Here We Go!

No more beating around the bush, we’re well into the endgame now.

Every episode of DAIMA’s climax is better than the last, and if that trend continues, we are in for a treat. This episode wasn’t dazzling, but it was thoroughly enjoyable.

The plot is entirely in motion. Goku and friends assault Gomah’s castle, dispatching the Gendarmerie special forces before searching the castle for Dende.  

While inside they bear witness to a family reunion with a violent conclusion, as well as come face to face with their greatest challenge yet. Meanwhile, Gomah will seek power that just may elevate him to Goku’s level without the need of the Dragon Balls. 

The only thing lacking here is action, but this episode moved at such a breakneck pace, with enough compelling intrigue, that I hardly noticed that twenty minutes had gone by without a meaningful fight. Something tells me that will be delivered upon in spades, in the coming episodes.

The following review contains spoilers for Episode 16 of Dragon Ball DAIMA.

Plot Summary

Whew, a lot happened in this episode.

We open with the fated battle against the Gendarmerie “special” forces. Feeling confident in Vegeta’s ability to handle the entire group, Goku and Piccolo step aside. As I predicted in my review of episode 14, we aren’t dealing with the Ginyu Force, just a pale imitation. The Gendarmerie Force was ultimately only introduced for comic relief, and they are dispatched as quickly as they arrived.

The search is on for baby Dende! Little do the heroes know that Degesu has betrayed Gomah, and is attempting to flee to his ship with the baby Namek! Goku and friends arrive at the nick of time, but Degesu renders them helpless with a gun to Dende’s head. Panzy launches a sneak attack to save the day, and although it is intercepted, another sneak attack from Glorio is not!

Dende saved, the party makes their way to the final Dragon Ball, only to find it has already been claimed. It is not long before the victor, Dr. Arinsu, makes an appearance flaunting her prize. Interestingly, this even surprises double agent Glorio! A very sleepy Kuu and Duu are in tow, and it seems as though the battle for all the marbles is about to begin!

Meanwhile, King Gomah panics as he watches his plans continue to fall apart. However a stroke of fortune comes his way when the lady Majin who retrieved the Third Eye brings it to him, unable to find Degesu. After much trial and error, Gomah extracts it from the belt and has the female Majin plant it in his forehead. He transforms into a colossal, muscular figure. Now this Gomah will be able to stand up to Goku!

Analysis

Where to even start!

I liked this episode a good deal overall, but I want to start with my biggest gripe, that being the reunion between Degesu and Shin. Specifically that it was… a bit underwhelming. I’ve spent a good deal of DAIMA wondering why Shin is even here considering how little spotlight he got even when he was Goku’s only ally, and I felt like this was a chance to have a big moment for him. Unfortunately, the moment came and went with relatively little fanfare, and it was a letdown! There is time for this to change, the siblings may have another moment together in the last few episodes, but currently I am left convinced in my belief that Shin is a wasted character here.

The unfolding plot has been a thing to behold. Degesu felt genuinely maniacal in his scene, truly like a cornered rat. I 100% believed he was willing to pull the trigger on baby Dende if the heroes didn’t comply. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of him yet. Dr. Arinsu’s reveal was similarly fantastic. I was not quite expecting her to brazenly walk up to the heroes with Duu and Kuu in tow, and the shock of it had an impact. I can’t help but wonder why Glorio was so surprised by her arrival, and I feel we will soon see where his loyalty ultimately lies! I honestly think it could go either way at this point.

Gomah has been thus far neglected since the first episode, and I was happy for him to take center stage again. I loved his interactions with the female thief, I wish I had a name for her! Her character design is memorable and I find her personality a hoot, being able to extort Gomah while also being absolutely terrified.

It was funny to watch Gomah running around like a chicken with his head cut off, but also show some competence and ultimately take charge of the situation. The Third Eye powerup is a clever idea, and it feels like the show did a lot of legwork to make it feel justified, and not like it came out of nowhere to make sure he can give Goku a good challenge. Hulked-out Gomah is quite intimidating, and I can’t wait to see him square up with the heroes!

In another example of one of those small moments DAIMA does so well, I really loved the way Degesu was captured. Despite all their power, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Goku are harmless as Degesu holds a gun to Dende’s head. Instead, it is a combination of Panzy and Glorio that saves the day! I appreciated it because aside from plot moments, these two characters are about to fall out of relevancy as the fighting begins and they are both hopelessly outscaled by Dr. Arinsu’s Majin, and Gomah’s new form.

I’m quite sure they will both still have roles to play in resolving the plot, but it is nice for them both to get a final nod in a dangerous scenario, and resolve a conflict the heroes can’t punch their way out of. It was a great way to give both the new characters an awesome moment together, and put a capstone on their budding friendship, before the attention is entirely placed on Goku. 

Final Score

This episode did a lot of important last-minute set up to ensure the final few episodes can be unimpeded action, but it certainly didn’t feel like a set-up episode at all. The plot blazed by at a mile a minute, but the pacing felt great. Aside from feeling underwhelmed with Shin and Degesu’s reunion, and a bit miffed that the Gendarmerie Force were only comic relief, this was a solid episode that had me entirely invested from start to finish. 

As wild of a ride as it was, the events it eludes to promise to be even more exciting! I hope you will stay along for the ride as we move into the final act of Dragon Ball DAIMA, and the heroes square off with Kuu and Duu for all the (dragon) marbles.

Did you enjoy this episode of Dragon Ball DAIMA? Are you looking forward to seeing King Gomah in action, or do you feel like the upgrade was cheap? Let us know in the comments below!

Featured Image: Toei Animation

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