decides to run from the battle. Android #18 and #19 are more formidable, primarily because of how good #18’s healing abilities are, but they’re easy to target individually since they’re not supported by endless swarms of goons. Once the Cell Saga starts, you can actually have Cell attack the Androids on your behalf as the mission briefing is to destroy Cell’s different forms and the only real benefit to taking out all your enemies is the acquisition of additional BP. Cell isn’t much of a threat in his Imperfect form but he loves to spam Solar Flare to evade your attacks and his threat dramatically increases when you’re forced to battle Android #16 and #17, then them and Semi-Perfect Cell, and then fight Perfect Cell all in the same mission! This, however, is nothing compared to the sudden brick wall of Mission 26, which sees you annihilated by aggressive and frustrating Cell Jnr’s before being wrecked by Perfect Cell once more. The only way I could clear this mission was to have my three teammates be Teen Gohan so that I could be consistently and reliably healed and revived during the fight, which was particularly annoying to me as I wanted to use a team of Super Saiyans. Things only get more challenging in the villain and alternative missions, which have you battling against Perfect Cell as the Androids or fighting as Perfect Cell against Super Saiyan 2 Gohan (alongside Super Saiyan Vegeta, Super Saiyan Trunks, and Android #16, of course).
Buu becomes a significant threat once he assumes his powerful, maniacal Kid Buu form.
Things get a little less frustrating in the Buu saga, which sees you battling the likes of Dabura (who can turn you to stone with his spit) and, of course, Majin Buu’s various different forms as well as Majin Vegeta (who loves to block your attacks and is, fittingly, super aggressive). In these missions, Buu will also attack your enemies so it can be useful to hang back and let him weaken them on your behalf while conserving your ki energy but you’ll also have to battle Evil Buu right after defeating regular Buu, which can be quite the chore. The shit really hits the fan when you face off against Kid Buu, a maniacal and hyper aggressive enemy who is super fast and super tough, dashing and teleporting all over the place, blocking your attacks, and attacking with his stretchy limbs, furious ki combos, and even gaining invincibility frames and taking refuge behind the environment to really drag out the battle. When playing on the villain’s story, you’ll also be tasked with defeating or surviving for three minutes against Super Saiyan 3 Goku and a particularly gruelling gauntlet that sees you battling Son Goten and Kid Trunks individually, fused as Gotenks, their Super Saiyan 3 form, and Piccolo all in the same mission within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
Fight hard enough and you’ll unlock missions based on the feature-length movies and specials.
As mentioned, you’ll also recreate some of the most recognisable fights from the feature films; this means battling the Androids as Future Trunks, taking on Bardock (who has his own Great Ape and Super Saiyan forms), and fighting against the likes of Cooler (a battle that I found impossible to clear because of how tough and annoying his goons were), Hirudegarn, Meta-Cooler (which are essentially the same as battling the Great Apes but made far more frustrating), and Broly. As you might expect, Broly represents one of the game’s most challenging battles as he’s not only accompanied by constantly-respawning Saibamen but he also powers up to his Super Saiyan and Legendary Super Saiyan forms. Additionally, there are a number of alternative battles on offer that see you fighting against all of Vegeta and Goku’s family, all of the Saiyans in waves where they power up to their strongest forms, the entire Ginyu Force followed by all of Frieza’s forms and Cooler, and, eventually, a battle against Beerus (and against Super Saiyan Vegito as Beerus) in an adaptation of the Battle of Gods feature film. Unfortunately, to reach this (and unlock all of the game’s fights), you must complete and clear every single mission in the game, which is an incredibly tall order and one unfortunately, beyond my ability as I tapped out some time after losing to Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks.
Power-Ups and Bonuses: When you select characters, you can customise their palette and power them up with cards and items. These are often earned, or unlocked, by clearing missions but are primarily purchased in the in-game shop using your BP. Cards can be used to increase your character’s melee attack power, defence, ki blast attack power, and have their natural abilities increase or cause their attacks to have detrimental effects on their targets. You can also earn Premium Points (PP) by meeting certain conditions or earning SS ranks in missions. PP can be spent in the Premium Shop and allow you to acquire more powerful items (most of which can only be used once before you have to buy another one and cards). These will buff your character and team’s stats, increasing them under certain conditions or draining health or ki from your enemies, speeding up your ability to level up and earning you more BP, or restoring you to full health upon defeat using Senzu Beans. Since you’ll be switching your teams out quite often, it’s best to make use of the auto customise options, which allow you to assign the most powerful cards to your characters (or which remain after equipping cards) at the push of a button.
Additional Features: There are forty-nine Achievements on offer in Battle of Z; a lot of these are awarded simply for clearing each of the available story routes, though this becomes increasingly challenging as you tackle the alternate story missions. Others are tied to performing Ultimate Moves, clearing every mission, earning certain cards, playing as every character, or meeting certain conditions in the game’s online mode. You can team up with other players online to take on the game’s missions in co-op mode, battle against each other in a standard four-on-four fight, fight to attain the highest score, or race to acquire the seven Dragon Balls scattered throughout the environment. Sadly, the game doesn’t include couch co-op or offline multiplayer, so I never got to experience any of these modes as the servers don’t appear to still be active (or, if they are, players are few and far between these days). There’s a decent amount of replayability on offer through the many different story mode missions on offer; clearing missions unlocks parallel, adjacent, and subsequent missions that see you playing as different characters or taking on characters from the feature films. However, as these are some of the more frustrating and difficult missions in the game, it can be very tedious and challenging to clear every mission and unlock all the game’s playable characters (many of which can only be attained by clearing certain missions with the highest rank). You can also purchase some additional DLC in the form of extra fighters and forms, such as a Naruto (1999 to 2014) inspired outfit for Goku, Super Saiyan Bardock, and Super Saiyan Vegito.
The Summary: Dragonball Z: Battle of Z certainly looks and sounds pretty good; its cel-shaded aesthetic closely mirrors the look of the anime and it’s great to hear the voice cast come back and re-record their lines for some new interactions in certain situations. It provides a slightly different spin on the usual formula through its use of team-based fighting mechanics, meaning that it’s a little different from most videogame adaptations of the anime but, essentially, if you’ve played any Dragonball Z videogame, there’s not really anything new here narratively speaking and it’s the same retreading of the Sagas we’ve seen numerous times before. What lets Battle of Z down, though, is the steep difficulty curve and the reliance on these team-based mechanics. Your teammates are often not really good for much more than distracting your enemies and will drain your retries if you don’t heal them up; it’s equally annoying that you can’t form your own, personalised team right off the bat and have to compromise or cheese the more challenging missions by loading up on Support Type characters. The game’s focus on a heavily condensed version of the story also hurts it as you simply jump from fight to fight and mission to mission with very little context and have to hop between the different story routes to get the full story, which is a bit annoying. In the end, it was fun at times but infuriating for the most part as missions were a chore to clear, the requirements to unlock everything were ridiculously unfair at times, and I can’t say that I’d recommend this one over other more traditional, 2.5D/tournament-based Dragonball Z videogames.
My Rating:
⭐⭐
Rating: 2 out of 5.
Could Be Better
Have you ever played Dragonball Z: Battle of Z? If so, were you a fan and how would you rate it compared to other Dragonball Z videogames? Are you a fan of team-based fighters? Who was your go-to team in this game? What did you think to Battle of Z’s recreation of the anime and the slight twists it took with the different missions? What is your favourite Dragon Ball videogame and how are you celebrating Dragon Ball day today? Whatever your thoughts on Battle of Z, or Dragon Ball in general, leave a comment below.
15 April has been designated National Anime Day to celebrate the stylistic genre, which achieved mainstream success thanks to animators like Osamu Tezuka.
Released: 16 July 1988 Director: Katsuhiro Otomo Distributor: Toho Budget: ¥700 million Stars: Cam Clarke, Jan Rabson, Lara Cody, Tony Pope, Lewis Arquette, and Bob Bergen
The Plot: The year is 2019 and Neo-Tokyo is plagued by corruption, anti-government sentiment, and terrorism following Tokyo’s sudden destruction on 16 July 1988. Amidst the chaos, biker Shōtarō Kaneda (Clarke) uncovers a diabolical government conspiracy when his friend, Tetsuo Shima (Jabson), acquires incredible telekinetic abilities after a motorcycle accident that eventually threaten an entire military complex.
The Background: It’s hard, if not practically impossible, to talk about anime without mentioning Akira; pretty much single-handedly responsible for the popularity of the genre outside of Japan, Akira remains an incredibly influential and popular animated feature and, arguably, the principal reason why anime remains so prevalent in the western world. Akira began life as a cyberpunk manga series written and illustrated by Katsuhiro Otomo. What was initially thought to be a short work of only ten chapters ended up ballooning into a 120 chapter piece that was serialised bi-weekly in Young Magazine from 20 December 1982 to 25 June 1990. Akira proved such a success in its native Japan that Otomo was approached to publish an English language version in 1983; indeed, Akira is often credited for introducing manga to Western audiences, and Otomo was eventually intrigued at the prospect of adapting his story for the screen…as long as he retained creative control, which meant not only collaborating on the screenplay, but also helming the adaptation, which was the most expensive anime film at the time. In a first for the genre, Akira used pre-scored dialogue where the dialogue was recorded first and the animation was keyed to match it and over 16,000 animation cels were used to bring the story to life, although Otomo later expressed disappointment at making the anime before the manga was finished due to how many omissions had to be made. Although a moderate success at the Japanese box office, Akira eventually grossed $49 million worldwide, and its success on home video basically kick-started the widespread release of anime outside of Japan. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of anime will be unsurprised to learn that Akira is held in extremely high regard; critics praised the dubbing and presentation, especially the slick animation and kinetic action, and film went on to be extremely popular and influential on a generation of writers, filmmakers, and creators and is widely regarded as one of the greatest anime films ever made.
The Review: I feel like it’s important to preface this review by saying that I’m watching the original 1989 version of the film, dubbed into English; I know a lot of anime “purists” might take exception to this, but I always prefer a dubbed version over subtitles or the original Japanese language as it’s easier for me to digest it and understand the content. Secondly, I never really cared for Akira; I’ve seen this version, and the 2001 re-dub, a few times both dubbed and with subtitles and, while the animation and attention to detail and the premise has always intrigued me, it tends to lose me about halfway through so I went into this viewing a little hesitant, to say the least. The film opens on 16th July 1988 to dramatically set the stage for its narrative by showing the utter obliteration of Tokyo from a massive energy blast; thirty-one years later, Neo-Tokyo was built on artificial islands nearby and all that’s left of the once bustling metropolis is an ominous crater. 2019 Neo-Tokyo is both a technologically advanced civilisation and a crime-ridden cesspit full of seedy bars and dilapidated back alleys. It’s in both of these locations that we meet our two main characters; abrasive Kaneda, the leader of a biker gang known as the Capsules (who are embroiled in a bitter feud with the rival Clown gang), and Tetsuo, a young, embittered member of the Capsules who both idolises Kaneda and is envious of his iconic high-tech bike. A brutal high-speed chase between the Capsules and the Clowns is cut short when the cops arrive to chase them off and, amidst all of this, the city is under lockdown following a student riot; armed police are called in to help manage the chaos, and end up shooting an armed man as he tries to desperately protect Takashi (Barbara Goodson), a young boy with a wizened appearance who exhibits incredible psychic powers when under stress.
A chance encounter with a strange child sees angst-ridden Tetsuo develop incredible powers.
The streets are thrown into chaos as the cops use gas to disperse the crowd, and Tetsuo takes a bad fall from his bike after running across Takashi; Takashi’s abilities attract the attention of Masaru (Bob Bergen), a fellow ESPer, who leads Colonel Shikishima (Pope) of the Japan Self-Defence Forces right to him, resulting in Takashi, Tetsuo, Kaneda, and the rest of the Capsule gang being apprehended. While the injured Tetsuo is transported away, Kaneda and his gang prove too clueless to be involved in the greater concerns of anti-government protesters and resistance fighters, and are released from custody. However, Kaneda spots Kei (Cody) amidst the suspects and, taking a shine to her, manages to trick the cops into releasing her alongside them by claiming she’s part of his gang, though she rebukes his advances afterwards. At school, Kaneda and his gang are severely disciplined for their actions, which only riles the anti-authority biker up even more; he and the Capsules attract a lot of female attention for their bad boy antics, but he’s in no mood for socialising after the night he’s had, and openly criticises Tetsuo for “showing off”. Only Tetsuo’s girlfriend, Kaori (Barbara Goodson), shows concern for the boy, and he goes to her after escaping from the military facility; traumatised by his experiences, and fearing for his life, he steals Kaneda’s bike and prepares to leave the city with Kaori, but their escape is cut short by a group of vengeful Clowns. They attack Kaori, humiliating and hurting her as Tetsuo is held helpless and, though they’re saved by Kaneda and the Capsules, Tetsuo is angered at Kaneda’s constant interference in his life. Suffering from crippling headaches, nightmarish visions, and a voice tormenting him with an unknown name, “Akira”, over and over, Tetsuo is easily detained and returned to the facility for further observation by Shikishima’s staff.
