The film was originally set for release in Japan on April 22, 2022, but was instead released on June 11 due to a cyberattack at Toei.[6][7][8] Internationally, including the U.S. and the U.K., it was released on August 19, 2022, in both English dubbed and sub-dubbed versions.[9][10][11][12]
It received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its nostalgia factor, characterization, fan service, fight sequences, and humor.[13] The film grossed ¥13.8 billion (about US$102.5 million) worldwide,[3] becoming the second-highest grossing Dragon Ball film to date.
Plot
Commander Magenta, CEO of Red Pharmaceuticals, seeks to revive the Red Ribbon Army previously led by his father Commander Red before it was ultimately destroyed by Goku over three decades prior.[a] Magenta and his assistant Staff Officer Carmine seek to recruit Dr. Gero's surviving grandson, Dr. Hedo, a superhero-obsessed mad scientist who was released from jail after serving a lengthy sentence for grave robbing. Hedo accepts the offer, despite his initial reservations, after Magenta convinces him that Bulma's Capsule Corporation is an evil organization bent on world domination.
While Goku, Vegeta, and Broly are training under Whis on Beerus' planet, Piccolo is annoyed over Gohan wasting his potential while training the latter's daughter, Pan. Piccolo is then attacked by a Red Ribbon android named Gamma 2, but manages to evade the android and follows him to the Red Ribbon Army's base. Piccolo disguises himself as a soldier to infiltrate a meeting; he learns that Gamma 1 and 2 were created by Hedo to defeat Capsule Corporation and their superpowered allies. Hedo also reluctantly used his grandfather's schematics on Cell to create an improved version, known as Cell Max. Piccolo asks Bulma to make contact with Whis to alert Goku and Vegeta to the threat, but she is unable to reach him. Piccolo then asks Shenron to unlock his full potential before learning of Magenta's scheme to kidnap Pan in order to lure Gohan into a trap.
Piccolo volunteers himself for the kidnapping and directs Pan to play along. Enraged upon learning of his daughter's abduction, Gohan launches a full-scale assault on the Red Ribbon base and fights Gamma 1 while Piccolo faces Gamma 2, with his full potential manifesting in a new form dubbed "Orange Piccolo". Piccolo manages to convince Gamma 2 that Magenta is lying about Capsule Corporation, and the Gammas have a change of heart. Carmine is knocked out by Pan after attempting to kill her, while a furious Magenta activates Cell Max and is killed by Hedo.
Cell Max emerges as a giant, rampaging monster. Bulma arrives with Goten, Trunks, Android 18 and Krillin as reinforcements. Gohan, Piccolo, the Gammas and the other fighters battle Cell Max. Goten and Trunks try to fuse into Gotenks, but their fusion technique is imperfect. However, Gotenks does manage to crack Cell Max's skull, revealing that he does not have a regeneration ability like the original Cell. Gamma 2 sacrifices himself in an attempt to kill Cell Max, but only succeeds in destroying Cell Max's left arm. As Piccolo restrains Cell Max, Gohan's inner rage manifests into a new "Beast" form and he fires a "Special Beam Cannon", killing Cell Max. Gohan is reunited with Pan, while a repentant Hedo and Gamma 1 are given positions at Capsule Corporation.
In a post-credits scene, Vegeta defeats Goku in a lengthy sparring match on Beerus' planet, by landing the match's final blow before collapsing himself.
