Dragon Ball Super: Broly is set to change the franchise forever because not only will the famous non-canon movie villain Broly will be brought into the official series, but it seems that other canon choices are being introduced as well.
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The idea of Super Saiyans feeling a tingle on their lower back to transform was introduced during the Universal Survival arc, and now it’s officially going to be in the series going forward.
In a recent interview with director of the film Tatsuya Nagamine, as translated by Todd Blankenship on Twitter (@Herms98), Nagamine confirmed they were emphasizing more of Toriyama’s idea that the Super Saiyan power starts at the lower back. This idea was first brought into the series when Cabba was explaining the Super Saiyan transformation to his fellow Universe 6 Saiyans Caulifla and Kale.
He said to focus their energy into their lower back, and notes that harnessing that tingly feeling is what brings the Super Saiyan transformation out. But it was never really brought up again in the anime series. Nagamine is out to change this by emphasizing more of the fluidity and physicality of such a technique.
According to Blankenship’s translation, “Nagamine felt the image of what a DB anime was like had gotten too fixed; he wants to refresh how Super Saiyan transformations/Kamehamehas/etc are depicted, using the latest animation methods.” Bearing that in mind, Nagamine actually went back to Toriyama’s “tingly” lower back description to alter how the transformations work in the film.
So while it was an idea that felt random, such as Toriyama’s past explanation of a Saiyan needing a certain amount of “S-Cells” to transform, it’s going to be officially made canon. This is definitely reflected in the first trailer for the series already as Goku‘s one brief transformation into Super Saiyan seems a lot more physical as his brawl with Broly continues.
If there were fans worried about how the series was going to be represented, that’s one less weight off of their shoulders. Fans will soon get to see just what other changes will be made to the series’ canon as Dragon Ball Super: Broly opens this December in Japan.
Funimation will also be bringing the film to theaters in the United States in January as well. Dragon Ball Super: Broly is described as such:
“This is the story of a new Saiyan. Earth is peaceful following the Tournament of Power. Realizing that the universes still hold many more strong people yet to see, Goku spends all his days training to reach even greater heights. Then one day, Goku and Vegeta are faced by a Saiyan called ‘Broly’ who they’ve never seen before. The Saiyans were supposed to have been almost completely wiped out in the destruction of Planet Vegeta, so what’s this one doing on Earth? This encounter between the three Saiyans who have followed completely different destinies turns into a stupendous battle, with even Freeza (back from Hell) getting caught up in the mix.”
