For All The (Orange) Marbles
Wow. What a treat.
This was a fantastic episode. The heavy lifting done by prior episodes meant the bulk of the runtime of this episode could be devoted to the beginning of the final battle, as Goku squares off against Duu in a wager for the Dragon Balls. Little do they know, their fight will be interrupted by the true threat, lurking in the background.
This was a remarkable watch. The animation was phenomenal, the cinematography was mind blowing, and even the score (something I have thus far not really talked about) was utterly fantastic. Start to finish, this episode had me hooked, and I can’t wait to watch the next episode.
The following review contains spoilers for Episode 17 of Dragon Ball DAIMA.
Plot Summary
We pick up where last episode left off, as Dr. Arinsu and the Majin brothers, have their fateful meeting with Goku and friends. After another (more amicable) reunion between Shin and his sister, she reveals her machinations to our heroes, and declares her desire to rule over a ruthless and powerful Demon Realm, capable of subjecting outside realms. She offers a wager, Duu vs. their best fighter, for all the Dragon Balls. Goku and Vegeta bicker over who gets to fight, before the former steps forward to square off with Duu.
The bout between the Saiyan and Majin is a fracas. Goku finds a worthy dance partner in Duu, who gives as good as he gets, as he pushes Goku into his Super Saiyan form. Duu’s bizarre, unorthodox fighting style catches Goku off guard and keeps him on the defensive, but likewise, Goku’s skill and overwhelming strength force Duu to take the fight seriously, with a less carefree attitude. The bout is dead even, as the fighters lock one another down and Duu prepares to blast Goku in the face with a mouth beam.
Before the Saiyan-Majin affair can be settled, it is interrupted by a colossal King Gomah, eager to test his new power. Vegeta rushes the Majin king, and is swatted away like a fly. Goku showcases a rare moment of seriousness, and comprehends the reality of the situation. In an unprecedented move, he urges his allies to attack Gomah in a group. Even Dr. Arinsu sends her Majin to aid the heroes, recognizing their common enemy.
For the rest of the episode, Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Shin, Duu, Kuu, Glorio, and Tamagami Number One, relentlessly throw themselves at King Gomah, but to no avail. Even a combined assault featuring the signature attack of every hero, is unable to even phase the mighty King Gomah. As he goes on the offensive and prepares to finish Goku off, the Saiyan realizes his only hope is to elevate to Super Saiyan 3, and in the dying moments of the episode, that is exactly what he does.
Analysis
Remember how I’ve spent hundreds of words expositing on the value of the set-up episode? This is the payoff. The last few episodes have caught a fair amount of flack from the community for not being very action-packed affairs, and while I can understand the frustration, it was clear they were in service of setting up for a grand finale.
There is a big difference between the “lack of action” found in episode 15 or 16, and that in episode 9. The latter was an episode barren of any action, whist simultaneously doing no meaningful setup for the future, so it was barren of any value. The last two episodes spent their runtime resolving some plot threads and advancing others, so when the action starts, it doesn’t need to be interrupted. There is a clear difference.
We don’t need to worry about the action slowing down for Degesu and Shin’s reunion, or the rescue of baby Dende, or anything like that. Everything has been resolved, and as a result, we got to witness an incredible uninterrupted sequence of Goku and Duu’s battle, as well as an episode-dominating, glorious free-for-all between King Gomah and the heroes. These are the kind of scenes that people look up on YouTube to watch in isolation years after release, because the uninterrupted nature of them lends towards an enjoyable rewatch. The majesty of these action scenes owes a lot to the heavy lifting done by the prior setup episodes.
Goku vs. Duu was a thoroughly enjoyable affair, DAIMA does one-on-one battles very well, and that was on full display here. However, the show-stealer absolutely was the battle against King Gomah. Dragon Ball rarely partakes in team battles, usually the plot finds a contrived way to ensure that even if a group of warriors is present, only one can battle at a time.
When Dragon Ball has dabbled in multi-man melee, they tend to be memorable affairs. The most classic team-battle is, of course, Goku and Piccolo’s joint effort to take down Raditz, but I fondly remember Goku and Vegeta’s double-team effort against Broly in Dragon Ball Super: Broly as well. The battle against King Gomah was perhaps the most spectacular yet, and the rarity of group fights in Dragon Ball makes this feel special.
What a sight to behold it was! Every character relentlessly throwing themselves at Gomah, as the camera pans and weaves between them. Every character spends time on camera, and some of the team-up tactics were a lot of fun, like Duu using his stretchy arms to hold Gomah in place. The choreography felt so original and fresh throughout the entire battle, high praise for a series often criticized for criminal reuse of battle animations.
The animation on display in this episode was truly spectacular, but so was the cinematography and shot composition. From a close-up view watching Goku weave around boulders, to artfully cutting from character to character in their all-out assault, and the beautiful sweeping shot while the team simultaneously charges their signature attacks. It was all fantastic. The animation, storyboarding, and cinematography team all deserve a raise.
Final Score
What an opener to the final battle! I can hardly believe we get a couple more episodes of this, it is almost difficult to imagine they can all maintain the insane standards set by this episode.
From the fast-paced and more tactical bout between Goku and Duu, to the relentless chaos of the battle against King Gomah, this was a wild ride. Then to top it off with Super Saiyan 3 for next episode! This battle has been incredible, and we haven’t even gotten to the fuse bug yet. I can’t shake the feeling we only go up from here, and we are already very high.
This was a special episode. The animation, the cinematography. The uniqueness of the fight. I’ll remember this episode for a long time.
Featured Image: Toei Animation
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