Dragon Ball Super has delivered one of the weaker episodes of the Tournament of Power arc, but there are a few redeeming factors that prevent this episode from being a total travesty. It's not unwatchable by any stretch, just very bland and very forgettable.
I felt like this episode was a callback to the universe 6 arc which introduced fighters with unique abilities to focus on strategy rather than flashy fight scenes. This episode presents a similar scenario and it works to an extent because it switches up the flow of the tournament of power a bit, which is a good thing as this arc was starting to get a bit formulaic and was lacking any real sort of variation. My issue with this week's episode is that it's nowhere near as good as it could have been.
As many have predicted the clash against the remaining warriors from Universe 4 will not extend beyond this episode. We were introduced to three new fighters, each with unique abilities relating to stealth. Universe 7 initially struggles against opponents which they can't see or attack, and it creates genuine tension. Unfortunately, it doesn't last long. Universe 7 are able to eventually take out their new opponents, but it feels too easy.
I was extremely confused about the complete absence of Frieza. It;s almost like the writers forgot about him, which is odd considering he's been one of the clear highlights of this arc. I feel like his presence was desperately needed to improve this episode and it would have taken it to new heights. Imagine Universe 7 fighting against opponents they can't see while also having to rely on Frieza who's scheming is entering it's final phases. It would have added whole new layer of tension.
I was disappointed with Piccolo's elimination. He deserves better than this. Piccolo is an awesome character and it's a shame that he never really got a chance to shine, especially with the tournaments focus on bringing back the original Z fighters. In this tournament he mostly served as an emotional anchor for Gohan, and it's great to watch him in his father figure role, but we've seen that over and over. It would have been great to see him step out of that role for a bit to have his moment, I just feel like it's a disservice to the character.
On the other hand this is the first episode where Universe 7 have truly worked as a team and shown that they are one unit, which is a contrast to the start of the tournament. It shows that the characters are fully aware of the stakes and shows them putting their egos aside which is good characterization. We also get great moments like piccolo catching Gohan as he falls out the ring, and saving android 18 from a barrage of attacks. It was also great to see another tag team from Goku and android 17.
However, none of this is enough to elevate this episode beyond being pretty mediocre. The biggest offences being the obvious wasted potential from Universe 4 and the treatment of piccolo. This is one of the weaker episodes, so let's hope Dragon Ball Super gets back on track this week.
What did you think? Did you enjoy this episode, or were you disappointed? What did you think about Picollo being eliminated? Was it his time to go, or could he have done more?
Sound off below!