As Dragon Ball Daima Approaches the New Year, One Big Problem Is Facing the Hit Anime
Warning: Contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima Episode #10
Dragon Ball Daima has been an incredibly entertaining return to form for the franchise, incorporating the grand sense of scale and adventure that defined early Dragon Ball. The Demon Realm, Akira Toriyama’s final contribution to his masterwork, has been nothing short of a glorious peek into what made the legendary author a once-in-a-lifetime talent. Featuring his trademark vast, colorful landscapes and intricately detailed alien technology, the Demon Realm is a setting that most Dragon Ball fans have dreamed of.
As Goku and friends make their way through the unfamiliar world, interacting with its inhabitants and environment, Daima has showcased how immense a strength world building has always been for the franchise. However, despite such a strong start and incredible setting, the series has begun to show signs of faltering with its latest episode #10, titled, “Ocean”.
After finally showcasing what Dragon Ball‘s fights are capable of looking like with modern visuals in Goku’s duel with Tamigami #3, the series introduced its all-new version of Buu, Majin Kuu. Given Daima‘s relation to the Buu Saga in the series’ timeline, a new version of the previous arc’s main villain would certainly be trouble for a powered-down Goku. Yet Kuu’s first fight in the Daima didn’t go as fans might’ve thought, and is ultimately indicative of a bigger problem that is slowly creeping up on the anime: the lack of any real threat.
Dragon Ball Daima Has Yet to Introduce a Major Threat
Goku and Company Have Had it Easy So Far in Daima
Dragon Ball Daima has just hit the ten episode mark, and has offered a little bit of everything for fans of the series’ many different strengths. Goku’s battle with Tamigami #3 is one of the better fights the franchise has ever seen in terms of visuals, and has set the stage for more action to come. Though as exciting and flashy a fight as it was, Goku wound up taking the victory without needing to break much of a sweat.
Goku being leagues above his challengers is always undeniably fun, but it also points to a bit of a problem Daima is now facing. The action may be great, but there aren’t any stakes involved. The only real danger to present itself to Goku thus far in the series has come from either wild beasts or the environment itself. In combat, though Tamigami #3 was certainly strong, the leading Saiyan didn’t need to surpass Super Saiyan 2 to win.
Currently, it has yet to even be revealed who the final main villain of the series is going to be. Majin Kuu seemed to be a likely candidate for the role, but was shown to be rather incompetent in combat in Episode #10. Gomah, the mastermind behind turning the main cast into children, has been teased to be hiding powerful magic, though his consistent shock at Goku’s feats doesn’t inspire much confidence in his abilities.
Dragon Ball Daima has been wildly impressive in terms of its visuals, world building, and premise, but is in danger of losing steam without putting its main character to the test. And now that Vegeta and Piccolo have joined up with Team Goku, there isn’t much that three of Earth’s greatest fighters won’t be able to handle.
Dragon Ball Has Always Been Great at Raising the Stakes
Daima is Lacking High-Stakes Action
Despite death rarely sticking in Dragon Ball, the series has always excelled at giving weight to its fights. The stakes are always high, and the potential consequences of losing a battle are always dire. If Goku hadn’t been able to stop Demon King Piccolo, the Earth would have been doomed. The fate of his only son would have been in question if Goku and Piccolo weren’t able to defeat Raditz. The universe, as they knew it, would have been in grave danger if Frieza hadn’t been stopped, and so on. Each of the main cast’s run-ins were high-stakes affairs.
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Daima‘s only threat thus far is the possibility that the main group of heroes won’t be able to become adults again. While undoubtedly a major inconvenience, the consequences of failure this time around just aren’t quite as frightening as they usually are. Fortunately, Dragon Ball Daima is only ten episodes into what is an unconfirmed total number, and there is still some time left before the series absolutely needs to introduce its big bad villain. But if the stakes don’t rise soon, the series is in danger of becoming the absolute worst thing a Dragon Ball anime can be: boring.
Dragon Ball DAIMA
Dragon Ball DAIMA is the fifth overall series in the action-adventure anime franchise. It features most of the classic cast members as de-aged versions of themselves, including Goku, Vegeta, and Bulma. The series was announced at NYCC 2023, with creator Akira Toriyama returning to handle DAIMA’s run.
- Seasons
- 1
- Writers
- Akira Toriyama
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