It’s not that I found the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero film disappointing; it’s the fact the manga is currently adapting it to print is where I become disappointed. I made a list article ranking the arcs of the Dragon Ball franchise 976 days ago1; while discussing the then recently finished Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc, I stated the arc following it had the potential to expand the lore of Dragon Ball. While Granolah the Survivor Arc introduced some new characters, expanded the scope of Universe 7, and allowed Freeza to surpass the Saiya-jins and achieve a new transformation, it chose to continue the retconning of Bardock, and as a result, Gokū’s backstory and lineage as well.
…the arc following this one has the potential to expand the lore and finally get to a point in the series where fans no longer have to complain about the status of Super as stuck in the ten-year time skip at the end of the original manga.
Oracle Fish’s proclamation of the arrival of the universe’s strongest was a compelling beginning to the story, unfortunately devolving into multiple red herring power-ups, coming from wishing for that power using the Cerealin Dragon Balls. Gokū and Vegeta gain power through training and combat, at odds with Granolah and the Heeters’ decision to use the Dragon Balls to skip the legwork necessary to achieve that level. Freeza then arrives on the planet due to the leader of the Heeters, Elec, placing a call to him to have his brother Gas kill him, only for Freeza to kill Gas and Elec and show off his Black Freeza form, revealing he used Gokū’s training strategy to use a Room of Spirit and Time to train himself and achieve this power, reasserting himself as the top power in the universe. It was an alluring end to the arc as he spared the Saiya-jins, and Granolah decided to help his Namekian friend Monaito regather the Dragon Balls he made to fix the damage to the planet caused during the battle. However, the way the fights play out, which made up most of the arc, are let-downs; Gokū’s training wasn’t good enough to allow him to remain calm enough to use Perfected Ultra Instinct in the final moments of his fight with Gas, Vegeta’s new Ultra Ego form that came as a result of some training with Beerus made Vegeta a punching bag without much pay-off as he still lost, and while Freeza’s victory rewarded someone who achieved their power naturally in the end, it’s as if Gokū and Vegeta consistently fail at achieving much of anything despite all their training efforts.
One would assume the break granted for the Dragon Ball Super manga shortly before the theatrical debut of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero would allow Toriyama and Toyotarō the opportunity to come up with a story arc that shows the dividends of Gokū and Vegeta’s training, especially now as the bridging of Super and the end of the original manga at the 28th Tenkaichi Budōkai draws near. After the last two arcs, it was nice to take a break and have a change of pace, focusing on the side characters of Dragon Ball for once in a theatrical presentation; when the manga returned, well, we’d pick up where the film left off as we have with the previous two films, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ and Dragon Ball Super: Broly, right? Instead, we’ve dealt with an adaptation of the movie for the past nine months, with only slight revisions that add very little to the story.
Let’s get real, what does Kuririn having two additional scenes in the manga contribute to the story? Especially when it’s highly implausible that Magenta, Carmine, and Dr. Hedo wouldn’t spot Kuririn on the top of the car in the scene where Magenta and Carmine pick up Dr. Hedo from prison. The prelude to the arc adds connections not established in the film, but it makes the world feel smaller as a result. What impact do Trunks and Goten wearing their Saiyaman suits during the final battle against Cell Max have on the story? I was content with Dr. Hedo’s prison stint having no relation to Goten and Trunks going through a superhero phase similar to Gohan’s Great Saiyaman days; the manga forces that connection, however, and it feels hollow when the film and now the manga, as a result, have more focus on Piccolo and Gohan’s development anyway. What I enjoyed in isolation has now taken the narrative; if the 28th Tenkaichi Budōkai is not so far away, why does it feel like nothing is aligning correctly?
Gokū felt like a wisened warrior at the 28th Tenkaichi Budokai, as if he’d far surpassed what a mortal should be capable of achieving; even though he technically has done that in Super, does he honestly feel like that same seasoned master at the end of the original manga? When does he suddenly master Ultra Instinct to the point that he turns back time to make Bulma state she hasn’t seen Gokū in five years, since that’s what she says at the end of the original manga, shortly before the 28th Tenkaichi Budokai? When does he learn things he should have learned long ago and take mental training more seriously, something Vegeta confirms to Gokū in both the Super manga and the Super Hero film? I may be asking too many questions, but when will he change his gi to the turquoise gi and surpass Vegeta enough in power that he once again accepts Gokū has far surpassed him? In hindsight, starting Dragon Ball Super as an interquel might not have been the wisest decision.
It didn’t appear that way at first, with Beerus and Whis’ arrival providing a clear path for Gokū to follow to achieve the level of wisdom and power hinted at the end of the original manga. However, as many have stated during the run of Super, Gokū feels too naive to be a martial arts master, much less a teacher. Starting a story during another story’s timeline and intending to intersect that story with the ending of the original story takes dedicated and long-term thinking to bridge that gap. I’m not implying Toriyama and Toyotarō don’t consider these things when creating Dragon Ball Super storylines. However, the manga now feels like it’s wasting time when it’ll take considerable time and effort to bridge that gap the creator said was a story “right before” the final chapter2.
What was the ultimate point of Black Freeza then; is it to give Gokū one last obstacle for him to surpass, which he’ll likely have to do in the year it’ll take to be time for the 28th Tenkaichi Budōkai? What was the point in establishing Granolah, the Cerealians, and the Heeters, except to further expand the power gap between some deities and mortals? Is Gohan’s new Beast form and Piccolo’s new Orange form ever going to be plot-relevant; if not, why was this side story adapted to print?
It’s not that I wasn’t happy with the new forms and power-ups that Gohan and Piccolo received; it’s just that I don’t see the point in adapting it to the manga when the manga should be using that time to further expound upon the aftermath of the battle with Granolah and the Heeters. This turn of events makes me wonder how much Toei influences the direction of the manga and how much corporate interference is happening with what is supposed to be considered the source material. Don’t even get me started on if the Dragon Ball Super anime will ever return and what it will choose to adapt to the small screen should it return. How ridiculous would it be if the anime returned and gave us a third version of the Super Hero Arc, much like it did when it adapted the Battle of Gods Arc from the film and manga when it first premiered? There’s still time for Toriyama and Toyotarō to perfectly align the ending of the original manga with Dragon Ball Super; they need to take extra care with whatever follows the Super Hero Arc, as many are anticipating what finally comes next after that moment in the Dragon Ball world.
Editor’s Notes
Havarti 