After a week-long hiatus, Dragon Ball Super returned with Jiren once more stepping into the fold as the Universal Tournament starts to wind down.
In the previous episode, 121, Universe 7 took a loss when Android 18 sacrificed herself to keep 17 in the ring. After re-joining the fight against Anilaza, 17 was able to secure a win by shielding himself from the robot's blast and smashing its energy core. With only two universes remaining in this episode, Jiren has once again entered the fold, this time facing Vegeta at the same time as he fights Goku. Initially, the remaining warriors from each side stood just facing each other, until Goku and Jiren, the strongest from their respective teams, stepped forward. Goku powers up as Jiren stands still, then releases an explosive burst of power before going hand to hand with the Universe 11 justice fighter. Unlike their first bout, Goku seems more able to handle and take on Jiren, though it is obvious who still has the upper hand. Vegeta soon joins up as well, declaring that he is the true strongest from Universe 7 and will take Jiren down. Frieza, meanwhile, faces Dyspo, who attempts to confuse the evil emperor with his speed and mobility. Frieza seems to not take the foe seriously, as he simply stands in the center of Dyspo's movements smirking, and says Dyspo's afterimages won't work. He believes he has gotten the upper hand when Dyspo comes up behind him and his tail grabs Dyspo by the throat, but Dyspo turns things around by gripping the tail and running wildly, smashing Frieza through debris. Simultaneously, Gohan and 17 go up against Toppo, with Gohan quickly warning 17 of Toppo's experience and how he gave Goku trouble, advising 17 to avoid Toppo's arms. Throughout the episode, Toppo proves himself a challenge for the Android-Saiyan combo, taking their blasts head-on with minimal damage and pummeling them. Goku and Vegeta, meanwhile, have their hands full with Jiren, as he repeatedly knocks Vegeta away with minimal effort and slams Goku with a barrage of punches. Vegeta takes notice of Jiren moves, however, watching him closely before speeding into the fray again. Jiren attempts the same move he just used on Goku, but Vegeta swiftly weaves in between Jiren's fists and lands a blow to his gut. After shocking everyone with this maneuver, Vegeta keeps his efforts up, landing punch after punch on the justice powerhouse. Vegeta, invigorated by his success, begins taunting Jiren, stating the warrior isn't as using as strong or fast as when he originally fought Goku. The excitement is short-lived, however, as Jiren shows Vegeta's moves were ineffective before as he slams him down, then hits him with an energy blast. Though he struggles against the mass of energy, Vegeta is caught in an explosion on the edge of the ring, his armor cracked as he stands exhausted. Jiren states that Vegeta will never beat him because of his arrogance, but Vegeta counters that arrogance is what his pride as a Saiyan is. Vegeta then prepares a final flash as the ultimate show of his power to prove Jiren wrong, with even Goku surprised by the energy amassed. While the other fights are touched on during the episode, the focus is on Goku and Vegeta facing Jiren, and especially Vegeta's surprise assault. Though his moves are obviously not effective, his ability to quickly read Jiren's movements and react to them is a good show of his abilities. As Vegeta pummeled Jiren, Whis suggests that he is trying to learn achieve Ultra Instinct, evidenced by his seemingly effort swiftness in dodging. Though the quick punches and dodging don't lead to Ultra Instinct as hoped, it's impressive Vegeta was able to break through Jiren's energy. Being knocked away doesn't even ruin the moment like has happened before with Vegeta, since Jiren has proven himself to have titanic power even Goku can't fully handle, even with Ultra Instinct. Jiren further proves himself an interesting antagonist this episode, as he and the justice warriors aren't villains. The justice warriors insult the Z-Fighters solely because they see Goku in a villainous light, as he called for the tournament. Despite their insults, the warriors fight for the good of their people and talk solely about their efforts to fight villainy. Dyspo has made a good effort against Frieza, though it is unlikely he will take the villain down, and Toppo seems to not even see Gohan and 17 as a threat. This is because Toppo is in line to become his universe's next God of Destruction, which he would likely serve as in a similar just way to Universe 11's current destruction god. Jiren, on the other hand, actually turned down the role of the next God of Destruction because it countered his views. While fighting Goku, Jiren asks why he wants to get stronger, responding to Goku's desire for power by saying he himself desires what is beyond strength. Though Vegeta's efforts failed overall, there is still hope that something great will happen by the end of the tournament.
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Dragon Ball Super 121 gives the Z-Fighters a massive challenge as Universe 3's leader Paparoni merged with the universe's robots to form Anilaza.
Universe 7's Supreme Kai is initially hopeful that despite his massive size, Anilaza will turn out to be all appearance and no substance. This hope is quickly dashed, however, as Anilaza's power gets a reaction from everyone with just a roar. The Z-Fighters try having each person attack a different section of Anilaza's body, only to be knocked away again. Goku wonders if Anilaza is able to quickly search for their energy, but 17 says that because he and 18 have different energy from the others, it must be something else. He determines that Anilaza's antennae work as a kind of radar, detecting where the fighters are. Anilaza is able to knock Goku out of the ring, but Frieza steps in and knocks him back into the fight. Anilaza then catches and tries to eat 18, who is saved by Goku, and Anilaza is able to cause another loss for Universe 7. The remaining fighters then decide they have to use their full power together to take down Anilaza, who has created an enormous ball of energy. This episode does a nice job delivering what the previous one set up, unlike some past DBS moments like Vegeta not defeating Black after the beatdown Vegeta gave him. Anilaza is quickly shown to be a powerhouse, which can be believed due to how well his components kept up with the Z-Fighters. He isn't the first giant opponent the Z-Fighters have fought, with movie villains like Namekian Lord Slug and the monster Hirudegarn, and the Saiyan ape form. In each of these instances, however, the fighters weren't nearly as strong as they are now, and the only time it took more than one person in the end was when Goku, Gohan, and Krillin fought ape Vegeta, and Yajirobe cut his tail off. Here, Anilaza is able to simultaneously take on five of the remaining six from Universe 7 with minimal effort. At one moment he catches them off with what feels like a reference to the Super Janemba film the way Kale was a female version of the film character Broly, as Anilaza is able to use a punch that goes through dimensional portals. It is also one of, if not the first time everyone left fighting for Universe 7 has fought all together, with even Frieza eventually stepping in. Frieza saving Goku continues both an obvious tactic Gohan is also employing, as well as Frieza's own manipulative plan that is still yet to be revealed. Like Gohan, Frieza understands that Goku has the best chance of taking on stronger opponents like Jiren while the others can also save their energy. While Gohan enacts this plan by taking on weaker enemies so Goku can save his power for later, Frieza has continued to state that he is using Goku. At this point, some fans have been proven correct, with Frieza saying in a past episode that he could use the super dragon balls to become the most powerful being. With only five Universe 7 members and three from Universe 11 remaining, the tournament is close to its end, with the anticipation of a climactic final battle against Jiren rising. After a loss for Universe 7 and the erasure of Universe 4, Dragon Ball Super 120 saw Universe 3 taking on the Z-FIghters.
Continuing to move on Goku's exhausted situation, Universe 3's robots and scientist leader try to knock him out. Universe 7 is more centered now, however, and they take on the robots as a group, with 17 and 18 finishing one off by themselves. While Goku and Vegeta originally intended to fight as well, Gohan steps in and takes their opponents, planning to let them save their energy for later fights. With this goal in mind, Gohan fights multiple robots at once, as Goku and Vegeta stay back, though it is quickly obvious he is struggling. Gohan keeps this up for a time, but soon the others step in when it is obvious a team attack is best for the situation. This episode continues to show Gohan's combat intellect, as he is the one yet again to come up with a plan for how the team should handle the tournament. At the same time, he might be trying to hard to let others keep their stamina for later, as taking on so many robots by himself is a potential risk, as he could get knocked out. It's still good to see Gohan stepping up and taking charge more often, though, and fighting as hard as he can with confidence and not typical Saiyan pride. Back during the Cell Saga of Dragon Ball Z, Gohan became the strongest warrior, achieving Super Saiyan 2 and surpassing even Goku. This led to him also becoming too prideful, and Cell was able to start a process to sacrifice himself and blow up the planet, resulting in Goku and King Kai's deaths. Creator Akira Toriyama intended to then make Gohan the protagonist rather than Goku, but fan backlash caused him to bring Goku back for the Buu Saga. In the process, it was also revealed that in the 7-year gap, Gohan had stopped training in favor of becoming a scholar like Chi Chi, his mom, wanted him to. While this makes sense in a way because Gohan did not naturally enjoy fighting, it doesn't for the reason that he was Earth's defense against new threats. The key to unlocking SS2 against Cell turned out to be Android 16 telling Gohan that fighting to bring peace and save others is not shameful, before Cell killed him. Goku later also had to remind Gohan that Cell could destroy the Earth if Gohan doesn't win, and in the non-canon movie "Bojack Unbound," Goku tells him it is his job to protect the Earth. Gohan has done nothing after