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3 Things We Hope to See in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Dragon Ball Super will be making a cinematic come back next year after going on hiatus in 2018 – but we have a few things that we hope to see explored in the next installment of the franchise.
When the Dragon Ball franchise returned in 2015, it seemed too good to be true. Prior to that, there had been rumors every year that the franchise would return, but with each passing year (and pre-nostalgia anime hype), it felt a little less likely. By the time the series was back, it had continued full force and felt a little less serious, leaning into the lighter side of content. Is the series still enjoyable? Absolutely! But that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement.
Now that the franchise is making a return and has had a little more room to learn from the previous series, here's what we'd like to see from Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
Amp up the Number of Fight Scenes
In Dragon Ball Z, the fights felt like they were constantly hitting epic proportions. We have classic match-ups, like Goku vs. Vegeta in the mid-point of the Buu saga, there's Android 18's epic one-sided fight against Vegeta, or even the (almost) game-changer that came out of Gohan vs. Cell. In Dragon Ball Super, the fights had great highs, but there are mere moments where we see the potential brawls that Dragon Ball is capable of in the entire series.
Dragon Ball Super: Broly showed off the cinematic potential the franchise has access to – so if we can maintain that level or even fine-tune the mayhem, things will be perfect. We came for the fights, so let's see some action!
Add Some Seriousness Back Into the Tone
Dragon Ball Z used to have consequences, or at the very least, felt like it could have consequences. Character deaths could happen and be reversed, with limitations that at least made it feel nerve-wracking. The fake-out death of Goku and the fusion of Kami and Piccolo, or Cell's graphic absorption of the androids (and people), gave the series high-stakes.
Since Dragon Ball Super, the series has lost those stakes by adding overpowered characters like Beerus or even Goku's Ultra Instinct transformation – and in doing so, makes every fight feel more like an uneven sparring match. Sure, the tournament of the universes tried to make things feel dire, but it still felt like we knew where the series was going to end up before we even entered the ring. Let's see a fight that Goku isn't able to win, perhaps? Leading us to our next request…
A Necessary Power Shift for Vegeta or Gohan
I know Goku is a beloved anime icon, but sometimes we have to consider taking the backseat from time to time. Essentially, it's been pretty clear this is Goku's story from the beginning of the series, but we've been introduced to characters like Vegeta and Gohan, so it would be nice to let someone else take over for once.
Vegeta has regularly been led to look like he will be the champion, with the villains then recuperating, time reversing, or he just flat out loses after pushing himself to new heights. It can be a fun point to exploit for the creator clearly; however, seeing Vegeta end up falling short for decades feels like it has been played out.
Conversely, Gohan was actually implied to be the next leading character at one point in time, with the revelation that the world just can't go on without Goku. I get it – if having Goku conquer every battle is what it takes to keep the franchise alive, sure. But since we can recognize the fact that Dragon Ball has legs, I think they can afford to try something bold.
What would you like to see come from the next chapter of Dragon Ball Super?