It’s always an event when a new Dragon Ball movie releases and Dragon Ball Super: Broly is no exception. If anything, this newest film very much represents the apex of modern Dragon Ball, harkening back to an art style more reminiscent of Akira Toriyama’s while telling a story that’s both narratively and thematically gripping without forgoing genuine, bombastic action. It may not be the peak of the series in terms of sheer quality, but it’s a massive step up from the likes of the Goku Black arc and Tournament of Power. Broly marks a soft reboot of sorts for the series.
It’s quite the action-packed story as well. Toriyama’s original script was reportedly three hours long so, naturally, details, scenes, and arcs had to be cut. You can occasionally tell where in the film certain segments were chopped up, but there was a genuine effort to ensure that the movie reflected Toriyama’s vision. Perhaps too closely. As a result of this style of editing, several moments go by incredibly fast. It’s not unusual for fans to leave the theater missing out on vital information. This is the densest Dragon Ball has been since Battle of Gods making it worth the effort to look back on the story and figure out what exactly slipped through the cracks.
25 The Last Dragon Ball Frieza Needs Is Goku’s
Unfortunately for Frieza, Bulma only managed to collect six of the Dragon Balls before he led his little assault on Capsule Corp. With only one Dragon Ball left before he can make his wish, Frieza sends two of his goons to the arctic where they stumble upon, quite coincidentally, the 4-star Dragon Ball.
Once Goku’s prized possession, the 4-star ball was an heirloom Grandpa Gohan passed onto his adoptive grandson after his passing. The Dragon Ball was so important to Goku that it sparked him to travel the world just to find it during the Red Ribbon Army arc. It’s quite sad that it seems to live in perpetual obscurity these days.
24 Goku Strikes Up His Saiyan Arc Pose
Contrary to popular belief, Goku and Vegeta do not have set poses. Their Saiyan arc stances are their most iconic, but they only ever use them the once during the course of the manga. Every fight brings with it a new pose, it’s just how Toriyama keeps the action existing from beat to beat.
When in doubt, call back to one of the series' most iconic moments.
That said, Toei and Toyotaro love the stance. Where the latter used the stance as a means of opening up the Universe 6 Tournament arc, the former closed the entire anime by having Goku and Vegeta take their stances. In a blink and you miss it moment, Goku actually jumps right into his old stance once Broly attacks Vegeta.
23 Goku Pelts A Snowball At Bulma
This is a movie that thrives on the smaller details. While the foreground is always filled with non-stop action and movement, this doesn’t mean there aren’t gears turning in the background. When Frieza’s lackeys try to scan Goku and Vegeta on their Scouters, you can make out Goku quickly making a snowball and pelting it at Bulma over the span of a few seconds. It’s right there on screen, but the fact that it’s framed through a Scouter lense makes it difficult to see. Moments like these really show just how deep Goku and Bulma’s bond really is. They’ve been best friends for years and it shows.
22 Piccolo Did Not Enjoy The Fusion Dance
Even when two characters are present in the same frame, our eyes naturally shift to whoever is most centered and whoever is speaking. During the lead up to the fusion dance sequence, Goku and Piccolo briefly go over the basics to Vegeta. We see them both on screen do the dance, but Goku is the one talking and centered.
Some things never change.
Should you shift your eyes to the right, however, you’ll see Piccolo wincing in pure embarrassment as he holds the pose with his own arch nemesis Son Goku. This is a throwback to the Buu arc where Goku and Piccolo first did the dance and the former Demon King was none too happy about it.
21 Bardock’s Old Team Makes A Cameo Appearance
Lending further credence to the idea that the Bardock TV Special may very well still have happened (to an extent) in the modern canon, Bardock’s former teammates actually make a very brief cameo appearance at the beginning of the film. While Frieza is scanning the Saiyans with his Scouter, you can make out Toma, Selipa, Totapo, and Pumbukin all kneeling amongst the Saiyans. Toyotaro even went so far to draw a piece of personalized fan art depicting what he believed to be their demise during the events of the film.
20 Broly Isn’t The Main Villain
Although the film is named after Broly, and Broly is for all intents and purposes the main character, he is neither the main villain or antagonist. Rather, that role belongs to Frieza. Frieza is the one who orchestrates the plot, gives Paragus his means for revenge, and manipulates Broly into tapping into his full power. Broly is simply a casualty in Frieza’s path to inflict as much pain as possible on Goku. As his own character, Broly does nothing on an intentional level to antagonist the main characters, instead of acting as a playing piece in Frieza’s puzzle.
19 Vegeta Never Actually Loses To Broly
Vegeta has a very specific role when it comes to the series. He typically fights the main villain first, loses, and then has to watch Goku (or Gohan (or Trunks)) save the day. This is true for the Frieza arc, Cell arc, Buu arc, Battle of Gods arc, Universe 6 Tournament arc, Goku Black arc, and Universe Survival arc.
Things are different this time around, though, and not in the Resurrection F arc way where Vegeta just happens to fight after Goku while still losing. Vegeta fights Broly, nearly wins, and then Goku steps in to take his turn. That’s it. Vegeta doesn’t lose. Vegeta doesn’t leave disgraced. If anything, Goku suffers the worse beating.
18 We Never Get Closure On Vegeta
Which isn’t actually a good thing on a narrative level. While Vegeta doesn’t lose to Broly, it perhaps might have served the plot better had he. As is, Goku steps in for his fight against Broly and Vegeta basically loses all importance for the rest of the film. He appears, of course, but only as a means to fuse.
Vegeta who?
Where Goku gets pay off and ends the film on a very important character beat, Vegeta never appears after the two fuse into Gogeta. He has no dynamic with Broly, he never gets a chance to talk to Broly, and his role in the film never parallels with what his father initially set up for him. Vegeta very much feels like an afterthought.
17 This Is The First Time An Enemy Has Attacked Whis
Whis has been around for five major story arcs now (six if you consider the film a story arc in its own right,) and we’re only just now seeing an enemy attack him. During his rage, Broly switches focus from Frieza and starts trying to wail on Whis. Emphasis on try. No matter how strong or fast Broly may be, he simply cannot keep up with Whis. This is particularly important as it reaffirms Whis as the benchmark Goku naturally will never be able to reach. Which is necessary since Goku makes quite the curious comment at the end of the film...
16 Confirmation That A Mortal May Be Stronger Than Beerus
Despite Toriyama’s comments that he wanted Beerus to remain a character Goku would never be able to surpass- an idea that very much ties into the series’ core themes- Goku ends the film by telling Broly that he may actually have been stronger than Beerus himself. This is an interesting comment taking into consideration how careful the Tournament of Power was in regards to saying Jiren was stronger than a single God of Destruction and not the whole construct. This could signal that Toriyama is ready to eat his words and move the main characters past Beerus, but...
15 Beerus Wasn’t Worried About Broly
There is the little matter of Beerus at the end of the film. Not only does he never register Broly as a threat, opting to stay put even when Whis of all people had to step in, Beerus actually very casually comments how everything worked out in the end, indicating that he was paying attention to the fight to some extent. This alone has enough subtext where we can’t just accept Goku’s comment at face value. If Broly is stronger than Beerus, than it is the weakened Beerus Goku fought years ago as a Super Saiyan God and not the full power Beerus we have yet to see in action.
14 “Kakarot And Vegeta”
When Goku and Vegeta fuse into Gogeta, their new form introduces himself to Frieza as “Kakarot and Vegeta.” This is interesting on three levels. The first: Gogeta is made up of combining Goku and Vegeta’s name, not Kakarot’s and Vegeta’s. The second, in the film where Goku calls himself Kakarot for the first time, Gogeta does so before him. The last, it’s a mistake.
One of the odder dubbing errors in the script.
In the original Japanese audio, Gogeta refers to himself not as Kakarot and Vegeta, but as “Goku and Vegeta.” That not only makes sense, but gives Goku’s comment at the very end of the film more weight. Curiously, the world premiere reportedly fixed this line, but it was retained for the theatrical release.
