REVIEW Dragon Ball Super ep:70 [Let's Play Baseball]

     Another fun comedy episode but this time we get some spotlight on a character that hasn't had any in quite some time, Yamcha. Because of that lack of spotlight he has become something of a joke. But with this episode we get to see him actually be good at something.

     We start the episode with Champa instigating a 'friendly' baseball match with his brother. Berrus agrees to play, and they decide to play in universe seven. It is then revealed to the audience that Champa just wanted to eat universe 7 food without a care in the world. However Vados convinces him to really go at it in playing baseball. And thus high jinks ensue. The teams are split. On the Solar Sevens (There is no official name as I am aware so I decided to make some up.) we have Goku, Krillin, Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks, Berrus, and Yamcha. For the Super Six we have Champa, Cabba, Botamo, Auto Magetta, with Vegeta and Goten helping fill out the rest. 

     The joke are what you expect. Goku going overboard with the pitches, both in power and under power. Vegeta and Goku having a beam struggle in the form of a baseball bat and pitch. Most of the players not knowing how to even play the game, these jokes are to be expected. However the best part of the episode was Yamcha. With him being a straight man to all the goings on, it really grounds the jokes. He also got the best visual joke of the episode, with him recreating his death pose from the Saiyan saga.  

     

   This episode was solid. One day when I would want to rewatch one episode from super this will probably be it, much in the same way the learning to drive cars episode from DBZ is. Hopefully this will go down as a fan favorite. 

REVIEW Dragon Ball Super ep:69 [So Non-canon It Hurts]

     Within an artist's lifetime of works there will be many eras. But is is not often that you see two of their eras butt heads. In this episode of DBS we see Akira Toriyama's early gag-manga characters from Dr.Slump crossover with the most modern form of Dragon Ball, and yes it is as wacky as you think.

     With this episode a plot description would be mostly pointless. This episode should be viewed mostly on its gags, and yes I did laugh at many of them, though I feel like a lot may have slipped past me due to not reading Dr.Slump. The jokes that got the most out of me were the metatextual jokes. the ones pointing out how ridiculous it is for Vegeta to be fighting a gag character, or the fact that Goku was a gag character and so was actually on par with Arale.

     The biggest thing I take away from this episode is just how much an artist can change, and how much they don't. Because for everything Dragon Ball Z did to become one of the definitive action manga and anime, at the heart of it all is just a man telling jokes. While this is probably the most non-canon that this show has been so far, in good conscience I can't say skip it. This episode shows the growth of an artist, and it shows us the value in knowing where the art we love comes from.

REVIEW Dragon Ball Super ep:68 [Should have done this awhile ago]

     So after not watching DragonBall Super for a good few number of weeks jumping back on the horse will take a little bit of effort. Thankfully where I left off is a simple place to pick back up. As many have pointed out, in between each major arc, there are several smaller breather episodes, designed for character exploration and fun. During this episode we explore Bulma, and her relation to some of the more sidelined characters.

     We start the story with Bulma working on the time machine. As she self monologues she feels it is her duty as a scientist to build which she knows to exist, knowing full well the ethical and cosmic implications. Meanwhile Goku tells North Kai that he will gather the Dragonballs to revive him. After doing such task, Goku arrives at the brief estate and summons Shenron. Hijinks ensue.

     And that is pretty much it. most of this episode is just watching the characters bounce off each other. With Roshi's and Oolong's perverted attributes shining through, Android 18's love of Krillin and money, as well as Bulma's ingenuity and money most every person had a moment to show their stuff. However Goten and Trunks still are a little short changed by just being the precocious kids they are. And sadly with Beerus destroying the time machine and North Kai not being revived, the status quo is still intact. While this episode is far from the greatest it is still pretty good, but on eventual rewatches it should probably be skipped.

REVIEW Dragon Ball Super Ep: 67 [Deus Ex Status Quo]

   

Goku Black, confusing anybody who doesn't watch super.

     With Dragon Ball Super having finished it's at the time latest arc I think we have found this series version of power levels. I don't mean this in a bad way however. As with previous arcs in Super, there has been an air that a lot of the action has been somewhat trivial. while this is wholly not a negative thing, in fact the lighter tension gives it a more comedic bent a'la Dragon Ball, it has kinda caused an inflation in power and a devalue in our hero's abilities. What I am talking about is the introduction of higher gods and beings.

     This episode showed the beginnings of the Zamasu saga's epilogue. With last week having Trunks give the final death blow to the fused Zamasu, we open just moments after. A massive amount of energy comes pouring out of the corpse, somehow fundamentally changing the fabric of the universe. Everything the heroes do is for nought, as Zama-cloud goes on to kill the rest of the human population that are still surviving on future earth. When all hope seems lost, Goku remembers that he literally has a "call the most powerful god" button. He comes and wipes everything out. We are then told that future Trunks and Mai can go back to the future a little bit before this whole mess started and that Whis and Beerus would tidy up most everything else.

     While I may seem overly critical in that brief synopsis, I must say that I still really enjoyed it. It still felt quintessentially Dragon Ball to me. That's what I mean when I talk power levels. It's not so much a crutch for storytelling, or a plot hole needing to be filled. It is just the overall flavour of the ebb and flow of the show. In Dragon Ball Z there was a lot of focus on the concept of power level, whether it was with how pointless they were, or just there as bench markers for character growth, power levels were an omni-present force in the show. As such I think the element of gods is Super's flavour. Being a benchmark for a character's power, a source of problems, or solutions, gods are more now than ever a mainstay in Dragon Ball Super.

     This however could cause a problem, one that they directly mention in this episode. Why, if they are friends with these litany of gods, can't they ask them for more help? I have seen many a fan point out that Beerus or Whis could probably, with a snap of their fingers, solve most, if not all, of the Z Warriors problems. However Beerus out right says, to the group and the audience, that they should not rely on the gods to solve all their problems. Hopefully the writing staff will remember that thought.