Tag Archives: manga

June 10, 2026

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Son Goku & Dragon 40th Anniversary Edition

By Joe
“Hi! I’m Goku!”

It was last year that Bandai and Tamashii Nations announced a selection of special releases in the S.H.Figuarts line of action figures celebrating the 40th anniversary of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. Among those announced was a brand new version of kid Goku and Shenron from the cover of the very first volume of manga for Dragon Ball depicting Goku in a pale orange gi riding atop a rather adorable version of the mighty eternal dragon. At the time, it was a Japan-only exclusive and I patiently waited for it to show up on Premium Bandai like other 40th anniversary figures, but it never came. The figure would be added to the pop-up shop circuit, but those never came anywhere near my geographic location and I’m not about to make a five hour drive in order to secure a figure, no matter how much I might want it. Thankfully, this spring Bandai partnered with Big Bad Toy Store to make this exclusive figure available to customers unable to attend one of these events. Ordinarily, when exclusives from this line show up at BBTS it’s because the store purchased them like an actual customer from Bandai making the price for anyone buying it off of them MSRP+. For this release, it looks like BBTS was able to get a bunch of these at wholesale as the price is $100 which is certainly steep for an action figure, but as far as I know it’s the price of the figure at the pop-up shops.

Not the worst set to keep in-box, though since he wasn’t packaged riding the dragon the temptation may be too great.

Previously, the only 40th anniversary figure I had purchased was the reissue of Cooler. He’s a bit of an odd one to release for such an occasion since he didn’t even appear in the manga or anime and is instead a movie character. In this case, the occasion just seemed like an excuse for Bandai to reissue one of its more popular and well-received exclusives for those who had previously missed out and to tie him into the event they just stuck a special base in the box. With Goku, the homage to the first cover is a much more worthwhile way to celebrate such an historic occasion and should make for a wonderful display piece whether it’s kept in-box or taken out. The box is oversized and more of a cube shape than typical with a generous window showcasing the figure riding atop the dragon. It’s presented so well that it did almost pain me to remove it, but I really wanted to get my hands on this all new Goku figure so it basically had to happen. I’ve repeated many times that my favorite era of Dragon Ball is the kid Goku era. There’s a charm to it not present in the later iterations and the cast is pretty tight. The original SHF Goku figure was fine at the time i purchased it, but he’s not even remotely in-scale with other figures in the line. He’s much too big plus he doesn’t really embody the proportions of the character from either the manga or anime. In both, Goku is kind of chubby looking with an egg-shaped body with stubby little arms and legs. He’s designed to look cute, not powerful, while the figure was more stream-lined and quite tall. More than the height though, it’s just that the overall proportions don’t look right. Place him beside a Dragon Ball era Bulma and the two don’t even look like they’re from the same toy line. Roshi was a bit on the large side too so the scale there is a bit better, but overall it’s not the best representation.

We keep getting closer and closer to my ideal kid Goku.

Since then, we’ve received smaller versions of Goku, but none based on his look from Dragon Ball. There’s a Dragon Ball GT Kid Goku release as well as the Daima Mini Goku and both are quite small by comparison. This new version takes after them and likely utilizes some of the same parts. Or at least that was my thinking going in, but in the case of this figure vs the Mini Goku there’s virtually nothing shared. Even the hands and Power Pole accessory are different. I can’t attest to the GT figure since I don’t have it, but if Bandai went to the trouble of making so many new parts for this figure then it bodes well for those hoping to get a blue version or a red one. This little guy stands a tick under 3″ putting him in similar territory to the Daima figure. What’s different though is the approach to the sculpt. Daima Goku is slimmer and more like a shrunken down adult Goku. This new Goku has those rounded proportions of the manga character with tubular arms and a round tummy. His legs are a bit long for the design, but since he had to match the pose from the manga his legs needed to be a bit long. When Goku is just standing still in the manga his legs definitely “shrink” as Toriyama was able to take some liberties with the character, but for a 3D representation some adjustments are needed. The gi is orange and a more saturated shade when compared with the Daima figure, but not as red as what appears in the anime. This is in keeping with the look from that cover which also has small, slipper-like shoes and red wrist bands and trim at the end of the pants. It’s basically just a different color of his traditional blue gi and he has an off-white sash and a turquoise pouch hanging from it where his Dragon Ball is stored, a nice little attention to detail.

He’s got some cheeky little expressions.

