If there's one thing that's apparent about Dragon Ball Daima, this series is a real tease. Among the many what-ifs and possibilities dangled to viewers, like a pair of shiny keys, are the crazy hijinks Goku (Mini) and Vegeta (Mini) will get into when the latter finally joins the former. Well, after weeks of false starts, Vegeta is not only flying high alongside Goku, he's about to whip the butt of the Tamagami guarding a Demon Realm Dragon Ball. Or is he?
As viewers discovered in Dragon Ball Daima Episode 11, Vegeta might have bitten off more than he could chew when he challenged the second Tamagami guarding the two-star Dragon Ball. First, Vegeta was ridiculed by the Tamagami for even wanting to fight him. (In fairness, he did apologize to Vegeta after realizing the elder Namek Neva was with him). Second, Vegeta took far too many beatings for someone who should be on par with Goku's strength-kid or not. Third, and possibly the most insulting factor of the episode, the episode ends on a cliffhanger-the first for the series-by seriously suggesting that Vegeta might die to the deadly Kraken infesting the oceans of the Second Demon World. For Vegeta fans, or longtime Dragon Ball fans in general, hoping that the Saiyan Prince's arrival would give Daima a refreshing shakeup, they were most likely disappointed that the latest episode staying true to the franchise's worst tropes.
Related
Goku's Team in Dragon Ball DAIMA is Better Than the Z-Warriors
The Z-Warriors are iconic anime heroes, but Goku's group in Dragon Ball DAIMA make a much better team.
Posts
Vegeta Is Given a Pointless Handicap
Kid Goku Is Just as Untouchable as His Adult Self, but Why Is Vegeta Struggling?
Close
Of course, it doesn't take Fortuneteller Baba to figure out that Vegeta will be fine. He's Vegeta! However, Episode 11's cliffhanger suggesting Vegeta's demise highlights fundamental problems with Daima and the Dragon Ball franchise. It's nearly impossible to create a believable scenario where Goku or Vegeta would seriously be in peril after their countless accession to literal God-like powers.
Related
Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 11's Dr. Slump Reference, Explained
Dragon Ball DAIMA's 11th episode references another classic Toriyama franchise.
Posts
This significant error was supposed to be addressed by turning Goku and Vegeta into children, which, in theory, would make them far weaker than their God-like adult forms. "In theory" is the key word here, as previous Daima episodes starring Goku made this handicap pointless. Kid Goku, in his base form, is already an unstoppable force. The demons, whether they be barflies or King Gomah's men, don't stand a chance against Goku and his Power Pole. Despite his impressive lightning skills, Glorio, the only real fighter in Goku's new group of friends, didn't stand a chance against the young Saiyan. (This might be cope, but there's still a possibility Glorio was holding back, considering his actual loyalty).
So, if Goku gets to break the rules, why not Vegeta? Although there have been brief fights with Kid Vegeta mopping the floor with the demon residents of the Demon Realm, his battle against Tamagami #2 was the first serious challenge the Saiyan Prince has faced so far in Daima, with the possible exception of sparring against Goku in Episode 1. While the match featured excellent animation and fight choreography, it demonstrated the questionable power difference between Vegeta and Goku.
The Saiyan Prince Gets Done Dirty Again!
Vegeta's Reputation as a 'Jobber' Continues in DAIMA
Close
Goku could bring Tamagami #3 to his knees in less than 15 minutes. In comparison, Vegeta got smacked around by Tamagami #2 and his trident, leading to Vegeta's face being cut (the first sight of blood in Daima). The match, and the episode itself, ends on the shameless cliffhanger of Vegeta about to become a Kraken's lunch. The Episode 12 preview shows Goku being forced to step in to take his place. Not even on Vegeta's worst day would the Saiyan Prince ever succumb to being fish food. So, it's a little insulting that this 40th-anniversary series suggests to fans that this might be Vegeta's final moment.
Related
Dragon Ball DAIMA: How Many Buus Does it Take to Beat Up a Tamagami?
Majin Kuu and Majin Duu have both fought Tamagami 1, but it might take one or two more children of Buu to defeat it.
