Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Broly Reboot




Like much of the Dragon Ball Super series you will discover that there are many inconsistencies with the existing series, in fact, the new Broly Movie is a complete reboot of not only Broly, but also the beginning of the Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z series.




The Dragon Ball Super Broly movie is based off of the infamous Dragon Ball Minus manga which is controversial for rewriting the beginning of Dragon Ball in which Goku does not come to Earth as a baby with the iconic scene of Grandpa Gohan finding him, but rather a small boy, 3 years old, also wiping out the backstory of Goku crying and driving Broly insane.

I'm very skeptical.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Hope for the Dragon Ball Franchise


Dragon Ball Super was a disappointment for many fan while loved by others.  The amount of color-swap transformations and plot holes was enormous, far more than any of the Dragon Ball Z Movies or Dragon Ball GT.  On a brighter note, Dragon Ball Super is a continuation of the Dragon Ball series!  Super had its good points and bad points like any other series, but it gives us more to look forward to.  Recently Akira Toriyama confirmed that Dragon Ball Super will be continuing after a break!  Who knows where the series can go?  Fans eagerly hope for the new Dragon Ball Super to bring back some of the charm that was in the original Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z series.  Be excited, and keep hope for a good series.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Dragon Ball Heroes

 

Dragon Ball Heroes is a Japanese Dragon Ball arcade game with characters from Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball GT.  The series has also been adapted into a manga with exclusive sagas.  A variety Dragon Ball Heroes games have been released on the Nintendo 3DS system as Japanese exclusives.  The new main characters introduced in this series are humans who use advanced time-traveling technology from Dragon Ball Heroes machines to not only travel in time, but to also become saiyans and fight along the Z fighters.  The time travel causes alternative-story timelines and new characters and transformations to the series such as Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta and Super Saiyan 4 Broly, for example.