13 Lower Class: Goku And Bardock
Fans of Bardock and the Bardock TV Special will naturally be quite upset with his more modern depiction. Where he was once just another Saiyan, he is now an exception. He has a wife, he cares about his son, and he actually regrets his violence. That said, it isn’t as if modern Bardock is without his own nuances.
There is an underlying theme between the connection between Bardock and Goku: class. Bardock saves Goku because he loves his son, yes, but because he wants someone deemed lower class to actually thrive. Goku may not know his father or care, but he embodies the idea that one is not held down by their class.
12 King Vegeta Has A Proper Council
We could always kind of assume King Vegeta had a council considering Planet Vegeta has been depicted as a proper monarchy since the early Namek arc, but it was one of those details that we, again, just had to presume was there. Nothing in the text really lent itself to a more cohesive depiction of the Saiyan hierarchy.
Chancellor Nappa may very well be canon someday.
For as brief as the film’s prologue is, it actually does do an incredibly job at setting up what the structure of Planet Vegeta was. King Vegeta had around eight retainers and two personal guards with him at all times. It can be assumed that these were proper Elites like himself (albeit weaker.) It’s just nice to see something suggesting that Planet Vegeta was more than just barbaric.
11 “Vegeta IV”
We also get an interesting bit of confirmation that links Planet Vegeta back to at least four generations. In passing, Vegeta is referenced as “Vegeta IV.” This is the first time in the series that it’s been suggested that Vegeta is more than just his father’s namesake. Rather, he’s one in a long line of Vegetas. This means that King Vegeta did not take over Planet Sadla like we once believed, but instead his grandfather did. If that, honestly. It’s entirely possible there are more kings in the line, but only four happen to be named Vegeta. It certainly isn’t unheard of in history.
10 King Vegeta Goes To Shake Cold’s Hand
Akira Toriyama has always done a good job at making even the most vile of characters likable. Whether it be through dialogue, mannerisms, or just design, there’s a reason why so many fans flock to the villains of the series. They’re charming, they’re endearing, and they’re, in their own ways, lovable.
Who said kings couldn't be friendly?
Although King Vegeta is none too thrilled about Cold’s sudden arrival, he greets his liege with a handshake. Or at least he tries to. While he never quite gets the handshake, said action does signify that King Vegeta and King Cold did have a healthy, friendly, and amicable working relationship. Unfortunately, things were about to change.
9 But Kneels To Frieza
Everything happens for a reason in animation. King Vegeta being snubbed a handshake by King Cold only to immediately kneel to Frieza says so much about the shifting dynamic of Planet Vegeta. King Vegeta immediately understands that this is not a friendly encounter, that he is, for all intents and purposes, unsafe.
From a narrative perspective, this is also the audience’s signal that Frieza carries a weight his father doesn’t. King Cold is the kind of man you can shake hands with. Frieza is the kind of man you kneel to. King Cold is a boss. Frieza is a dictator. It’s a powerful image that shows just how far Frieza’s reach goes in the context of the franchise.
8 Bardock Had Successfully Riled The Saiyans
In his original TV special, Bardock’s insurrection completely falls flat on its head. Not only is he laughed out by his fellow Saiyans, all his teammates are eviscerated by Dodoria. Bardock is left to fight Frieza’s army alone and, fittingly, he perishes alone. His final thoughts are that of Goku, seeing a vision that his son will one day avenge his people.
Revolution, thy name is Bardock.
In the movie, you can actually see Saiyans behind Bardock, presumably having fought with it. Bardock loses, of course, but it’s a detail that shows that, in this new canon, the Saiyans can work together to save themselves. Unfortunately, it isn’t enough and Bardock is the first Saiyan to fall.
7 Bardock’s Final Assault Is Missing One Key Detail
While Toei wrote the special themselves, Toriyama loved Bardock so much that he decided to write him into the manga. For years, the Bardock TV special may as well have been canon. It being reflected in the new movie only reiterates that. Or does it? Unfortunately, Bardock’s final assault misses one detail that makes it contradict the manga.