Shikishima is a complex soldier who takes the ESPer’s word, and threat, very seriously.
Shikishima acts as the stubborn, pig-headed, yet surprisingly complex antagonist of the feature; convinced that there’s a mole within the executive council and determined to shut down any anti-government sentiment and apprehend anyone who learns of the ESPers no matter the cost. With no time for political games, Shikishima is more concerned with identifying and controlling telekinetic abilities so that the military can gain a formidable weapon without the risk of mass destruction exhibited by Akira; when Doctor Ōnishi (Lewis Arquette) identifies that Tetsuo has the potential to become as powerful as Akira, Shikishima orders that he be subjected to a series of painful and invasive procedures to unlock that potential but warns that the angst-ridden biker is to be terminated the minute any danger arises. Despite his implacable, hardened exterior, Shikishima seems to have a greater deal of respect and admiration for the ESPers in his employee and care and thus takes Kiyoko’s (Melora Harte) warnings of Neo-Tokyo’s impending destruction very seriously. Although he is disgusted at how quickly the city has degenerated into a den for hedonistic excess and believes that the people have lost their way, he’s not a scientist or an optimist and instead sees the world in very black and white terms and from a strict military perspective of action versus inaction, with little room for debate or hesitation between these extremes. Unfortunately, the supreme council fail to heed his warnings or to grant him the funding necessary to prepare against Kiyoko’s prediction; instead, they cast doubt over Akira’s existence and involvement in the last World War, call the colonel’s integrity into question, and would rather bicker and squabble about preparations for the upcoming Olympics, which only enrages Shikishima. Determined to track Tetsuo down and contain him before his powers reach their full, destructive potential, Shikishima takes control of the government and the entire military in a coup d’état and engages Tetsuo with the military’s full force, which results only in countless soldiers perishing and tanks being destroyed by Tetsuo’s raging powers, which allow him to form protective shields, toss back tank shells, and tear apart an entire bridge in his fury.
Tetsuo is a slave to his emotions, consumed by rage, envy, and his own monstrous body!
Kaneda continuously runs across Kei and is so besotted by her that he even tries to downplay her first kill and ends up following her to a resistance safehouse; there, he learns not only that they are trying to free the ESPers from their confinement but also that Tetsuo has become the military’s newest test subject, and he agrees to join their efforts both to help his friend and get close to Kei (and he’s allowed to if only to serve as a patsy for the resistance’s actions). While at the hospital, Tetsuo is plagued by vivid and disturbing nightmares of both his childhood, his destructive powers, and the mysterious Akira, the most powerful of all the ESPers who once potentially represented the next stage in human evolution. Akira’s power was virtually limitless, but when the government tried to take control of him, he lashed out in self defence and caused the catastrophe that decimated Tokyo. His remains are kept in cryogenic suspense beneath the Olympic Stadium’s construction site, and Shikishima has no desire to see that destructive power unleashed once more, and takes a vested interested into making sure that the remains stay dormant, though Akira still has a strong influence as many zealots in the city foretell of his destructive return. Sensing that Tetsuo’s powers are raging out of control, the ESPers try to kill him before he can awaken Akira and trigger another catastrophe; however, despite them being more adept at creating illusions and wielding their psychic powers, Tetsuo’s abilities are exacerbated by his anger, confusion, and trauma, which makes him more than a match for them, to say nothing of Shikishima’s forces. Revelling in his newfound powers, Tetsuo is driven to near insanity, lashing out at friend and foe alike with a maniacal glee; he kills a couple of his former comrades in search of Kaneda’s bike, garbs himself in a dramatic cloak, and is heralded as the returning “Lord Akira” for his immense powers. Despite Kiyoko’s best efforts, Tetsuo exhumes Akira’s tomb and is astounded to find that the feared psychic is nothing more than just organs and remains in jars; Kaneda attacks Tetsuo with a high-powered laser rifle and berates his friend with taunts, only to be outmatched by Tetsuo’s powers and at the mercy of his power-drunk friend. Despite losing at arm to Shikishima’s orbital cannon, Sol, Tetsuo proves his superiority by flying into space and obliterating the orbital weapon before constructing a replacement mechanical arm for himself. Although Kaori tries to comfort him, and even Shikishima tries to talk him into returning to the hospital for treatment, Tetsuo’s powers grow dangerous and out of control; wracked with constant pain and mutating at an alarming rate, Tetsuo metamorphosises into a horrific, foetus-like monstrosity that is only stopped by the ESPers reviving Akira and drawing him into a singularity.
The Nitty-Gritty: The animation quality in Akira remains almost unparalleled; the feature-length anime definitely set a standard for all to follow with its gorgeous chase sequences, intense attention to detail, and slick, striking character designs. Neo-Tokyo is a neon-drenched metropolis that owes more than a debt to Blade Runner (Scott, 1982) and, alongside that classic science-fiction thriller, helped popularise the “cyberpunk” art style and genre. The city is ruled by the classic class system, with the lower-class and impoverished literally fighting for survival in the filthy back alleys and the upper-class living in opulence and luxury in the high-rise skyscrapers, far above the violence on the city streets. Neo-Tokyo is under constant threat from terrorist attacks by resistance fighters, who set of explosions across the city and cause anarchy in the streets in a desperate effort to fight back against an oppressive government. The city is alive with advanced technology, from futuristic motorcycles, flying craft, and complex machinery to monitor and contain the ESPers, the city, and the people and this is juxtaposed with rancid sewers and the comparative squalor of the alleys and lower street levels. The facility where Tetsuo and the other ESPers is kept is both a sophisticated military hospital and a bizarre nursery for the decrepit, child-like psychics, but the triumph of the modern age is Sol, a weaponised space station that Shikishima turns on Tetsuo in a desperate attempt to destroy him before his powers can rage out of control.
Akira is full of horrific imagery and body horror as Tetsuo’s powers rage out of control.
