In 2018, when news dropped that a new Dragon Ball Anime was set to start, fans were filled with excitement and concern. On the one hand, some fans hoped that the new series Super Dragon Ball Heroes (Dragon Ball Heroes) would tell the stories fans dreamed of one day being told in the franchise. On the other hand, other fans fear that the series would dilute and corrupt the heart Dragon Ball Study. Six years later, when the series goes off the stage, the fears certainly seem to have won over the excitement.
Super Dragon Ball Heroes is not a completely original Dragon Ball Series. Instead, it's an adaptation of the immensely popular Bandai video card game Dragon Ball Heroeswhich debuted in 2010, and its updated version, Super Dragon Ball HeroesReleased in 2016. Produced by Toei Animation, the Super Dragon Ball Heroes Anime premiered in July 2018 and recently ended in August 2024.
Dragon Ball Heroes is exactly what the harshest critics think of Dragon Ball
The commercial roots of Super Dragon Ball Heroes caused concerns about the series that never died down
The video game - and by extension, the anime - takes place outside the official Dragon Ball continuity. This gave the creators significant artistic license and freedom to explore whatever ideas they wanted, as long as they were rooted in the Dragon Ball Universe. As a result, the anime features a number of interesting team-ups, never-before-seen villains and powers that fans of the official Dragon Ball Series can only dream of witnesses.
Despite an author's intentions, fans of any popular manga series often develop their own hopes and wishes for the story and its characters. Dragon Ball IIt's no exception - in fact, due to its popularity and longevity, it's safe to say that there are millions of preferred outcomes that fans have hoped to see in the franchise. While the final direction remains in the hands of creator Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball Super Provided a platform to explore fan interest through "what if" scenariosWithout revealing the official Dragon Ball Timeline.
Dragon Ball Heroes Became exactly what its critics expected
Unfortunately, instead of being a creative sandbox to explore interesting ideas and theories about the franchise and its characters, Dragon Ball Heroes became exactly what its critics expected - an unintended nod to some of the more random and extreme tendencies of the Dragon Ball Fandom. When the anime was originally announced as a "promotional anime," many fans saw it as another example of Bandai and Toei exploiting the anime. Dragon Ball Fan base to, basically, sell a video game.
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Although Dragon Ball Heroes Avoiding the crude consumerism that some fans feared, it is clear that the series falls short of the standards set by the original manga and official Dragon Ball TV shows and movies. While the series is generally enjoyable to watch, it suffers from technical and content issues that critics predicted. For example, the animation was widely criticized as subpar compared to official releases.
Dragon Ball Heroes' focus on big powerups and villains is a contrast to Toriyama's tight character development
Dragon Ball Heroes often features little character development, missing the franchise's true core
One major criticism of Dragon Ball Heroes is his departure from a hallmark of Akira Toriyama's official Dragon Ball Franchise: Strong character development. Toriyama's stories typically feature characters who undergo significant personal growth, maturing into better versions of themselves as a result of the story's events. A prime example is Vegeta's transformation over Dragon Ball From a narcissistic, cruel Saiyan prince to a selfless, people-oriented hero. This kind of character evolution is a key element missing from Dragon Ball Heroes.
Dragon Ball Heroes Focuses heavily on the power system of the series, with a constantly updated list of villainous opponents. While this makes sense given the story's video game origins, it feels more like infotainment when adapted into an anime. For example, with villains like Foo, Camber, or Cooler, the focus seems to be on showcasing their power and upgrades rather than offering compelling origin stories, meaningful background content, or thoughtful integration into the narrative. Their existence seems to serve more as a reason for the development of Goku and Vegeta than as a creative extension of the story.
For all its faults, Super Dragon Ball Heroes is harmless fun (as long as you don't take it too seriously).
The non-canon status of Super Dragon Ball Heroes allows disaffected fans to easily ignore it
This is not to say that Super Dragon Ball Heroes is unwatchable or unworthy of watching. On the contrary, it is quite enjoyable, especially if fans understand that it exists in its own universe. in this Dragon Ball In Dream World, anything can happen, from Goku fighting his father Bardock to Vegito fighting Gogeta, and a never-before-seen Future Gohan fighting his old friend Trunks. These are the fights and situations fans have wanted to see for years but never had the chance to witness in the official Dragon Ball Canon.
In another way, the series allows fans to see how the story could have developed if different creative choices were made or different events were emphasized. Essentially, the series operates without the limits imposed by the core continuum. The creators are able to take big risks without fear of criticism if an idea flops. Furthermore, the fact that the "blue sky" ideas may not appear in the official story does not mean that creators in the core continuity are not influenced by what they see in Super Dragon Ball Heroes. Indeed, Toriyama has admitted to being influenced by non-canonical works.
Super Dragon Ball Heroes is, above all, more Dragon Ball Fun for any fan who doesn't take it too seriously
Super Dragon Ball Heroes is, above all, more Dragon Ball Fun for any fan who does not take it too seriously or is not a hardcore Dragon Ball Purist. It will especially appeal to fans of the video game who are looking for a deeper dive into its lore. the main thing Super Dragon Ball Heroes is for the casual Dragon Ball Fan who enjoys the action-packed fighting that the manga series is so well known for.