For heads, we get two with four total expressions. The default head features Goku’s trademarked spikey hairdo with a big open mouthed expression to match the cover image. The eyes have a rounded look which is consistent with Dragon Ball and the inner mouth is just painted pink which is very similar to an expression the original Kid Goku figure came with in both appearance and execution. His other expressions feature a cocky little smirk and a mischievous side-eye grin. The side-eye expression is pretty cute, though it looks a bit off-model to me. It could also be the pink outline around the mouth that’s throwing it off for me as that’s not usually present in the art or the figures. The alternate head is an even spikier version of Goku’s hair with an open-mouth expression. It’s pretty goofy looking, but it’s a direct pull from the cover of volume 10 (and the anime’s ending credits) where Goku is just sort of floating in the air with his Power Pole across his forehead while Bulma mugs for the camera. I do enjoy this rougher looking version of Goku’s hair, but it seems the only portrait that works with it is the one that’s on it by default. That makes it very scene specific and I don’t know if I really see myself using it, even though I do like it. In addition to that, there is an assortment of hands in the box: waving, gripping, fists, peace sign, relaxed (a cupping Kamehameha-like pose), open, and a pair of gestured hands that seem specific to how Goku often placed one hand at the top of his Power Pole. There’s an alternate set of bangs for the default head that’s barely different from what’s on him to start with. I guess one is slightly askew and maybe it’s just to match the cover while the other represents how he’s typically drawn? There’s a secondary bow for his sash which is more of an action pose as well as some weapons. For one, we get the Power Pole and included sling. There’s a version for Goku to hold and a little stub to plug into the sling when the weapon is holstered. He also has a pair of tonfa which are tiny and cute. These are taken (along with the mischievous side-eyes grin) from the cover of chapter one of the manga. They’re brown with some red trim and provide for some more display options. To insert them into Goku’s gripping hands, the red banding needs to be removed from the handle first. It’s a tiny piece so don’t drop it or the carpet monster will eat.

There’s tonfa for when Goku tires of using his Power Pole. The “O” mouth head certainly makes for an interesting display.

That is, if you aren’t planning on displaying this Goku atop the dragon. The little Shenron included is a cuter depiction of the character meant to match the artwork and he’s basically a glorified display stand for Goku. Shenron is well-painted and his whiskers are the only parts that need to be attached out of the box. In addition to the head itself, they’re also the only articulation points and he’s meant to sit atop three, translucent, clouds which are atop transparent, acrylic, posts. They plug into the included base which has a 40th anniversary graphic printed onto it and Shenron affixes to these clouds via magnets, which is a nice touch. Just in front of his forelegs is a section of his spiny fin that can be removed and replaced with an acrylic seat for Goku. It’s meant to allow the small piece between his legs to get a secure enough grip on the back of the dragon for his riding pose and there’s also a slot for his tail. If you don’t want him atop the dragon, then you simply leave the fin in place. The clouds do have to be inserted by the user and in order to do so the little pegs in the base have to be popped out which can be done from the underside. There’s also an included, orange, piece of plastic that’s basically a pry bar. This is used for swapping the bow on Goku’s belt since the instructions flag it as a potential damage point, but you probably won’t need it since both bows are rather pliable. With everything assembled, Goku sits atop the dragon with relative ease. He can be posed to resemble the manga cover, or he can be doing something else. The dragon sits a little over 2″ above the base and its silhouette doesn’t extend much beyond the base so the shelf space needed for this one is surprisingly minimal. It might have been fun to get three additional posts for the clouds to sit the figures even higher above the base, but as is it displays very well.

Let’s not forget about the dragon.

For articulation, Tamashii Nations made some alterations to this one when compared with other smaller Goku figures from the past. I’m guessing some of these are similar to the Pan figure they did, but that isn’t one I actually bought. The neck is a standard double ball peg which has solid range that’s aided by a single ball at the base of the neck. The shoulders are hinged ball pegs with a butterfly joint, but not the kind that gets a whole lot of range. There’s a ball joint in the waist, and the legs affix via straight ball pegs and have suitable range out to the side and forward. The knees and elbows are single hinged and they do swivel. A 90 degree bend is possible, but no further. Interestingly, there is a visible peg on the inner knee and elbow which is something I can’t recall seeing in a Tamashii Nations release prior to this one. It’s not ghastly or anything, just something I noticed. The wrists and ankles are the most unique and the most basic as they are like the hips in that they’re just straight pegs with a ball at the end. On one hand (no pun intended), I don’t mind it since it makes swapping hands easier than having to fiddle with a tiny hinged ball joint like the Goku Mini. At the ankles though, it’s a bit limited and I don’t know why the Daima Goku can have a more traditional hinge and rocker setup and this Goku can’t. I can only assume it was an aesthetic choice more than anything as the slipper look does present better this way, but it does come at a cost. The tail also swivels on a ball peg as does the bow on the sash.

