English Dub Review: Dragon Ball Daima “Lightning”

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Goku and the gang repair the ship, Glorio contacts his real boss, and Bulma’s team get ready to join the journey.

OUR TAKE

This week’s episode features more building up and pulling things into focus, but we do at least get some action going, mainly between Goku and Glorio, the latter being able to show off some of his fighting abilities and establishing him as someone who will be able to help out as things escalate. Or rather, will PRETEND to help out, as this episode reveals he is secretly in contact with Arinsu, who herself is revealed to be Shin and Degasu’s sister. Which I suppose is a neat reveal and all, but also feels so inconsequential that it’s hard to feel like it was really needed. Even by the time the show is near the end, them all being siblings doesn’t really factor into any of their interactions, which are already sparse enough as it is.

The connection to Glorio, however, does feel consequential, as it establishes that there is a mole among the group that will be working against them as they search for the three Dragon Balls among the three Demon Worlds. And the Third World, which they’re in right now, is still the biggest, which is why it’s taking them the longest time to get out of it. AND if it feels like I am repeating myself here…it’s because I am. This section of the show is most definitely the one with the sloggiest pace and the least going on after the initial premise is set up, but thankfully we are approaching the first big turning point for the story, which is the first big fight for one of the Dragon Balls. Or rather, we WILL get there in a couple weeks and next week is further set up for that. In the meantime, we know Vegeta, Bulma, Kibito, and Piccolo are going to be joining up with the team soon enough, and I’ll give you three guesses which of those four will end up being in any way useful to the mission at hand. And I’ll give you a hint: It’s not Kibito.