Dragon Ball Z Remake Deserves Chance To Redeem Franchise
As popular as Dragon Ball Z and the other Dragon Ball related anime are, it is truly astounding that there has only ever been one live-action movie made of the show–the infamously terrible Dragon Ball Evolution. With the franchise creator Akira Toriyama recently passing away, anime fans have been in full agreement how hugely influential the franchise was on the genre as a whole. It’s about time Dragon Ball got a live-action adaptation worthy of its legacy, made in Japan, and cast with Japanese actors.
Learning from Avatar
Avatar: The Last Airbender was in a similar boat for a while, with the cartoon being one of the most beloved shows of all time. While the recent Netflix series adaptation has gotten mixed reviews, everyone can at least unanimously agree that it is a much more worthy take on the story than M. Night Shyamalan’s atrocious feature. So why not show Dragon Ball Z some similar love by giving it another live action chance too?
No More Whitewashing
One of the key things a live action Dragon Ball Z can learn from the new Avatar is to actually cast actors of the same backgrounds and ethnicities as in the anime. Dragon Ball Evolution is often pointed to as a classic example of whitewashing due to Goku now being portrayed by a white actor despite the anime being tied to Japanese culture. One of the best starting points a director can make is to film the remake in Japan, and cast Japanese actors in the leading roles.
Feedback From The Anime Creators
Another solid move to ensure a Dragon Ball Z movie will do well is to accept input from the team that does the anime. While Akira Toriyama is unfortunately no longer around to consult in that regard, there are still plenty of other people attached to the franchise who have been working on it for years and have a deep respect for the story. For Dragon Ball Evolution, the director and writers infamously ignored Toriyama’s input and just wanted to do their own thing.
Before the movie was even released, this alienated a lot of fans. Even the Netflix version of Avatar: The Last Airbender made the mistake of disregarding the wishes of the creators.
The Visual Effects Need To Be Amazing
A live action Dragon Ball Z needs to do the anime justice in terms of visuals. The anime is known as having some of the most intense fight scenes ever animated. Characters can fire energy waves that can literally destroy entire planets.
Honor Toriyama’s Memory
Dragon Ball Z fans just want to get rid of the terrible lingering aftertaste of Dragon Ball Evolution. Nobody wants to see a franchise they love butchered on screen. Dragon Ball deserves a chance at redemption to show non-anime fans what they are missing.
The late Akira Toriyama deserves to have his franchise depicted in its true glory.