seven years, however, with Vegeta stating and Goku agreeing as Gohan struggles against Dabura that he was stronger as a child. The Elder Kai later unlocked Gohan's full potential to combat Buu, but between then and the start of DBS, Gohan once again stopped training. This time felt like more of an insult, with Gohan looking pencil-thin and wearing a green tracksuit as he says he has lost his gi. When Elder Kai unlocked Gohan's potential, he said Gohan was now powerful enough that becoming Super Saiyan would be pointless. Yet, when Frieza arrived for "Resurrection F," he said he wasn't even sure he could even go Super Saiyn, and was again much weaker. Lack of confidence has often been a problem for Gohan, but since training with Piccolo to once more unlock his potential, Gohan seems more sure of himself. Though Goku and Vegeta eventually step in to help Gohan, Universe 3 reveals they have a secret up their sleeve for the coming episode. This was definitely a good change from recent episodes, where opposing universes who seemed to have strong characters dropped off like flies in a single episode. The coming episode seems to be setting up a final stand for Universe 3 that promises a big fight. The conniving Quitela, god of destruction for Universe 4, pulls a surprising move with his two seemingly messing fighters in Dragon Ball Super 119.
After Universes 2 and 6 finally went down, the Z-Fighters found themselves to victims of a seemingly invisible foe. Vegeta, angered by the erasure of Cabba, takes on Katopesla, who is knocked off the ring after Vegeta's attack seemingly out of nowhere. At this point, Vegeta also takes a strange fall, almost following his opponent off the edge, followed by Gohan and 17. Realizing that their enemy is invisible, Gohan concocts a combination attack with Piccolo, destroying the ground and knocking up dust to reveal their enemy, Gamisaras. Piccolo then steps in and takes out the invisible foe, revealed to be a kind of chameleon creature. Universe 4's Shantza then steps up, trapping Piccolo and Gohan in an illusion of past foes from the tournament in combination with warrior Damon. He almost immediately takes the next fall, however, as Piccolo is able to determine where he is and knock him out with one attack. Though Universe 4 only has Damon left, they are able to make a comeback for some time. Believing him to be another invisible foe, Universe 7 is surprised to find that, even when sensing his energy correctly, none of them can land a blow. This confusion allows Damon to knock out another Z-fighter before his true secret is discovered. The episode uses a classic enemy and counter with the invisibility and dust, but the second combination is an interesting situation for the fighters. Though plenty of characters have worked in combination before, the fact that one character is casting the illusion and one is fighting is pretty new and could work well. Damon's introduction is a more interesting situation than the others, going off the Z-Fighters' assumptions about him and an old character's design and style. Gohan gets a bit of time to shine as well, showing his strategic mind and power, and 17 again shows why he is becoming more popular during this arc. A great but possibly overlooked great aspect of the episode that continues from previous ones is Vegeta's initial assault on Katopesla. In last week's preview of this episode and the intro of 119, Vegeta states that he is in a bad mood, and doesn't hesitate to hammer away at his opponent. This would normally be odd, as despite his ferocity, Vegeta tends to hold back and lets people reach their full potential or talk, yet here he goes all out. His attack continue his character growth by showing his pain in Cabba being erased, and how he is dealing with it, as it is likely a deep issue. In Universe 7, Freiza wiped out the Saiyans when Vegeta was a child and Goku was a baby, and Vegeta's immense pride as his race's prince caused him to take great interest in Cabba. Likely seeing Universe 6 as a chance to keep the race alive in a way, even taking Cabba on as his apprentice, Vegeta was saddened and angered by their erasure. This has suggests a great Vegeta moment in the future, as in the past when the pride and survival of the Saiyans was at stake on Namek, Vegeta was so hurt by his inability to do anything that he broke down in a powerful moment, begging Goku for help. Now that he has grown to Super Saiyan Blue, and has even promised Cabba he will wish for Universe 6 back if he wins the Super Dragon Balls, Vegeta's sadness manifests more as his classic rage. Universe 4 loses members a little too quick for my taste, however, especially because Quitela has been pumped up as a conniving antagonist with a big plan. Usually, episodes go by before anyone falls from the ring, but here Universe 4 loses warriors fast, with each unique fighting method discovered and defeated in minutes. The Universe 7 loss is also more annoying than it could have been, feeling like an insult to the character rather than a deserved respectful exit like characters such as Master Roshi got. Despite this, Universe 7's latest loss puts them further at a disadvantage as the tournament winds down, despite their continued survival against the onslaught of other universes. With Jiren appearing more to observe fights, and Goku and Vegeta going on and achieving new heights, the coming end of the tournament promises something massive. Dragon Ball Super's episode 118 focused on Piccolo and Gohan facing two of Piccolo's own race the