One thing that separates Akira from other traditional cartoons and animation is the gritty, unabashed adult themes and content in the feature; biker gangs race through the streets at high speeds, with little protection and even less regard for who they hurt or the damage they cause in their wake, curse words are dropped with reckless abandon by the hot-headed youngsters who make up our main characters, and bodies break and blood splatters as characters beat and pummel each other. This latter aspect is only escalated by the trigger-happy Neo-Tokyo police, who brutally gun down Takashi’s handler without a second thought, and both the visions Tetsuo is plagued by and the horrific mutations he undergoes as his powers rage out of control. Tetsuo is tormented by hallucinations of demonic toys and, angry and afraid, lashes out at everyone around him to leave orderlies and guards a mere bloody mess on the hospital walls. As Tetsuo’s powers grow, his ability to control them wanes; overcome by pain and hatred, he lashes out in a mindless fury and ends up becoming a rampaging monstrosity that kills Kaori and threatens to absorb Kaneda, the ESPers, and Shikishima. This replaces Tetsuo’s fanatical lunacy with outright panic as his body refuses to listen to his demands; as if the sight of him raging into the upper atmosphere with a bloody mess where his arm once was wasn’t bad enough, the sight of this grotesque mass of screaming flesh and muscle engulfing everything in its path certainly escalates the stakes of Akira from one boy’s madness to a disaster that potentially threatens all life in Neo-Tokyo and beyond.
Kaneda’s confrontation with Tetsuo results in widespread destruction…and the birth of a new God!
Tetsuo is a tragic figure, one filled with conflicting emotions of abandonment, resentment, and anger; the more his abilities grow, the more overwhelmed and out of control he becomes. Finally given the power to strike back at those who seek to use or hurt him, Tetsuo’s confusion and fury are only exacerbated by the ESPers, Shikishima’s vendetta, and even Kaneda, who mocks his friend even as his body horrifyingly transforms. Realising that they’re not powerful to oppose Tetsuo, the ESPers revive Akira, who sucks the monstrous beast into a sphere of pure light. Kaneda is drawn inside this singularity and relives Tetsuo’s memories of his traumatic childhood, a time of abuse and fear where he idolised Kaneda; the ESPers willingly enter the singularity as well in an attempt to rescue Kaneda, and their memories of being subjugated to experimentation are also revealed to him. Shikishima, Kei, and Tetsuo’s remaining friends watch from a safe distance as Neo-Tokyo is engulfed by the singularity, destroying it in much the same way as its predecessor was obliterated some thirty years ago, and the ESPers are able to return Tetsuo to the remains of his home so that he can help Kei during the development of her own psychic powers. As for Tetsuo, the feature concludes with the ESPers and Akira using all the power at their disposal to help him fully transcend beyond the mortal realm; having tapping into the limitless energy and primordial power that exists within all humans, Tetsuo ascends to the level of an omniscient God and, to herald his birth, gives life to an entirely new universe! This, honestly, is not massively clear by the finale which is an ambiguous and surreal series of images, memories, and half-finished sentences, but brings the film to a conclusion that I have to say was very much out of left field considering it started off as a simple tale of an angsty gang of bikers.
The Summary: Even now, after a few viewings of Akira, I struggle a bit with this film; while it’s undeniably beautiful to look at and full of some absolutely stunning animation, its surreal metaphysical undertones always knock me for a loop. Like a lot of anime and manga, there’s a lot happening here, from street-level violence and social discord, to childhood trauma, to government experiments and children developing psychic powers. It’s definitely a very complex and multifaceted world, with a lot of layers and sub-plots happening all at once that some characters, like Kaneda, aren’t entirely aware of; people revere Akira as some kind of prophet and saviour, resistance fighters bomb buildings and kill to try and expose the government’s experiments, and shrivelled up children with telekinetic powers bring toys to life in the most disturbing way possible. I think the concept has a lot of legs, however; this idea of a screwed up little biker kid being empowered by these destructive abilities and lashing out at the chaotic world around him leads to some of Akira’s most dramatic and memorable moments, and the relationship between Kaneda and Tetsuo as these kind of traumatised kids with a chip on their shoulder bonded by a lifetime of hardship results in them being the clear standout characters. Shikishima is also surprisingly well-rounded, and every character, even the ESPers, is seeped in shades of grey rather than being morally black or white. Of course, Akira will forever be remembered and praised for its slick and detailed animation, which results in some stunning chase sequences, dramatic moments, and grotesque imagery to really inspire the viewer to think about what they’re seeing, what it means, and rethink their surface evaluation of these characters. It can be a lot to take in, no doubt, but the visuals and narrative intrigue are well worth taking the time to give Akira a watch and, if it hooks you, check out other similar anime or even read through the manga if you want your mind blown even further.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Pretty Good
Are you a fan of Akira? Which of the characters was your favourite and what did you think to the morally ambiguous nature of its cast? What did you think to Tetsuo, his emotional outbursts, and his eventual monstrous transformation? Were you a fan of the film’s cyberpunk setting and the escalation from street gangs to psychically-endowed children? How did you interpret the ending, and were you a fan of how the story wrapped up? Have you ever read the original manga and, if so, how does the film compare as an adaptation? Was Akira your introduction to anime or did a different feature make you a fan of the genre? How are you celebrating National Anime Day today? Whatever you think about Akira, or anime in general, sign up to drop your thoughts below.
Sonic the Hedgehog was first introduced to gamers worldwide on 23 June 1991 and, since then, has become not only SEGA’s most enduring and popular character but also a beloved videogame icon. This year, the Blue Blur turns thirty and what better way to celebrate than by dedicating every Friday of this month to SEGA’s supersonic mascot.
Released: 1 November 1999 Originally Released: 26 January 1996 and 22 March 1996 Director: Kazuho Ikegami Distributor: ADV Films Budget: Unknown Stars: Martin Burke, Lainie Frasier, Bill Wise, Edwin Neal, and Sascha Biesi
The Plot: Doctor Ivo Robotnik (Neal) takes Princess Sara (Biesi) hostage and forces Sonic the Hedgehog (Burke) and Miles “Tails” Prower (Frasier) to journey to Robotropolis to keep Planet Freedom from being destroyed and, in the process, have them battle his ultimate creation: Hyper Metal Sonic (Gary Lipkowitz).
The Background: After Sonic achieved worldwide success and became the hottest pop culture icon of the nineties following the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2(SEGA Technical Institute, 1992), Sonic was practically everywhere as SEGA capitalised on their mascot’s success with comic books, story books, toys, spin-off videogames, and, of course, animated ventures. Outside of Japan, DiC Entertainment produced two widely differentSonic cartoons that ran simultaneously and would come to inform the long-running Archie Comics series. Just as Japan and the rest of the world saw different Sonicpromotional materials and lore, so too did each country have incredibly different animated ventures for SEGA’s mascot as, in 1996, Perriot studio produced a two part original video animation (OVA), “Welcome to Eggmanland” and “Sonic vs. Metal Sonic!”, that featured a traditional anime aesthetic that was closely modelled on the anime sequences from Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Sonic Team, 1993) and much closer to the source material thanks to the involvement of Sonic Team (specifically Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima). As audiences outside of Japan were enduring easily the worst Sonic cartoon ever created, Sonic Underground (1999), and to coincide (somewhat) with the North American release of the Dreamcast, ADV Films combined the two-part OVA into one feature length feature, subjected it to a questionable dubbing process, and released it straight to video. Still, the feature length animation holds largelyfavourable reviews among Sonic fans for its closer adherence to the source material despite being just as removed from it as Sonic’s American cartoons.