With this set you can reference multiple pieces of Toriyama’s artwork beyond just Goku riding the dragon.

The articulation is certainly functional, but is more limited than other kid versions of Goku. He can do a decent Kamehameha charging pose, but a firing one is a little less convincing. The ball joint at the waist mostly provides rotation and a little pivot without much crunch. That’s pretty much expected though given the size and shape of Goku. The original had that hinged diaphragm joint to extend and bend, but that just doesn’t really work with these rounder dimensions. This is a more scene specific figure and as far as that goes he can do it, but it’s a little less fun to play with in hand. Does that mean I actually wouldn’t want to see this repurposed for other Dragon Ball looks? I certainly would not go that far. The articulation may have limits, but the trade-off is worth it to me so if Bandai wants to come back with this figure in blue I’d probably be all over it. Especially with some more scene specific expressions. That’s where most of the charm lies in this figure for me and it’s a great base for others. Goku has plenty of looks in the series, but Bandai hasn’t done a brand new Dragon Ball figure since Launch back in 2022. It seems like a dead line, but I hope this leads to more. This body could be repurposed for Krillin and we never did get a training uniform version of him. There are numerous looks for Bulma and the main antagonists of early Dragon Ball, the Pilaf gang, have yet to be made and this body could probably work for Shu. Not to mention all of the characters that come later like Tienshinhan, Kami, Chi Chi, and Piccolo Jr. If we could only get one figure though I’d have to go to bat for Yamcha in his first appearance look. That one seemed like a given, but we’re still waiting.

A wonderful way to celebrate Dragon Ball’s 40th. Here’s to 40 more!

I’m getting ahead of myself. What’s important here is we did get a new Dragon Ball figure of Goku and it’s a special one because it celebrates one of the earliest depictions of the character. As a very specific release, this works pretty well. Sure, it’s a bit tough to perfectly nail the pose, but it definitely can get close enough. A more determined individual may even be able to get something more accurate with persistence. The Goku and dragon turned out well and it’s a pretty attractive piece for anyone’s collection. It does come at a cost, but for what’s in the box I think the value is decent. Not great, but not the worst thing in the world. If you love Dragon Ball and wanted something to celebrate this milestone then you’d be hard-pressed to do better here. There is an adult Goku on the way with his turban and tiger pelt, but I have no attachment to that particular artwork. This, on the other hand, is one I’ve always adored so it’s the best release for me. And if it leads to more Dragon Ball figures then all the better.

For plenty more Dragon Ball, take a look at these:

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Daima Super Saiyan 4 Son Goku (Mini)

It’s no great secret that the black sheep of the Dragon Ball universe is the anime Dragon Ball GT. Created in-house by Toei animation, Dragon Ball GT was a continuation of Dragon Ball Z without creator Akira Toriyama. While Toriyama had to grant approval to many aspects of the series, he wasn’t directly involved with…

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by Joe

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Lunch

It’s no secret my preferred take on the world of Dragon Ball created by author/artist Akira Toriyama is the original one: Dragon Ball. Of course, in the manga it’s just all Dragon Ball up until the more recent Dragon Ball Super, but for anime viewers there’s Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and…

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by Joe

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April 9, 2026

Dragon Ball Super Vol. 24

By Joe

It’s been over two years since the world lost manga artist and writer Akira Toriyama and it’s been about that long since the unofficial end of Dragon Ball Super. The manga and anime series was the official sequel to the hugely successful and mega popular Dragon Ball Z. The final chapter, 103, was released in March of 2024 in Toriyama’s native Japan while English speaking readers have had to wait two years for the collected final volume to be released elsewhere. Sure, the chapters are all made available much sooner via the Shonen Jump app, but I’m still one of those digital deniers clinging to physical media with just about everything I consume. It was a long two years of waiting, but had this volume arrived shortly after Toriyama’s passing I probably would have been a blubbering mess. Having two years to process such a monumental loss may have been a good thing.

After the anime series ended, I went back and picked up all of the volumes of Dragon Ball Super as well as the ones that followed. Super the manga did not end and continued on with two full arcs of Dragon Ball goodness. The manga did bypass the Broly film, but chose to adapt the Super Hero movie and even fleshed it out more with a short arc featuring Goten and Trunks as super heroes in the same style as The Great Saiyaman. The collected volumes are published by Viz Media in the US and the artwork contained within is in black and white. Since Toriyama’s passing, artist Toyotarou has taken up the mantle of an introduction to the volume usually with some nod to Toriyama. For this particular one, he notes that Toriyama often advised him on how to better be a manga creator (a mangaka) and he expresses a desire to keep those lessons in mind for as long as he’s a mangaka himself. Toyotarou is always deferential to Toriyama when speaking on the subject of Dragon Ball and it will be interesting to see if that changes should the manga continue in some way.