Namekians, while Goku and the Androids battle the remaining Universe 2 warriors. Last week's episode saw the Androids finally knock out Ribrianne and Rozie, seemingly putting an end to the barrage of "love" combat. The focus for this episode then went back to Gohan and Piccolo, who have been locked in dual combat with a pair of Namekians from Universe 6, surprised that they can't make a dent on the two. As the two are wondering why their opponents are so strong, Piccolo senses the power of a large number of Namekians behind their enemies. Piccolo then realizes the two have performed "Namekian Fusion" repeatedly to increase their power, a process he previously took advantage of to combine with the warrior Nail and his own other half, Kami. Gohan and Piccolo realize that because the two have fused with so many Namekians, they will have to resort to Gohan holding them off while Piccolo charges an old ace move, the Special Beam Cannon. Piccolo revealed the move back at the start of Dragon Ball Z as his plan to kill Goku, doing so when Goku sacrifices himself so his invading brother Raditz can be killed. Goku, meanwhile attempts to hold his own against the three remaining warriors of Universe 2, who have become fired up from their precious irritant Ribrianne being eliminated. The trio's resolve to uphold their "love" views causes them to transform, finally achieving some more real comic relief as they don the same uniforms as Ribrianne's posse, skirts and all. The androids arrive to help Goku, who is still pushing himself to go beyond his limits, and show they are more than a match for Universe 2. The love warriors reveal a final attack that shocks all, as even Ribrianne's group was unable to achieve it, and Piccolo finds himself losing confidence as he and Gohan take hits. This episode, like some others, does a good working off established parts of the show and making reference to other sections. Until this point, Piccolo was the only character confirmed to have used "Namekian Fusion," which until now had been nameless, and it was essentially unclear if there were restrictions on which Namekians could fuse. The fusion shows how intense and serious these Namekians are, as we see and they state that many of their people volunteered to fuse, disappearing to give their power in an attempt to save their universe. Piccolo's understanding of the technique causes him to doubt himself, and leads to an interesting moment where we see Nail and Kami again, in a sort of pocket of Piccolo's mind. It was interesting enough to see these past characters, but a better Easter Egg comes from Piccolo's self-doubt. While Piccolo charges his attack, his doubt distracts him, though Gohan says he himself let his guard down, and the Namekians attack Piccolo with his beam failing. This is when Piccolo sees Kami and Nail, and when he comes back to reality, Gohan is standing in front of him, having blocked the attack. This mirrors a crucial moment in Dragon Ball history, when Piccolo sacrificed himself to save Gohan from the Saiyan Nappa, Vegeta's former partner. Gohan was a turning point in Piccolo's life, being the first person to show him kindness and cause joy to enter his heart. Piccolo protecting him was a massive step in his character development from villain to hero, and established further what a close bond he and Gohan have. Throughout the series, the two have had a familial relationship, and Piccolo has often arrived in the nick of time to save Gohan again. To have the situation reversed shows not only the doubt that even Piccolo can have, but also shows Gohan's growth as well as their continued friendship. The other Universe 2 warriors finally attacking more and their sudden transformation finally add some good comedy to their group. While there were some entertaining moments with Ribrianne's group, like when Vegeta can't bring himself to touch her because he finds her hideous, they were mainly obvious fodder that only provided comedy by getting knocked around. The attempts at comedy through the trio's personalities fell flat, but now it is more entertaining from the flip of having male characters in "magical girl" transformations. This has been done in anime before, but a more typical thing would be to just have a macho man character be over emotional, whereas here the characters are ridiculous as well as wearing the same ridiculous outfits as their female counterparts. There is quite a bit of tension throughout the episode for Universes 2 and 6, as they are on their final warriors. As the angels point out, having the weight of their universes does lead to the characters in each fight pulling out all the stops against Universe 7, whose characters, aside from the Androids, are tiring from constant battle. Power revelations along coupled with this, especially since Goku is so exhausted for sure, leads to the possibility that at least one Universe 7 fighter will take a fall. As the episode ends, there are knockouts that lead to some emotional moments, and the tournament gets closer to finishing. Released pictures and things said by characters in previous episodes have shown that something strange will happen where an enemy no one can see will attack. It will be interesting to finally get to the bottom of this mysterious warrior the characters have been mentioning, and see what he or she can do. 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. Dragon Ball Super's episode 116 showcased the strengths of Ultra Instinct and the Potara earrings as Goku and Kefla's battle reached a conclusion.
