Dragon Ball Daima episode 16 review: An installment that highlights the series' lack of tension

Modified Feb 01, 2025 06:30 GMT

Dragon Ball Daima episode 16 review and more (Image via Toei Animation).

Dragon Ball Daima episode 16 aired on Friday, January 31, 2025, at 11:40 pm JST. This episode mostly focused on the party looking for Dende in King Gomah's castle in the First Demon Realm and dealing with King Gomah's elite guard while Degesu tries to escape and the main villain uses the Third Evil Eye to gain a massive power-up.

This Dragon Ball Daima episode 16 review analyzes the anime’s storyline, production quality, casting choices, and other elements. This article will review the series' progression and conclude whether it does justice to the legacy of author Akira Toriyama and the franchise.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series and reflects the author’s opinions.

Reviewing Dragon Ball Daima episode 16

Dragon Ball Daima episode 16: A brief synopsis

Piccolo stopping Degesu in the most recent episode (Image via Toei Animation).

Dragon Ball Daima episode 16 starts with Goku's party as they enter the castle of the First Demon Realm and have to deal with King Gomah's elite guard, who are quickly defeated by Vegeta without any issues. This part of the installment also features the girl who took Hybis' belt and wants to find Degesu to hand it over to him.

The next part of Dragon Ball Daima episode 16 has Vegeta, Goku, Shin, and Piccolo separating from the rest of the party to find Dende, with Panzy tagging along in the background. This leads to the party stopping Degesu, who was trying to escape while holding Dende hostage, with Glorio saving the day and helping capture the Glind.

Then the party, after having captured Degesu, decides to go to the plaza where Tamagami Number One is, but they are also greeted by Dr. Arinsu with Majin Duu and Majin Kuu by her side. The last portion of the episode has King Gomah getting the Third Evil Eye and using it, leading to him transforming into a monster.

Narrative review of Dragon Ball Daima episode 16: This episode reminds people once again that this series lacks tension

Gomah after using the Third Evil Eye (Image via Toei Animation).

Dragon Ball Daima episode 16 highlighted an issue that has been prevalent for most of the story, with very few scenes, such as Vegeta's Super Saiyan 3 moment, being the exception, and that is the lack of tension. Goku and his friends have dealt with most of the threats without being pushed to any degree, which makes the confrontations feel uneventful for the most part, as shown by the Saiyan Prince's quick dismantling of the elite guard.

When it comes to the animation and fighting sequences, Toei Animation didn't truly do anything particularly special this time around, which can happen from time to time. Perhaps the resolution of Degesu's role in the story can be deemed disappointing since he was taken down without any major problems.

Now that the series's adventurous nature has been cast aside in the two recent episodes in favor of battle, that aspect is yet to contribute to the story in a meaningful manner. The battles haven't been as dynamic as the ones Goku and Vegeta had with the Tamagamis, meaning that the last four episodes are going to have to deliver greatly in that department.

Dragon Ball Daima episode 16: Reviewing the production, animation, soundtracks, and voice acting

Goku and Majin Duu fighting in the upcoming episode (Image via Toei Animation).

The voice actors continue to deliver high-quality performances, shown throughout the interactions. It is difficult to highlight a particular performance at the moment beyond the fact that this continues to be an amazing cast of voice actors with a lot of experience in the medium.

The animation continues to be a strong point of the anime, especially the fighting sequences and movements. While there is no denying that the animation wasn't anything meaningful in this installment, it has been one of the biggest highlights of this production.

Final thoughts

Dragon Ball Daima episode 16 has probably ended the built-up portion of the final confrontation of the series, but the issues with the lack of tension prevail. However, the last few episodes could lead to a satisfying conclusion if it's executed properly.

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Edited by Sreerupa Das