As for the story, it’s a post Super Hero one where we find the remnants of the Red Ribbon Army, lead by Carmine, seeking to exact revenge upon Gohan for thwarting their plans with Cell Max. And to do that they want to recruit the newest super heroes in town: Saiyaman X-1 and Saiyaman X-2. Unfortunately for them, those happen to be the alter egos for Trunks and Goten and they’re not going to help the Red Ribbon Army take down Gohan. Elsewhere, Vegeta, Goku, and Broly are training with Whis on the planet of Lord Beerus. It’s while Vegeta and Broly are dueling that they learn about Gohan’s sudden burst of power and his conquering of Cell Max. It seems they were so engrossed in their training they didn’t notice, but are immediately curious about what the son of Goku is capable of now. Goku decides to pay his son a visit just as Carmine and a soldier are arriving at Gohan’s house with Trunks and Goten along for the ride. Goku can’t be bothered with what’s going on and instead brings everyone to the planet of Lord Beerus. There, Carmine and his lone soldier get to bare witness to what these Saiyans are capable of first with Trunks and Goten taking on Gohan followed by father and son. It’s a simple story and a breezy one as Goku is just out to test the limits of his son with the hope of reaching the conclusion that he doesn’t have to worry about Earth so long as Gohan is there to protect it.

Much of the volume is dedicated to Goku testing out his son’s new abilities.

The ending of this story received some additional press because Toriyama apparently requested a change. During the fighting, Goku and company find out about Piccolo’s new power-up as well and naturally Goku wants to see it as well. Vegeta is also curious, but also concedes that he needs to head home or else Bulma might lose interest. When Goku and Gohan return to Earth to find Piccolo he has to decline a sparring session because someone needs to pick Gohan’s daughter, Pan, up from school. Goku tags along at Piccolo’s insistence since he apparently forgot his granddaughter’s name and we get a wordless exchange to close out the story of Pan elated to see her grandpa and Piccolo waving bye to her teacher. The way the scene is illustrated it’s as if Piccolo is waving “bye” to the reader, and since Piccolo was Toriyama’s favorite, it’s been interpreted as his way of saying “good bye.” Right in the feels.

Volume 24 actually doesn’t end there, but with a prequel chapter about how Trunks and Goten decided to become super heroes. Toyotarou explains it was something he wanted to do initially, but just didn’t have the time for it. With the story over (and Shonen probably not minding extra content) he was able to go back and do it and it’s a fun little story, though in this format it’s definitely a tonal shift following the end of chapter 103. I even put my copy down for about a week before I picked it back up to read the prequel chapter.

Farewell.

As the present conclusion to Dragon Ball Super, this is a nice little end. It’s basically a slice of life story just set in the world of Dragon Ball where titanic battles are an everyday thing. The anime is expected to resume in the not too distant future following a remake of the first arc with Beerus. I do wonder, when it finally gets to this final scene, can it possible land with the same impact? Maybe Toriyama can be inserted somehow into it either via a caricature or his little avatar of himself with the mask? Should the manga continue in the hands of Toyotarous, there’s plenty more to explore as Goku still hasn’t seen Piccolo’s new form, Broly is striving to harness his own power, and Frieza is still out there somewhere. If not and it ends here then it’s a sweet ending and one I much prefer to how Dragon Ball Z originally ended with Goku abandoning his family to go train Uub. If you’re a Dragon Ball fan, you have probably read this already so this isn’t exactly a review, per say. This is more of a chance for me to acknowledge the end of the series while it was in the hands of Akira Toriyama and an opportunity to say “Thanks,” and that I’m going to miss that guy.

For more thoughts on Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, check these out:

Dragon Ball Super: Broly

The first movie under the Dragon Ball Super umbrella is one that sets out to take what was previously non-canon and adapt it into the main series. The most recent two Dragon Ball Z films; Battle of Gods and Resurrection ‘F’, ended up being the start of Dragon Ball Super which is now well over…

Keep reading
by Joe

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, that Dragon Ball Super has been the thing I’ve loved most that I never knew I wanted. I was done, or at least content, with Dragon Ball Z. Dragon Ball GT wasn’t good, but I didn’t need it so it wasn’t something that bothered me. Then…

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by Joe

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

I need a break from action figure reviews so why not turn to the world of video games? I don’t get to play many these days, but I did splurge on a PlayStation 5 not that long ago and was looking for something to play. And ideally, that something would be budget friendly. The good…

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by Joe

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Comics

April 8, 2024

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Super Son Goku Ultra Instinct – Toyotarou Edition

By Joe
Still Goku’s most powerful form.

