All the different shows, movies, books and the various spinoffs of the Dragon Ball series have been popular (in their own small way) in North America for years, but have never quite broken into the mainstream. As De'Aron Fox, of the Sacramento Kings, put it: "it's like a cult following."
Now, though, the series seems poised to truly take off with Dragon Ball Super: Broly, which released yesterday in the US. The movie has been promoted more than any Dragon Ball film or show in the past, even getting an enormous Goku float at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
It seems today that all this promotion has paid off, with the movie making more than $7 million in its first day, according to Deadline. The projected earnings for the rest of this week are $15 million. For some context, Kung Fu Panda 3, a huge international kids movie, made $10.5 million on its first day.
Although it's had a good start, it remains to be seen whether those who have never watched Dragon Ball content will actually be able to palate the frantic pace of Broly, not to mention the story largely being told through huge fights scenes and the decades of complicated history of these characters. Watch the trailer below: