Akira Toriyama’s work, particularly Dragon Ball Z, has struck a chord with viewers for numerous reasons, and its widespread popularity has given rise to a series of movie adaptations. It’s common for successful battle shonen anime to produce cinematic events, but the Dragon Ball Z franchise boasts over a dozen movies showcasing some of its most iconic battles. Unlike their Dragon Ball Z counterparts, the Dragon Ball Super films have introduced a unique twist in their storytelling.
The Dragon Ball Z films aren’t always flawless, with some fans considering them rather superficial, particularly when certain movies barely surpass the length of two episodes from the anime. Despite these criticisms, there remains a wealth of enjoyment to be found in the Dragon Ball Z films, as they play a significant role within the franchise. However, it’s worth noting that these movies occasionally feature peculiarities and inconsistencies that are common across the numerous Dragon Ball Z films.
Convenient Ki Breakthroughs Regularly Save The Day
The movies based on Dragon Ball Z often strive to align with the franchise’s continuity and develop narratives that could logically fit into specific arcs of larger sagas. However, the crew responsible for these Dragon Ball Z films didn’t always collaborate directly with Akira Toriyama or the main anime production team. Consequently, some creative liberties were occasionally taken. A notable aspect of Dragon Ball Z is its propensity to culminate in a climactic finale where a new technique is employed to secure victory. The Spirit Bomb serves this purpose extensively, but its usage eventually becomes less impactful.
In these movies, characters often introduce unique abilities and transformations that are awe-inspiring, but unfortunately, these aren’t consistent within the storyline as they don’t conform to established canon. This leads to some thrilling new battle techniques by Goku, such as his False Super Saiyan form, Kaio-Ken x100, Spirit Bomb Super Saiyan, and the powerful Dragon Fist. Notably, Goku’s Dragon Fist does reappear in Dragon Ball GT, which was produced by the same Toei team. However, most of these movie innovations end up feeling underwhelming because they are limited to one-time occurrences and not reliable battle strategies.
Grounded Human Threats Have No Place in Dragon Ball Z’s Movies
One aspect that makes Dragon Ball so engaging is the diverse cast of characters it boasts. The films derived from Dragon Ball Z serve as wonderful opportunities to revisit some of the series’ most iconic villain types, such as Saiyans, Namekians, or Androids. These movies often introduce demons and aliens, all of whom embody truly alien menaces.
Among the Dragon Ball Z movie antagonists, Dr. Wheelo stands out as the most ordinary, having started life as a human scientist. However, in Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest, he transforms into an inhuman villain, now a disembodied brain operating within a massive mechanical body. His monstrous Bio-Warriors serve as his protectors during battles. This trend of inhuman antagonists is also prevalent in the original Dragon Ball movies, where characters like Lucifer and King Gurumes, both demonic entities, serve as formidable adversaries.
Dragon Ball Z’s Movies Create Their Own Canon
For fans of Dragon Ball, enjoying the anime without fretting over what’s considered canon isn’t difficult. Yet, the films do occasionally blur this area a bit. It’s scarcely ever seen that characters who debuted in a Dragon Ball Z movie become part of the manga. Nevertheless, there is some interaction between the anime of Dragon Ball Z and these occasional movies.
Many people choose to move towards the Dragon Ball Z movies because they gain more influence during their stay. For example, Pikkon initially leaves a powerful impact in the Other World Saga of Dragon Ball Z, but truly shines in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn. Interestingly, characters who first appear in Dragon Ball Z’s movies, such as Garlic Jr. or Gohan’s pet dragon Icarus, later reappear in regular Dragon Ball Z episodes that are not part of the main storyline (filler episodes).
Many Dragon Ball Z Movies Hinge On A Devious Dragon Ball Wish
Occasionally, the storyline of Dragon Ball includes situations where antagonists manage to fulfill their Dragon Ball wish, such as Demon King Piccolo regaining his youth and power. Interestingly, several Dragon Ball Z movies portray not only wishes granted by Shenron but also those made by unsavory characters. For instance, the first Dragon Ball Z movie, Dead Zone, allows its villain, Garlic Jr., to achieve something significant.
In the movie “Wrath of the Dragon,” Dr. Kochin employs the Dragon Balls to thaw Dr. Wheelo’s icy form and initiate the storyline. Similarly, Lord Slug restores his youth by making a wish with a Dragon Ball, much like King Piccolo. Additionally, Hoi in “Wrath of the Dragon” gains the power to summon Hirudegarn’s turmoil through a Dragon Ball wish that awakens Tapion. It’s intriguing how the Dragon Balls can pose a danger rather than being beneficial in the films of “Dragon Ball Z.
Many Unsung Heroes Get Their Due
In Dragon Ball Z, the movies often focus on Goku, Vegeta, and sometimes Gohan, but they excel at giving the vast cast of characters their due share of action. The second and third films particularly highlight the original Z-Fighter team, making it enjoyable to see less powerful characters like Yamcha, Master Roshi, Chiaotzu, and Tien shine. Characters such as Piccolo play a crucial role in Dead Zone, Lord Slug, and Cooler’s Revenge. Future Trunks, who is well-liked by fans, is predominantly developed during the Cell Saga in Dragon Ball Z.