The previous episode ended as Goku shocked everyone by again achieving Ultra Instinct, and showing that Kefla was once again no match for him. In an attempt to rival Goku powering up in Ultra Instinct, Kefla rises to Super Saiyan 2, their combined energy tearing up the tournament even further. While the participants take notice and those watching say the two will destroy everything if they collide, Goku avoids danger by only dodging Kefla's attacks. Whis notes that the reason Goku is performing so well is because in Ultra Instinct, Goku's body is reacting to everything on its own. Eventually, Goku does counter, but he, Whis, and Kefla notice that his strikes aren't doing much at all. Whis explains that while Goku's dodging is so effective because he's reacting without thinking, his blows are weak because he is considering each attack before he makes it. Because of this and the extreme strain Ultra Instinct is causing, Goku realizes that, as Whis says, he will have to finish Kefla with one attack or he'll lose the form again. This episode does a good job working off things previously established, in particular Goku's Ultra Instinct abilities. In a previous episode, as Goku and Vegeta trained with Whis, he told them they weren't progressing was because they were thinking before reacting. Vegeta remembers this, and realizes that Goku must be achieving what Whis was training them for, and determines that if Goku can, he can too. In another interesting area, we get another peek at Frieza, who is watching nearby and says that he will need Goku to "keep serving" him. Throughout the tournament, Frieza's exact goal has been a mystery, though the one sure thing is that he is planning to betray the group. Recently he hinted that, like many fans have theorized, he is planning to use the super dragon balls to become more powerful than the angels, and likely the Omni Kings. From the beginning of the tournament, Frieza has taken a backseat, only occasionally choosing opponents to torture, and helping Gohan take out a fighter from Universe 2. In terms of the tournament's long battle royale style, the best method would be to rely on others taking out the majority of enemies while saving energy. Vegeta, while taking on his fair share of enemies due to his pride and love for fighting, has been using a similar technique, as opposed to Goku, who has been doing his usual method of letting his enemies reach their peak before going all-out. This kind of thinking, combined with his previous fight with Jiren, has left Goku worn out and only able to come back due to Frieza giving him energy. Vegeta's declaration of power possibility gives hope to the fans who has wanted him to have a time to shine. At the moment, Vegeta is stuck playing second fiddle as Goku once again keeps the spotlight, but him reaching Ultra Instinct would be interesting. If not because he deserves it, Vegeta's new power would be useful in case Goku finally takes a fall. During the fight against Kefla, Jiren again stops meditating, showing his continued interest in Goku's power. Given Goku's worn-out state and that Ultra Instinct merely put him on par with Jiren before, it is possible that he could be eliminated. If this were the case, Universe 7's strongest two would be Vegeta and Gohan, and while Gohan has been redeemed as of late, it's not safe to say he has returned to his former glory. In the past, he was twice the strongest fighter in the universe, when he reached Super Saiyan 2 and when, after seven years of not training, Elder Kai unlocked his potential. Since then, he had again stopped training, even telling Master Roshi that he was just "pretty sure" he could still become Super Saiyan. Vegeta, meanwhile, has not just continued training; he has, like Goku, achieved Super Saiyan Blue, a form with godly power. In one of the best moments, we also witness a new variation of the Kamehameha, in one of Goku's most creative and visually stunning versions of his signature technique since he combined it with his Instantaneous Transmission while fighting Cell. While not everything else to come seems as exciting, considering the preview after the episode, the future of the Saiyans and the tournament becomes more interesting as time runs down. The newest Dragon Ball Super, 115, continued Goku's difficult battle against the newly born fusion of Caulifla and Kale, Kefla.
