Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Reviews – What Are Critics Saying?

Dragon Ball Super is a series that needs little introduction. The hit anime made its debut years ago, and after a long break from the spotlight, it is returning to theaters stateside this weekend with Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. The big movie promises to kickstart the shonen fandom once more following its successful launch in Japan. And with just days to go before the film goes live, we’re rounding up everything the critics have to say about the flick. 

As you can see below, a number of major publications have reviewed Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, and they’re all in favor of the film. In fact, the aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes has the movie ranked at 100% fresh with nearly 20 professional reviews. The film is currently the best-reviewed one in the history of Dragon Ball. And of course, ComicBook had little else but praise for the gorgeous flick. 

READ MORE: Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Is Expected to Top Weekend Box Office

“Despite its pacing issues, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero shines thanks to its fun story that’s filled with nostalgia. From forgotten foes to new transformations and long-awaited close-ups, this movie was made with fans in mind,” our review reads as you can see here. “The story is easy enough to follow for newcomers, but longtime lovers of Dragon Ball will revel in all its Easter eggs. Not even its shift from Goku registers as strange, and if anything, audiences will be glad to root for Piccolo or Gohan for a change. Its ambitious animation proves Dragon Ball is willing to learn new tricks even after decades on the screen. And as fans sit down to watch this new movie, they better prepare to revisit the roots of Akira Toriyama’s classic shonen.”

For those unaware, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero will debut in theaters nationwide on August 19th thanks to Crunchyroll and Toei Animation. Tickets are on sale now! 

Will you be checking out Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero in theaters? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

GameSpot

“Dragon Ball has always made room for humor between its serious combat encounters with real world-ending stakes, but Super Hero presses its thumb down on the funny side of the scale, and it’s the right call. The action combat is impressive and looks great in the new style, but it all feels familiar. I’ve seen all the heroes throw out energy blasts hundreds of times, but watching Piccolo awkwardly use a cell phone and work with a three-year-old to trick bad guys feels new and fun. The combat gets a little excessive during the final third of the film, but the overall emphasis on humor and exploring Piccolo’s relationship with Goku’s extended family makes Super Hero one of my favorite Dragon Ball films.” – GameSpot

Anime News Network​

“When it comes down to it, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is an above-average Dragon Ball story. It has solid themes and works as a character study of one of its oldest (and most neglected) characters. If you’re just wanting to see Goku and Vegeta punch things, you might be let down by their minimal presence in this film, but if you care about Piccolo and are a longtime fan of Dragon Ball in general, you’ll find a lot to enjoy.” – Anime News Network

Gizmodo

“Super Hero is a relative fresh start for Dragon Ball Super, and seems to be taking refuge in that. On its own merits, it’s a solid film with a gorgeous animation style and an infectious energy that makes it hard to dislike. Its heart is in the right place, and for longtime fans, it’s certainly worth seeing. But as the Z Warriors have taught us time and again, you can always get stronger. Whatever the next film to follow will be, hopefully it’ll truly live up to the “Super” in the series’ title.” – Gizmodo

Polygon

“Think of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero as a breather film. It’s a respite from massive storylines with all of reality on the line, and a chance to sit back, relax, and enjoy some Dragon Ball nostalgia. The only interruption in that dynamic is Super Hero’s use of 3D animation, a first for a Dragon Ball movie. The style gives the film an unfamiliar look reminiscent of a Nintendo Switch game. But it’s a small price to pay for the story the audience gets in return.” – Polygon

The Wrap​

“So in short, existing franchise fans will probably get the most enjoyment from “Dragon Ball Hero: Super Hero” since they’re more likely to care, for instance, when Goten (Masako Nozawa/Robert McCollum) and Trunks (Takeshi Kusao/Eric Vale) use a fusion attack to fight Cell Max. Diehard fans will also be the only ones to understand allusive references to Piccolo’s villainous past, back when he fought Goku and had a split personality. Still, while this new “Dragon Ball” spinoff may not be all things to all viewers, it’s also a thrilling showcase for Toriyama’s beloved characters.” – The Wrap

Variety

“Whether you prefer subs or dubs – one of anime’s longest-running, most foundational debates – “Super Hero” won’t disappoint, as it’s being made available in both formats. (This writer prefers the subtitled version, for what it’s worth.) Longtime devotees are unlikely to be disappointed regardless, as the film, while nothing groundbreaking, mostly finds a sweet spot between fan service and narrative heft. And though not especially friendly to the uninitiated, it’s so damn out-there that even novitiates may find themselves motivated to seek out more “Dragon Ball” lore once it’s over – such is the appealing strangeness of this ever-expanding world.” – Variety

IGN

“A franchise as old as Dragon Ball – a series at this point (among others) synonymous with the proliferation of anime television in the West – comes with a lot of baggage, fan expectation, increasingly labyrinthine continuity, and perhaps diminishing returns on its best qualities. The recent Dragon Ball Super: Broly managed to answer all of this, delivering a new take on an old fan favorite character in a straightforward, white-knuckle brawler that at the same time took the series back to its paternalistic interests. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero manages to succeed in a lot of the same ways, with a few differences and new tricks up its sleeve.” – IGN

The Guardian​

“Uninitiated viewers will probably be utterly baffled by the bewildering cast of brightly coloured characters: a mix of humans, androids, aliens and a couple of creatures that look like bipedal versions of a chubby house cat and hairless sphinx, but in the latter’s case with a gold earring and the fierce attitude of a Drag Race contestant. Super Hero gamely tries to explain the backstory a bit at the beginning, but trying to keep up as we are plunged into a world of bad guys with outrageous quiffs, super-skilled preschoolers and green-skinned martial arts masters with droopy forehead antennae is quite futile. If, however, you can relax and just let it wash over you, Super Hero’s eye candy animation is mesmeric.” – The Guardian