Characters (Note: I dont have all the Xeno characters listed):
  • Teen Goku (Base, Great Ape)
  • Goku (Base, Kaio-ken, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan Red, god-like Saiyan, Super Saiyan Blue, Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken, Ultra Instinct Incomplete, Ultra Instinct)
  • GT Goku (Base, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Golden Great Ape, Super Saiyan 4)
  • Kid Vegeta
  • Vegeta (Base, Great Ape, Super Saiyan, Power Stressed, Super Saiyan 2, Demon Prince, Super Saiyan 3, Destruction Prince Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan Blue, Super Saiyan Blue Shinka,)
  • GT Vegeta (Base, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan 4)
  • Black-Masked Saiyan
  • Kid Gohan (Base, Great Ape)
  • Teen Gohan (Base, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2)
  • Adolescent Gohan (Base, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Potential Unleashed)
  • Great Saiyaman
  • GT Gohan (Base, Super Saiyan, Infected, Infected Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 4)
  • Tien Shinhan
  • Chiaotzu
  • Master Roshi (Base, Super Serious Turtle Hermit)
  • Jackie Chun
  • Teen Krillin
  • Krillin
  • Yamcha
  • King Vegeta (Base, Great Ape)
  • Dark-Masked King
  • Bardock (Base, Great Ape, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan 4)
  • Masked Saiyan (Base, Great Ape)
  • Grand Supreme Kai
  • Northern Supreme Kai
  • Eastern Supreme Kai
  • Western Supreme Kai
  • Southern Supreme Kai
  • Chilled
  • Tarble
  • Trunks (Base, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan Anger)
  • Adolescent Trunks (Base, Super Saiyan, Power Stressed, Super Saiyan 3)
  • Young Trunks (Base, Super Saiyan)
  • GT Trunks (Base, Super Saiyan, Infected, Infected Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 3)
  • Goten (Base, Super Saiyan)
  • GT Goten (Base, Super Saiyan, Infected, Infected Super Saiyan)
  • Mighty Mask (Base, Super Saiyan)
  • Gotenks (Base, Fat Gotenks, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 3)
  • Adult Gotenks (Base, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3)
  • Kibito
  • Kibito Kai
  • Toobi
  • Gohanks
  • Veku
  • Gogeta (Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Golden Great Ape, Super Saiyan 4)
  • Vegito (Base, Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan Blue)
  • Vegito: Xeno (Base, Super Saiyan 3, Super Saiyan Kaio-ken)
  • Vegeks: Xeno (Base, Super Saiyan)
  • Jaco
  • Tora (Base, Great Ape)
  • Fasha
  • Borgos
  • Shugesh
  • Kid Pan
  • Teen Pan
  • King Piccolo (Base, Old, Giant form)
  • Tambourine
  • Ma Junior (Base, Giant form)
  • Piccolo (Base, Mind Controlled, fused with Nail, fused with Kami)
  • Kami (Base, Old)
  • Nail
  • Ninja Murasaki
  • Pirate Robot
  • General Blue
  • Mercenary Tao
  • Cyborg Tao
  • Master Shen
  • Pilaf Machine (Fusion)
  • Ginger
  • Nicky
  • Sansho
  • Garlic Jr. (Base, Transformed)
  • Destruction King Garlic Jr. (Transformed)
  • Raditz (Base, Super Saiyan 3)
  • Young Nappa
  • Nappa (Base, Super Saiyan 3)
  • Saibaman
  • Cui
  • Dodoria
  • Zarbon (Base, Monster Form)
  • Captain Ginyu
  • Recoome
  • Burter
  • Jeice
  • Guldo
  • Frieza (First Form, Second Form, Third Form, Final Form, Full Power, Golden Frieza, Golden Frieza Angered)
  • Mecha Frieza
  • King Cold
  • Spice
  • Vinegar
  • Mustard
  • Salt
  • Dr. Kochin
  • Bio-Men
  • Ebifurya
  • Kishime
  • Misokatsun
  • Amond
  • Cacao
  • Daiz
  • Rasin
  • Lakasei
  • Destruction King Turles
  • Turles (Base, Out of Control)
  • Wings
  • Angila
