Well, now.
Oh, anime. Oh, movie studios.
Dragonball, the movie? I want to say this will be good, (if only for my brother's sake) but I can not lower myself to do so. Why do this? Is my question. Well, actually I can answer the 'why' pretty simply - Dragonball and it's continuations was/is(?) one of Japan's most successful anime ever, nationally and internationally, so of course they want to make a live action movie about it. It's the same idea behind comic book movies, and when you love an anime/manga/comic book as a kid, you pretty much love it for life. Case in point, my brother. He began watching Dragonball at the tender age of 6, usually after I would watch Sailor Moon (yes, I watched Sailor Moon - and fangirled it, there is fic that will never see the light of day.), and to this day he will stop and sit and watch any episode when ever it's on. (Do I do the same for Sailor Moon? Depends on the series. ;P)
But, yeah, he's going to watch this movie when it comes out. Will he be disappointed? I don't think so, because he's not expecting much from it. He knows better, but I still can help but think that overall the movie will despite probably having awesome special effects, falls short of what Dragonball *really* is about.
Dragonball is, I think, Japan's longest running anime. Inuyasha might be second, but I'm not sure. They're focusing on the first series, with "young" Goku, and well, really, to many fans, that's not the best series at *all*. Dragonball Z, which happens at least 8 years after is widely know as the best that Dragonball ever offered to the fans. The Frieza Saga being the most intricate, the Cell Saga having the best fights, the Manjin Buu Saga just wrapping up a lot of plot point. Z also introduces the best character in Dragonball, Vegita, but that's another post. The point is, while I understand why the choose Dragonball, the first series - it's the beginning after all - a lot of what make Dragonball *Dragonball* happens much later. (I'm not even going with Piccolo being the bad guy, though, I do think James Marsters playing him will be cool to watch. Oh, and Chow Yun Fat as Master Roshi, well, I guess, they're planning some interesting things there too. Emmy Rossum as Bulma? NO. But that's just my personal opinion. And I'm not even going to touch the wank of the casting for Goku is probably causing.)
I just have to say, if this movie does well, like really well, I'll be surprised. Dragonball is too long, with too many story lines for it to me be a successful live action movie. To get to the meaty, good bits of the anime, you'd need at least two sequels, and one prequel, because something else I have to say, there's really only ONE piece of information in the first series that imho stays relevant to everything else in the Dragonball world.
What I'm sure of, is that the special effects will probably be pretty good.
Dragonball, the movie? I want to say this will be good, (if only for my brother's sake) but I can not lower myself to do so. Why do this? Is my question. Well, actually I can answer the 'why' pretty simply - Dragonball and it's continuations was/is(?) one of Japan's most successful anime ever, nationally and internationally, so of course they want to make a live action movie about it. It's the same idea behind comic book movies, and when you love an anime/manga/comic book as a kid, you pretty much love it for life. Case in point, my brother. He began watching Dragonball at the tender age of 6, usually after I would watch Sailor Moon (yes, I watched Sailor Moon - and fangirled it, there is fic that will never see the light of day.), and to this day he will stop and sit and watch any episode when ever it's on. (Do I do the same for Sailor Moon? Depends on the series. ;P)
But, yeah, he's going to watch this movie when it comes out. Will he be disappointed? I don't think so, because he's not expecting much from it. He knows better, but I still can help but think that overall the movie will despite probably having awesome special effects, falls short of what Dragonball *really* is about.
Dragonball is, I think, Japan's longest running anime. Inuyasha might be second, but I'm not sure. They're focusing on the first series, with "young" Goku, and well, really, to many fans, that's not the best series at *all*. Dragonball Z, which happens at least 8 years after is widely know as the best that Dragonball ever offered to the fans. The Frieza Saga being the most intricate, the Cell Saga having the best fights, the Manjin Buu Saga just wrapping up a lot of plot point. Z also introduces the best character in Dragonball, Vegita, but that's another post. The point is, while I understand why the choose Dragonball, the first series - it's the beginning after all - a lot of what make Dragonball *Dragonball* happens much later. (I'm not even going with Piccolo being the bad guy, though, I do think James Marsters playing him will be cool to watch. Oh, and Chow Yun Fat as Master Roshi, well, I guess, they're planning some interesting things there too. Emmy Rossum as Bulma? NO. But that's just my personal opinion. And I'm not even going to touch the wank of the casting for Goku is probably causing.)
I just have to say, if this movie does well, like really well, I'll be surprised. Dragonball is too long, with too many story lines for it to me be a successful live action movie. To get to the meaty, good bits of the anime, you'd need at least two sequels, and one prequel, because something else I have to say, there's really only ONE piece of information in the first series that imho stays relevant to everything else in the Dragonball world.
What I'm sure of, is that the special effects will probably be pretty good.