Dragon Ball Super has just today reached its climactic ending with the unpredictable finale of the trans-universal Tournament of Power. What did the series accomplish within these near-two years and 131 episodes? What were the high points? What were the lows? Did the series base itself on the nostalgia factor alone for its success or did it manage to introduce new elements as well? There are many questions regarding this new chapter in Goku and his friends' adventure, so let's go ahead and check it out.
First of all, and just so we can get it out of the way, a common complaint a lot of people seemed to have about Dragon Ball Super, especially its opening episodes, were its horrendous animations. These were so bad that they even made Dragon Ball Z, a series that was animated back in the early 90's, look much better in comparison. The studio behind DBS (Toei Animation) explained that they were bringing in a lot of fresh faces to the animation industry and they were still getting used the tropes. But that is inexcusable. You cannot treat one of your most important franchises and sources of income in such an unprofessional manner. Eventually, this problem was taken care of and animations reached a proper level, but the damage had already been done. People were constantly complaining on a weekly basis about "re-used animations", a common trick used by most studios in order to save time and money, especially when delivering episodes on a weekly basis. The fans had turned harsh and unforgiving on DBS. Yet another recurring theme was the story and poor plot elements. Before DBS officially aired, two movies had been released as a prologue of sorts. The first was titled "Battle Of Gods" and the second "Resurrection F". When Super began, what it did was re-tell the story of the movies, just in worse animation. So practically there was nothing new plot-wise for 28 entire episodes, or if you prefer, from July 5th 2015 till January 24th 2016! Almost half a year is way too long for a show to get off its feet and if it was any other than Dragon Ball, fans would've given up on it a long time ago.
However, there were some great elements to it as well. Personal opinion here, the show's best run was during the "Goku Black" saga. Not only by bringing back a beloved character in the form of Future Trunks, but also by capitalizing in the questions that Dragon Ball Z's Cell saga had left unanswered, these episodes revitalized that feeling of anticipation for the next episode. Why was a Goku look-alike attacking the future? Who was Zamasu? How were Goku Black and Zamasu connected? Why did they appear in Trunks' timeline? There were so many questions popping up every single Sunday that it just made it even harder to wait for the next episode. And that's what you want from a show. The anticipation and the mystery. Another great element was the return of some older characters that just didn't have enough time to shine during Dragon Ball Z's original air date. Especially Android 17 and Frieza. 17 was a character that barely showed up in DBZ (he had a fight with Piccolo and was then swallowed up by Cell) and Frieza's just been a generally terrible person. But it was 17's endurance and strategic thinking and Frieza's cunning, self-confidence and defiance that ended up winning the Tournament of Power for Universe 7.
Some of the older characters that were at one time or another relevant reappeared in Super as well. The Turtle Hermit was one of them. His display of a different battle style that isn't based on raw power but rather on techniques that can catch enemies off-guard was interesting, and his (near) sacrifice and speech towards his students Goku and Krillin was very emotional. Some Piccolo and Gohan moments brought back a lot of memories of the Z days as well, but a lot of people have complained that this series didn't do Gohan justice. He can become stronger and the series' creators need to find a way to do that.
Of course, Goku and Vegeta got the lion's share of the cake when it comes to screen time. Goku got his Super Saiyan God and Ultra Instinct, but he felt kinda stale up until the end. And at certain points, even stupid. Like he lives just to fight and eat and that's it. And the show went out of its way to make that point. He seemed a lot smarter in Z. When it comes to the Saiyan Prince Vegeta, his development felt natural and seemed to pick up from where he left off in DBZ, having acknowledged Goku as his superior in strength but doing everything he can to surpass him. Vegeta seems to soften up as the series progresses and is no longer under turmoil for his feelings regarding his family. During DBZ's Majin Buu saga, Vegeta had to be persuaded by Goku to fight for them. He hadn't admitted to himself that he has feelings for his family as he saw it as a point of weakness. Yet now, in Super, Vegeta can be seen getting furious as Future Trunks mentions that Goku Black murdered Future Bulma and even fights way beyond his limits against Jiren during the Tournament of Power, not only for himself or his Saiyan pride, but also for his universe and those he loves. Kudos to the creators for the handling of Vegeta! Truly a complete 180 from the power-hungry, blood-thirsty Saiyan that first landed on Earth.
