Let’s talk about the Dragon Ball anime series that people love to ignore.
Dragon Ball Super ran for three years and 131 episodes. But a mere three months after its end in 2018, a new Dragon Ball anime was already airing online: Super Dragon Ball Heroes. Based on the trading card/arcade game of the same name, the anime is released monthly (give or take a week here or there) with each episode lasting about 10 minutes. But that’s far from the only way it’s different from the TV series that came before.
Image source: ドラゴンボールヒーローズ公式チャンネル on YouTube
Heroes takes place after the events of Dragon Ball Super (or at least at that time in a similar reality where Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super all happened along with the events of the films Tree of Might, Cooler’s Revenge, and Bojack Unbound). While visiting the past with Mai, Trunks is captured and locked away on a mysterious prison planet. But when Goku and Vegeta arrive there, they are confronted by a different Goku–one who can transform into a Super Saiyan form beyond that of even Super Saiyan Blue. Yet, the real threat is the one behind the scenes forcing our heroes to fight.
The second arc continues almost immediately on from the first. With Goku missing, Future Trunks and Vegeta travel to Universe 6 to help Hit, Kale, and Caulifla battle two Neo Machine Mutant Tuffles. However, things go from bad to worse as the father-son duo soon learns not only about the Tuffles’ body possession powers but also that they are part of a larger group gathering energy from across the universes to kill Zen-Oh himself.
The third and currently running arc has Vegeta and Goku teaming up with Time Patrol Officers Trunks and Pan–along with their own Time Patrol counterparts–to fight a myriad of minor vanquished villains from their past as a demonic tree drains the life force from living beings across all 12 universes.
Image source: ドラゴンボールヒーローズ公式チャンネル on YouTube
What sets Heroes apart from the Dragon Ball anime before it is that it is focused almost completely on fighting. There are no episodes of a comedic nature nor anywhere our heroes have downtime. Likewise, there is no real character development for characters new or old beyond one or two lines spouted in battle. Even the big bad villain of the second arc doesn’t explain his motivations until just before his death–motivations which suddenly turn him into a tragic and highly sympathetic character right at the moment when it no longer matters.
To put it another way, Heroes is Dragon Ball at its most shallow: fights, fights, and nothing but fights. Unfortunately, for the first few episodes, even the battle scenes are a letdown with animation quality on par with the worst Super had to offer. However, by the time the second arc gets going, it gets a sudden improvement in quality that continues into the third arc.
But while the animation quality starts off problematic, the anime is still a blast to watch for anyone who has watched all that came before. After all, it is fanservice aimed straight at hardcore fans.
Image source: ドラゴンボールヒーローズ公式チャンネル on YouTube
On one hand, it’s a series of dream matches. We get fights like Super Saiyan Blue Goku versus Super Saiyan 4 Goku. Baby Vegeta versus Ultra Instinct Goku. Super Saiyan Blue Vegito versus a Super Saiyan Great Ape. Jiren versus Fused Zamasu. Trunks and Vegeta versus Bojack and Turles.
On the other, it’s doling out the answers to questions hardcore fans have argued about for years. Ever wondered which was stronger Super Saiyan Blue or Super Saiyan 4? Or if Trunks (and other half-blooded Saiyans) can go past Super Saiyan 2? How about what would Super Saiyan 4 Vegito look like? Or Golden Cooler–or Golden Metal Cooler? Sure, some of these things have been covered in games and toys but it’s different to see them in all their animated glory.
Image source: ドラゴンボールヒーローズ公式チャンネル on YouTube
All in all, Super Dragon Ball Heroes is pure fanservice–for all the good and bad that implies. It’s got nearly nothing in terms of story or character development but it’s nonetheless a rush and hard not to enjoy due to the sheer spectacle of it all.
This series is for all those kids (young and old) who watched Dragon Ball and had arguments on the playground about “who would win.” If you can still let that part of your soul take over for a few hours, you’ll probably have a blast with Super Dragon Ball Heroes.
Super Dragon Ball Heroes can be seen on YouTube (Arc 1, Arc 2, Arc 3) without English subtitles.
Top image source: ドラゴンボールヒーローズ公式チャンネル on YouTube.
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