The Review: Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie is this absolutely mental anime adaptation of the videogames that has a slick, detailed aesthetic that not only evokes the artwork of the videogames but also aligns almost perfectly with the anime sequences from Sonic CD. Because of this, though this world is as strange and unique as the various iterations of Mobius, the OVA feels like an authentic tie-in to the source material rather than a distilled, heavily altered commercial product like the cartoons.
Though short-tempered and lazy, Sonic revels in action and adventure.
What really makes the Sonic OVA stand out from other animated adaptations, apart from the anime aesthetic, is its portrayal of Sonic; rather than a wise-cracking show off, OVA-Sonic is a snarky, short-tempered teenager and actually showcases the “attitude” that Sonic was advertised as having. He just wants to sunbathe in peace and quiet and yells at Tails for interrupting his relaxation and has absolutely no interest in helping Robotnik even though the safety of the entire planet is, apparently at stake. Despite his lackadaisical attitude, though, Sonic is quick to race into action when he sees Tails is in real danger and begrudgingly agrees to solve Robotnik’s problem despite never shaking the belief that something fishy is going on. Sonic is not just cocky but also extremely arrogant, surprisingly lazy, quick to anger, and uncouth, something his current incarnations often seem to forget or ignore. While still heroic, Sonic prefers to wait until the very last second, or needs considerable persuasion, to act; Sonic desires challenge and, without it, is mainly lethargic. This is best depicted in his intense and escalating battle with Metal Sonic wherein Sonic’s stupor gives way to a passionate desire to defend his pride and identity.
Tails is at his most capable here, berating Sonic’s inaction and directly influencing the plot.
Tails, also, is far more capable and competent than his other animated counterparts; a genius with machines and computers, it’s heavily implied that he retrofitted all the junk and discarded technology to build his laboratory and aircraft hanger and he’s easily able to reprogram Robotnik’s navigational device to alter Hyper Metal Sonic’s programming and repair the Tornado after it crashes. Crucially, though clearly an enthusiastic and naïve little kid, Tails is Sonic’s conscience and the voice of reason; when Sonic refuses to help, Tails berates him and helps coerce him into action and, while he does need a bit of rescuing, he’s also quite capable of doing far more than just whining or being a mere hostage or a liability.
Sara is a pain in the ass but at least she has more personality than the President.
Tails’s usually annoying characteristics are, instead, supplanted into Sara; a grating, annoying character, Sara is selfish and aggravating, throwing tantrums over the littlest things and revelling in her ability to manipulate the hearts and minds of men with her allure. Interestingly, though, the annoying aspects of her character give her a little more personality than the average damsel in distress since she doesn’t just sit there like a lemon or cringe in fear; she shouts, screams, lashes out, and whines the entire time instead which, yes, means you end up questioning why anyone would want to rescue her annoying ass but an irritating personality is a personality nonetheless, at least, which is more than can be said about her father, the President (Neal), who is a largely ineffectual and useless character.
Knuckles is a far less gullible or bumbling character than he’s now characterised as.
Unlike the majority of Sonic’s American cartoons, the OVA immediately gets extra points from me for actually including my favourite Sonic character: Knuckles the Echidna (Wise). Of course, of all the characters, Knuckles is perhaps the most fundamentally changed by the adaptation process; rather than an echidna, he’s said to be a mole (one, somehow, capable of flying) who is more interested in treasure and bounty hunting than guarding Angel Island and the Master Emerald. In fact, neither of these two elements are ever mentioned, characterising Knuckles as this wandering nomad who is, nevertheless, “Sonic’s best friend”; Knuckles, far from the gullible and foolish character he has become in recent years, is a capable, confident, and knowledgeable source of exposition and gets some fun comedic moments like when he chastises Tails for landing on Sara’s boobs or when his beloved and bad-ass cowboy hat catches fire!
Though a buffoon at times, Robotnik is still a charismatic, deceptive, and competent villain.
For those only familiar with Sonic’s American cartoons, perhaps the most striking character in the OVA is Dr. Robotnik; rather than some bumbling fool or a semi-cybernetic, tyrannical dictator, Robotnik is far closer to his videogame counterpart and, when I think of the Robotnik from Sonic’s 2D videogames, this is the one I think of. A charismatic, deceptive, and a ruthless individual, Robotnik is easily able to intimidate the President by kidnapping his daughter, manipulate Sonic and Tails into doing his bidding, and ultimately capture Sonic’s “life data” to complete Hyper Metal Sonic. There’s a lot of backstory hinted at with this world, primarily through Robotnik, who explains how Planet Freedom works and hints towards previous encounters with Sonic and Tails, and Robotnik actually has a lot of depth to his personality as he seems to genuinely be besotted with Sara while also wishing to destroy Sonic and take over the Land of the Sky. Robotnik, of course, isn’t the only antagonist in the OVA; at first, we’re led to believe that the primary antagonist is the mysterious “Metal Robotnik”, a massive demonic anime mech that is, clearly, being piloted or at least controlled by Robotnik. The deception, however, completely fools everyone despite the fact that Metal Robotnik sounds exactly like Robotnik! The mech suit gives Robotnik a vast array of combat options that briefly give him the upper hand but the destruction of Metal Robotnik isn’t even a set back for Robotnik; it’s all simply part of his master plan, which is surprisingly competent and threatening.
Sonic insists on battling Metal Sonic alone, seeing the robot as a degrading imposter.
Hyper Metal Sonic, obviously, ends up becoming the main antagonist but it doesn’t actually properly appear until after our heroes get past Metal Robotnik, enter Robotropolis, and shut down the Robot Generator; it’s glimpsed in the opening, pre-title sequence, however, and looms over the narrative like an ominous cloud so that, once it does appear, it’s in suitably dramatic and threatening fashion. Hyper Metal Sonic is a cold, calculating, silent antagonist and Sonic sees its mere existence as both an insult and a threat to his position, categorically refusing to have his friends help him and choosing to battle his robotic counterpart alone in increasingly violent confrontations.
The Nitty-Gritty: Though there is a general, prevailing idea that Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie is much closer to the source material than its other animated counterparts, that isn’t exactly true; the world we are presented with in the film is just as different from that seen in the games as Mobius is in the cartoons and comics, perhaps even more so since this is a strange world that resembles a shattered, post-apocalyptic version of our world more than the wacky, fantasy worlds seen in the videogames. However, the spirit of the videogames is evoked far closer thanks to the OVA’s anime aesthetic and locations closely resembling those seen in the games (Never Lake, for example, appears to be briefly seen onscreen at one point and Sonic races through traps and obstacles very similar to those from the games, including the first and most accurate onscreen portrayal of springs, spikes, and Badniks).
The world is both familiar and yet unique, borrowing from and then influencing Sonic‘s videogames.
One thing I love about this OVA is not just how well it captures the spirit of the source material but also came to influence later videogames and Sonic canon; it’s fitting that this was released outside of Japan around the time of the Dreamcast since there are many visual and aesthetic similarities between the OVA and Sonic Adventure (Sonic Team, 1998): Tails’s workshop, the airstrip that rises out of the ground, the visual of the “relics” of the Land of Darkness (clearly the remnants of New York City) sinking into the ocean are all clearly evoked in Sonic Adventure. Honestly, it’s a shame that more episodes of the OVA weren’t produced and that it hasn’t had a greater impact on larger Sonic canon; ideally, I’d love to see a 2D Sonic videogame utilise an artistic style or anime sequences such as the ones on display here for the cutscenes, if nothing else.
Animation is slick and fluid and the level of detail on offer is astounding at times.
Visually resembling Sonic CD’s impressive anime sequences, and loosely adapting its plot, unlike its American counterparts, the OVA featured a fairly simplistic story, but one given greater depth by its diagetic world. While some exposition exists regarding Planet Freedom and its two opposing “dimensions”, it is clearly not Earth, Mobius, or the Japanese videogame world either, despite some aesthetic resemblances to each. Instead, Planet Freedom is a post-apocalyptic alternate Earth where some calamity has caused the planet’s surface to break away and reduced the lower surface to ruins. As a result, the OVA’s visuals and scenery are amazingly detailed and even somewhat resemble the Zones of the source material. This, coupled with the OVA’s musical composition, evokes Sonic’s spirit in a way that its counterparts failed to do; by appropriating numerous anime tropes and conventions, the OVA’s characters act exactly as you expect and engage in frequent, intense, fast-paced action.
Amusingly, some risquémoments slipped past the OVA’s censors…
Of course, the OVA isn’t perfect; ask most people for their thoughts on it and the first thing they’ll mention is the pretty atrocious voice acting. Tails has a strange, nasally quality; Sonic’s voice is wildly inconsistent, croaking one minute and being strained the next, and Old Man Owl (Charles C. Campbell) is almost unintelligible. Knuckles, however, sounds pretty good and I love Dr. Robotnik’s boisterous, elaborate slightly German accent. Overall, I don’t really mind the voice work; it’s not like the ones in the American cartoons were always great and it actually adds to the OVA’s cheesy, goofy charm. Indeed, the OVA’s flaws come from the poor quality of some of the voice acting rather than the quality of the animation yet, interestingly, though it has the high-quality whitewash of respected Japanese anime to bolster its critical reception, Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie remains almost as separate from its source material as any of the American animations, though ironically is able to better convey the essence of said source material better than any Sonic animation produced throughout the nineties. Furthermore, the OVA is made more entertaining by the fact that a few questionable moments made it past the censors: Sonic gives Metal Robotnik the finger, Sara is seen breastfeeding in a brief imaginary sequence and kicks the crap out of Metal Sonic when she thinks its looking up her dress, and Sonic lands on his crotch on Robotnik’s craft, which is all very wacky and amusing.
Metal ultimately comes to reflect not just Sonic’s speed and skill but his heroic heart as well.
Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie excels in the quality of its animation; characters move with blinding super speed like in Dragonball Z (1989 to 1996) but are also slick and smoothly animated. Nowhere is the animation and art style represented better than in the depiction of Sonic’s battle against Hyper Metal Sonic and the design of Metal Sonic (and, also, Metal Robotnik). Their battles are a test of their skill, speed, and endurance as Sonic is somewhat on the backfoot given that Metal doesn’t tire or feel pain but Metal, far from a simple unemotional machine, begins to grow frustrated with Sonic’s persistence and will and evolves to mirror Sonic’s personality and body language as much as his speed. Thanks to Tails’s influence, Metal eventually chooses to sacrifice itself to save Sara and the President, refusing to be save from destruction since “There. Is. Only. One. Sonic”.
The Summary: Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie is, still, perhaps the greatest Sonic animation ever created even though it still takes numerous, strange liberties with the source material, reflecting neither the Japanese or American versions of Sonic’s story or the story as told in the games themselves. Instead, the OVA is its own thing entirely, implying a continuity and a larger backstory that we, sadly, never get to explore as we only got to see these two episodes edited into one feature-length animation. Nostalgia and the general obscurity and rarity of the OVA obviously all helps to add to its appeal but Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie is still well worth your time, especially if you’re a Sonic fan or a fan of anime in general since there’s plenty on offer here for both. Between the slick animation, catchy soundtrack, and action-packed narrative, Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie presents perhaps the most appealing and cohesive bridge between Sonic’s many competing narratives and I’d love to see the concept and aesthetic revisited in more detail at some point. However, since that’s extremely unlikely given how wildly different the Sonic franchise is these days, at least we still have this hidden gem to fall back on.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Fantastic
Have you ever seen Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie? If so, what did you think to it? Were you able to look past the dodgy voice acting or was it simply too much to handle, despite the OVA’s impressive animation? Did you like the unique world of the OVA or do you feel it was too separate from the videogames and generally accepted narrative of the time? Would you like to see a return to this style of characterisation and animation for Sonic or would you prefer something a little different; if so, what? How are you planning on celebrating Sonic’s thirtieth anniversary this year? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the OVA, and Sonic in general, so feel free to leave a comment below.
When the Great Demon King Piccolo was released upon the world, he broadcasted a message on television declaring May 9th as “Piccolo Day”…and promptly celebrated by announcing his ownership over the planet. Since then, May 9th has been officially recognised as “Goku Day” and, accordingly, I have spent the last few Sundays looking back at one of the franchise’s most popular villains: Broly.
