Something that I probably never mentioned on this blog is how much of a Dragon Ball Z fan I am. I still remember receiving Volume 13 on Christmas back in 1997 (why not start with Volume 1, mom?), and how immersive it all was. Naturally I ended up reading all the books over the years, up until that final battle with Majin Boo (or Buu in the Japanese version). Another thing worth mentioning is that I failed to catch up with the GT craze, as it never really intrigued me as much as the original storyline. That being said, I absolutely loved Akira Toriyama’s comeback with “Dragon Ball Super”. The books managed to capture the spirit of the original story, and it felt exactly like being reunited with old friends. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that “Broly” is strictly for diehard fans of the series, and I had a blast watching it. For one, it takes us back to a time when Planet Vegeta wasn’t yet destroyed by Freeza. We already knew that Vegeta and Goku were born around that time. What we didn’t know is that a third Saiyan was exiled by King Vegeta to another planet, and lived there for several decades. Fast forward to the present and our heroes are about to finally meet him. It’s a hell of a showdown, and watching it on the big screen truly made my mouth water. The fights scenes are impeccably staged, but none of this would matter if the movie didn’t have a good story to tell. And as someone who favors story over battle scenes, I especially liked the balance between the two here. Complaints? I guess I’d have to say that it left me wanting more, but such is the case with every Dragon Ball book/movie. These stories are so well told that I’m always looking forward to the next chapter. And now, after all these years, I’m especially eager to see where they go next.