Goku’s adventure in Dragon Ball DAIMA has been one of the most controversial in Dragon Ball history. Tragically for DAIMA fans (and fortunately for all the haters), the anime has entered its endgame after only 14 episodes. The Dragon Team has arrived in the First Demon World, where they intend to collect the Demon Realm’s final Dragon Ball, save Dende, and defeat Gomah.
As has recently been confirmed, Dragon Ball DAIMA is ending at Episode 20, and wasting all its potential by doing so. There isn’t nearly enough time left in the anime for it to resolve all its loose ends in satisfying ways. What’s more, the series has shown a great deal of potential and is wrapping up before it can tap into any of it.
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Goku’s Final Battle Against King Gomah Will Be Taking Place Soon
Goku and Friends Have Already Reached the First Demon World
Dragon Ball DAIMA, Episode 14, “Taboo,” forces the Z-Warriors to find an alternate way out of the Second Demon World, after King Gomah shuts down Warp-sama. Like many other conflicts in the anime, this is an obstacle the heroes overcome with ease. While they’re unable to re-activate Warp-sama, having Neva on their side means they can simply re-open the tunnels between the Demon Worlds. Before the episode ends, Goku and his team drop into the First Demon World and begin their battle against the assembled Gendarmerie forces. Once they’re dealt with, there will be nothing left to stand between Goku and the main villain of the anime – Gomah.
As fun as Dragon Ball DAIMA has been, the series has needlessly sped through Goku’s adventure in the Demon Realm. The Dragon Team only spent six-and-a-half episodes in the Third Demon World, and just four-and-a-half episodes in the Second Demon World. That said, the anime was able to pack in plenty of details about these settings, along with a great deal of lore about the Demon Realm as a whole, in spite of the short time it had to work with. This doesn’t change it feels like DAIMA only started to scrape the surface of these settings, nor does it change the lightning fast pacing being one of the anime’s biggest flaws.Tthe series has failed at every turn to build any sense of drama, tension, or hype.
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Goku’s journey to the First Demon World has been his easiest adventure to date. No one in the Demon Realm has had the power to challenge him in a serious battle, being turned into a kid again hasn’t weakened him in the slightest, and he has a massive team capable of instantly solving any problem he comes across. Glorio is a capable leader and pilot, Panzy is a genius mechanic with a wealth of resources that come from being a princess, Bulma is even smarter than Panzy, Neva’s magic is some of the strongest and most versatile in the series, Nahare packs both intelligence and magic of his own, and Vegeta and Piccolo are nearly as powerful as Goku. Compared to everything Goku has going for him, the Gendarmerie, the Tamagamis, and the inhabitants of the Second Demon World have hardly felt like threats at all – something that could have changed with more episodes.
Dragon Ball DAIMA Only Has 6 Episodes Left
DAIMA Has to Rush the Conclusions For All its Storylines
One of the strongest aspects of Dragon Ball DAIMA has been the way the anime slowly built-up and juggled its many plots. While Goku has traveled across the Demon Realm, future events have been foreshadowed and other characters have been working towards their own goals. This made it seem like the anime was going to be quite long but, with it now in its endgame, everything that still needs to happen in Dragon Ball DAIMA is going to be rushed.
While it’s clear that Goku is ultimately going to fight Gomah, it’s equally obvious he won’t be the one to defeat him. In Episode 4, Goku purchased Fuse Bugs and – with Vegeta having joined the traveling party, and received significant focus – an appearance from Vegito is inevitable. Because of how little time is left in the anime, Vegito’s screentime is guaranteed to be as unfortunately minimal as it was in both Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super. And with how much else still needs to be resolved, it’s looking likely the final battle will be over in a matter of minutes, no longer than all the previous fights in DAIMA.
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The true loss of the next few episodes will be the unsatisfying conclusions given to the non-Goku plots. Glorio being a traitor has barely been a factor since it was first revealed in Episode 6; Arinsu and the Majin Brothers haven’t done anything successfully except collect the First Demon World’s Dragon Ball; and Nahare hasn’t had the chance to interact with either Degesu or Arinsu at all yet. Based on its title, “Third Eye,” Episode 15 seems like it’ll finally be addressing the long-teased Evil Third Eye, but it also has to feature the newly introduced Gendarmerie Force. The trailer for Episode 15 also teases that Dabura, the former Supreme King of the Demon Realm, will be making an appearance. It’s confusing that the anime is still introducing new elements with so little time to waste, rather than taking the necessary time to wrap up its existing storylines.
Dragon Ball DAIMA Had the Potential to Be So Much Bigger
Daima Needs More Arcs
Dragon Ball DAIMA has not been what anyone wanted. While tne anime initially seemed to be paying tribute to the original Dragon Ball, it quickly dropped this approach with its inclusion of Super Saiyans and battles that wouldn’t be out of place in Dragon Ball Z. At the same time, the series lacks any of the drama or stakes of DBZ, leaving DAIMA unable to please fans of that series either. For all its faults, no one can deny that Dragon Ball DAIMA had potential, and this potential could have been capitalized on by additional arcs.
Being based in the Demon Realm, Dragon Ball DAIMA could have taken greater inspiration from its own original ideas to tell more stories, and drawn from non-canon material that predates the anime. The series has introduced Marba, the true creator of Majin Buu and, while Majin Kuu and Majin Duu haven’t become fan-favorites, her mystical prowess has become one of the easiest ways for Dragon Ball to introduce new, powerful fighters. Although Gomah will be removed from his throne by the time Episode 20 draws to a close, additional arcs could have kept Arinsu in the picture, and have her creating new Majin threats with Marba’s help.
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One of the easiest ways for Dragon Ball DAIMA to win fans back over would be to lean into what makes the franchise so popular. Just as Dragon Ball Super canonized Broly, DAIMA could do the same for Janemba, and give him a new origin. Fans have always acknowledged that Janemba is a clear rip-off of Majin Buu, which would make it hilariously fitting for a new version of him to be created by the witch who birthed Buu. Alternatively, Arinsu and Marba could continue to challenge Goku and whoever remained to fight with him in the Demon Realm with famous villains like Mira and Towa, who currently only exist within the canon of Dragon Ball Heroes and Dragon Ball Xenoverse.
Or, if the series wanted to feature a non-canon Majin, Android 21 from Dragon Ball FighterZ is a fan-favorite viewers would absolutely stick for. It’s sad to see Dragon Ball DAIMA fail to take advantage of all its potential. Perhaps these next few episodes won’t be the last fans see of Glorio, Panzy, and the Demon Realm, but there’s no telling if Dragon Ball Super will ever care to further explore the anime’s ideas. The most fans can hope for is that DAIMA’s endgame can at least succeed at being exciting and a lot of fun.
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Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.
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Dragon Ball DAIMA
Due to a conspiracy, Goku and friends are transformed into children. They intend to travel to a mysterious new world to undo this change