  • Medamatcha
  • Commander Zeeun
  • Lord Slug (Base, Giant)
  • Destruction King Lord Slug
  • Slug: Xeno (Base, Super Giant Form)
  • Dore
  • Neiz
  • Salza
  • Cooler (Base, Final Form)
  • Meta-Cooler (Base, Meta-Cooler Core)
  • Cyclopian Guard
  • Dr. Gero
  • Android 19
  • Android 18
  • Android 17
  • Android 16
  • Android 15
  • Android 14
  • Android 13
  • Super Android 13
  • Destruction King Super Android 13
  • Cell (Imperfect Form, Semi-Perfect Form, Perfect Form, Power Stressed, Super Perfect Form)
  • Cell: Xeno (Base, Cell-X)
  • Cell Jr.
  • Angol
  • Moah
  • Paragus
  • Broly (Base, Super Saiyan, Legendary Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 3, Golden Great Ape, Super Saiyan 4, Super Saiyan 4 Full Power, Super Saiyan Green)
  • Broly Dark (Super Saiyan 4)
  • King of Destruction Broly (Super Saiyan 3)
  • Bio-Broly (Base, Giant Form)
  • Dr. Raichi
  • Hatchiyack (Base, Giant Form, Powered Up Form)
  • Destruction King Hatchiyack (Powered Up Form)
  • Baby Hatchiyack
  • Kogu
  • Bido
  • Bujin
  • Zangya
  • Bojack (Base, Transformed)
  • Destruction King Bojack
  • Pikkon
  • Super Pikkon
  • Mr. Satan
  • Gokule
  • Videl
  • Great Saiyaman 2
  • Yamu
  • Spopovich
  • Pui Pui
  • Dabura
  • Demon god Dabura
  • Bibidi
  • Babidi
  • Majin Buu
  • Mr. Buu
  • Evil Buu
  • Super Buu (Base, Gotenks absorbed, Piccolo absorbed, Ultimate Gohan absorbed, Super form)
  • Kid Buu (Base, Southern Supreme Kai absorbed, Grand Supreme Kai absorbed, Kibito Kai absorbed, Babidi absorbed)
  • Dark Demon God Buu (Base, Janemba: Xeno absorbed)
  • Janemba (Base, Split Body)
  • Destruction King Janemba
  • Baby Janemba
  • Destruction King Baby Janemba
  • Janemba: Xeno (Base, Evil Demon)
  • Tapion (Base, Hirudegarn)
  • Minotia
  • Hoi
  • Beerus (Base, Angered)
  • Whis
  • Avo
  • Cado
  • Aka
  • Sorbet
  • Tagoma
  • Shisami
  • Champa
  • Vados
  • Frost (First Form, Final Form)
  • Cabba (Base, Super Saiyan)
  • Magetta
  • Botamo
  • Hit
  • Goku Black (Base, Super Saiyan Rosé)
  • Zamasu
  • Fusion Zamasu (Base, Grotesque)
  • Gowasu
  • Babarian
  • Iwne
  • Heles
  • Mosco
  • Quitela
  • Arack
  • Liquiir
  • Sidra
  • Rumsshi
  • Belmod
  • Geene
  • Marcarita
  • Ribrianne
  • Kale (Base, Uncontrollable Super Saiyan)
  • Caulifla (Super Saiyan 2)
  • Kefla (Super Saiyan)
  • Toppo
  • Dyspo
  • Jiren (Base, Full Power)
  • Anilaza
  • Katopesla
  • Ganos
  • Bergamo
  • Obuni
  • Kid Uub
  • Teen Uub
  • Majuub
  • Neko Majin Mix
  • Neko Majin Z
  • Neko Majin Mike
  • Kuriza (First Form, Final Form)
  • Super Mega Cannon Sigma
  • General Rilldo
  • Hyper Meta-Rilldo
  • Meta-Rilldo
  • Dr. Myuu
  • Mutchy
  • Motchy
  • Teen Baby
  • Baby Vegeta
  • Super Baby Vegeta (Base, Super Baby Vegeta 2, Golden Great Ape)
  • Super Baby Vegeta 2 (Base, Golden Great Ape)
  • Super Baby Trunks
  • Hell Fighter 17
  • Super 17 (Base, Android 18 absorbed, Android 16 absorbed, Cell absorbed)
  • Oceanus Shenron (Princess Oto, Dragon Form)
  • Haze Shenron
  • Eis Shenron
  • Naturon Shenron (Base, Super form)
  • Nuova Shenron
  • Rage Shenron (Base, Super form)
  • Syn Shenron (Base, Omega Shenron)
  • Mira (Base, Runaway, Super Mira, Towa Absorbed)
  • Supreme Kai of Time (Base, Power of Time Unleashed)
  • Chronoa
  • General Bon
  • Towa
  • Darkness Towa
  • Demon God Towa
  • Shun Shun
  • Haru Haru
  • Saiakkuman
  • Demigra
  • Demon God Demigra (Base, Final Form, Makyouka Form)
  • Putine
  • Demon God Putine
  • Gravy
  • Demon God Gravy
  • Greatdevilman
  • Demon God Salsa
  • Demon God Shroom
  • Fu
  • Android 21

