The latest teaser trailer for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero confirms that the film will be done primarily with 3D computer graphics. This is possibly meant to be a statement by Toei Animation that they intend to do more Dragon Ball projects in 3D. If so, Toei could go on to use this new format for advertisements, side projects and even a new anime series. Now that computer graphics are coming in full swing to the anime side of the franchise, the possibilities are endless.
The latest video games of the franchise prove that Dragon Ball can definitely work in 3D. Dragon Ball FighterZ and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot are two of the most commonly used examples. Both games, especially FighterZ, offer dynamic camera angles, impactful action sequences and well-crafted character models. There are also particle effects and other visual embellishments that cannot be easily rendered in 2D. This level of quality is what fans are expecting of Super Hero.
What's important is how well Toei handles 3D animation, especially as it pertains to Dragon Ball. In both the Dragon Ball Super anime and the movies, starting with Battle of Gods, computer graphics are used primarily for aura effects, background animation and some energy attacks. This has been largely accepted by fans since the main characters and their fight scenes are still mostly done with traditional 2D animation. What fans have to say about CGI in Dragon Ball is proportionate to how much of it is used -- and it's been kept to a bare minimum thus far.
The CGI is mostly judged for how it's incorporated into the fight scenes. Such fight scenes are minimally used for the length of the movies, but their full utilization in Super Hero will make or break the film. In Battle of Gods, CGI is used during the final battle for tracking shots and arc shots, both of which can be difficult to animate in 2D. If one were to pause the movie, it would become immediately obvious whether a scene uses 2D drawings or 3D models. The graphics themselves may be jarringly obvious, but they're ultimately negligible for how little they're used.
Resurrection F seems a little cozier with using CG, as seen throughout the final battle between Goku and Frieza. The excessive use of CG animation and subpar character models for such a pivotal fight is difficult for fans to ignore. However, to be fair, it's arguably still better than the 2D version of the fight from Dragon Ball Super.
In Dragon Ball Super: Broly, the CG has been refined to a point where it actually looks good and even complements the 2D animation, which is some of the best in the entire franchise. The contrast between 2D and 3D is less jarring and almost seems like it could work well on its own. If Toei wants to make a fully 3D movie, they've certainly proven they can through their progression and improvement with the style.
Sure enough, the trailer for Super Hero shows a glimpse of Toei's latest evolution using computer graphics. Just as fans hoped, the 3D animation is smooth and fits the characters nicely. It definitely looks up to snuff even when compared to Kakarot and FighterZ. It's worth noting that what's been shown so far actually closely resembles the opening to Dragon Ball Legends, at least in terms of style. It's difficult to judge the action sequences since they're only shown briefly, but what's there seems to be of respectable quality. If the movie manages to reach the level of the Legends opening in its action sequences, that would be amazing. This trailer indicates that the look and style of the movie is trending in the right direction.
The future of Dragon Ball as far as 2D animation is concerned remains nebulous. For anyone hoping for animation quality on par with the Broly movie, they'll have to wait a while. The Toei staff responsible for that masterpiece are currently focusing on One Piece, so if they ever return to Dragon Ball, it will be intermittent. Whenever Super receives a continuation, it will likely resemble its predecessor in terms of style and animation quality. However Super Hero performs, Toei will likely continue to use Dragon Ball to showcase the studio's best animation assets.
Dragon Ball has a bright future with 3D graphics. It's been proven through video games that Dragon Ball can look really good even with CG, and Toei proves the same thing through its latest movies and advertisements. Fans who still want to see Dragon Ball animated in 2D shouldn't fret, however, since Toei will likely return to its roots someday. Until then, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is shaping up to be something to look forward to.
