Dragon Ball Daima episode 17 review: It goes from less to more in terms of tension and action

Modified Feb 08, 2025 10:30 GMT

Dragon Ball Daima episode 17 review and more (Image via Toei Animation).

Dragon Ball Daima episode 17 aired on Friday, February 7, 2025, at 11:40 pm JST. This episode mostly focused on the party fighting for the Dragon Balls, although Goku and Majin Duu's battle was interrupted by King Gomah and the powers he has gained with the Third Evil Eye, with the bulk of the installment focusing on the combat with him.

This Dragon Ball Daima episode 17 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 17

Dragon Ball Daima episode 17: A brief synopsis

Majin Kuu and Dr. Arinsu as seen in the most recent episode (Image via Toei Animation).

Dragon Ball Daima episode 17 starts with Goku's party confronting Dr. Arinsu, Majin Kuu, and Majin Duu, with the protagonist facing the latter for the Dragon Balls. It was during this interaction that Arinsu made her intentions clear to Shin, stating that she wants to rule the Demon Realm and make it stronger and more powerful than ever before.

The next part of Dragon Ball Daima episode 17 has King Gomah interrupting the battle and showcasing his new form thanks to the powers of the Third Evil Eye, with Neva explaining how that item works. Vegeta is the first one to step in to fight the ruler of the Demon Realm but is getting outmatched, leading Goku, Piccolo, Shin, and Glorio to back him up.

As the heroes are struggling to fight with Gomah, Bulma prompts Arinsu to help them, leading to Majin Duu and Majin Kuu stepping up. Neva also asks Tamagami Number One to contribute to the fight, with the episode ending as Goku decides to use his Super Saiyan 3 transformation.

Narrative review of Dragon Ball Daima episode 17: Action galore and steadily gets better

Goku as a Super Saiyan 3 (Image via Toei Animation).

Dragon Ball Daima episode 17 moved the plot forward significantly since now the story is in its final battle, and Goku using his Super Saiyan 3 transformation is certainly a good moment, but the lack of urgency is felt. The setup to the protagonist's fight with Majin Duu lacked a bit of tension, and Gomah's arrival had the same relaxed tone that perhaps reduced the intensity of what should be the climax of the series.

When it comes to the animation and fighting sequences, Toei Animation has been quite consistent in this department, which makes the first half of the episode even more puzzling. The Goku vs. Majin Duu battle was sorely lacking in dynamism and excitement, although that was fixed with the slow build-up of the Gomah confrontation.

Now that the series's adventurous nature has been cast aside in recent episodes in favor of battle, the plot is now moving into the final moments of the story. This makes sense given the history of the franchise, although elements such as Glorio working with Arinsu need to be addressed in a way that doesn't feel forced or rushed.

Dragon Ball Daima episode 17: Reviewing the production, animation, soundtracks, and voice acting

The cast facing Gomah in the most recent 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, as mentioned earlier, has been a great element of the series from beginning to end, but there is no denying that perhaps the Goku vs. Majin Buu battle could have been executed a bit better. That being said, the second half of the episode, focusing on the Gomah battle, had some of the best animation of this writing in this anime.

Final thoughts

Dragon Ball Daima episode 17 has established what should be the final battle of the series in an efficient manner and ended with a healthy degree of hype thanks to Goku's Super Saiyan 3 transformation. However, the series has an issue building up tension, which was also prevalent this time around.

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Edited by Somava