Posts
This situation brings back painful memories of the Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' teasers making it seem like Vegeta would be the one to save the day against Golden Frieza, which would have been the perfect way to bookend the original "Frieza" arc, only for Goku to take him down with one of the worst deus ex machina the series has ever deployed. Although Vegeta was once touted as Goku's deadliest enemy/rival, the Saiyan Prince has participated in too many losing fights that ended in his humiliation, such as getting whooped by Android 18, Perfect Cell-who was only able to defeat Vegeta because Vegeta let him run off to absorb Android 18 so he could be a more worthy challenge to him-and Frieza in all his horrible forms.
Vegeta's trademark arrogance can't even be blamed here, as he was trying to take out Tamagami #2 as fast as he could so everyone could become adults again with the Demon Realm Dragon Balls. Still, the guardian was too much for the pipsqueak Vegeta to handle alone. Once again, Vegeta has to reach out to Goku to get anything done, even if it's dealing with a sea monster that Kid Goku could defeat in the original 1986 series.
Emulating the OG Dragon Ball Anime Creates an Imperfect Balance
Daima's Evoking of the Original Series Comes at a Cost
Close
All of these problems are rooted in Daima's struggle to balance the carefree and adventurous side of the original Dragon Ball anime with the action-packed vibes of Dragon Ball Z. Daima's return to the fantastical with the Demon Realm setting and its magical components have been a welcomed change for the franchise, but the leisurely pace and lack of suspense is stopping this series from being a true return to form. Anyone who grew up with the original Dragon Ball shouldn't be surprised by Goku constantly stunning his foes with his inhuman strength, but that format worked the best when the world of Dragon Ball was new to everyone, providing plenty of opportunities to show off Goku's potential and introduce essential characters for the longterm story. At its worst, Daima feels too much like a useless introduction to Kid Goku, while saddling itself with questionable retcons that only longtime fans would care about.
Related
Dragon Ball DAIMA is Obviously Setting Up Vegito's Return, Right?
A fan-favorite fusion of Goku and Vegeta will soon be making his grand return in Dragon Ball DAIMA.
Posts
As entertaining as the fights have been, it's becoming redundant to see Goku struggle so little when fighting against brand-new magical foes-especially when his status as a child was supposed to dial back on the ridiculous power scaling that followed the series after Dragon Ball Z. Dragon Ball GT, for all its faults, was aware enough to show some limitations on Goku as a child with his inability to use Instant Transmission or failure to maintain his various Super Saiyan forms like Super Saiyan 3. Kid Goku showed signs of being in Super Saiyan 2 form against Tamagami #3 and is fully capable of using Instant Transmission, as shown in Episode 7.
If Dragon Ball Daima Season 1 is really only 20 episodes long, as rumor suggests, that means the series is already over the halfway point, and the only character shown to be in jeopardy was Vegeta, and it's more because of a giant fish than the Tamagami. The low-scale stakes of Dragon Ball don't work at this point in the franchise after everyone has demonstrated unbelievable feats of power post-Kid Buu, and they definitely don't work when the self-imposed limitations are ignored in favor of making Kid Goku look invincible.
Will The "Wait Til Goku Gets Here" Nature of Dragon Ball Ever Change?
When Will Anyone Other Than Goku Have Their Time to Shine?
All these issues with Episode 11 might be rendered mute by Episode 12. Vegeta will likely claim victory against the Tamagami and that slimy fish monster. However, he shouldn't have struggled so badly, considering he's the closest to Goku's power level in the franchise. Goku alone shouldn't be this untouchable force of power. Nor should he be the only focus of Daima. Sure, the possibility of a Demon Realm Dragon Ball being stolen from Goku is a scenario worth exploring, but not if it just results in a forgettable bout. Vegeta, Bulma and Piccolo struggling to adapt to their new surroundings, like that nightclub fight with Vegeta against those demon ruffians, deserved its own episode more than Goku finally taking a bath. (Goku does deserve a bath, though).
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero showed the franchise learning its lesson by sharing the spotlight with Piccolo and the adult Gohan. At the same time, Vegeta finally dethroned Goku in a match-up of pure strength. Dragon Ball Daima, unfortunately, feels like a regression with how much it leans on Kid Goku. Not even the Prince of all Saiyans can escape from this humiliating fate.
Your changes have been saved
Email is sent
Email has already been sent
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.
Dragon Ball DAIMA
Due to a conspiracy, Goku and friends are transformed into children. They intend to travel to a mysterious new world to undo this change