A fan-favorite Dragon Ball animator posted his rendition of Broly on Twitter this week, in preparation for Dragon Ball Super: Broly later this year.
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Masaki Sato worked on Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z in its heyday, and fans remember his distinct style well. His resume stretches all the way back to the days when a young Goku rode his Flying Nimbus cloud. However, Sato is likely best known for the hyper-muscular forms that the characters took on in later sagas, as he was considered responsible for this style as key animator.
頼まれ物のブロリーの色紙を書く前に練習…
— 佐藤 正樹 (@miyagido_karate) August 22, 2018
ノーマルからスーパーに成る迄の構図にしょうとしてあえなく失敗😫
思い出す為、試しにだったけど…
やっぱり、変身後だけにしとこう💦 pic.twitter.com/K4ScDkihqM
Though he is not working within the franchise these days, Sato has posted all kinds of Dragon Ball-related art on social media lately. On Wednesday, he delighted fans with a look at Broly, showing that he too is anticipating the juggernaut’s return to the screen.
Sato posted the “practice” Broly on Twitter, racking up hundreds of likes and retweets. He showed the Saiyan in all three of his forms from his first appearance in Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan. He wore the fine, regal clothing with matching golden jewelry, though as we know it was later revealed to be a mind control device.
“PLEASE COME BACK TO DRAGON BALL,” one fan responded to Sato. “YOU ARE SO GREAT.”
“Masaki Sato has been drawing so much DB lately,” added another. “Would love to see him on the series again in some capacity in the future.”
Masaki Sato has been drawing so much DB lately. Would love to see him on the series again in some capacity in the future. //t.co/kOPdAbpPbh
— Ajay (@AnimeAjay) August 22, 2018
Broly is one of the most beloved characters in the world of Dragon Ball, though he has not technically ever been introduced canonically. The maniacal villain starred in three movies in the early 1990s, though non were involved with the series in anyway.
Now, he has been written into the series proper by none other than Akira Toriyama himself. The Legendary Super Saiyan is getting a reboot in the new movie, where he will apparently be able to hold his own against Goku and Vegeta in their Super Saiyan Blue forms.
“I went ahead and watched the movies from back then, and I felt this could be quite interesting once I rearrange some things,” Toriyama wrote in a Japanese publication not long ago. “I got right to work trying my hand at a story that incorporates him into the Dragon Ball Super series. While keeping in mind Broly’s classic image so as not to disappoint his fans, I updated him and added a new side to his character, and I think this has resulted in a more fascinating Broly.”
Dragon Ball Super: Broly premieres in Japan on Dec. 14, and is expected to make its way over to the U.S. some time in January, though an exact date has not been set yet.