His bandana. Although Bardock’s armor is destroyed the same way it was in the manga, he has no bandana on during his final confrontation meaning that, the film’s depiction of the assault, does directly contradict the manga’s. Which is unfortunate since the movie comes so close to ensuring that Bardock still had his main place in canon.
6 Frieza Has His Manga Colors
Colors weren’t ever consistent between the manga and the anime. Where the anime featured Gohan wearing Piccolo’s trademark outfit during the Saiyan arc, Toriyama actually once colored Gohan wearing green, a direct contrast to what fans were led to believe his gi actually looked like. Naturally, more colors differentiate between mediums.
In the manga, Frieza’s first form has always been more pink than white or purple. The Kanzenban release of the manga features this Frieza quite prominently on the cover of a volume, showcasing just how different he looks from his anime counterpart. If you’re wondering why Frieza is so much pinker in the film, it’s really just the art style better reflecting Toriyama’s coloring.
5 Confirmation That Frieza Isn’t That Much Older Than Vegeta Or Goku
Believe it or not, we never actually knew how old Frieza was. There was nothing in the series that even remotely indicated an age other than the fact his father was alive during the Cell arc. Even then, considering how age works in the series (Roshi is in his 300s,) it’s not like that gave us any clues to Frieza’s age.
Frieza's basically the middle school bully.
With the prologue of the film, however, we can at least deduce that Frieza is a few years older than Vegeta. By how much we aren’t exactly sure, but he can’t be much older than our heroes. This puts Frieza in a similar enough age range with both Goku and Vegeta. Whether or not that makes their rivalry more palatable really depends on how much stock you put into ages.
4 Frieza Was Worried About The Legendary Super Saiyan AND Super Saiyan God
In the original series, Frieza was specifically worried about the legendary Super Saiyan, a being so powerful that he could defeat any living being in the universe. Worried that such a Saiyan would rise up and overthrow him, Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta to save himself the worry of such a situation.
In the new canon, however, it’s been made clear that Frieza was not only afraid of the legendary Super Saiyan, but the Super Saiyan God as well. It’s mentioned rather quickly and more in passing than anything, but we get direct confirmation that Frieza had been inquiring about both Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan God.
3 The Subtext Behind Broly’s Rage
On a surface level, it is quite strange that Broly gets so angry at the sight of Vegeta even though Paragus is the one who has the personal grudge. As soon as Broly sets foot on Earth, he’s ready to fight despite the fact that the film very strongly suggests that he doesn’t care for fighting at all.
The sins of the father weigh on the son.
It’s important to consider Broly and Paragus’ new dynamic, though. They’re not only closer, they’ve spent their whole lives together. Broly genuinely loves his father and takes on his pain. The reason Broly gets mad at the sight of Vegeta is because he’s carrying his father’s rage. Broly would do anything for Paragus, which in itself adds another layer of tragedy to his character.
2 Gogeta Lets Frieza Go, But Was Going To Eviscerate Broly
For as exciting as Gogeta’s appearance is, it’s important not to let hype blind you to his role in the film. Not only does he contribute nothing on a thematic level, Gogeta isn’t even a consistent character. As soon as he arrives on the battlefield, he tells Frieza that he’ll deal with him after Broly, proceeds to defeat Broly, prepares to actually destroy him with a Kamehameha, and then smiles when Broly gets whisked away by a wish. Gogeta genuinely intended to end Broly’s life, but he ends up sparing Frieza, a character who blatantly states that he’ll be back for revenge. Gogeta is cool and all, but his role in the film is incredibly problematic.
1 Audio Clarity (Depending On Your Theater)
Dragon Ball Super: Broly should be the theater experience of the year, but there are some serious issues holding it back. Issues that, for all intents and purpose, shouldn’t exist in the first place. Depending on your theater, there’s a very good chance your viewing of the film will feature botched audio.
Even subbed showings seem to feature this issue.
For whatever reason, Toei’s sound mixing for the movie was not ready for the general audience. The audio is completely throttled, making it next to impossible to actually hear the music during pivotal scenes. This is Sumitomo’s best score by far and you’re basically guaranteed not to hear it properly unless you listen to the soundtrack.
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