It’s sort of interesting to me that the first Dragon Ball action figure I review after the passing of creator Akira Toriyama is one based off of the artwork of his protege – Toyotarou. Toyotarou basically lived the dream of fanfic artist and writer turned official. It’s rumored that he worked on the fan-fic manga Dragon Ball AF, though I don’t know if that’s ever been confirmed or refuted, and he was the artist and writer for Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission. All of this work within the Dragon Ball universe must have put him on Toriyama’s radar for it was he who selected Toyotarou to be the artist for the Dragon Ball Super manga.

This figure comes in a much larger box than usual.

As a celebration of Toyotarou’s contributions to Dragon Ball and to also celebrate 15 years of S.H. Figuarts Dragon Ball releases, Bandai decided to release this special Toyotarou edition of the previously released Ultra Instinct Son Goku figure from Dragon Ball Super. The figure has been outfitted with new face plates to better reflect Toyotarou’s art style, which really isn’t all that different from Toriyama’s. The main feature seems to be narrower eyes which have a different sharpness about them. Toyotarou was also able to influence the expressions we have here and the figure received a slight re-deco to more reflect the colorization of the manga vs the anime. To cap it off, this release comes in an oversized box which also includes a book. Titled the Dragon Ball S.H.Figupedia, it catalogs all of the figures released in the line and also includes some short interviews and quotes from the people who are closest to the line. The only omission of note is Toriyama himself which is a bit of a shame. Maybe Dragon Ball action figures just weren’t his thing?

And the box is much larger than usual because it has this book all about the S.H.Figuarts line.

The figure itself is a reissue so it’s going to be pretty familiar to anyone who has the old figure. It’s also familiar to really anyone who has purchased a Goku from this line. For me, I never got the initial figure and there’s actually a lot more “new” here than I would have expected. He does share a lot of parts with one of the Goku figures I have and that’s the Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-Ken edition. Both figures feature the same legs and arms, though for this figure the hole for the sleeves in the shoulder has been removed. The belt piece is different since it needed to include the tattered remains of Goku’s blue undershirt and the torso is completely different since this Goku is bare-chested. Basically every Goku uses the same hands and feet while the heads are obviously completely different. I believe the main hair piece is the same as before too, though it may have been modified for these new faces as these key-into the sculpt in a unique manner from what I’ve been exposed to.

There’s certainly new stuff here, but from the waist down these two figures are the same
Ultra Instinct lends itself well to simple, calm, posing.

Goku stands at roughly 5.75″ to the top of where his head should be. The hair is a nice, pearl, silver and it’s an opaque piece of plastic, not translucent like some special edition figures we’ve seen. The ears on all of the faces are slightly larger as that is something Toyotarou feels is a part of his take on Goku and I honestly wouldn’t have noticed if he didn’t point it out in the included interview. The facial details are very sharp and crisp as this continues to be a real strength for the line. The torso and arms have sculpted battle damage, but no paint to bring them out. There is a slight wash to the torso and shoulders, a soft pink or orange which does give the figure a nice bit of warmth. It’s not on the rear of the torso which looks cold as a result. There appears to a hint of a dark wash to the pants which I mostly notice in the crotch and at the tips of the frayed parts. Otherwise, paint is mostly reserved for the wrist bands, boots, and some of the exposed flesh of the legs. The colors match well throughout and I am still quite fond of this torn gi sculpt. All in all, a nice looking version of Goku.

I’m really digging this eyes closed portrait.
They never stood a chance.

The different faces and hair help to bring this figure to life. Out of the box, Goku has the silver hair that most resembles the shape of his natural hair, but he also has a windswept version to swap to for action shots. Both look very nice and it will be hard to settle on a display for very long. His default face is a stoic one, but he also has a yelling portrait, side-eye, clenched teeth, and an eyes closed option. The eyes closed option is pretty damn cool and suits this form rather well, though it’s hard to turn-down how expressive the opened eyes are. I’m not normally into the side-eye options, but this one is like a glare. Whoever is getting the side-eye treatment from Goku is really pissing him off. For hands, the usual assortment is at play here: fists, martial arts posed, Kamehameha, and open. Nothing really special there and no effect part was included. That’s the only downgrade from the initial release which had a charging blast effect. It would have been nice to get one of those, though we have received quite a few of late. Really, a new aura would have been awesome as Ultra Instinct has this thick, almost syrupy, silver aura at times in the anime. It would have been fun to see Tamashii Nations attempt that.