Dragon Ball Super introduced a lot of new characters. So many, in fact, that at some point, it seemed to not know what to do with them! The 5 warriors and the Gods of Universe 6 were fine, as were Universe 10's Gowasu and Zamasu for their respective arcs. But with the Tournament of Power, things got a little out of control. Opponents coming out of nowhere, warriors with skills that didn't seem to make the tiniest bit of sense and a final battle with a monstrous entity that just didn't understand the meaning of the word "tap out". And while it is exciting to have new fighters and new challenges introduced to our heroes (it'd be boring if they could just knock them all out with a single punch or just by powering up a little), the fact that we know next to nothing about Hit or Jiren or Ribrianne makes it hard to get invested. Like, okay, they're fighting for their universe but... who are they? There was too much time spent on unimportant battles (we never got to find out Dr. Rota's ability!) and not enough for the really important ones. To give more time to the 3 doggies of universe 9 than they did to Cabba for example, is kind of a strange decision. Also there weren't enough battles between universes other than 7. It seemed like everything was too focused on them.
Regarding the entire multi-universal theme however, I believed that it was handled nicely. It was based on an already existing character (the Supreme Kai) and moved on from there to introduce the God of Destruction and his attendant (Angel). Also, it made sense that there wouldn't be just one universe in the entire cosmos, but there would be some sort of overseer of all universes. But not for a single second do I believe that Zeno is the one in charge. In fact, the Grand Priest seems to be such a smooth talker that he can manipulate the child-like creature in any way he sees fit. That, along with the fact that Whis said to Goku that the Grand Priest is the 5th strongest of all beings, leaves me to think that we have not seen the last of him. All in all, I believe it was a very good run, with its ups and downs. I enjoyed the Goku Black saga the most, however the Tournament of Power was a strong second, with warriors like Hit, Jiren, Toppo, Dyspo, Kale, Caulifla, Ribrianne, etc making it for a very interesting watch! I can't wait for the movie this December which will focus more on the Saiyans, something I believe Dragon Ball could talk more about. And by then hopefully we'll even have news about the next series too!
There's been a certain franchise that's caught my attention in the recent years, which is why I've decided to write a little article and share my opinions about it. And no, for once, I'm not talking about the Final Fantasy series. But it is something from the same company and it is just as big, if not even bigger right now, with the release of its third mainline title upon us. Kingdom Hearts has captivated fans the world over. I simply happened to know the name. Maybe I knew the main character, Sora, as well, but that was as far as my knowledge for this specific franchise went. Until one specific night when it all changed. When you're a kid in your early teens with not much connection to the outside world, a game with Donald Duck and Goofy on the cover isn't gonna do much to gain your attention. But on the other hand, even if you're an adult, if you watch an entire room full of people begin to scream as soon as they see those same characters from that Donald&Goofy game, something inside you is gonna start to ask questions. Like "why are people reacting like that?", "why is it still so popular after all these years?" and mainly "what am I missing out on?". For me, that night was at E3 2013 when this little trailer showed up:
This trailer was shown right after the re-branding of Final Fantasy Versus XIII to Final Fantasy XV, which was a total shock to the entire gaming community, yet people seemed to be even more excited for the announcement of Kingdom Hearts III. I knew it was a series that went as far back as the early days of the PS2 and that it combined the characters of Final Fantasy and Disney, but that's about all I knew at that point. That was it. That crowd's reactions had made up my mind and it was at a good point in time as well! Square Enix, the developer behind the two franchises, had just announced the re-release of all previous Kingdom Hearts titles in high definition graphics for the PS3. And we're talking about a franchise who's titles had gone to the Nintendo DS, GameBoy Advance, and all other types of consoles, so if I had decided to do it that way, it would've cost me a whole heap of money and trouble! So I began of course with the original Kingdom Hearts. The Disney-world aspect of it, I gotta say, didn't really impress me. I may have felt better if I actually DID play this when I was younger cause now I was feeling a little awkward. However, what kept me going was the story. I just had to find Riku and Kairi. I had to get Sora back to Destiny Islands, so I endured. And just to find out that *SPOILERS* he doesn't actually get there in the end, was sorta heartbreaking, but it made me get into that second game even faster! Chain Of Memories. To this day, one of the worst games I have ever had the misfortune of playing! I felt like the plot was just made up randomly (it didn't make sense to me until KH2), but the most unbearable part of it was without doubt the battle system. Whoever made that up, must be a genius when it comes to torturing people! Seriously, having to sit there doing math in the middle of a heated battle?! Get out! However there were parts I did like. For example, all the new enemies seemed intriguing, especially the main boss, Marluxia and the red guy, Axel. I also enjoyed Riku's side of the game. I only watched 358/2 Days, because in the HD port only the cut-scenes were available. But it got me really invested in Roxas and of course, Axel! Got it memorized?