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Broly Character Highlight

Broly is a fan favorite for many, although he appears little in the Dragon Ball series aside from the movies and games.  The first Broly movie is considered one of the better Dragon Ball movies by the wide fan-base.  He is a character with an interesting story.


As a baby Broly already had the incredible power level of 10,000, far beyond the power of many adult saiyans.  He and baby Goku (Kakarot) were side by side as infants after being born, and Goku's constant crying drove baby Broly insane, causing a long-term grudge against him.


Under the order of King Vegeta, Broly and Broly's father, Paragus, were sentenced to death because of the fear of Broly's power.


Baby Broly was stabbed through the chest, and he and his father were left to die.


When planet Vegeta was destroyed by Freiza, Broly used his immense power to shield himself and his father to save them from the destruction.


As Broly grew he became more and more uncontrollable, even blinding one of his father's eyes.


In order to keep Broly under restraint, his father used a mind control device to restrain him.  Thus is the story of Broly's origin.


Movies:
Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan
Broly: Second Coming
Bio-Broly


Broly's forms/transformations:

Base Form


Super Saiyan/Controlled Super Saiyan
(When controlled by the device placed on him by his father, Paragus, Broly's base super saiyan form has a different hair color than his regular transformation.)


Legendary Super Saiyan
(This transformation is both bulked up, and fast, with white eyes and a greenish color tone to his hair color.)


Bio-Broly


Legendary Super Saiyan 3
(This transformation only makes a video game appearance.  It is by far more powerful than regular Super Saiyan 3)


Golden Oozaru Broly
(This transformation appears in the "Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission" manga)


Super Saiyan 4
(This transformation appears in the "Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Missions" manga.)


Dark Broly
(This is dark Super Saiyan 4 Broly with the "Time Breaker Mask" appearing in Dragon Ball Heroes.)

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Super Saiyan Red Original Concept

(fan rendering of what Super Saiyan Red may have originally looked like)


Super Saiyan Red, one of the transformations introduced by Dragon Ball Super, is a subject of some controversy. For one: the design is far from being impressive as most people will tell you, very disappointing. On the most part it is just a color swap of his base form, but the thing that is interesting is, the design that is used was not the original design for this transformation.

The original concept of Super Saiyan Red was supposed to have been more muscular with Goku wearing a cloak and having a hairstyle somewhere in between Super Saiyan 3 and Super Saiyan 4. Wow, that sounds cool! The final transformation design kept Goku's hair magenta red which is the same as his fur-color in Super Saiyan 4, while Vegeta hair is crimson red hair. The original ties being between Super Saiyan 3 and Super Saiyan 4 suggests that it may have originally been intended as an "in between" transformation between Super Saiyan 3 and 4.

I would have loved to have seen Super Saiyan Red's original concept art, because what we got in the series is not that impressive visually. The design choice could have been due to budget, or simply laziness, because it has been stated that transformations like Super Saiyan 3 take more work and time to animate. Another controversy is that Super Saiyan Red, as called by Goten, is more popularly known as Super Saiyan Goddo(super saiyan god). As Dragon Ball Super progresses the series makes it clear that Goku is not a god, and his transformation does little good against some of the most powerful beings in the universe. The more powerful transformation, Super Saiyan Blue, is most often called "Super Saiyan Blue," although it was originally called, "super saiyan god super saiyan," a ridiculous name. Super Saiyan Red and Super Saiyan Blue have grown to be the more accurate terms to describe these two new transformations.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Vegeta Transformations

Today we are looking at Vegeta and all of his transformations in the Dragon Ball universe.  It seems Goku always gets more forms than Vegeta, but Vegeta gets some very unique forms of his own.



Base Form




Oozaru
(The power of moonlight allows this transformation to occur.)


Super Saiyan//GT Super Saiyan//Super Saiyan Full Power
(Super Saiyan Full Power is a mastered state of regular Super Saiyan where little energy is being used when transformed.  You will also notice that in Dragon Ball GT there is little distinction between Super Saiyan levels 1 and 2.  In "Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game" his GT transformation is labeled as "GT Super Saiyan."  In the video games when Vegeta turns Super Saiyan his tail remains the color brown.)


Super Vegeta//Super Saiyan Grade 3
(This transformation is also known as "Super Saiyan Grade 2" or "Ascended Super Saiyan."  It is implied by Trunks that Vegeta also has the ability to transform to a "Super Saiyan Grade 3," but choose not to use it because of the lack of mobility.)



Super Saiyan 2//Majin Vegeta
(Babidi's magic keeps Vegeta powered up in his Super Saiyan 2 state, however, it makes his power level even higher than regular Super Saiyan 2.  Vegeta's strong will allows him to overcome the orders of Babidi's mind control.)


Quake of Fury
(This state of enragement is seen in Dragon Ball Super when Beerus hits Bulma--- pushing Vegeta past his limits.  This form is even more powerful than Super Saiyan 3.)


Baby Vegeta
(Baby-infected Vegeta's base form is the equivalent to Vegeta's Super Saiyan form, just with silver hair instead of gold.)


Baby Vegeta 2
(This transformation is equivalent to Vegeta's Super Saiyan 2 form.)