The wind swept hair is a nice touch.
Maybe I should have grabbed Jiren after all so this Goku would have someone to battle?

The articulation for this Goku is virtually the same as the many other Goku figures we have received over the years save for the most recent Legendary Super Saiyan version which is on an all new body. I’ll link to some at the end of this entry if you want the full write-up, but suffice to say it all works just as well here, if not better. And it’s only better because there’s no shirt to have to deal with, but that was never a huge hindrance anyway. He actually can’t bring his arms across his chest any better than other figures and maybe a touch less. You just don’t have the sleeve flaps to fiddle with which is nice. I also can’t tell if there is a hinged peg setup in the diaphragm or if there’s just a little play on joint itself. It doesn’t lift as high as the other Goku figures, if so, but the clearance is fine and you get some forward and back articulation. It’s a well articulated Goku and the only things I dislike is the hinged ball peg at the head and the ball peg ankles.

Goku’s determined face.

The included book is basically the flagship accessory for this figure. Is that better than a blast effect? Yeah, kind of. Only because the book is unique and pretty well done. There isn’t anything truly revealing in it, no earth-shattering details about the development of the line or anything like that. It’s mostly just a celebration of the line and the product shots inside are all from the various solicitations we’ve seen in the past. I was hoping for a tease or maybe a reveal at the end of the book, but there’s nothing like that in it. It basically includes up to the Mecha Frieza figure, which is about to be released, and nothing beyond that. In terms of figures that have been revealed, it’s already out of date, but it probably would have been impossible for that to be avoided unless they had prototypes available for photography well in advance of the solicitations. Perhaps they could have done something to future-proof it a little via concept art or renders, but it probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference. It’s fun to flip through and the quality is pretty standard stuff. It’s 143 pages and in full color. There’s a dust cover on it, though it is a soft cover book. I like stuff like this so this was a selling point for me. Some people might not care and want more out of the figure for 80 bucks.

The book should be pretty fun for those who have been into this line for years.

The Ultra Instinct Son Goku – Toyotarou edition is a solid release for Bandai and Tamashii Nations. The figure captures the Toyotarou aesthetic rather well and I think it’s an improvement over the original release. It just stinks for those who missed out on that figure and wanted this one and had no interest in paying for the book. The figure doesn’t come with a whole lot and is basically like a 50 dollar release for the line meaning you’re paying about 30 bucks for the book and fancy packaging. When the first edition of this figure came out I wasn’t really sold on the Ultra Instinct design so I passed on it. I’ve warmed to it a bit since so I was happy about this new version as well as the included book. Yeah, I do wish there was an effect part or something else in the box, but I’m fairly content. I’m curious how many more Goku reissues on this body are to come. It feels like we’re on the verge of Bandai moving to a new body for the star of Dragon Ball and I’ll be curious to see if that does indeed happen. This figure was a Premium Bandai exclusive where the MSRP was $80. It’s sold out so if you want it you will have to track one down elsewhere. Maybe you’ll be able to get it for less if you don’t want the book? More likely, it will cost you more.

You like Goku? We’ve got Goku:

S.H.Figuarts Dragon Ball Z Super Saiyan 3 Son Goku

I believe I have touched on it before, and it’s also probably common knowledge among fans of Dragon Ball, that the story was supposed to end with Gohan’s triumph over Perfect Cell. Goku was dead and gone having sacrificed himself to save the world, but his son would carry on his legacy in his own…

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by Joe

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Comics, toys

January 20, 2019

Dragon Ball Super: Broly

By Joe

db super broly poster

Dragon Ball Super: Broly

The first movie under the Dragon Ball Super umbrella is one that sets out to take what was previously non-canon and adapt it into the main series. The most recent two Dragon Ball Z films; Battle of Gods and Resurrection ‘F’, ended up being the start of Dragon Ball Super which is now well over 100 episodes into its own series and several volumes of manga as well. It was last year that the series took a pause, seemingly coming to an end, only for this feature to be announced soon afterwards. Over the summer it was revealed that the subject of the film would be the infamous Broly, a character created for the prior Dragon Ball Z films that is either a fan-favorite or fan-hated character, depending on who you ask. In that universe, Broly was the featured villain of three separate films, and according to this humble blogger only one of those three films was any good. Broly is simply an all style and no substance villain. He’s big, mean, and powerful, but he has no real motivations beyond wanting to annihilate the hero of the series, Goku, whom he despises because he made him cry when the two were infants. Yup, you read that correctly.

