To say that Dragon Ball has had an impact on pop culture would be an understatement. Along with finding success on both the pages of manga and television screen, the work of Akira Toriyama has broken into other mediums like video games and film. In the case of the big screen, Dragon Ball has garnered much success in recent years with movies such as Dragon Ball Super: Broly excelling at the box office and entertaining fans and moviegoers alike. One could argue that if it was not for Dragon Ball’s success in theaters, anime films may not be as prevalent as they are these days. After finding such success with Broly, as well as its predecessors, it is no surprise to see Toei Animation would want to continue this cherished franchise’s time on big screen, and right before the summer ends Goku and his friends return in the latest installment in to the anime series-Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

Directed by Tetsuro Kodama, Super Hero focuses on Gohan and Piccolo who face off against the Red Ribbon Army, who seek world domination and revenge, and their new androids. Even before Broly’s release, development for this new movie was underway with Toriyama once again returning to develop the story. Along with centering on characters like Piccolo, the movie would also utilize a new style of animation that could be considered polarizing. The movie was released in Japan on June 11, 2022 and eventually made its way worldwide in August. With the series’ having so much success on the big screen, especially after Broly, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero had much to live up to. Naturally being a fan of Dragon Ball, this new movie was a must watch for me, and while I cannot say I was blown away by this installment, there is no doubt in this Film Adventurer that Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is yet another exciting addition to the anime series.

Despite its simplicity, Dragon Ball can be quite compelling in its storytelling. In the case of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero this movie was more of a slice of life tale than anything else. While the plot had a sense of conflict, the real driving force to this story was seeing the average day for the Dragon Ball characters, with Piccolo serving as the audience’s guide. This direction was also prevalent in the subplot of Goku and Vegeta being off-world which also served as a means to connect this film to the bigger story seen in Dragon Ball Super. Along with its subtle storytelling, the plot also expanded on the series’ lore of which was evident in the return of the Red Ribbon Army. While this area could be further explored, the inclusion of the Red Ribbon Army was handled well as it was easy to understand who the group was and what they have been up to all this time. If there’s one issue the plot had it would be its execution. While its narrative was refreshing and its world-building was decent, the plot had some problems bringing everything together, and this made it difficult for certain moments to stand out. Despite this dilemma, the story managed to hit in the right places and, just like Broly, the plot became an exciting ride when the action started which led to a climax that was fun, thrilling, and felt right at home with the Dragon Ball franchise.

If Super Hero proved one thing it is the strength of the Dragon Ball cast. It can be difficult for an anime to put its focus on supporting characters and to see this direction happen in an anime movie is almost unheard of. However, for the most part, Super Hero was able to exceed in this direction. It was nice to see Piccolo and Gohan get a major push in this movie and two made for an enjoyable pair of protagonists; although some of their development needed more tuning-particularly Gohan. As for the rest of the cast, the movie was filled with returning characters as well as surprising new additions. Seeing Gohan’s daughter, Pan, start her development was enjoyable while characters like Bulma, Krillen, Beerus and Broly were always great to see. When it came to villains, the Red Ribbon Army was alright but fairly standard in their villainy. However the standout characters in this group was none other than Dr. Hedo and his androids Gamma 1 and 2. There was more to Hedo than I originally expected while the Gammas were intriguing additions to both the movie and the series as a whole. Rounding for the cast was none other than the series icons Goku and Vegeta. While the duo may not have been in the movie long, their appearance was still appreciated as the Saiyans gave their usual flair to this new movie.

Even with the different direction in both story and characters, perhaps the most intriguing element to this new movie was the animation. While the previous films kept to the style of the series, Super Hero featured a new format with the animation being a blend of 2D and 3D with a major emphasis on the 3D side. This decision was definitely an ambitious move, but it proved to be the right style for this new movie. While some moments could feel wooden, especially when characters were standing still, the animation managed to capture Toriyama’s style while giving the film a presentation that was worthy of its respected genres. Along with the animation was of course the film’s action. While it could be spotty in places, the action was as intense as it was enjoyable; living up to the standard of this battle anime. The music by Naoki Satjo was fine for the movie, but it did not leave much of an impression-especially when compared to the soundtrack of Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was no doubt a different movie for the series. Between its choice of main characters and even animation, the latest installment in the anime series was definitely a gamble; but I think it was successful in this endeavor. While the movie does have some issues in execution, it still succeeded thanks to its nuance in story and characters as well as its dynamic presentation seen in its animation and action. Between the tense fights and sheer enjoyment, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero proves to be another solid film for both the Dragon Ball series and anime films in general; as well as a fun blockbuster to see this summer.