After the massive climax of Goku and Kefla's battle in episode 116 of Dragon Ball Super, episode 117 took a step back and focused again on the brother and sister Androids 17 and 18, and Universe 2's warriors of love.
With Goku again weakened after achieving Ultra Instinct while fighting Kefla, the remaining Universe 2 fighters chose to use the opportunity to knock him out. The androids stepped in, however, and led Ribrianne and Rozie away to leave Goku with still three warriors surrounding him. The duos split up, with Rozie hoping to avenge Kakunsa by knocking out 17, and Ribrianne soon develops a grudge against 18. Upon learning that 18 is married to Krillin, she becomes enraged that 18 could love someone who "isn't beautiful," and says she will teach 18 about love. The love warriors are quickly outclassed, however, unable to keep up with the ever-serious androids and their combination attacks. The two also continue to serve as comic relief even in such a big battle, with 18 occasionally nailing Ribrianne in the face and knocking her into rocks, or 17 and 18 knocking them into each other. When 17 decides he's had enough, he finishes a combination attack by knocking Rozie out of the ring, and 18 causes Ribrianne to revert to her normal Brianne appearance. Brianne is able, however, to trap 18 in a love-based attack, and the members of universe 2 help her achieve a more powerful version of her Ribrianne form, bringing into question how the fight will truly end. The episode was previewed the week prior, and just had me groaning as I noticed the return of Ribrianne and Rozie, and for much of the episode this reaction remained. Though the writers try to make Ribrianne seem like a real threat, she only serves as annoying one-note comic relief that could have easily been knocked out episodes ago. She is only able to do anything this episode due to 18 having an ankle injury, and even then she is constantly thrown around like a rag doll. In representing the "magical girl" trope in manga, Ribrianne focuses on love, which became annoying soon after she was introduced. I wanted to bang my head against a wall after the number of times she said "love" throughout the episode, and her attitude only became more grating when she learned about 18 and Krillin. Initially saying she wanted to show everyone "true love," Ribrianne became disgusted at 18 and Krillin, saying that since Krillin "isn't beautiful," they're mocking love. Though likely intentional to satirize the magical girl trope, her hideous appearance doesn't support her statement, and her hypocrisy shows that she simply wants to be loved, not necessarily understanding it. The androids, meanwhile, are always fun to watch, especially from their refreshing reaction to fighting characters where they don't wait for opponents to power up and go all out from the start. In an earlier episode when Brianne and her friends first transformed, a highlight for many was when 17 interrupted their tedious sequence with an energy blasted, only to be chastised by everyone else. This episode has 17 at his best, clearly not having to try hard while fighting Rozie, and effectively fighting so in sync with 18 that mere glances are enough to know what to do in combination with each other. Meanwhile, 18, hampered by her leg, still shows why she is one of the Z-Fighters' best, knowing when to strike and when her injury requires that she swap positions with 17. The episode takes a break from focusing on Goku, and though he has been doing some amazing things as of late, it is good to see the others again. The androids are two of Universe 7's greatest assets, as they have unlimited stamina and energy, and therefore can be injured, but cannot tire. Focusing on them was also a pleasing way to ensure that Ribrianne and Rozie would soon be gone, due to them not having the urge to see opponents at full strength. Though 17 had not been seen prior to the tournament since Cell was defeated, he has quickly become a more popular fan-favorite as he effortlessly demonstrates his strength, ability, and a willingness to knock out anyone who gets in his way. Goku, meanwhile, is still surrounded by the other Universe 2 fighters, setting up another coming episode where he will be defenseless and need to rely on the others. This has some interesting potential to watch for, as the Saiyans benefit from the "Zenkai," or Saiyan power, where recovery from near-death also causes their power to increase; a literal "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" scenario. Goku needing assistance and the possibility of another power increase for him both have me excited for what is to come.
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