Dragon Ball Super's Latest Episode Reused Lots Of Old Animation

07/05/2017 10:43 pm EDT

If you are a particularly keen-eyed Dragon Ball fan, then you may have noticed something strange recently. Dragon Ball Super released its latest episode last weekend, leaving fans to witness the start of the Tournament of Power. However, the episode's animation was by no means new to longtime fans.

Over on Twitter, netizens have pointed out how much Dragon Ball Super's latest episode overlaps with the show's previous episodes. The anime seems to have borrowed animation sequences from fights seen in episode 85 amongst others and used them to repackage Dragon Ball Super's 97th episode.

As you can see above, several fans have simply laid out the reused animation for others to judge. Users like @AnimeJay were quick to share the comparison footage, but fans should not be too upset by the ordeal. After all, the anime industry reuses animation frames all the time.

If you aren't familiar with the world of anime, then you should know there is a reason some frames are reused throughout series. The industry uses what it calls BANKs, high-quality stock animations which can be used over and over again. Think of Sailor Moon's magical transformation, for example. With Dragon Ball Super, many of its BANKS are geared around power-ups and fight sequences given the show's action-centric nature. The reusable clips cut down on studio costs and frees up animators to work on episode-specific sequences, so the industry is all for cutting BANKS whenever possible.

Dragon Ball Super has used BANKS on various occasions, but its recent controversy has nothing to do with the stock footage; It has to do with the lack of it. Dragon Ball Super's 97th episode didn't reuse BANKS but rather generic animation sequences, something which isn't standard practice in the anime industry. This difference has led some fans to question how efficient Dragon Ball Super's production is moving along, and they are not too happy to say at the least.

Still, Toei Animation has some leeway in recycling its older footage. Dragon Ball Super is currently deep into the 'Universal Survival' arc, and the show is hosting a martial arts event with 80 competitors. It would be impossible to animate entirely new battles for everyone, so some fighters are given leftovers while others get brand-new sequences. As the current arc hones in on specific battles, new animation sequences will surely be revealed and tide over fans who are angry about Dragon Ball's recent upset.

So, what do you think? Are you offended by the show'w use of recycled footage? Hit us up on Twitter @ComicBook or @MeganPetersCB to let us know!

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The synopsis of Dragon Ball Super's current saga can be read here: "According to an invitation that Goku gets, Zen-Oh (Omni King) is starting a martial arts tournament between all the universes called "Chikara no Taikai" (Tournament of Power). But it is the beginning of universal destruction. Something awaits the winners and losers of this tournament. What will become of this fierce team battle between each universe's elite warriors?

Dragon Ball Super's "Universal Survival" saga is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. CST. Toonami will begin airing the English dub on Adult Swim Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.

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