A Dragon Ball Road Trip
Goku, Supreme Kai, and Glorio have finally hit the road!
In our review for episode 2, I speculated that an adventurous tone was being established that felt much more Dragon Ball than Dragon Ball Z, and with “Episode 3: Daima,” that much is obvious. Directed by Takao Kiriyama, the third episode signals the true start of Goku’s new adventure.
I also declared that Dragon Ball DAIMA had yet to have its first truly great episode, and I maintain that opinion today. However, Daima is the best episode yet.
Goku, Glorio, and Supreme Kai begin their journey in earnest, and it takes them to some truly bizarre places. This includes discussing timespace travel with a giant goldfish, negotiating hotel prices with a sleazy businessman, and getting into a classic bar fight. Not much plot happens in this episode, but considering how exposition-heavy the first two were, I was very willing to simply have a good time with Goku and friends.
The following review contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Dragon Ball DAIMA.
Plot Summary
The episode picks up in Glorio’s spaceship, as he escorts Goku and Supreme Kai to the Demon Realm. They reach the warp point, which is actually a giant fishlike creature named Warp-Sama. Although Goku does his best to sour the situation by repeatedly calling Warp-Sama a goldfish, he nevertheless allows them to enter the Demon Realm, and then pass through to the Third Demon World.
The Demon Realm consists of three worlds, and the Third Demon World is where Glorio was recruited, and has clearance to access. King Gomah is in the First Demon World, meaning Glorio needs to lead Goku from the Third Demon World to the First. The three worlds used to be connected by a portal, but the way is now sealed over, and they will have to get there through conventional travel.
Goku insists they stop the ship to take in their environment, and he realizes that his movements are drastically slowed in the Demon Realm. Considering his ability to withstand extreme gravity, this is odd, but Glorio attributes it to an invisible fog that slows everything it touches. A bit of a hamfisted way to nerf Goku, but it works.
Reaching a nearby town, the party rests for the evening. Demonic culture takes the center stage here, as we see what life is like for the average denizen of the Third Demon World.
Though the town isn’t named, it has a distinctly cutthroat, Mos Eisley-esque wild west vibe. Every scene has armed and malicious demons lurking in the background, and it isn’t too long before the cast get into trouble.
When they seek out food at the bar across from their hotel, the locals take a dislike to Goku (particularly his distinctive non-demon rounded ears), and decide to pick a fight. Well, attempt to pick a fight, because Glorio and Goku utterly embarrass every demon in the room. The following morning, as they return to their ship to leave, it is gone. The demons have taken it.
For now at least, the journey will continue on foot.
Analysis
The worldbuilding for a series with such a limited episode run is kind of wild. The Demon Realm is fleshed out, down to the minutiae of the inter-world politics, and which realm individual demons come from.
We’re even getting inter-species politics, like the Glind (from whom the Kais hail) looking down on species from the Third Realm. While as a Dragon Ball fan I always enjoy expanding on Toriyama’s world, it is a lot to take in at times. It almost feels a bit excessive for a series with twenty episodes.
We have finally dove headlong into the “adventure” tone the series had hinted at since the first episode. The entire thing, from the start to the finish, was classic Dragon Ball. The cast is traveling from point A to point B, and running into problems along the way. Not to say I don’t have appreciation for the Dragon Ball Z structure of “training, bad guy, more training, next bad guy,” but I’m really enjoying the return to an adventure oriented story full of humour and gags.
It also helps that the Demon Realm is an interesting setting, unlike anything we’ve really experienced so far in the series. The Demon Realm seems like a wild place, from the unique ecology, the mysterious slowing gas to the Sea of Darkness, and the hostility of the locals.
Yet the realm also has its own civilization and sense of community, even if it is a rather frightening one for outsiders. It is interesting to think that someone as affable as Supreme Kai could come from such a hostile realm, and it leaves me eager to see the difference between the Third and Second Demon Worlds.
We finally got some action, and it didn’t disappoint. The bar fight was an absolute pleasure. As expected, the animation was fantastic. Fluid movement, and Dragon Ball DAIMAs knack for conveying impact is on full display. No Z-esque shortcuts like repeating animation frames, each action is unique and fully animated.
Aside from the technical details, I appreciate just how well the bar fight was staged and choreographed, as well as the purpose it served. It wasn’t just a fight for the sake of having action, it was used as a way to showcase the personalities of Glorio and Goku.
Glorio starts the action by tossing his drink in the face of a demon, effortlessly dispatching another, ordering a replacement drink from the bartender, and sitting back down, all in one smooth, coolheaded motion.
Goku on the other hand is challenging the entire bar to a fight, and as they interrupted his dinner, he is scarfing down burgers between dispatching combatants. This fight is gorgeous to look at, it serves narrative purpose, and it is funny. It is Dragon Ball action at its best.
Final Score (4 out of 5 Stars)
“Episode 3: Daima” feels like the true start of the series. The exposition is out of the way, the setup is executed. Time for Goku, Glorio, and Supreme Kai to hit the road and save Dende.
The pacing may prove problematic for those used to the quicker pace of modern anime, but it is business as usual for Dragon Ball. It is a slow burn, but will it be a satisfying one? Time will tell.
This episode had a mandate, balancing the introduction of the Demon Realm with showcasing new character dynamics, but it did an admirable job. Goku, Glorio, and Supreme Kai are a compelling assortment of characters with unique dynamics, and the Demon Realm is interesting, if a bit politically complicated by Dragon Ball standards.
Overall though this episode was a huge step forward, and I really enjoyed it. The game is afoot, and I can’t wait to see it unfold! Dragon Ball: DAIMA has completely won me over.
How do you feel about this episode of Dragon Ball: DAIMA? Did you love the bar fight as much as I did? Let me know in the comments below!
Featured Image: Toei Animation
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