Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Director Explains Use of CG Animation

By Megan Peters

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero has a lot to prove to fans this year. The big movie marks the anime's return following Dragon Ball Super: Broly, a film that was universally praised by fans of the franchise. This new project is going in a very different direction with its focus on Earth and unique animation style. As you can imagine, the CG design has fans new and old nervous, but the film's director wants netizens to rest easy about the big change.  

The comments were made recently when Dragon Ball held an online panel all about its new movie. It was there Tetsuro Kodama appeared for a brief Q&A session, and the director said the film's CG animation came from a place of curiosity amongst his staff.

"We also grew up right in the middle of the Shonen Jump 'Dragon Ball' generation and since then, the fandom has just gotten bigger and bigger to become this huge phenomenon. But we have a mission to break new ground and help cultivate new fans. So what type and style of animation would help to achieve that goal? That's where this project got started," he shared.

"When it comes to this new style, the biggest thing that distinguishes it is the shadows. We took an approach to make them look like they're blurry or have a more gradual blend which gives a softer impression overall. That's one of the big differences," Kodama finished. "I also want to point out that characters in this film move a lot."

Clearly, the director and his team put a lot of thought into the CG animation, and fans are coming around on the shift. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero will be the anime's first project to use such a design, and its latest clips impressed netizens with its fluid action. Now, the only question left is whether the movie can maintain its aesthetic and reach the lofty expectations fans have for it. 

What do you make of Dragon Ball Super's new CG design? Do you think the anime will stick with this aesthetic or...? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

Trending Now: