It’s not the first time that Akira Toriyama’s universe and the stop-motion technique have crossed paths. Thanks to the extraordinary work of counter656 on YouTube our favorite characters have faced off in epic battles that require weeks of preparation. His latest work, Gohan’s Fury, is not only a stop-motion masterpiece, but you’ll be shaking your fist demanding more.
A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to watch two episodes of Wallace & Gromit outdoors. The episodes were old (1989 and 1995), but despite all those years one never stops being amazed by the dedication behind clay animation, and by extension, stop-motion. Today we basically expect computers to take care of animation, and in many cases they do, although my intention is not to place one technique above the other, but quite the opposite. The combination of “traditional” methods with new technologies can lead to extraordinary results, no matter if it’s an amateur project or a professional job. As an example, let’s look at counter656’s latest stop-motion, once again made with Dragon Ball Z characters, published on his YouTube channel:
Yes, it’s five and a half minutes in which Cell dishes out blows in all directions until Gohan appears and brings some order (with help from his father, of course). Still, it would be very unfair to limit the description of Gohan’s Fury to that. Its creation required a month of work and five thousand photographs, so it’s a true monument to patience. The channel clarifies it’s a sponsored video (I assume it refers to the QR code at the bottom right), but that doesn’t alter the overall experience. The user comments on YouTube say it all: “This is better than the new series” is repeated over and over.
If it’s your first time coming across counter656’s material, you should know his work goes far beyond Dragon Ball Z. There’s also stop-motion of DC, Marvel, Lego, Transformers, Gundam, Toy Story, and many more. Click below, and enjoy.
