This Anime Adaptation Is So Bad It Has 0.9 on Letterboxd (But Deserves Even Less)
And even 16 years after its release, no one has been able to break this anti-record.
What comes to mind when you think of the worst live-action anime adaptations? If you're under 20, it's probably Death Note or Cowboy Bebop, both of which were made by Netflix.
However, I'm old enough to remember the biggest disappointment in anime adaptations of all times, which no one has surpassed so far – Dragonball Evolution.
What Is 'Dragonball Evolution' About?
Sent to Earth to destroy humanity, the humanoid alien Goku decides to fulfill his grandfather's wish and collect seven magical artifacts to protect them from aggressive aliens.
Following his heart, he joins the humans and begins protecting them from evil aliens.
'Dragonball Evolution' Was So Bad, the Original Manga Creator Disowned It
The live-action version of the famous anime and manga Dragon Ball is so bad that it is difficult to choose just one aspect that ruins the film.
However, the fact that Dragonball Evolution managed to turn the entire fan community against it deserves a special mention – perhaps no project in the history of cinema has been received with such hostility.
There was a good reason for this: the plot was just absurd, the special effects were worthy of a third-rate TV project, and the movie in general didn't even reach the level of a low-budget series pilot.
Manga creator Akira Toriyama publicly disowned Dragonball Evolution, and screenwriter Ben Ramsey apologized for his work.
16 Years Later, 'Dragon Ball' Fans Still Remember What a Disaster the Movie Adaptation Was
Even more than 15 years after its release, Dragonball Evolution remains a popular topic of discussion among anime fans, who have not become more lenient toward the project during this time. Redditor PenguinviiR wrote:
“That's not a movie, it's straight up a crime against humanity.”
Other fans still can't fathom how the movie turned out to be so terrible. Reddit user Senzafane commented:
“I still don't understand how they dropped the ball so hard. It's like they were actively trying to lose money.”
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Dragonball Evolution'?
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Dragonball Evolution has 14% from critics and 19% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 2.5/10.
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On Letterboxd, it has a score of 0.9.
Where to Watch 'Dragonball Evolution'?
If you want to see for yourself just how bad Dragonball Evolution is, you can stream it on Disney+.
