How Live Action 'Dragon Ball Z' Movie Connects To The Animated Version, According To Creator

The live action "Dragon Ball Z" movie was criticized for terribly misrepresenting its animated counterpart, but the series creator is offering a valid explanation. Director James Wong was heavily criticized for "whitewashing" the "Dragon Ball" series.

As a matter of fact, the live action "Dragon Ball Z" movie was so heavily bashed by fans, that it needed an apology from its film makers. According to a previous report by RocketNews, the film's writer, Ben Ramsey, did indeed apologized for the fiasco that is the movie's script.

Of course with all the harsh feedback and critical reception, series creator Akira Toriyama should have a say in this issue. Although Toriyama himself also has loose ties to the live action "Dragon Ball Z" movie, for starters.

According to ComicBook, the "Dragon Ball Z" creator was tasked with checking the film's script and he also helped with some of the character designs. Furthermore, Toriyama also addressed the live action "Dragon Ball Z" movie itself and its connection to his beloved series.

Toriyama explained that the "Dragon Ball Z" movie could exist alongside its animated counterpart. However, Toriyama stressed that the film's plot takes place "in a different dimension" from the plot in his animated version.

While this might only give fans some slight reprieve from the damage the movie dealt, at least it gives a sort of closure for the "Dragon Ball" lore. Fans can only hope that the next live action "Dragon Ball Z" movie would actually do the fan-favorite series some justice.

With that being said, the series creator also mentioned that he will be distancing himself away from future "Dragon Ball" film projects. Which is a good thing, since Toriyama can focus on giving fans a better story in the upcoming episodes of "Dragon Ball Super." The brand new story arc just debuted earlier this month, and Toriyama's absence in the "Dragon Ball" films indicates that there will be more plot arcs to come.