Dragon Ball Z is perhaps the most beloved anime series of all time, but its highest-profile live-action adaptation was lackluster, to say the least. Therefore, independent content creators have a big opportunity to do the series justice, and the latest channel looking to accomplish that goal is Black Smoke Films. The French studio’s fan film, titled “Dragon Ball Z: The Fall of Men,” has received millions of views and thousands of laudatory comments since launching on YouTube last week.
It is easy to draw comparisons between “The Fall of Men” and “Light of Hope,” a separate fan project that premiered its pilot earlier this year. Like “Light of Hope,” the new fan film takes place within the History of Trunks saga, which stands as one of Dragon Ball Z’s darkest plot arcs.
The main difference between the two fan projects concerns their respective faithfulness to the original anime. While “Light of Hope” creators Robot Underdog stayed close to the source material, Black Smoke chose to take some liberties with it. Characters encounter fates that differ from the animated canon, the plot twists in new ways, and the villain, Cell, is portrayed more as a menacing monster than a cartoonish adversary.
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It’s not the story choices, however, that have allowed “The Fall of Men” to pull in more than 6.8 million views. Black Smoke has delivered superb production values on a tight budget, and they have a created a unique look for their Dragon Ball Z story. A climactic fight scene between Trunks and Cell is full of energy, and it delivers the sort of action fans crave. If you’re one of those fans, you’re probably going to want to check this one out.
