Resurrection 'F'

Produced by Toei Animation in 2015, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' is the second film in the modern era of the franchise to be personally written by series creator Akira Toriyama. Serving as a direct sequel to Battle of Gods, it is positioned within the Gods of the Universe Saga and chronicles the high-stakes revenge mission of a newly evolved Frieza.

Following the defeat of Majin Buu and the encounter with Beerus, peace on Earth is shattered when Sorbet, the leader of the remnants of Frieza's army, uses the Dragon Balls to resurrect his fallen master. Frieza is brought back to life in pieces and reconstructed using advanced technology. Driven by a thirst for vengeance against the Saiyans, Frieza decides to train for the first time in his life, realizing that just four months of preparation will allow him to unlock immense dormant power.

As the tyrant approaches Earth with an army of a thousand soldiers, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman arrives to warn Bulma and the Z Fighters. While Goku and Vegeta are away training on Beerus' planet under the tutelage of Whis, Gohan, Piccolo, and the others must hold the line against the Frieza Force. The battle reaches its peak when Goku and Vegeta return to face a transformed 'Golden' Frieza, debuting their own godly evolution: Super Saiyan Blue.

Akira Toriyama took an exceptionally active role in this production, handling the concept, character designs, and the full script. The creator noted that he focused on making the dialogue lines perfect and increasing the amount of action scenes compared to previous entries. A unique aspect of production was the involvement of the J-rock band Maximum the Hormone, whose song 'F' inspired the movie's title and served as a battle theme. The film also features the 'Five Angels of Hell' voiced by members of the pop group Momoiro Clover Z, who also performed the ending theme 'Z no Chikai'.

Resurrection 'F' was a massive commercial success, further solidifying the Dragon Ball revival initiated by Battle of Gods. In Japan, the first 1.5 million theatergoers were gifted the exclusive 'Volume F' book containing Toriyama’s script. The film is celebrated for its high-octane action and for introducing the Super Saiyan Blue and Golden Frieza forms, which have since become staples of the franchise's lore and merchandising. Its cultural legacy includes an extended 'Future Trunks Special Edition' that aired on Fuji TV in 2016, adding new scenes related to the Dragon Ball Super storyline.

For serious collectors, the 'Resurrection F' era offers several high-value 'grails.' The Japanese Special Edition DVD/Blu-ray is highly sought after as it includes a functional Golden Frieza alarm clock and a storyboard collection. In the US, the Collector's Edition is prized for its Super Saiyan Blue Goku packaging and exclusive Frieza Force postcards. Beyond home media, the 'Volume F' manga script remains a top-tier collectible. Major brands like Bandai have immortalized the film's transformations through the S.H.Figuarts line, with Golden Frieza and Super Saiyan Blue Goku being foundational pieces for any modern Dragon Ball display.