Due to Goku still lacking stamina, he if occasionally caught off caught by how fast and strong Kefla is, though he thankfully holds his own. Beerus quickly declares that Kefla should be disqualified for using the Potara fusion, and states that he wouldn't have his warriors do the same. Despite the initial rule of no items during the tournament, the Omni Kings, Zen-Oh, then ask why Beerus wouldn't want to, because it's cool, allowing it for further use. While Beerus might not like it, the use of items isn't entirely unfair against Universe 7, as Master Roshi was required jars for his "Mafuba," or "Evil Containment Wave." The technique sucks an enemy into a small jar, where they can then be contained unless the jar is opened, and the Zen-Ohs allowed it for being "neat." The Supreme Kai of Universe 2 then tossed his Potara earrings to two of his warriors, but a charging Kefla knocks them apart before they can fuse, causing the earrings to collide and shatter. Supreme Kai suggests a fusion between Androids 17 and 18, which they would then call Android 35, but Beerus decides fusion is too risky because one fusion being knocked out would cost them two warriors. Meanwhile, 17 saved 18 from Universe 3's police warrior Katopesla, who changes his sights from Frieza when he noticed 18's injured leg. The focus soon returns to Goku and Kefla, however, as the remaining gods decide they don't need to use fusion to win the tournament. Goku is eventually forced to use his combination of Super Saiyan Blue and Kaioken x20, or King Kai Fist x20. Goku has used the technique since his first revival early in the series, having learned it from King Kai. The Kaioken multiplies a fighter's power in a burst of strength, at the cost of extra strain on the user's body, working in multipliers the user can overcome with time. Typical for his style, Goku has pushed the technique too far in the past, when x3 almost left him crippled against Vegeta and he tried to finish Frieza with a x20. In a filler episode, Goku attempted to combine his Super Saiyan form with Kaioken against the warrior Pikkon, stating afterward he wouldn't again because the strain of both Super Saiyan and Kaioken together was almost too much. Despite this proclamation, Goku revealed the Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken when he previously fought Toppo, saying it was his plan for fighting Beerus. Due to the power but Goku's lack of stamina, he is able to land a few good blows on Kefla, but is soon knocked down when the strain becomes too much. With no energy left but his battle excitement pushing him to his limits, Goku again achieves "Ultra Instinct," which Whis says he didn't think would happen again, and the battle between Goku and Kefla begins anew. The episode serves as a good way to showcase both Kefla's new power along with Goku's existing power but obvious exhaustion. The show continues to remind us that Goku is tired from fighting Jiren, as a way of explaining Kefla's ability to match the more seasoned warrior's most powerful forms. One area of concern is Vegeta's current battle against Toppo, who has said it seems to be the second-most powerful warriors from their respective universes going at it. Fans have been begging the writers to give Vegeta a moment to shine as he deserves, often disappointed when he seems to be doing something great, only for Goku or someone else to finish the job. This happened previously in what I saw as one of the greatest moments thus far in Super: Vegeta fighting Goku Black. Black, really the Kai Zamasu in Goku's body, had defeated the Z-Fighters multiple times with his partner, and alternate Zamasu in his own body, in their attempt to destroy all mortal lives. After training for a few days in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, which compresses a year's worth of training into a day, Vegeta challenged Black with new resolve. Both Black and Zamasu were shocked by Vegeta's sudden strength, as Vegeta overwhelms and pummels Black. In an incredibly powerful moment, Vegeta states that Black isn't as good as them because he's merely a non-Saiyan who can't use Goku's body to its fullest, and lifts him by the hair to headbutt him. While it seemed Vegeta had found his moment, he is swiftly dispatched by a power boost from Black, and in the end it falls to Trunks to save everyone. With the tournament, Vegeta has been taking out many enemies and doesn't seem too drained, but he continues to be distracted by Goku and Kefla's battle. This leads to Toppo hitting him and, most recently, getting him in a bear grip, which Vegeta eventually gets out of. Vegeta constantly not paying attention to his own battle seems out of character, regardless of Goku and Kefla's strength. He seems foolish and his full abilities aren't showcased as they should be. While the main excitement for the moment is Goku's return to Ultra Instinct and Jiren stirring once more, Vegeta will hopefully get his own moments in future episodes. In Dragon Ball Super's latest episode, 114, Caulifla and Kale give Goku a beating and force him to power up, revealing their trump card to him along the way. In the previous episode, Goku was caught off guard by how quickly Kale adapted to a martial arts style and Kale's ability to combo fight