Slight spoilers may be talked about below, so please be sure to watch the latest episode before reading on! This review is based off of the dub version of Super that currently airs on Toonami.
With less then two days remaining until the Tournament Of Power begins, can Goku and the rest of the Z fighters put a powerful ten man team together for the universal battle royal or will an unexpected arrival derail the team dynamics of having Vegeta join them? Onward to our review/recap to find out!
Photo Source: Funimation/Toei Animation/Cartoon Network
We pick up right after the end of last week’s episode of Goku, Gohan, Beerus and the others on Supreme Kai’s world still in shock over everything Whis’ father, The Grand Minister said to everyone about how the tournament is set up — and 80 man battle royal with the losing universes being wiped from existence. The group ends up warping back to Bulma’s house where Chi Chi, Goten and all the others are waiting for the birthed of Bulma and Vegeta’s second kid. However, their kid while due any minute hour now isn’t causing Bulma to go into labor any time soon, causing Vegeta to be the most anxious father-to-be ever. This causes the Saiyan Prince to be out of character for the most part and complains to Trunks and Goten that he should be training, but he’s going to stick to Bulma’s side.
Photo Source: Funimation/Toei Animation/Cartoon Network
Outside Bulma’s house, Goku and the others are trying to come up with a plan and figure out who they all want on the team. The first three members of Goku, Gohan and Majin Buu are already decided with the other four members being Piccolo, Android 18, Krillian and even, Android 17! However Goku tries to get Vegeta to join them, cause he’s obviously the second strongest fighter they got. But Vegeta wants none of it and says the same thing he said to Trunks and Goten earlier and wants to stay for the birth of his kid cause Bulma asked him too. This then causes the group to get an idea and ask Whis if he can talk to Bulma for them. Whis reluctantly agrees and heads over to Bulma who’s resting inside with Chi Chi and the Pilaf Gang with her; while the guys are hiding by the door spying in. Whis’ in his mysterious ways as an Angel, actually accelerates the pregnancy and labor of Bulma to where her newborn daughter magically appears in her hands much to the shock of everyone! We enter a short commercial break here.
Photo Source: Funimation/Toei Animation/Cartoon Network
When we get back Gohan goes off to tell Trunks and Goten the good news. Turns out the kids were actually building a crib for the baby on the other side of the giant house. Gohan in his hastiness, forgets the gender of the baby and this gets Trunks excited thinking that maybe he has a baby brother and wants to train the kid when he gets older. Goten adds to this that it’s the best, since Gohan did that for him when he was younger way back in the Buu Saga. But then Gohan corrects himself and says that it could also be a girl, which Trunks isn’t as excited about but Goten also says if it’s a girl she could be as cool as Pan is.
Photo Source: Funimation/Toei Animation/Cartoon Network
Next, almost everyone is all outside on the terrance of the house, we even get a small cameo of Mr and Mrs. Briefs — Bulma’s parents — playing with the newborn. At the same time Vegeta is thinking to himself off in the distance on a name for the baby girl. Every time someone came close to naming the child, Vegeta would get mad at them and they would stop thinking of one. Same goes for whenever someone would make her cry while trying to make a funny face like Hercule and Yamcha.
Photo Source: Funimation/Toei Animation/Cartoon Network
Gohan, along with both Trunks and Goten finally arrive with Bulma letting Trunks hold his baby sister. You can tell Trunks is disappointed in having a baby sister but warms up to her by holding her; he then walks over to Vegeta carrying his sister. Vegeta at first is his usual self, but then instantly changes his tune to a naturing one when he see’s Trunks is holding her wrong. Vegeta instantly holds her and is about to give her a name worthy for a Saiyan Princess, but is stopped in his tracks by Bulma who announces the girl’s name as, Bulla. Yes, Dragon Ball GT is alive and well in Super folks!
Photo Source: Funimation/Toei Animation/Cartoon Network
After all of this family time, the gear shifts as Goku begins to focus on the Tournament Of Power and finding the others to join them. He flies off to see Krillian, while the Supreme Kai warps out to find the tenth member somewhere in the universe. Back at Bulma’s house, Yamcha overhears Gohan and Goku talk about the tournament and finding a tenth member and approaches Gohan once Goku flies away. Yamacha believes that he will be the tenth member of the team but doesn’t want to sound desperate in asking so he quickly tries to act “manly” and leaves the party to go back home with the belief that they’ll come to him and get him. Poor Yamcha, trying to be the hero still.
Photo Source: Funimation/Toei Animation/Cartoon Network
That’s pretty much the entire episode, outside of Gohan and Goku mentally training for a quick two minutes about how strong Krillian is, there was absolutely no punching or kicking in the episode. It was more of a character piece trying to explore and grow the characters, especially Vegeta. Who was sorely missing during the Zeno Expo matches even though he’s been a part of almost every single major story in Super so far. It’s also nice to see a more human-father side of Vegeta, it’s often a part of him that we rarely see for the character compared to say both Goku and Piccolo. Vegeta is often the coldest and cruelest character in the series, but it’s nice to know that he does have a heart when it comes to his family and would always be there for them.
The other character to keep your eye on in this episode is actually Whis, at this point he’s probably the most overpowered character in the series being an Angel; so at times he feels like a cheap deus ex machina. Yet his character is highly charming and memorable; so it all balances out ironically. I wonder what role he’ll play in the Tournament Of Power now.
And lastly, Android 17 being alive long after the Cell Saga ended is the biggest plot twist so far in the series! Cause, ever since the Cell Saga ended, he was never mentioned again. Leaving many to think he died while still absorb inside Cell, compared to Android 18 who was freed by Gohan. So it’s really weird how they just casually name drop 17 out of the blue as the ninth member of the team when he hasn’t appeared at all in cannon — outside of Dragon Ball GT, which is both after Super and is non-cannon — for over twenty years; so if anyone know’s how he’s still alive please feel free to explain it in the comments below!
Photo Source: Funimation/Toei Animation/Cartoon Network
