As I’m sure a lot of Dragon Ball Super fans know, the highly anticipated Future Trunks Arc is now upon us. It’s an arc that has received a lot of attention and one that I’m sure many casual fans are beside themselves about. It’s something that I hear Dragon Ball Super fans talk about all the time, so the excitement level is as high as its ever been. For those who are not familiar with this arc (or the series in general), there is a lot to look forward to, with both seeing this arc for the first time and with the English dub getting its debut.

The LONG-awaited (and dark) #FutureTrunks arc is coming to Toonami in ENGLISH DUB—check out the cast announcement! First up, everyone’s favorite swordwielding badass Trunks is back from the future, and has blue hair?! Hey, don’t worry about it… @ericvale reprises his role!! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ah72ytIo7Y — Funimation @ SuperSaiyanShowdown (@FUNimation) January 16, 2018

Just like when Future Trunks showed up in Dragon Ball Z (DBZ), once again Akira Toriyama goes back to the well with a storyline that focuses on our favorite teenage Super Saiyan. While I can’t recall how excited fans were when it first reached the Toonami airwaves, I can only assume that fans were geeked out about the fact that Future Trunks arrived to beat up on some bad guys. After all, the Cell Saga is a pretty intense arc, and one that I believe many fans look back upon with great fondness. And while Gohan and Goku stole the spotlight in that arc (pretty handily), Trunks still continued to be a huge favorite with fans and actors alike. With all the timeline storylines in Dragon Ball, why not add another one to the new installment (Dragon Ball Super)? Plus, with its dark setting and more mature tone, this arc might be viewed as an even better one than the Cell saga.

The saga that we've all been waiting for finally makes its English dub debut this Saturday night on Toonami! #FutureTrunks #DBSuper pic.twitter.com/TtkkvRFHUs — Toei Animation (@ToeiAnimation) January 17, 2018

What makes this arc exciting is that the hero that every Dragon Ball fan loves (Goku) takes center stage as a villain in this timeline. For me, that instantly sold me on checking out this arc. Seeing screenshots of Goku with an evil smile, fantastic wardrobe, and immense power made me feel excited about Dragon Ball Super for the first time. This arc didn’t seem as if it was something meant for a younger audience to enjoy. The Future Trunks’ arc gives off a desperation vibe and can be compelling to fans. What made this arc feel even more spectacular was the fact that we hear Masako Nozawa as Black Goku. She nailed the villain voice so well that it’s almost a shame that this character isn’t around more. It sounded great to me and it’s something that I’m sure many fans enjoyed. So FUNimation decided to have the English voice, Sean Schemmel, do the same thing. That’s something I cannot wait to hear. What would it sound and feel like with Goku on the opposite side of the moral compass? That’s something I don’t want to think about as I’d believe the world would end. So how do our heroes make it out of this arc?

And of course the loveable guy you’re all familiar with—he sure looks happy to see us 😳 Who exactly is Goku Black, the mysterious villain from the future? You probably already knew this, but he’s voiced by @seanschemmel! pic.twitter.com/sTVko1t43v — Funimation @ SuperSaiyanShowdown (@FUNimation) January 16, 2018

Surprisingly, it was the arc that I jumped right into once Dragon Ball Super’s subtitled version was available to stream on Crunchyroll. While I wouldn’t call myself the biggest fan of the Dragon Ball franchise, the things I heard about this arc, made me curious as to why a ton of people on social media was promoting it. I fell in love with this story, considering how dark it was. We see Trunks and his companion Mai, do what they can in their timeline to stop Black Goku in a desperate attempt to save the world. Things looked bleak throughout this arc and made me wonder how it would end. It’s this feeling that I missed with Dragon Ball Super. From the start, things felt silly and nonsensical, which put me off. Things improved after the recaps of Battle of the Gods and Ressurection F, but it wasn’t enough to keep me invested. Insert this arc, and now I find myself enjoying Dragon Ball Super more. I think this could be the case with other fans who were on the fence as well.

While the Dragon Ball franchise receives a ton of flack from fans (feeling that the block is oversaturated with Dragon Ball shows), I do think this is an arc that detractors should consider diving into. I did, and enjoyed the episodes that I watched. It was fun, and I enjoyed seeing Future Trunks and Mai fight in a future that’s being dismantled by an evil Goku. Having Goku as a villain made it seem like finally there was something out there that could destroy the world (who could stop Goku, but an evil Goku). It was fun, and the tone, setting, and action felt a lot darker than other arcs in Dragon Ball Super so far. Plus, I’m excited to hear Sean Schemmel give us his evil Goku voice, which will probably steal the show. It’s incredible, and I think it might surprise some people. It impressed me a lot. This story arc has become a big deal, with people tweeting and talking about their excitement, which in turn is an excellent benefit for Toonami. It’s time to go all in on Dragon Ball Super once again.

C.J Maffris is an editorial writer for Toonamifaithful.com. Feel free to follow C.J on Twitter @SeaJayMaffris