Super Dragon Ball Heroes
Synopsis — from MyAnimeList
In May 2018, V-Jump announced the promotional anime for Dragon Ball Heroes, a Japanese arcade and trading card game. The video game has been adapted to a Nintendo Switch port for western audiences, whilst the card game is released under the name "Dragon Ball Super TCG" and is combined with the other card game of the same name in japan. The anime is expected to be short and it is not expected to broadcast on TV. It has adapted the game's Prison Planet Arc, as long as the manga original arc "Big Bang Mission" and "Ultra God Misson", also fully detailed in the Heroes manga published in Saikyou Jump, although under 2 separate canons. They have never been published officially in English. The first episode debuted July 1, 2018 at Aeon Lake Town.
Audience Consensus
Audience reception is highly polarized, largely dependent on viewer expectations. Those seeking a deep narrative or consistent power scaling are deeply disappointed, viewing it as a shallow, rushed promotional tool. However, hardcore fans who prioritize seeing dream match-ups and desired transformations find enjoyment, viewing it as official fanfiction despite its production flaws.
Strengths
- Visually showcases desired character transformations and fusions that fans have clamored for.
- Offers exciting fights and action sequences for those primarily interested in battles.
- Appeals to hardcore Dragon Ball fans by bringing official, long-desired 'what if' scenarios to life.
- Retains original voice actors, enhancing the authenticity for long-time fans.
Weaknesses
- Extremely nonsensical and inconsistent power scaling that undermines any sense of stakes.
- Shallow and underdeveloped plot that lacks coherent narrative progression.
- Extremely short episode runtime (around 9 minutes) leads to rushed pacing and lack of development.
- Animation quality can be poor, especially in later episodes or when attempting complex sequences.
- Over-reliance on fan service can feel overwhelming and detract from any potential story elements.