Finding out that Broly would soon be adapted for his fourth film and presumably brought into canon left me with mixed feelings. Those feelings quickly shifted to positive ones though as what reason did I have to really doubt series creator Akira Toriyama? Broly already had the look, and aside from the reason for hating Goku being quite lame, the rest of his origin was fine. There was enough of a skeleton there that could be fleshed out into something worthwhile. And after doubting that there was anything left in this franchise, I’ve been proven wrong time and again by the last two features and basically the entirety of Dragon Ball Super. Toriyama, and those working with him, seem to have a handle on what sets this world apart from others. It’s the humor, as well as the action, that makes it go. The series can’t stop to take itself too seriously, or else it will betray what it is. Anchoring the series on the Goku and Vegeta characters is also fan-service at its best. It’s their differences as characters that works so well. It meant taking away most of what once made Vegeta a villain, but Dragon Ball Super has managed to make him likable and understandable without also softening him too much.

dbs broly normal

Broly is re-introduced in this one as canon with a tweak to his base design.

Before I go any further, it is worth pointing out just where this film follows in the grand scheme of things. If you’re like me and have been following Dragon Ball Super via the dub that airs weekly on Toonami then you’re going to have some things spoiled for you. This film takes place after the events of Dragon Ball Super so far, so it’s after the Tournament of Power which has yet to officially begin. If you watch the Japanese dub of the show, then no problem as you saw the finale almost a year ago. For us just watching on a standard cable package, it means having the events of that tournament some-what spoiled. And I mean that very loosely as the setup for that tournament is that all of the universes who lose are destroyed. I don’t think any viewer expects the universe inhabited by Goku and his friends to be wiped out and have the story end there, so the fact that this film even exists is only the most mild of spoilers. The film doesn’t go into any detail about how that crisis was resolved, so I didn’t feel particularly spoiled by anything. Only the fate of one character would really count there, so if you want absolutely nothing else spoiled you may want to stop here as I can’t really discuss this film without mentioning that character at least in passing. There’s your final warning.

king vegetas court

King Vegeta’s court where Paragus is informed on the fate of his son.

Okay, with that out of the way we can freely talk about Dragon Ball Super: Broly! This is a review, not a synopsis like I did with my DBZ movie feature from last summer, so I don’t aim to spoil anything pertinent to the film beyond just going over the general plot and setup. If you’re a longtime fan, you’re probably most curious about how this new Broly (Vic Mignogna) equates with the old. He’s a different character, but it is also largely the same. The film begins several years before the present day when planet Vegeta was still a thing. In addition to seeing the early days of Broly, we’re also treated to something previously untouched upon and that’s the transfer of power over the universe from King Cold (Jason Douglas) to his son, Frieza (Christopher Ayers). It’s fun seeing that acknowledged, though it’s not particularly thrilling. Broly himself though is soon introduced as a baby, and like the prior Broly, he seems to have incredible untapped power. King Vegeta (Christopher Sabat) appears jealous that this child rivals his own infant son, also Vegeta (Sabat), and it may explain what he does next.

dbs kid goku

The flashback also contains a brief look at young Goku in a somewhat touching scene.

Like the prior Broly, this one will find himself banished from planet Vegeta. His father, Paragus (Dameon Clarke), suspects the king did it out of jealousy, but the king claims he did it out of fear over what Broly is capable of. A power so terrible cannot be controlled and he could destroy them all. It’s hard to say what the truth is, but Paragus refuses to see his son exiled to a barren world alone. He steals a spaceship and chases after him all while swearing revenge on the king who did this to him and his son. We also get another peek at Goku’s father, Bardok (Sonny Strait), and even meet his mother, Gine (Emily Neves). It retcons the events of Bardock’s solo film a bit, and also shows us a softer side to the character which provides some context for how Goku (Sean Schemmel) came to be so different from other Saiyans. We also get to check in on a toddler Vegeta and Radditz, which is amusing, and see the destruction of planet Vegeta from another angle. There’s even a mention of a brother to Prince Vegeta that I was not aware of. I don’t know if that’s mentioned at all in the episodes I have not seen, or it could be a hint at something to come in a future movie or series.

dbs paragus

The design for Broly’s father, Paragus, is also still in-line with his old portrayal only now he’s aged up. He’s also still a dick.

