Dragon Ball Daima Ep 3 Review
Toriyama was a mangaka, but his work extended beyond the pages and ink. He was also a noteworthy name in the industry of video games, having been the character designer for some of the most popular RPGs ever. Chief among them, we have the famous Dragon Quest series, often considered the grandfather of JRPGs. I’m not sure if Toriyama intended to do so when writing the story for Daima before his passing, but the third episode makes it seem like the series will take some inspiration from Dragon Quest. Given how Toriyama helped give that series its distinctive look, this feels like another appropriate tribute to the man’s legacy. That, and it gives us some pretty funny moments.
Welcome to the Demon Realm
Having left Earth behind, the trio of Goku, Supreme Kai, and Glorio head to Warp-Sama, the entity that can give them passage to the Demon Realm. And from here, the episode largely becomes a means of providing lore and information about this new world we’re going to see. From the outset, the Demon Realm is as breathtaking as fans had hoped, with the area the trio head to carrying a distinct fantasy setting. To further emphasize how much of a handicap Goku will be getting on this adventure, we even learn that the air in certain areas is heavier than normal, making it hard to move. The anime wants to make Goku return to his early days by making it as hard as possible!
Given how he’s still Goku, though, he’s able to hold himself pretty well in a fight. Though that may have more to do with the fact that they’re still in the starting area of the Demon Realm.
In many ways, this episode does feel like the opening to a JRPG. We get our initial party of heroes setting out for the first town, we see some of the enemies they may have to face, as well as the mechanics behind how this world works. If Toriyama wanted to channel as much of Dragon Quest into Daima, then so far, it’s working.
Too bad the journey is already running into a few problems.
A Conflict Amongst the Demon Realm?
The episode makes it clear that the Demon Realm is a place that seems to be deeply divided, whether by nature or by design. There are actually three separate worlds that make up the Demon Realm (again, JRPG elements!), but the group has to start on the third and lowest one. In addition, it’s revealed that access to the higher worlds is restricted behind barriers with those from the lowest unable to visit. What’s more, when Glorio and Supreme Kai make conversation, they bring up how Shin’s people come from the 2nd world of the Demon Realm. That alone is a major retcon for the Supreme Kai’s origins, but that’s besides the point. The point is that both Shin and Glorio are weary of each other, indicating some issues that remain unresolved.
To be fair, though, we still know little about Glorio beyond him being the Dragon Ball version of the scoundrel archetype. He’s guarded, able to handle himself in a fight, and seems to be hiding something from the others. I can’t say that he’s untrustworthy, but I’m hoping being around Goku will get him to open up more.
Those Jerks Stole Their Ride
To round out why Toriyama seemed to be pulling from JRPGs, the party manages to get their first quest before the episode ends. That quest being that some thugs that Goku beat up retaliated by stealing their “Plane.” Guess they’re going to get sidetracked!
This was a slow but fun start to the actual series, and if they keep using the JRPG elements, then I think that Daima is going to be one of the best things Dragon Ball has done in a long, long time. Also, those thugs are going to be so sorry when they realize who they stole from.
