REVIEW: ‘Dragon Ball DAIMA’ Episode 16 — “Degesu”

Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 16, “Degesu,” sees Goku (Masako Nozawa) and his friends arrive at Gomah’s castle, ready to retrieve their lost friend and restore their bodies to their original forms. But a few surprises await, as Degesu (Jun’ya Enoki) plays an unexpected hand and the Third Eye finds its way to Gomah (Shôtarô Morikubo).

As Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 16 opens, our heroes are faced with a quandary. Do they collect the final Dragon Ball or rescue the kidnapped Dende next? Worried for the well-being of their now infant friend, the heroes opt to take the battle to Gomah’s castle to free the Earth’s Guardian. As they approach the gate, they are intercepted by the elite Gendarmerie unit.

The lackluster energy and worn-out joke that made these characters’ arrival an eye-rolling event when they were first introduced is only heightened here. The episode feels compelled to replay the long, bizarre introduction of each member of the squad individually, making the moment drag on. The only thing saving this encounter with the obnoxious team is the treat of seeing Vegeta make fools of them as he dismantles each of the squad members in turn. The Saiyan’s arrogance is on full display as he swats away enemies and dodges attacks, frequently with no more than the title of his head. It’s a fun moment, though still not worth having the unit appear in the first place.

As Vegeta cleans the house at the front gate, we see Degesu pay a visit to the infant Dende. Alone, shrouded in darkness, the moment doesn’t explain exactly what the villain’s intentions are with the helpless child, but the tone of the scene drives home the point that they aren’t good. This revelation also creates a sense of urgency for the narrative, though the heroes aren’t aware of the problem yet.

Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 16 makes some baffling story choices, dragging things along.

As the protagonists prepare to enter the castle, a concern is raised about them all going together. Fearing such a large crowd would draw attention, it is decided that only Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Supreme Kai will enter the castle, though we see Panzy follow along in secret.

The reason for splitting the party is strange, leaving confusion in its wake. Why do they care if they stand out? Vegeta and Goku both lack pointy ears, so they’ll stand out anyway. If they had said something about not wanting the weaker characters to get in the way if a fight breaks out in confined spaces, that would’ve made a lot more sense. Adding to the confusion this scene creates is that no mention of what the others will be doing is made. They just kind of mill around outside the gate until the others come back.

Once inside, Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 16 brings a surprising visual design to the castle’s interior. The heroes discover strange staircases going off at bizarre angles that create a complex labyrinth. Luckily, Goku can sense Dende’s energy, allowing the party not to lose their way in the twisting corridors.

Once they catch up with Dende, they find him cradled in Degesu’s arm as the villain looks to board a small plane, seeking to escape from the castle’s imminent fall. Holding a gun to the child’s head, he attempts to keep the heroes at bay. This almost works until Panzy’s presence is revealed, creating an opening for Degesu to be taken out. But the opening isn’t used by Vegeta or Goku, but rather by Glorio and Hybis, who also snuck into the castle, following Panzy’s lead.

Reveals prove more obnoxious than not, making for less than a stellar impact.

The redundant reveal that even more people were sneaking around the castle is pointless. It would’ve been nice to see Panzy manage to pull off her sneak attack rather than get bailed out by the others. The added step just creates a level of convolusion in the moment that ultimately detracts from the scene.

While the heroes celebrate the safe return of their friend, even Vegeta is seen smiling, we see an unnamed minion find her way to Gomah’s throneroom to hand over the Third Eye. This character was introduced in the last episode, but due to a lack of setup, I thought they were Degesu in a shape-shifted form. Once Gomah has the eye, some chuckle-worthy efforts to extradite it from the belt buckle ensue until Gomah frees the eye and has the minion insert it into his forehead.

When the episode shows him for the last time, Gomah is in mid-transformation, growing larger. What is seen of the transformation delivers a fair amount of intensity. Despite Gomah being a joke till now, the tone and energy of the moment imply that is changing. The fact that the Third Eye was enough to keep Dabura honest before it was lost establishes that Gomah has acquired a significant source of power. Though whether it’ll be enough to test the Z Fighters remains to be seen.

Under Glorio’s advisement, the reunited heroes decide to defeat the final Tamagami before taking on Gomah, so they can have the full strength of their adult bodies at their disposal. When they arrive at the Tamagami’s plaza, they discover the Dragon Ball is gone and are confronted by those who claim it. Arinsu and her Majins step out of the shadows, showing their possession of the sought-after Dragon Ball.

Clumsy set-ups and subpar execution make Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 16 fumble.

This scene is one of those unfortunate anime moments that come so close to nailing what it’s going for but trips itself by clinging to ridiculous conventions. The music builds a fantastic level of tension, and the camera work as the visuals bounce between Glorio and Arinsu draws attention to the former’s struggles as he knows he’s about to be called on to betray his newfound friends.

Completely undercutting all this fantastic setup is the idiotic “boobs first” introduction of Arinsu. Rather than close up on her devious eyes or smirking grin, the character is brought into the scene with a close-up on her chest. While fan service is a part of anime, this isn’t the time or the place. It’s a credit to the rest of the presentation that the tension is able to recover after the ridiculous intro.

Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 16 comes so close to delivering something great. Sadly, a few stumbles keep it from delivering the flawless adventure story it sets out to be, ultimately landing in the very good range instead.

Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 16 is streaming now on Crunchyroll and will arrive on Netflix next week.