Production of Super Hero began before the release of Dragon Ball Super: Broly.[15] It is the first film in the franchise to be produced largely in CGI,[4][16] and the fourth to have heavy involvement from series creator Akira Toriyama, who provided the original concept and character designs. The use of CGI visuals was a decision made by Kodama, who is experienced with using them.[17]
To differentiate the movie from prior films, Piccolo and Gohan were made protagonists (as opposed to Goku and Vegeta) and the Red Ribbon Army were brought back as villains. Toriyama personally designed the characters of the Red Ribbon Army, as well as their vehicles. Kodama explained the narrative would further explore human drama, most notably the idea of Gohan being a warrior and a scholar at the same time.[17] Toriyama said that he wanted the plot to focus on the Gohan-Piccolo relationship, given Piccolo motivates Gohan to fight even more than his father, Goku.[18]
The film introduces new transformations for Gohan and Piccolo. Gohan Beast (孫 悟飯・ビースト, Son Gohan Bīsuto), a form unique to Gohan, is based on the awakening of his powers ("the wild beast", per Toriyama) as a boy. Toriyama attempted to draw Gohan Beast with a "scary face", but finding this did not fit his character, gave him upturned hair as well.[19] Orange Piccolo (オレンジ・ピッコロ, Orenji Pikkoro), which Toriyama considers Piccolo's first transformation, was made orange and extremely muscled to distinguish him from Piccolo's regular form.[19]
Hiroshi Kamiya and Mamoru Miyano voice the androids Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. Miyu Irino voices their creator, Dr. Hedo. Kamiya was surprised by his casting, as he was a fan of Miyano, and also because the two would be a duo of villains. Despite the similarities of both androids, Kamiya looked forward to potential differences in their personalities, as it would bring an element of surprise to the narrative.[20]
Marketing
Promotion
A sequel to Dragon Ball Super: Broly was officially announced on May 9, 2021.[21] At 2021's San Diego Comic-Con, a short clip of Goku with the film's logo was shown, revealing its title as Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.[15] Character designs for Piccolo, Pan, Krillin, Gamma 1, and Gamma 2 were also shown, as well as the design of Piccolo's home.[22][23] The first trailer was released on October 7, 2021. The Japanese release date was announced with a new trailer at Jump Festa 2022.[5][24]
Novelization
A novelization of the film written by Masatoshi Kusakabe was released on June 14, 2022. In its first week, it sold 3,946 copies, making it the seventh best-selling light novel in Japan.[25]
Release
Theatrical
The film was originally scheduled to be released in Japan on April 22, 2022, but it was postponed to June 11 after Toei Animation was affected by ransomware.[7] The film was released in IMAX, 4DX, Dolby Cinema, and MX4D.[26][6][8]
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was released on Blu-ray and DVD on March 14, 2023. The film features an English-language dub and original Japanese-language with English subtitles.[30]
Crunchyroll also announced that the movie will be available for worldwide streaming on its service on July 12, 2023, with subtitles available in 11 languages and 9 languages with dubs.[31]
Reception
Box office
Japan
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero topped the Japanese box office on its debut weekend, selling about 498,000 tickets and earning around ¥670 million (about $4.98 million).[32] In its second weekend, the film's gross earned ¥300 million (about $2.2 million), placing it second behind Top Gun: Maverick.[33][34] After 12 days of release, the film had sold over 1 million tickets.[35] In its third weekend, the film remained in second place, earning about ¥232 million (about $1.71 million) from 166,000 tickets. It had cumulatively sold 1.21 million tickets and earned about ¥1.64 billion (about $12.11 million).[36][37][38][39]
In its fourth weekend of release, Super Hero dropped to fourth place at the box office, earning about ¥155 million (about $1.13 million).[40] In its fifth weekend, the film surpassed the ¥2 billion yen ($15.04 million) mark, although it also dropped to fifth place with earnings of ¥121 million (about $879,900).[41][42][43] In its sixth weekend, Super Hero dropped to sixth place, earning about ¥72.4 million (about $523,900).[44][45] In the film's seventh weekend in theatres, it earned about ¥44.3 million (about $324,600), dropping to 8th place.[46][47]
Cumulatively, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero has earned ¥2.3 billion (about US$17.03 million), surpassing The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie to become the fourth-highest grossing Japanese anime film of 2022.[40][48][47][46]
Other territories
In the United States and Canada, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was initially projected to gross $13–15 million from 3,130 theaters during its opening weekend.[49] After making $10.74 million on its first day, including $4.3 million from Thursday night previews, estimates were raised to $21–23 million. It went on to debut at $21 million, topping the box office.[50] In its second weekend, the film earned $4.7 million, finishing fifth.[51] Eventually, the film earned $38.1 million, becoming the fourth highest grossing anime film in the United States.[52][53]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 57 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Blending beautifully animated action with fresh character development, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is everything fans of the franchise will be looking for."[54]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[55] American audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film an 85% overall positive score, with 75% saying they would definitely recommend it, while Japanese audiences on Filmarks, the Japanese survey firm, gave Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero a ranking of 4.0 out of 5.0.[56][57][58]
Richard Eisenbeis of Anime News Network gave Super Hero a B−. He noted its extensive callbacks to prior Dragon Ball moments and appreciated its exploration of Piccolo, who he considers a neglected character. He also praised the film's animation. However, Eisenbeis criticized Cell Max for being a lackluster villain.[59] Cezary Jan Strusiewicz of Polygon described the movie as nostalgic, remarking on its accessibility to casual fans and people who have never watched Dragon Ball before. Unlike Eiseinbeis, Strusiewicz disliked the animation, which he found to be unusual for the series.[60]
Notes
^As depicted in the Red Ribbon Army arc in Dragon Ball
^ ab ドラゴンボール 超スーパーヒーロー今度の敵はあのレッドリボン軍、"地球の危機"に スーパーヒーローＶＳスーパーヒーローが大激闘 [Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero—This Time, the Enemy is the Red Ribbon Army. A Fierce Battle Breaks Out Between Superheroes as the Earth is in Danger!]. Nikkei Entertainment! (in Japanese). No. February 2022. Nikkei Business Publications. January 4, 2022. pp. 56–57.