alongside her. In the end, Kale's passion and desire to help Kale caused her to transform into her Berserk Super Saiyan form. As this episode kicks off, Kale seems to not recognize Caulifla, but gains total control of her power after Caulifla reminds her of who she is. The duo then takes on Goku again, quickly overwhelming him as he discovers that they are beginning to predict his movements. This leaves Goku without his Instantaneous Transmission technique, and when he falls into a smokescreen trap they laid, he finds Kale grappling as Caulifla pummels him. While he is able to fight back at times with Super Saiyan 2, Goku decides to step things beyond what Caulifla wanted, and becomes Super Saiyan God rather than 3. Again too much for the two to handle, Goku is able to consistently knock Kale away and hammer into Caulifla, who falls to her knees. Goku destroys the section of the ring the two are standing on, causing them to fall, but Caulifla decides it is time for them to use a secret item they brought with them. In a flash of light, the two re-enter the ring as one after merging with the Potara earrings, becoming Kefla. Despite still being in his God form, Goku again has his hands full, as Kefla bursts past him faster than he can see, giving him a quick hit as well. The episode continues with more power and skill issues as well as some interesting situations that haven't been presented before now. A main problem with the episode is how quickly Kale is able to take control of her full Berserk form, as well as her ability to fight in combination with Caulifla and overwhelm Goku. Caulifla's adaptation and ability have been explained already due to her fighting experience coupling with her ferocious prodigal nature. Kale, on the other hand, had little, if any, real fighting experience, and was always too scared to take anyone on. Because of this, the beautiful animation and fighting that takes place is questioned as Goku, a prodigy and tactical warrior himself who has trained with a god and an angel, is constantly caught off-guard. Kefla's reveal presents an interesting situation, as previously there had only been five canon fusions with the Potara earrings in the series. The earrings come from the Kais, the kings of different sections of their respective universes, and fuse two people when each puts on one earring of a pair. According to the angel Vados, the resulting fusion is more powerful than the sum of the two involved, with power increased by "tens of times." In the past, Goku learned of the earrings when he met Elder Kai, who unwillingly fused with a witch years before. As a demonstration, the Supreme Kai and his assistant, Kibito, each took off one of their earrings, and fused into Kibito Kai. Goku took two earrings to fight Majin Buu, who had exterminated human life, planning to fuse with his son Gohan. When fell through after Buu absorbed Gohan, Goku instead fused with Vegeta, who had temporarily returned from the dead, creating Vegito. More recently, the villainous Zamasu and his alternate universe counterpart, in Goku's body, fused, and Goku and Vegeta fused once more as a counter. Prior to Dragon Ball Super, it was believed that this fusion was permanent, with the mystery of why Vegito defused after he let himself be absorbed. When Goku and Vegeta fused again to fight Zamasu, however, the Kai Gowasu explained that if the fusion doesn't involve a Kai, it only lasts one hour, and this limit decreases if the fusion uses too much energy. The earrings definitely present controversial situations, as their power will cause a massive boost to both Kale and Caulifla's massive strengths, with past use of the earrings caused characters to spring past enemies in power, and items are supposed to not be allowed in the tournament. The use of Potara as an item breaks the rules initially set, but it would be unfair to immediately disqualify the characters as a result. Universe 7's Master Roshi has been using small jars for his "Mafuba," or Evil Containment Wave, and the Omni King declared that "it's neat, so it's safe." At the same time, Goku was in his God form when Kefla was created, a form which he previously used to be on par with Beerus, Universe 7's God of Destruction. Even this could be explained, however, as it took a lot out of Goku to fight Jiren, and he has said multiple times that he has not yet fully recovered from the battle. Kefla's entry also has potential for at least one future battle, if Goku doesn't knock her or her components off the ring. Prior to fusing, Kale controlling her Berserk form got a reaction from Vegeta, and seemed to get one from Jiren, who has hardly moved throughout the tournament aside from when he fought Goku. When Kefla later charges Goku, Vegeta again reacts, this time becoming distracted and taking a hit from Jiren's ally Toppo. Goku also mentions as she is attacking that he can't sense a limit to her energy, despite the enemies and sparring partners he has had in the past. With both Vegeta and Jiren noticing Kale and Kefla's power, there is a chance for another huge battle to come as long as Goku doesn't successfully eliminate Kale and Caulifla. Caulifla and Kale took center stage this week on Dragon Ball Super's episode 113 with a fight against an exhausted Goku.
