The Screen Scribe

So now that Dragon Ball Daima has reached what is rumoured to be its halfway point, episode 10, “Ocean”, is a perfect instalment in that it has a perfect blend of worldbuilding, humour, action and begins to tie everything together for the final stretch of episodes to come. Since its first episode Dragon Ball Daima has never been in a hurry to get going and has let the story and character development organically grow throughout it’s first ten episodes. It should be noted that in those first ten episodes, Daima has accomplished more than any other Dragon Ball series post-Z. It has provided lore retcons and worldbuilding that has exceeded and subverted expectations much to the delight of fans, while remaining its own distinct entity within the franchise.

Simply put, Dragon Ball Daima has been a massive hit, and we want more.

The previous episode introduced us to a new variation of Majin Buu, Majin Kuu. Design wise, he was obviously a riff off of Kid Buu’s design and in this episode we finally got to see him in action. But once again, Daima has subverted our expectations, as Kuu challenged the Tamagami #1 and was, well, quite underwhelming. Whereas Kid Buu was terrifyingly unpredictable despite his tendency for silliness, Kuu is just plain silly and does not appear to be even as powerful as a Super Saiyan. The Tamagami made short work of him before he retreated to a dismayed Dr. Arinsu. Back to Marba the Witch for a refund I would say.

The Second Demon World was visually beautiful and nostalgic, being almost identical to the original planet Namek. This is where the earlier worldbuilding paid off, having established the Namekians as Demon World descendants. It was especially heartwarming to see Piccolo step foot on his ancestral world and learn more about the past of his people. It also appeared as if the entirety of the Second Demon World was a lush green realm that is so different from the Third Demon World that it keeps the visual aesthetic of the Demon Realm fresh and engaging.

This is where we also get a perfect blend of action as Goku takes on the Gendarmerie in an aerial dogfight (again causing the party plane issues) and avoiding the gigantic kraken, which I’ve a feeling is being set up for later as a bigger obstacle. Panzy also shows her worth to the team as she rescues the Dragon Ball from the maw of the giant sea beast, albeit it was a close call for both her and Goku. The two groups were finally reunited, and we get some interesting lore regarding the creation of the Demon Realm from the Supreme Kai. I’m especially curious about the Super Majin Rymus and whether or not this will be explored further despite only ten episodes to go.

Also, on a side note, the humour in this episode was superb. It’s always hilarious to see Vegeta lose it with Goku and Goku himself just being a blunt as a spoon around others.

Dragon Ball Daima continues to excite me, and I can’t wait to see what it brings in it’s next episode. We’ve been teased a Vegeta vs Tamagami fight now for a couple of episodes, and as a Vegeta fan I’m hoping to see the Prince of All Saiyans get to flex his Saiyan armour a bit.

3 / 5 ✨ from the Screen Scribe.

Dragon Ball Daima airs every Friday on Netflix and Crunchyroll.