close
close

A live-action Dragon Ball movie would have to break the anime’s timeline

A live-action Dragon Ball movie would have to break the anime’s timeline

Summary

  • When a live-action Dragon Ball movie based on the “Saiyan Saga” of Dragon Ball Z begins, the best aspects of the franchise can be highlighted.
  • Due to outdated elements and the focus on a very young protagonist, adapting the original Dragon Ball for modern audiences is a challenge.
  • A successful Dragon Ball Z film series could still continue the events of Dragon Ball later and build on the foundations of the “Saiyan Saga”.



A possible live action Dragon Ball The adaptation must break the anime’s timeline and start at a very specific point. The long-running franchise has gone through several iterations over the years, with the whim of Dragon Ball Buildings are among the more combat-heavy Dragon Ball Zthe controversial (and non-canonical) Dragon Ball Zand the modern Dragon Ball Super. The most prominent attempt to adapt the series into live action, Dragon Ball Developmentultimately failed to recreate what makes the original anime series so special.

Figuring out how to properly adapt the series into live-action can be tricky. While some pieces of the puzzle (like the potential casting of Goku) seem obvious, other aspects are harder to parse. This also includes figuring out where to start with the adaptation.because there are several good links to the original. The best one for a film adaptation is found at a crucial point in the Dragon Ball timeline, while also being an ideal way to see the expanded cast, the fast-paced action and the sheer scope of the Dragon Ball Franchise at its finest.


Related

If there is a Dragon Ball Z live-action movie, that actor has to be Vegeta

If there is ever a live-action adaptation of Dragon Ball Z, an actor from the HBO series “Warrior” is the only choice to play Vegeta, Goku’s long-time rival.


A Dragon Ball live-action film should go directly into the Saiyan saga

Why a new live-action film? Dragon Ball Adaptation should start with Dragon Ball Z

Goku and Vegeta exchange blows in their first fight

All sorts of new live-action Dragon Ball must skip the events of Dragon Ball and start with Dragon Ball Z‘s “Saiyan Saga”. Dragon Ball was already a long-running series through the events of Dragon Ball Z. Five years after the end of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball ZThe opening storyline forced rivals Goku and Piccolo to work together to defeat Raditz. Goku’s long-lost brother Raditz expanded the plot by revealing Goku’s alien origins and introducing several storylines that led to the arrival of his allies Vegeta and Nappa for a massive series of battles.


The “Saiyan Saga” is a great way to show what Dragon Ball such a cool franchiseThe plot contains many Dragon BallThe characters from unite to confront Vegeta and Nappa, giving a potential film an easy way to assemble a larger cast at once. The move to Dragon Ball Z would allow the adaptation to focus on many popular characters such as Piccolo, Gohan, and Vegeta in addition to Goku. It is also an action-packed saga, allowing the filmmakers to put the franchise’s signature action at the forefront of any adaptation.

Why the original Dragon Ball is difficult to translate into a modern film

A crazy tone and outdated characters make the adaptation process surprisingly difficult

Older Goku with younger Goku.


Dragon Ball is a popular piece of anime history, but Adapting the original series for modern audiences is a tricky undertaking. It’s a sprawling series with multiple storylines covering Goku’s development from an unnaturally strong child to a formidable fighter, and would require a lot of time focused on an unrealistically young protagonist. Elements of the original series feel dated compared to modern views, especially when it comes to characters like Master Roshi and Oolong. Dragon BallThe focus on silly images and characters works well in animation, but might be harder to convey believably in live-action films.

The proof of this can be found in the notoriously bad Dragon Ball Developmentwhich contains several elements Dragon Ball and tried to filter them through modern archetypes like the “high school superhero.” The result was a chaotic film overloaded with explanations and boring characters. The omission of the quirky and ridiculous elements of Dragon Ball much fun, resulting in a poor adaptation. Jump to Dragon Ball Zthat offers a better balance of dangerous missions and action with silly antics and quirky characters would be a better showcase for the franchise.


2:58

Related

The 10 Best Dragon Ball Character Designs That Prove How Timeless The Series Really Is

The best character designs from the Dragon Ball series that fans will always love no matter how much time passes

Dragon Ball Z could become a huge movie franchise (and could still return to Dragon Ball later)

The Saiyan Saga highlights all the ingredients that Dragon Ball Particularly

Dragon Ball Z is an ideal place to start a live action Dragon Ball franchiseas it introduces some of the show’s most memorable elements and highlights the power of the supporting cast. The true character arc of the “Saiyan Saga” is not with Goku, but with Piccolo, whose mentorship by Gohan gradually transforms him from a villain into a hero. Starting with the “Saiyan Saga” would draw attention to the potential of this expanded cast while still giving Goku an arc that would benefit his goofy personality and impressive fighting skills.


In particular, the direct entry into the events of Dragon Ball Z would not prevent the series from following the events of Dragon BallIf a film franchise were to explode from a planned live-action production Dragon Ball Z, Prequels focusing on Goku’s younger years could flesh out this story. Dragon Ball Development tried to use the more intense effect of Dragon Ball Z In the context of Dragon Balland it didn’t work. Just continue to Dragon Ball Z for an adaptation of the franchise could underline the potential of the series and start with an exciting and captivating story.

Image of the Dragon Ball franchise

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball, from the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, is a massive multimedia franchise that dates back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a manga sequel for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation and has become extremely popular around the world. Dragon Ball was the first animated series to follow the adventures of young Son Goku on his quest to find the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs grant a wish to anyone who collects them. The series then branched out into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending quest to be the strongest. The series has also been adapted into several popular video games and continues to spawn several new animated series and feature films, up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

Created by
Akira Toriyama

Latest TV Show
Super Dragon Ball Heroes

Pour
Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Brian Drummond, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil