Dragon Ball Daima Ep 8 Review
Now this…this is more like it! We’ve been waiting eight episodes now for Dragon Ball Daima to give us a fight that’s truly worthy of the franchise’s name. We’ve gotten plenty of good action scenes and sparring matches, but we have yet to get the kind of fight where Goku shows us why he’s one of the GOATs of anime. However, all of that has changed with his fight with the first of the Tamagami as the entire Demon Realm watches. More importantly, though, this episode offers us some surprising lore regarding the Demon Realm, Majin Buu, and what it is that Dr. Arinsu could be after.
Goku vs the Tamagami
The long-awaited fight between Goku and the first of the Tamagami begins in earnest, and it was worth the wait. While not to the level of power that fans have grown used to in Dragon Ball, Daima is quick to remind us that, kid or not, Goku remains a formidable foe. As his fight against the Tamagami attracts the nearby villagers, they’re stunned to see him not only match the guardian of the Dragon Ball blow for blow, but begin to dominate him. For longtime fans of the franchise, though, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Goku is like that, after all.
Since we know that Goku will inevitably win, the fans should be paying attention to how the fight plays out rather than the overall outcome. And Toei managed to do a good job of animating it. From Goku blocking a hammer with his Power Pole to going Super Saiyan and having a beam clash, the series makes this a fun watch. But what was even funnier was how Goku ultimately wins the Dragon Ball.
This Was Classic Toriyama!
I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting Goku to have to win the Dragon Ball by playing a version of the Shell Game, but…it feels like something Toriyama would want to do. Remember, Akira Toriyama was known just as much for his sense of goofy humor as he was for all the action. Having the Tamagami test Goku using the Shell Game, only for him to effortlessly point out the being’s attempted con, just screams Toriyama. It’s nice to see his imprint on Dragon Ball, but it’s a little sad, too, since he’s no longer with us.
At any rate, Goku ultimately manages to do what no one in the Demon Realm ever has and wins the first Dragon Ball. With that in hand, they head toward Warp-Sama to meet with their arriving comrades and head to the Second Demon World. As it turns out, the fight isn’t the episode’s highlight. It’s what comes after.
Dr. Arinsu Has a Bigger Plan in Store
As Gomah and Degesu are looking over old footage of the Z Warriors fights, they notice something when watching the moment when Vegeta blew himself up trying to kill Majin Buu. As the pieces of Buu began to reform, a lone figure managed to grab one of them before it could merge with the others. That person was none other than Dr. Arinsu. She was there during the Buu Saga!
It only gets crazier from there. While everything else is happening, Arinsu goes to a mysterious witch named Marba, currently brewing some kind of creation in a cauldron using that fragment of Buu. It’s not made clear right away, but the audience meant to guess that Arinsu is trying to create some kind of clone of Buu. That’s not even the craziest part, though. The crazy part is that Arinsu reveals that Marba is the one who created Majin Buu! As in, the original, psychotic, virtually feral, black air force wearing menace that pushed Goku and the others to the brink!
Buu Was Created by Who?!?!?
This is a major retcon to the world of Dragon Ball. From his inception, fans have believed that Majin Buu had one of two origins: either Bibidi created Kid Buu, or Kid Buu was this entity that existed for eons that Bibidi found. Now we know that both of those aren’t true, with Marba being Buu’s creator. And even though everything worked out and Buu (the good part of him)is now Goku’s friend, that still makes Marba indirectly responsible for countless deaths over millions of years. And now she’s helping Arinsu make a clone of Buu, the main difference being that this one will actually obey its master.
I’ve had my suspicions before, but now it’s becoming clear that Arinsu might be the real big bad of Daima. She’s set everything in motion by manipulating Gomah and bringing Goku to the Demon Realm; if she has her own Buu, she will be trouble. Keep in mind that at this point in time, Goku could only beat Buu because of a Spirit Bomb. Imagine how tough it would be for him to fight another Buu in his kid form!
Dragon Ball Daima is starting to heat up, and I’m glad I’ve stuck around for it this long. It’s a little sad knowing that we’re almost done with the First Demon World, but with most of the quests done, it’s time to move on. I can’t wait to see what the next world looks like.
