'Dragon Ball Daima' Episode 3 Review

TV & Film

Jan 9

Gokū’s journey into the Demon World truly begins in this episode. Will this be more world-building or perhaps some intense action that Dragon Ball is known for? Let’s dive into episode three of Dragon Ball Daima.

Warning: This review contains minor spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima.

The episode begins with Gokū, Kaioshin, and Glorio approaching Warp-sama. Immediately upon seeing the being, Gokū calls Warp-sama a huge goldfish, much to Warp-sama’s chagrin. Kaioshin tells Gokū to knock it off, and Warp-sama investigates the trio, first by looking at their ears. Glorio and Kaioshin pass due to their naturally pointed ears, but Kaoshin has to be creative with Gokū’s ears, using his magic to make the Saiyan’s ears pointed. Once they pass this test, Glorio gives Warp-sama the pin to enter the relay point between their world and the Demon Realm, Kaioshin is unfortunately unable to give the pin to Kibito, despite attempting to contact him. Once inside, it is revealed that the Demon Realm consists of three different worlds, and the only one Glorio has access to is the Third Demon World. The three of them enter the hatch and are whisked away, with Gokū getting his first glimpse of the Demon Realm.

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Gokū takes in the unique environment and requests that they get out to get some fresh air. Glorio obliges and lands the plane. When they land and get out of the plane, Gokū notices the air feels heavy and it stinks. Glorio explains that this is due to the gas in the area, though he assures him it's harmless. Kaioshin looks around and mentions that this is his first time in the Third Demon World, and Glorio points out that this is due to him being of the Glind race that belongs to the Second Demon World. As they are conversing, a group of bandits ambushes them, but Gokū quickly scares them off with his weapon. They board the ship once more and pass the volcano that Glorio mentions causes the area to be filled with gas. Gokū points out it would be easy to sneak flatulence in this environment, and he does just that after the ship is jostled.

The three of them soon arrive at a hotel in a town. The three of them are to spend the night there before meeting with King Kadan in the morning. Though they are initially almost charged a hefty fee to stay at the hotel, Glorio manages to “convince” the innkeeper to lower his price. Gokū then mentions that he is hungry, and the three of them go to a bar across the street. Once there, Glorio gets five hamburgers for Gokū and two drinks. The locals instantly dislike Gokū due to his round ears, and a fight soon breaks out, which Gokū and Glorio end easily.

After dinner, they head back to their rooms and turn in for the night. When morning arrives, the three of them go out toward Glorio’s plane, only to discover that it has been stolen. In its place is an axe with a note attached to it.

The episode continues the excellent world-building of the previous two but sprinkles in some action as well. Once again, it does an excellent job blending the serious nature of the story with the more comedic tone Dragon Ball is known for. Longtime fans of the series will see some similarities between plot points in this episode and one of the earlier episodes of Dragon Ball GT, but these are only surface-level similarities. The action scenes are a welcome addition after two episodes of seemingly no real intense fighting. Overall, the story of this episode continues to build on the foundation set by the previous two.

This episode’s animation continues to impress. The shots of Gokū seeing the Demon World for the first time truly show the wonder the boy feels upon seeing this unique environment. Of course, as with most Dragon Ball media, the fights are a huge highlight. Though they might not be as “flashy” as some fans only familiar with Dragon Ball Z or Dragon Ball Super may be used to, the more grounded “back-to-basics” approach is very much appreciated. It is especially humorous to see Gokū fight as he tries to enjoy his burgers. Overall, the animation continues to be stellar.

Voice acting continues to be a highlight. A future article detailing the dub will be written later, as the dub of this episode has been shown in theaters, and we will compare both the Japanese and English performances. Masako Nozawa continues to knock it out of the park as mini Gokū, and her English counterpart, Stephanie Nadonly, isn’t a slouch either. Both actresses are able to portray the youth and experience of the Saiyan warrior quite well. Glorio’s actors, Koki Uchiyama and Aaron Dismuke portray the demon mercenary quite well, giving him a soft edge. Yumiko Kobayashi and Nia Celeste both do an excellent job portraying Kaioshin. Lastly, Kenichi Ogata and Kristian Eros both do an excellent job as Warp-sama. The other voice talents in both languages also portray their roles quite well, making the Demon World truly come alive.

Perhaps the only forgettable part of this episode is the music. Though the intro and ending themes are both good, the actual score kinda just blends in the background. Nothing stands out or grabs your attention as say Shunsuke Kikuchi’s score. That isn’t to say the score is bad, it’s just…there. Nonetheless, it’s still a decent musical score.

Overall, episode three of Dragon Ball Daima is another splendid piece of the overall Dragon Ball Daima story. It perfectly builds on the foundation set by the previous two episodes and finally adds in some action that was sorely missed. While the music may be forgettable, everything else is top-notch. Hopefully, the series continues to get even better.

Rating: 8.5/10

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