In three distinct films – “Super Android 13!”, “Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan”, and “Bojack Unbound” – each offers some of the Saiyan’s finest moments. Videl, with her martial arts background, gets a chance to show off in two instances: first, when she faces off against Broly in “Broly – Second Coming”, and second, by assisting Gohan in maintaining order in “Wrath of the Dragon”.
Dragon Ball Z Embraces A Graduated Strength System To Its Enemies
The continuous anime adaptation of Dragon Ball Z follows a complex narrative structure, making it challenging to watch episodes out of sequence. However, unlike the series, the movies associated with Dragon Ball Z can generally be viewed in any order, except for those that serve as direct sequels to others. The show aims to heighten tension and advancement by consistently portraying characters as being stronger than they were previously encountered. This results in ongoing progression, where the characters continue to overcome increasingly formidable adversaries, even if they haven’t yet fully mastered any transformations since their last appearance.
It’s logical that each villain in the Dragon Ball Z series gets progressively stronger, but sometimes it’s tough to accept this fact, especially when considering the final movies. For instance, Bio-Broly is said to be stronger than Broly, which seems implausible, but it’s challenging to judge accurately since he primarily fights against Goten and Trunks. On the other hand, Super Saiyan 3 Goku isn’t powerful enough to defeat Super Janemba, yet he can overcome Hirudegarn with a new attack – though he doesn’t need fusion to win against Hirudegarn.
Dragon Ball Z Isn’t Afraid To Let Out Its Inner Child
Initially, Dragon Ball Z is commonly perceived as an over-the-top action anime, but it originally began life as a lighthearted comedy series with a humorous basis. Occasionally, the comedic elements of the original Dragon Ball resurface in unexpected ways, and the movies often feature tonal shifts that can seem inconsistent. Despite their focus on battle-centric narratives, Dragon Ball Z‘s films occasionally dedicate several minutes to ridiculous gags intended for younger viewers. It’s crucial that the spirit of the original Dragon Ball remains intact and continues to resonate with a new generation of fans who enjoy its humor.
In various movies within the series, there are humorous, playful scenes that recur frequently. Notably, two instances that stand out are found in “Dead Zone” and “Bio-Broly”. In “Dead Zone”, there’s an absurd scene where Gohan accidentally gets drunk and has a bizarre, dream-like experience. Conversely, “Bio-Broly” features Goten and Trunks taking charge, resulting in their youthful exuberance dominating the entire film. This is part of the reason why “Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly” remains quite divisive among fans.
A Growing Goku Obsession Becomes Repetitive
In many anime productions, including Dragon Ball Z, it’s common for the main character to secure most of the significant wins. While Goku doesn’t always work alone in his movie escapades, he often takes center stage at the end of the story. This pattern can be engaging, but it occasionally leads to a predictable narrative structure that may diminish the impact of the final scenes. However, this doesn’t imply that Goku’s co-stars don’t have their own valuable roles or that they never contribute significantly; it’s just unusual for them to deliver the decisive blow. Remarkably, Goku manages to claim victory in battles where he has no prior connection.
In the series Bojack Unbound, Goku disregards the rules of the Other World to give Bojack a decisive blow, allowing Gohan to clinch victory. Moreover, it appears that a stray Dragon Ball wish accidentally conjures Goku into Gohan and Goten’s Family Kamehameha against Broly in the movie Broly – Second Coming. Interestingly, the only film where Goku doesn’t actively participate in the final battle is Bio-Broly, but even then, the movie features a brief cameo of Goku and foreshadows a future confrontation between him and Broly.
Combat Builds To A Predictable, Safe Conclusion
In most instances, Goku chooses forgiveness and transformation over revenge. Many of his closest companions were initially enemies or rivals, reinforcing his conviction that everyone merits another opportunity. However, when it comes to the main antagonists in the Dragon Ball Z movies, Goku ensures they don’t return by taking their lives, thus eliminating any potential future disturbances in the anime.
Nevertheless, there are alternative methods for concluding a conflict that don’t necessitate taking a life. It’s quite unusual to observe Goku exhibiting such a relaxed attitude towards violence, as it often appears. The rare occasions when adversaries resurface in later episodes, such as Cooler and Broly, typically hinge on luck or supernatural intervention. However, they eventually meet their demise in subsequent storylines.
Movie Villain Transformations Are Expected At This Point
In the Dragon Ball Z movies, a recurring tradition – particularly noticeable – is the concept that certain powerful artifacts are hidden within them. This convention, popularized by Dragon Ball Z, is almost always present in every film. It serves as a catalyst for Goku’s transformations and also signifies the approaching climax of the movie.
As a die-hard fan, I can’t help but marvel at the transformations these Dragon Ball Z antagonists undergo! From Garlic Jr.’s humble beginnings to Super Garlic Jr., or Cooler’s initial form compared to his final, it’s the creativity and progression that truly captivates me. Even Janemba’s base state pales in comparison to the fearsome Super Janemba. It’s this pattern of revealing their full potential towards the end of the movies, instead of starting with their peak form, that keeps me hooked on Dragon Ball Z!
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2025-05-07 02:04