‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’ Art Director Shares Broly’s Biggest Difference

Dragon Ball fans had been looking forward to Dragon Ball Super: Broly ever since it was officially announced, and a lot of the hype has come from the fact that the character designs would be receiving a major overhaul from newly appointed animation supervisor Naohiro Shintani.

In an interview released alongside the launch of Dragon Ball Super: Broly in Japan (via Kanzenshuu), Shintani has been discussing the process behind the new designs and revealed what he believed that makes the new Broly so different from the older version.

When asked what makes Broly different, Shintai responded, “The past Broly was nothing but a dangerous guy. But this time, there are scenes that humanize him, like the incident with Bah, and him connecting with Cheelai and Lemo. I wonder if we’ll leave the audience feeling wistful at the end when Cheelai uses the Dragon Balls? This Broly is a different character than his previous incarnation, and hope he becomes popular in his own right.”

Confirming what fans had noticed in the film, the newer Broly is much more sympathetically portrayed than he was before. Unlike the previous incarnation, this newer Broly has a developed character. He has desires and feelings, and though he does give into a rage later in the film, it’s painted in more of a tragic light. Shintani discussed more about what he specifically put into his design too, “…I had a very strong image of Broly based on the previous movies, so I created my own design for him at Full Power from scratch. I just had the urge to see him lose his shirt and run wild at the end.”

Noting that “Toriyama had stated that he didn’t want [Broly] to be overly macho, so [Shintani] aimed to make him look as huge as possible, yet still within the confines of not going overboard with it.” This was most likely because if Broly was as cartoonishly huge as he was in his previous incarnation, the more subdued characterization for him would not have landed with audiences.

Opening in Japan last December, Funimation officially brought Dragon Ball Super: Broly to the United States on January 16, and the film has earned more that $100 million dollars worldwide. You can read ComicBook.com’s spoiler-free review of the film here. The film is described as such:

“A planet destroyed, a powerful race reduced to nothing. After the devastation of Planet Vegeta, three Saiyans were scattered among the stars, destined for different fates. While two found a home on Earth, the third was raised with a burning desire for vengeance and developed an unbelievable power. And the time for revenge has come. Destinies collide in a battle that will shake the universe to its very core! Goku is back to training hard so he can face the most powerful foes the universes have to offer, and Vegeta is keeping up right beside him. But when they suddenly find themselves against an unknown Saiyan, they discover a terrible, destructive force. Locked into battle with the formidable Broly, Goku and Vegeta face their most dangerous opponent yet!”

via Kanzenshuu

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