We've explored many shorts inspired by the Dragon Ball universe, with special emphasis on live action. Some were very good, others are better left forgotten, and then there are those that disappeared due to copyright issues… but what we're about to see today is not live action. On the contrary, we're looking at one of the most complete animation projects, and I'd dare say it's the best among fanfilms. Legend - A Dragon Ball Tale is a creation by Naseer Pasha, and more than raising the quality bar, it has just put it into orbit….
Dragon Ball goes far beyond nostalgia and entertainment. The entire franchise has been a true cultural force, a worldwide ambassador of anime, and above all, an inexhaustible source of inspiration for artists and designers around the globe. Many experts took their first steps drawing Goku and Vegeta, or copying their designs from still frames. Naseer Pasha speaks to all of them with his project Legend - A Dragon Ball Tale, and the full message… is wonderful:
Legend - A Dragon Ball Tale: The Best Animated Dragon Ball Fanfilm
(Editor's note: Yes, you should watch the full video before continuing, and there are still no Spanish subtitles.)
The story of Legend is familiar… but at the same time different. A parallel universe, perhaps? We have a martial arts tournament, with Kami-sama and Mr. Popo / Momo watching the action in the background, and Goku fighting Chi-Chi / Milk, who reminds him of his marriage promise with punches. Naturally, the tournament's development goes to hell with the appearance of a new warrior, Broly himself, and the situation becomes even more chaotic with the arrival of Vegeta, who transforms into Super Saiyan almost immediately.
This is without a doubt one of the most interesting aspects of Legend: Vegeta's goal, officially king of the Saiyans, is to kill Broly and recover Goku. Why? Because "Goku's light" is out of control and needs to be refined. In other words, training. Goku's transformation is clearly more primordial and unstable, a hybrid halfway between Super Saiyan and Oozaru. Vegeta's final warning is disturbing: "Get married once and for all, because we're going to war." How about a reboot with Vegeta as Goku's mentor? There's a lot to explore there.
The movements, the colors, the audio, the voices… imagine a normal anime series maintaining this level of quality across all its episodes. TV versions usually have horrible animation moments, which are magically corrected in special Blu-ray editions (which we of course must buy). Personally, I haven't seen anything this good since... Fog Hill of Five Elements, a Chinese project I still dream of watching in full.
To finish, don't forget we have more on Dragon Ball in live action. Both Light of Hope and The Fall of Men are excellent starting points, but for heaven's sake, don't miss the Sweded version of the Cell Saga, which is pure gold.