After the lengthy setup, the film jumps to the present day and finds Goku and Vegeta sparring. They’ll soon find out that Frieza is up to not good, and his stealing of the Dragon Balls from Bulma’s (Monica Rial) lab is what sets the plot in motion. That will get all of our main players to Earth, including a now fully grown Broly and his father, where the action takes place.

snow clothes goku and vegeta

Goku and Vegeta showing off their trendy new winter duds.

To no one’s surprise, the majority of this film is action as the two heroic saiyans take on Broly. Broly is depicted as actually kind-natured this time around, but his power drives him mad. It’s a subtle change from the previous version we’ve seen, but it’s handled far better and this character actually has meaning. He’s a sympathetic character, much more so than before, and one the audience isn’t necessarily instructed to root against. His design is only a little different from his old one, but he has a slightly more refined look. There’s some grit there as well and he actually looks like someone who has lived his whole life in exile. He’ll find some sympathetic characters which help add to his story, and overall I think he’s a fine addition to the cast this time.

dbs god vegeta

Vegeta demonstrating his mastery of the Super Saiyan God form.

The action is the main attraction, and after the slow-paced opening I am happy to report that no action was spared as a result. This is a meaty film, and by its end you may even start to feel exhausted. It keeps upping the visual ante along the way though, so it never gets boring. New tricks are unleashed, some more abstract than others. My favorite was a first-person camera in the middle of the fight that really pulled me in. It sounds like a gimmick, but it worked really well to see the lightning-quick action unfold from such a perspective. It was also tastefully utilized, so it didn’t overstay its welcome. There’s plenty of big spots, and also some rather brutal ones. Nothing is gratuitous though, and overall if you’re a fan of action this is one satisfying and spectacular film. There is also less emphasis on fan-service this time around when compared with the last two films. There’s no effort to get all of the old gang back together and the cast is actually fairly trim. This one simply has a story to tell and a battle to feature.

dbs goku blue

The film is visually stunning, but there are moments where I felt like I was watching a cut scene from Dragon Ball FighterZ.

The film is still mostly done in 2D with digital hand-drawn animation, the design of which was handled by Naohiro Shintani instead of Tadayoshi Yamamuro who has done virtually all of Dragon Ball previously so all of the characters have a slightly altered look to them, though I wouldn’t go so far as to say they appear off-model. Those hand-drawn parts are delicious for the eyes and Dragon Ball has never looked better. The movements of the characters are so fluid and sharp, and the slightly muted color palette is reminiscent of the manga more so than the actual anime. Vegeta’s battle suit, in particular, uses a more navy color than a bright blue and Goku’s orange gi is just slightly pale. This being Dragon Ball, there’s also lots of bright greens and blacks and some cute character designs amongst the villains. There are instances of obvious CG, most noticeably when space ships are shown. It’s also still used in battles, but it’s less of a distraction than in past films. There are still times though when I felt like I was viewing a cut scene from a video game as opposed to an anime. I wouldn’t go so far as to say those moments were jarring, but the hand-drawn stuff is just so flawless that I wish they just tried to stick with that as much as possible.

broly vegeta snow

Arctic settings are among my favorites in Dragon Ball. The brightly colored characters just look great against a cool backdrop.

The music composed by Norihito Sumitomo is also quite bombastic and in-time with the visuals. Some of the main themes, in particular Broly’s and a character I won’t mention by name as it would constitute a spoiler, include a chant in the song where the name of the character is spoken. It further adds to the fighting video game feel of some of the visuals and I’d consider it ludicrous if this were any other property save for maybe Mortal Kombat. It manages to add to the spectacle of everything. Also, some old favorites return though it’s worth mentioning this movie doesn’t feature an opening credits scene like the old ones. I kept waiting for it to pop-in, until I realized it wasn’t coming. It’s probably for the best, though I did kind of miss it.

dbs full power broly

If you’re looking for some of the old Broly you know (and love?) you’ll get that here as well.

Ultimately, I was left feeling like seeing Dragon Ball Super: Broly on the big screen was very much a worthwhile experience. This film was designed for that setting, and I really enjoyed my time with it. I was surprised to find it actually showing at quite a few theaters in my area, and further surprised to find many shows sold out. Thankfully, I was planning on seeing this alone as I couldn’t find two seats side-by-side anywhere. The machinations of the plot are pretty contained so if you haven’t bothered to watch Dragon Ball Super you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting into this and and figuring out what’s going on, so don’t let that be an obstacle. If you ever cared about Dragon Ball, then you owe it to yourself to catch it on the big screen.

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