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Dragon Ball Evolution is still considered the flagship example of an anime live-action adaptation gone wrong. A recent clip resurfaced online, reminding people of its massive shortcomings. Whether it's changes in the story, designs, and plot or how it fails to capture the original series' spirit and charm, the 2009 film is considered a failure in every possible metric.
The case with Dragon Ball Evolution also serves to show the uneven trajectory of live-action anime adaptations, even if it has gone in a positive direction. However, it is difficult to argue that things haven't improved considerably in that department, especially with the recent success of the Netflix One Piece live-action series. The series exemplifies how the medium can be adapted in that format and still work.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and individuals quoted, not Sportskeeda.
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Dragon Ball Evolution's legacy continues after recent clip resurfaces
This live-action movie came out in 2009 and has been widely regarded as one of the worst films of all time, massively disregarding Akira Toriyama's source material and reportedly failing to capture the series' personality and charm. Furthermore, after fifteen years, this recent clip highlights how the film is still as maligned in the anime fandom as it was when it came out.
"Is he fighting brainiac!!?" a person mentioned.
"i remember seeing this movie in theaters. bruh the anger i felt when i walked out omg." another person said.
"I always feel bad for the actor that played Goku, because he was prepared to play the role seriously; even reading and watching the original source material. Unfortunately, Hollywood has no interest whatsoever in being faithful to source material. They just use the name." someone pointed out.
The movie was heavily criticized for not staying faithful to the source material and making massive changes to the story, thusfeeling like a completely different entity. Furthermore, and as mentioned earlier by one fan, it feels as if 20th Century Fox Studios were only interested in the brand recognition and not the story.
"There were multiple people involved that genuinely wanted to make a good DB Movie but ultimately it was going to be impossible to do especially being Hollywood." someone pointed out.
"It was the worst in more than one way to the point it is now a case study." someone else said.
The legacy of this film and modern live-action adaptations
This film was not only a major disappointment for Dragon Ball fans but has also become a significant reminder of how far live-action anime adaptations have gone. There are still some notable disasters in the medium, such as the live-action versions of Saint Seiya, Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note, and Cowboy Bebop. However, examples such as Bleach, Rurouni Kenshin, and One Piece have shown that it is possible to do justice to the source material.
"Moments like this really convince me that a chunk of the crew actually cared about this. Like, Goku looks fine here. The effects look fine. The cast are fine. But then he goes all wakanda forever when he charges energy and launches himself into the sky and it just falls apart." a fan pointed out.
"You want to know the biggest disappointment with this film? They didnt even bother to put krillin in, but yamcha was still in it, despite arguably being far less important." someone else said.
"Made Toriyama want to make Dragon Ball Super, best lemonade I can make from these lemons lol." another person said.
Final thoughts
This film was a major milestone for Dragon Ball and live-action anime adaptations but for all the wrong reasons. It serves as a reminder that these adaptations have gotten better throughout the years and also an example of what not to do in these situations.
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