Chinese Dragon Ball Performance Gives Fans The Live Action Adaptation They Always Wanted

The same reasons why Dragon Ball became one of the most famous anime of all time, such as its eye-popping action sequences and visually stunning fight scenes, also make it difficult to produce it as a live-action series. However, a recent rendition of the story proves that, with some creative effort, an awesome live-action version of Dragon Ball is absolutely possible.

The performance in question, which was also reported by @catsuka in an early January post to X, was a special double celebration. On the one hand, it was performed to commemorate Dragon Ball’s 40th anniversary – which will take place on November 20, 2024. On the other, it was performed to celebrate the new Year of the Dragon which, according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, occurred on February 10, 2024.

Indeed, the performance occurred at the Chinese streaming giant Bilibili’s annual New Year’s Gala. The 11+ minute arrangement was performed by the well-known Chinese dance group Old DOG, and included a cameo by Hiroki Takahashi – the artist best known for performing the original Dragon Ball anime’s opening song. With a healthy dollop of artistic license, the performance summarized the Dragon Ball story from when Goku crash-landed on Earth as a baby Saiyan to his no-holds-barred tilt against the evil Majin Buu.

The Bilibili Dragon Ball Performance Was A Great Representation Of The Source Material

This music and dance routine was co-produced by Bilibili

The onstage performance was largely conducted through music-and-dance routines. While Dragon Ball is not normally associated with music, the Bilibili performance proved just how flexible Akira Toriyama’s long-running masterpiece can be in the right hands. Not only was Goku’s story entertainingly depicted in the song lyrics and dance moves of the performers, but it was done so in a way that stays accurate to the story. Indeed, people unfamiliar with Dragon Ball would come out of the Bilibili performance having a basic understanding of Dragon Ball mythology.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect was the integration of special effects into the live performance. As a result, many of Dragon Ball‘s most iconic effects were brought to life right before the viewer’s eyes. Moreover, the display and use of the special effects were neither tacky nor low-quality. The effects managed to achieve a remarkably faithful live interpretation of manga and anime’s action.

The Dragon Ball Performance’s Thoughtful Incorporation Of Special Effects Is A Win For Fans

The energy sphere AKA spirit bomb is widely considered one of Dragon Ball‘s strongest attacks. Drawing energy from everything in the immediate area, the user gathers it together in a massive ball of light, then shoots at an opponent. In the Dragon Ball manga and anime, the gathering of energy is visually depicted as white or blue sparks of light that arise from locations around the user and flow toward the energy sphere above the user’s head. The energy is also audibly depicted as crackling energy bursts.

The effect was recreated in the Bilibili Dragon Ball performance by using a back screen. The performer playing Goku stands in front of the screen with an energy sphere on the back screen – shown above his head. The audience – who have all been given little white balls of light – are prompted to pretend to throw the balls toward the energy sphere on the screen. Then, using both physically controlled drones holding white balls of light and computer technology, the energy sphere above Goku’s head grows bigger. It has a visually stunning effect that looks better than its depiction in the manga and anime.

Dragon Ball Has a History Of Bad Live-Action Iterations

Outside of being a thoroughly unique and entertaining Dragon Ball experience, the Bilibili performance also proves that a quality live-action rendition of Dragon Ball is absolutely doable. Considering the other official attempts at live-action Dragon Ball, namely James Wong’s 2009 Dragonball Evolution and Chun-Liang Chen’s 1991 Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins, it’s understandable that some fans may be skeptical.

While the bad reactions to Evolution eventually led to the creation of Dragon Ball Super, it is still remembered as the worst product associated with the franchise. The main complaints about those attempts were that they deviated considerably from the source material and that the special effects left more than a lot to be desired. Indeed, as TheDivaReview reported at the time about Dragonball Evolutions, the creators managed to:

To be sure, one of the difficulties fans often cite as prohibiting a quality Dragon Ball live-action film or television series is the special effects. According to this discussion, Dragon Ball’s fantastical nature, and its over-the-top action and fight scenes just can’t be adequately replicated in a live-action show. Either the effect will be awful, like in Dragonball Evolution, or they’ll rely so heavily on computer technology that it will be unbelievable.

The Bilibili Dragon Ball Performance Gives Fans Hope For A Proper Live-Action Movie or Series

The Bilibili Dragon Ball performance showed that a live-action show can indeed stay true to the source material. To be sure, the performance maintained its accuracy with music and dance. It also demonstrated that special effects can be used effectively to precisely recreate the energetic elements that make Dragon Ball so known and loved around the world

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Sources: @Catsuka, TheDivaReview