Released: December 2018 Director: Tatsuya Nagamine Distributor: Toei Company/20th Century Fox Budget: $8.5 million Stars: Sean Schemmel, Christopher Sabat, Vic Mignogna, Chris Ayres, Erica Lindbeck, and Dameon Clarke
The Plot: After restoring peace to the Earth, and the multiverse, in the Tournament of Power, Son Goku (Schemmel) and Vegeta (Sabat) have been undergoing rigorous training to combat both the renewed threat of Frieza (Ayres) and unknown enemies from beyond their world. However, they face a threat unlike no other when Frieza joins forces with Paragus (Clarke) and his son, Broly (Mignogna), a being whose power eclipses both Saiyans and forces them to turn to the one technique they swore they’d never use again: Fusion.
The Background: After debuting in the pages of Weekly Shōnen Jump back in 1984, Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has proven a popular and influential manga and anime; its sequel series, Dragonball Z, not only came to define the entire franchise in popular, mainstream media but also spawned several feature-length movies and even a third series, Dragonball GT, all of which are generally considered non-canon as they lacked the direct involvement of Toriyama. After years of speculation and anticipation, Toriyama returned to Dragon Ball in 2015 with Dragonball Super, an official continuation of his popular manga that spawned two more feature-length movies in 2013 and 2015 and, of course, an accompanying anime series that ran from 2015 to 2018. Picking up immediately where Dragonball Z left off, Dragonball Super has largely supplantedDragonball GT in the Dragon Ball canon and saw series protagonists Goku and Vegeta transform into even more powerful states, harnessing the powers of Gods, the return of many familiar characters and villains from the franchise’s rich history, and a tournament that spanned parallel universes! Soon after the end of the anime, Toryiama began working on a feature-length film to cap off the series that promised to introduce a “long awaited, strong opponent”. Thanks to his immense popularity among Dragon Ball fans, this turned out to be none other than the Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly, redesigned by Toryiama and officially integrated into his main series canon for the first time. This popularity, alongside improved worldwide distribution compared to previous films, saw the film eventually eclipse even the U.S. lifetime gross of the much-lauded Spirited Away (Miyazaki, 2001) to amass over $120 million worldwide.
The Review: It is to my great shame that I have to admit that I haven’t really watched much of Dragonball Super, much less read the original manga. I’ve been patiently waiting and debating about buying the physical releases of the anime and caught a few episodes here and there, but the majority of my knowledge of the series comes from what I’ve read online and the previous movies in the series. Luckily, Dragonball Super The Movie: Broly opens in familiar-enough territory; with King Cold (Jason Douglas), Frieza, and the Ginyu Force arriving on Planet Vegeta to meet with King Vegeta (Sabat). If there’s one thing I’ve found Toryiama likes to do whenever he revisits his seminal franchise, it’s digging up the past; he unnecessarily resurrected Frieza in the previous film, Dragonball Z: Resurrection “F” (Yamamuro, 2015), and even brought back Future Trunks (Eric Vale) in Dragonball Super. It’s a helpful shorthand for getting a sense of how powerful certain characters are by having Frieza around but, generally, I don’t really like that villains and characters so hopelessly outclassed are suddenly brought back and deemed a threat once more.
In detailing Broly’s new backstory, the film features some unexpected cameos.
The film even revisits Frieza’s eventual campaign against the Saiyans, including Goku’s father, Bardock (Strait), into the plot and officially incorporating him into the overall canon at the same time. Interestingly, the alterations made to Goku’s origins not only recontextualise the characterisation of Bardock but also slightly alter the specifics of how Goku escaped the destruction of Planet Vegeta and the majority of the Saiyan race and even his early years on Earth. This also allows us to see Vegeta and Raditz (Justin Cook) as little kids, which is something we’ve never really seen before in the series. All of these elements form the background to Broly’s revised origin: similar to his original incarnation, Broly is still a child prodigy with a power level that initially appears to eclipse that of even King Vegeta’s son and who has the potential to be even the Legendary Super Saiyan. King Vegeta is still fearful and frustrated by Broly’s superiority over his son and ostracised the child, and his father, Paragus, by sending them to the backwater world of Vampa where Broly’s power would not be a threat to his rule or the purity of the Saiyan race. Angered, Paragus pursues his son and vows to harness Broly’s power to oppose his former king, resulting in a backstory that is largely the same but slightly different in subtle ways; clearly, Broly’s original origin as a Saiyan born with incredible powers was iconic enough to leave mostly intact but his eventual personality and the circumstances of his madness are altered quite considerably.
Broly is now a far more sympathetic and tragic figure, making him much more complex and relatable.
Originally, Broly was overwhelmed by his power, frustrated by his father’s control over him, and enraged to the point of mindless insanity thanks to Goku’s crying disturbing him as a child; though initially quite eloquent, he was always a mindless engine of destruction even before he literally became little more than a rampaging monster. Here, though, Broly is a far more complex character; naïve and almost caveman-like, he’s easily controlled by his father thanks to a restraining collar and is quite passive and childlike even when fully grown. He’s not only far more gentle and eloquent, he also makes friends with Cheelai (Lindbeck) and Lemo (Bruce Carey) and grew so attached to Ba, a gigantic creature from Vampa, that his father had to mutilate the beast to keep Broly focused on his training as an unstoppable weapon. These elements all add much-needed layers to Broly’s backstory, transforming him into a far more tragic and sympathetic figure who is a victim of his machinations of his father and upbringing as much as his limitless power and uncontrollable rage. When we are finally reintroduced to Goku and Vegeta, they are still just as enthusiastic about sparring and growing stronger than ever thanks to their experiences in the Tournament of Power. While Goku wishes to grow more powerful to take on opponents from other universe, Vegeta desires to increase his power in order to defeat Frieza, angered that Goku not only resurrected Frieza but allowed him to go free after he helped them in the anime. It’s interesting to see Vegeta be the voice of reason; I would have assumed that his and Goku’s motivations would have been reversed but, instead, Vegeta is most perturbed by the potential threat Frieza poses, especially after they discover that he has stolen six of the seven magical Dragon Balls.
Despite his lack of training, Broly’s raw power is enough to push Vegeta to his limits.