After playing the first collection, I had already understood what all those people back at E3 2013 were cheering about and I felt kinda happy that I didn't play it when I was younger. It was the same feeling as when you've been given something yummy to eat but you're like "nah, I'll save it for later" while everyone else eats theirs and then after about an hour or so you go back and have it and everyone's looking at you cause they already had their own... something along those lines. So I picked up the second collection and I started Kingdom Hearts 2 and... OMG, is this summer ever gonna be over?! These characters were so bland and dull and those days just never seemed to go by no matter what I did and even Roxas now seemed to have lost all appeal! Luckily the cameos from Vivi (gotta love Vivi!) and Seifer seemed to save the day, then when Axel came into the fold, everything started to get better. In fact, Axel confirmed my suspicions from right back at Chain Of Memories that he would be one of the most badass characters in the series, by being just that in his short amount of time in the game. KH2 seemed like a much more intense or upgraded version of the original and also that climactic battle with Sora and Riku together against Xe(hanort?)mnas was just beyond epic! And just when I thought it can't get any better than this, I start up Birth By Sleep. However, the thing about BBS is that it gives you its best right from the get-go. So I see this epic battle before the opening title sequence even drops, before I even press "X" on my controller, right? And... that's it! Nothing ever tops that in the entire game. Talk about a let-down. I enjoyed the fresh new faces and I look forward to seeing them again and learning of their fates in KHIII, but, to make a sports metaphor, it was like I was watching the same goal from different angles. I get it, they lost, Xehanort won, get over it. Then came Re:Coded, which was a similar case as 358/2 Days, it was only cut-scenes in the HD port, with the exception that these ones didn't even matter. Sora gets a note, the end.
I have to say that I enjoyed these games, but that wasn't it! About a year later, and for a number of reasons that I can only assume, a third HD collection was announced, for the PS4 this time! It again contained 2 games and a series of HD cut scenes from another game and it was called Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. The first of these games was a title called Dream Drop Distance and told of what the note that Sora received at the end of Re:Coded was about. Apparently he and Riku were to undergo a test to see if they got what it takes to be "true Keyblade masters" (whatever that means). Game was ok, not the worst or the best in the series and it had some Axel and controllable Riku in it, which was fine. The second was a brand new title with sparkling PS4-engine graphics called 0.2 A Fragmentary Passage. It was kind of like a preview of what KHIII will look and play like. It details what happened to one of the protagonists of BBS, Aqua, after she and her friends lost the battle with Xehanort and it bridges that game to the ending of the original Kingdom Hearts. The series of cut-scenes was taken from a mobile title called Unchained χ. It goes way back in time and tells a story of some guys dubbed the "Keyblade masters" and their five separate factions which were tangled up in some war. Also there's Xehanort's keyblade and a box involved. More questions than answers and preparation for KHIII.
All in all, I've really enjoyed this franchise and I can't wait for the third mainline installment, which, if we take it on graphics and game play alone, seems to be in a league of its own when compared to the rest of them! However, what attracts so many people to this story in my belief is the fact that this is connected to their childhood. And what's connected to those years of innocence, you tend to cherish. Which is why KHIII needs to be careful not to stomp on so many innocent memories and be as good as possible. Not just pretty graphics and good music. Those were boxes that Final Fantasy XV ticked off as well. But players need a coherent story, something that connects all the dots and gives closure for all their favorite characters. At this point, there's so many running around that each fan has his/her own preference! Even ones with the exact same appearance (Ventus/Roxas)! However the reason why I'm not so worried about this title, when compared to FFXV, even though they're developed by the same company, is because the development cycle seems to be going a lot more smoothly. Sure, they may have taken their sweet time in creating it (12 years after KH2, 5 years after the official announcement), but it's all still developed by the same team. Tetsuya Nomura, the producer, is a guy who likes to take his time and make sure that everything is perfect. And besides, it's better to wait a bit and get a perfect product than to be impatient and get an incomplete mess of a game. At the end of the day, I'm glad I happened upon that KHIII announcement trailer. I'm glad those people made so much noise. I'm glad they made me go pick up those games and get into this great franchise. Cause now I also have one more thing to look forward to!