Baby Vegeta 3
(This transformation is equivalent to Vegeta's Super Saiyan 3 transformation--- notice how his forehead had began to slope and his eye-brows have disappeared.)


Super Saiyan 3
(This transformation has only appeared in the official video games, not in the anime, however, by this point in the series it is obvious that Vegeta is well-capable of using this form if he desired to.)


Golden Oozaru
(Golden Oozaru is like the Super Saiyan form of regular Oozaru--- this form when controlled allows the user to use this power in the form of Super Saiyan 4)


Super Saiyan 4
(This transformation can only be obtained by Vegeta when using Blutz Waves since he does not have a tail of his own--- it was cut off by Yajirobe.  Vegeta picking an intelligent wife, Bulma, who can make Blutz Wave machines is a huge benefit to him which makes his wife more useful to his achievement in the series.  It is theorized by fans that the darker the color of fur is of a Super Saiyan 4, the stronger the saiyan is--- explaining why Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta has brown fur instead of red.  This is just a theory however.)


Super Saiyan Red
(In the Dragon Ball Super Manga Vegeta obtains the Super Saiyan Red transformation, however, you do not see it in the Dragon Ball Super anime.)


Super Saiyan Blue
(Surpassing Super Saiyan Red, Super Saiyan Blue is the tranquil form of Super Saiyan.  Regular golden Super Saiyan is full of rage, while blue is more controlled and tranquil.)


Limit Breaker
(Instead of going Ultra Instinct like Goku, Vegeta breaks his shell and has his own limit breaker form that looks very similar to Super Saiyan Blue.)

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Is Dragon Ball GT Canon?





The basic timeline of the Dragon Ball series is well known: (1) Dragon Ball, (2) Dragon Ball Z, then (3) Dragon Ball GT.  However, there are groups of fans who claim that Dragon Ball GT is not canon because it was not part of Akira Toriyama’s manga series, partly making this claim because they did not enjoy Dragon Ball GT as much as the original series.  They make their claim even though Akira Toriyama never claimed that Dragon Ball GT is non-canon, in fact, he has shown himself to have positive feelings towards this series.  He oversaw the anime series production of Dragon Ball GT in the very same way that he oversaw the anime adaptions of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z and is credited as the author in the ending credits of GT.

Akira Toriyama came up with the very name of the series, designed some of the characters and objects such as Giru and the spaceship traveled in, and sketched the GT logo concept.  Akira Toriyama arranged the series main cast and drew multiple pictures of GT Goku, Pan, and Trunks adventuring on various planets.  He also drew a promotional picture of Super-Saiyan 4 Goku as his seal of approval on the series and referred to the GT staff as “excellent!” and stated that watching Dragon Ball GT makes him: “happy” and he “enjoys it.”  He said that the series animator, “animator Nakatsuru-kun is amazingly skilled, and mastered the peculiarities of my drawings.”  The characters and events of Dragon Ball GT have also been including in various official video game releases.

Some dissatisfied fans point to the inconsistencies in Dragon Ball GT to claim that it is not canon, however, the inconsistencies and contradictions in the other various Dragon Ball series’ are much higher than GT's, especially in Dragon Ball Super which probably contradicts Dragon Ball Z more than any other variation of Dragon Ball including the movies.  Especially after the release of Dragon Ball Super, trying to discredit Dragon Ball GT by inconsistencies is laughable.

Akira Toriyama himself refers to Dragon Ball GT as “a grand side-story of the original Dragon Ball.”

The closest thing we have to discrediting Dragon Ball GT is a statement made by the Dragon Ball Z voice actor Christopher Sabat whose opinion was that Dragon Ball GT is “not even canon anymore,” after the release of the “Dragon Ball: Battle of the gods” movie.  Although he does not really have the authority to make an official statement about a part of the series no longer being canon, his opinion is valuable and the way I take it is, some things in the new series: "Dragon Ball Super" are going to override some of the canon in GT because of the contradictions and inconsistencies between the two series, however, there are theories of how the contradictions can be fixed or can fit together by a string of events between the two series.  Only time, or a new official statement by Toriyama, will tell.  As far as we know, GT remains canon rather fans like it or not.