Convinced that Frieza can’t be up to much good, Goku agrees to go with Vegeta and Bulma (Monica Rial) to the ice continent (picking up some nifty cold-weather clothes along the way) to find the last Dragon Ball. In a strangely amusing twist, though, it turns out that Frieza’s motivations for finding the Dragon Balls are as laughably vain and simple as Bulma’s: Bulma wants to wish to look five years younger and Frieza wants to be five centimetres taller, with both characters reasoning that any more would be “too noticeable”. It’s a tenuous reason to get the plot in gear but a recurring joke in the film and perfectly in line with the wackier elements and motivations of the franchise. Frieza’s motivations change, however, when his soldiers find the now-aged Paragus and Broly; impressed by the potential of Broly’s power, Frieza feeds Paragus’s desire for revenge against Vegeta by coercing them into engaging with his hated enemies. This time around, Broly’s rage is not at Goku alone but, instead, at anyone his father deems to be an enemy and, specifically, Vegeta for being the son of the man who condemned them to death. Once he begins to engage in battle, though, his formally peaceful and serene nature gives way to an insatiable bloodlust and increasing, overpowering rage that pushes both Goku and Vegeta to their limits.
Goku and Vegeta are forced to merge into Gogeta to counter Broly’s unstoppable rage.
Overwhelmed by Broly’s limitless rage, power, and brute strength, Goku and Vegeta are forced to not only team up with Golden Frieza to defeat Broly but also to turn to Piccolo (Sabat) for help in mastering the Fusion Dance. Previously, the two had fused into Vegito using the Potara Earrings and, though they had performed the Fusion Dance and transformed into Gogeta in non-canon anime, movies, and videogames, they’ve never performed the dance or assumed this form in canon until this moment. It’s a striking contrast to Vegeta’s fear and helplessness in Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan (Shigeyasu, 1993); there, he was so reluctant to fight against Broly or lend Goku his power that he was almost willing to accept what he saw as his inevitable death at the hands of the Legendary Super Saiyan but, here, his resolve against Broly’s power never falters and he begrudgingly agrees to undergo the transformation in order to prevail. As much as I enjoyed seeing Vegeta’s usual arrogance and ego stripped away and him brought to his knees by fear, it’s equally as entertaining to see him forced to merge into the same body as his hated rival.
The Nitty-Gritty: Unlike his original appearances, which quickly devolved into little more than an extended series of fights against a near-unstoppable opponent that ended in anti-climatic fashion two out of three times, Dragonball Super The Movie: Broly depicts Broly as a formidable opponent whose power increases again and again as the film progresses and, yet, also a foe whom Goku and Vegeta are able to put up a much better fight against than in his original incarnation.
Broly’s Wrath State quickly overwhelms Goku’s Super Saiyan God form.
Unlike his original counterpart, Broly is actually rather untested in battle, relying on brute strength, anger, or instinct in a way that is slightly different to in the original films; despite his vast power level, he cannot even transform into a regular Super Saiyan, much less the Legendary Super Saiyan, at the start of the film and, yet, his base form is more than capable of matching Super Vegeta and pushing him to his limits. Broly also demonstrates the ability to learn, adapt, and increase in power as a fight progresses and, after being bested by Vegeta’s Super Saiyan God form, Broly summons the power of the Great Ape but channels it through his normal body, attaining a new form not seen before: his Wrath State. In an interesting twist, Broly is far more devoted to his father than in his original depiction; rather than turning against and killing Paragus in the midst of his onslaught, Broly follows his father’s directions (when not in a mindless rage) and is so traumatised by his death at Frieza’s hands that he finally transforms into a Super Saiyan. Nothing, not even a Kamehameha/Galick Gun combination or Golden Frieza is enough to stand against Broly, forcing Vegeta to swallow his pride and endure the Fusion Dance to allow Gogeta to be born in canon for the first time. Their eventual team up with Golden Frieza makes for a suitably impressive finale; as much as I may dislike Frieza being resurrected and even him being somewhat redeemed and becoming more of an anti-hero and reluctant ally, it’s still impressive seeing him forced to fight alongside his hated enemies in their merged form.
Broly‘s fights quickly escalate into some of the most furious and explosive the series has ever seen.
The result is a series of far more impressive and spectacular fight scenes than in any of Broly’s previous appearances; as awesome as it was to see the original Broly swat away our heroes like they were nothing, there’s no denying that Broly’s fights are bigger, more explosive, and far more exciting as the stakes continually increase and each character is forced to up their power level again and again to match the other. Even better is the climax of the film; as noted, Broly’s previous appearances all ended in anti-climatic fashion save for one and even that did little to redeem the film that proceeded it. Here, Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta and Legendary Super Saiyan Broly fight so hard that they threaten not only the safety of the Earth but the entire universe as well. Tying back into Broly’s introduction as a simple man-child with a kind heart, he is ultimately transported back to Vampa by Cheelai’s wish right as Gogeta is about to finish him off. Frieza allows Broly to go, confidant that Cheelai and Lemo will be able to domesticate him so Frieza can utilise his power at a later date, and the film ends with Broly, now living a simple life as a farmer with his friends, content and at peace with himself. Unlike in his original incarnation, he even ends the film on good terms with Goku, who not only wishes to face Broly in battle once again but also finally, surprisingly, embraces his Saiyan heritage for the first time in a nod to the original films by insisting that Broly call him “Kakarot”.
The Summary: Of all the films to feature Broly, Dragonball Super The Movie: Broly is easily the best one, even better than Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan. One of the biggest issues the original Dragonball Z feature films had was that they were so condensed that they often focused solely on comedy or fight scenes, with little substance to their style. This is great when you’re burned out from watching characters power up over the course of three or five episodes of the anime but not so much when you’re trying to invest in their original characters and the potential of their premises. Dragonball Super The Movie: Broly takes everything that worked from Broly’s previous appearances and expands upon it, giving him a far more intricate and interesting backstory while still portraying him as a brute of near-unstoppable power. At this point in the franchise, Goku and Vegeta are so powerful that it’s hard for any opponent to be taken seriously but the fact that Broly forced them to not only merge together but also turn Super Saiyan Blue in that form shows that he’s just as formidable, if not more so, than his original incarnation. With far more impressive fight scenes, much better use of characters, comedy, and action, and even some much-appreciated peeks into the past, Dragonball Super The Movie: Broly is probably the best Dragon Ball movie out of them all and the fact that it leaves the door open for Broly to naturally and seamlessly return to the franchise is all the better.
My Rating:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Fantastic
What did you think of Dragonball Super The Movie: Broly? Were you happy with the alterations made to Broly? How do you feel about characters like Frieza returning to the franchise and being somewhat redeemed? What did you think of Dragonball Super as an official continuation of the series? Which story arc from Dragonball Super did you like the best and which characters from the multiverse would you like to see show up in future films? Whatever your thoughts, feel free to leave a comment below.
Dr. K's Waiting Room 