Last week's episode saw Cabba gain confidence after a speech from Vegeta and knock out Universe 4's Monna. Despite reaching Super Saiyan 2 to do so, however, Cabba found himself out of the ring when Frieza approached him. In an effort to make up for Universe 6 losing both Hit and Cabba, Caulifla decides that she wants Goku to teach her how to achieve Super Saiyan 3. Goku says he hasn't yet built up the stamina to sustain Super Saiyan 3, and faces Caulifla's Super Saiyan 2 form without transforming. Taking Caulifla through some of the basics of martial arts and more common techniques like afterimage, Goku slowly teaches Caulifla how to be a martial artist rather than a straight brawler. Caulifla manages to get some hits in as they continue, but it becomes clear that, along with being weakened from his fight with Jiren, Goku is using the fight as an opportunity to train Caulifla. Goku eventually progresses to Super Saiyan 2, saying he still doesn't have the energy for his third form, and invites Kale to join the battle as well. Kale joins in with her bulky Super Saiyan form, at first seemingly overwhelming Goku with dual-combat tactics, until Goku shows he hardly has to try to hold them off. Unlike the battles in some episodes, much of the fighting between the Saiyans is shown entirely, rather than just having the characters move too fast for the eye to see by showing blurs and occasional shapes. With Goku clearly holding back to train the female Saiyans, the fight is impressive simply for how often the characters go blow for blow. The negative aspects of the episode come from contradictions and the issue of quick powering up that has been a complaint since the new Saiyans were introduced. While Caulifla might be a prodigy, Whis calls her a street fighter early in the fight, as she lacks the intensive training of a true martial artist like Goku. With less training and power than the Universe 7 Saiyans, it has been a source of irritations for some fans that Cabba, Caulifla and Kale were so qiuckly able to achieve Super Saiyan forms. The first transformation was initially introduced as requiring a great warrior with an enraged heart, and has since become a plaything for Vegeta's son and Goku's youngest, and was unlocked for Caulifla when she simply focused her energy in her back. Caulifla has continued the trend of quickly reaching states that used to be a big deal, as she advances to the flawed muscular Super Saiyan form the Universe 7 characters achieved and abandoned during their battles against Cell. After learning of the problems with the form, Caulifla is immediately able to power up to Super Saiyan 2 after Goku shows her the form, which in the past was a terrifyingly emotional form Gohan reached that dwarfed everyone else. Caulifla's constant use of Super Saiyan 2 is a contradiction to the issue of stamina that characters have long pointed out for transformations, even as recently as with Frieza's golden form and Caulifla's muscular form. As Vegeta and Goku pointed out in these instances, the respective characters had just achieved new power that quickly drained stamina and was bad for drawn out fights. This issue has existed as far back as even the original form, which initially took great effort for each Saiyan to achieve and put incredible stress on the body. Despite this, Caulifla seems perfectly fine as she continues to use Super Saiyan 2, simply taking an occasional break but never seeming to truly tire. Likewise, Kale contradicts the issue of non-polished fighting skills being not enough to take on Goku. When Whis calls Caulifla a brawler, he states that Goku's martial arts skills allow him to predict his opponent and make appropriate reactions to every move in a way that a non-trained fighter wouldn't be able to. Due to her prodigal nature, Caulifla is quickly able to adapt her fighting experience as Goku trains her. Kale, on the other hand, merely has raw power and little fighting experience due to her timid attitude, making it strange when she manages expert maneuvers not just alone, but in combination with Caulifla. Though the new Saiyans face issues with continuity in the world's rules, there is an interesting aspect to them training under Goku and Vegeta. Cabba is similar to Gohan with his relaxed nature and reluctance to fight, which contrasts with Vegeta's hotheadedness. Having Vegeta as his master is a good way for Cabba to get past the weaker aspects of his personality and learn to be a more ferocious fighter. On the other hand, Caulifla is similar to Vegeta with her great temper, so she can learn to focus her natural talent and raw strength by training with the calm and happy Goku. As Kale is so often scared and wants to follow Caulifla, it also makes sense for her to learn from Goku, who can potentially taunt and push her in the right ways to use her latent anger and strength to reach her full potential. The episode can be slightly frustrating with inconsistencies and Caulifla and Kale matching Goku's power, but is overall entertaining. At the very least, Caulifla and Kale's characterization and potential make them more interesting episode subjects than Ribrianne, who has yet to be knocked from the stage. As the characters also get quite a bit of development in the episode, 113 works effectively like the previous one as a way to calm down from the bigger fights and flesh out some side characters. Next week's episode is teased with an image which appeared to be a fusion between Caulifla and Kale, which got me immediately excited for what is to come. |
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