'Dragon Ball' Animators Share Their Unique Takes on Goku
Dragon Ball Super's finale to the 'Universal Survival Arc' an its Tournament of Power was a major [...]
Dragon Ball Super's finale to the "Universal Survival Arc" an its Tournament of Power was a major game-changer for so many reasons (which we breakdown HERE). However, one of the biggest changes to the series wasn't a story twist or new character development: we (literally) saw a major upgrade in the animation style, especially when Goku tapped into the complete Ultra Instinct power for his final one-on-one bout with Jiren. In honor Dragon Ball Super's visual evolution, one fan put together this little ode to the animators that made it happen:
Here's this dumb thing I decided to make.
— datwerg² (@datwerg) April 4, 2018
Now that we have a clear view of Goku from nearly every animator on the episode I think this was due.
it's a bit sloppy but that's ok pic.twitter.com/XlMzoY5oLg
Hardcore Dragon Ball fans will no doubt recognize some of their personal favorites, stretching all the way back to the original Dragon Ball series and the heydays of Dragon Ball Z. Studio Seigasha veterans like Masahiro Shimanuki, Kazuya Hisada, and Naoki Tate are now like rockstars to the fandom - as is O.G. Tomekichi Takeuchi. Of course, everyone has his or her favorite, and since all of the work these artists have done is now synonymous with the series, they're all worthy of this show of respect. In the end, it's been we, the fans, who are the truly lucky ones, as their work to bring Dragon Ball to life has stoked the excitement and imagination of entire generations (plural) of fans.
Of course, with the finale of Dragon Ball Super, some talented new blood has stepped onto the scene! Twitter was exploding with praise for the animation in the final two episodes of Dragon Ball Super (episodes 130 & 131) - especially the work of Megumi Ishitani, who oversaw the animation of the finale episode.
Megumi Ishitani graduated from Japan's most prestigious animation program, GEIDAI. She then joined Toei, where she's gained trust so fast that the first episode she'll have full control over will be Dragon Ball Super's finale. Quite the responsibility! https://t.co/ycNCFENHfT pic.twitter.com/GQ0P9pXUeg
— kViN (@Yuyucow) March 8, 2018
As a top-talent animator (and a female one at that), Megumi has quickly amassed a fan following that wants to see her style continue to be a heavy influence on Dragon Ball's future. So while the gallery of artwork above is awesome, we also can't wait to see what future collages will look like, as the Toei's team of talented animators grows and diversifies with the production company's new Dragon Ball franchise division.
Dragon Ball Super currently airs its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonami programming block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m. It is also available to stream on FunimationNOW and Amazon Video. The Japanese language release of the series is complete, and available to stream on FunimationNOW, VRV, and Crunchyroll.
