Dragonball Super Episode 3 Review

ICYMI episode two review here http://scottynewton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/dragonball-super-episode-2-review.html

          With my episode two review I asked the question of wether Super would set up a potential epic new saga or just being a nostalgia induced filler train and now that we've had two episodes reintroducing all of our favourite characters, it's judgement time.  Will the series take a super step forwards into new territory? Or are we going to keep sidestepping, while looking over our shoulder?

Dragonball Super Episode 3 Review

Hunt for the.... snore

Well said Old Kai.

          Episode three of Dragonball Super, titled 'Search for the Super Saiyan God' manages to do the impossible and have even less plot episode two, this time deciding to leave out the humour that at least made its predecessor watchable. We begin with Beerus still trying to remember the name 'Super Saiyan God', even though he said it multiple times in the last episode and says it several more in this one, before going back to his home planet to ask Oracle Fish, who's memory also appears to be as fickle as someone who is trying to remember a night out on the town. Exciting times. In other parts of the universe, it's the day of Bulma's birthday party (the one that we've seen in Battle of Gods) and we join the Krillins, who are 'hilariously' stuck in traffic . When they take to the skies, they bump into Yamaha, Tien, Puar and Chiaotzu and they fly to the party together looking like an Avengers B-Team. At the party itself are some more harmlessly fun character moments including Majin Buu eating too much and Satan having to cover, Master Roshi's pervy antics being cut out by Chichi and Piccolo er.... blinking in a wedding photo. Finally the episode wraps with Beerus and Whis on their way to see Goku at King Kai's planet and Old Kai warning that it could mean the destruction of the universe.

       
Old Ground

It's cool, dog. Just watch the movie.

         So yes, in short, once again not one new thing was learned and this is extremely worrying as if the show does pick up, it just means that it was awful writing for these early episodes or if this is really the direction of the series, it's going to die a harder death than Dragonball GT. Everything in this episode we have either literally seen before in Battle of Gods or is wasting time building to things that we have seen before! Again! Bulma talks about a secret prize at her birthday bingo. It's the Dragonballs! How do I know this? Am I a Kai? No, it's because it was a key plotline in Battle of Gods! This is no more apparent than the climax of the show, with the Old Kai saying that this time Beerus could end up destroying the universe. Dun dun DUH! Oh, except don't worry Old Kai, he doesn't. He doesn't destroy a single planet so, which you'd know if you'd seen the movies....

A different objective?

Chiaotzu: Not suitable for kids

           Unless if you'd never seen the movies, then this series would actually be doing a pretty fantastic job right about now. You would be seeing a destructive villain with a ferocious reputation in Beerus being set up, with a fearsome and even more mysterious companion, Whis. All while in just three episodes you'd have a good grip on each well presented character, as well as high stakes such as the destruction of the universe. In fact, thanks to the constant Dragonball Z flashbacks and references, there's a possibility this show is attempting to accommodate complete newcomers to Dragonball. And that is my issue. Super doesn't know what it's trying to be at the moment and it's not moving forward. I wouldn't be surprised if it just cuts Battle of Gods into twenty minute sections and shows it for the next four weeks at this rate. I really wouldn't. It may turn round and people will look back and say 'well look at the first 15 episodes of Agents of Shield,' but that was different. Shield was starting a new saga and wasn't too limited by the surrounding Marvel Cinematic Universe and its problem was just bad writing, rather than bad direction whereas we haven't actually covered any new ground in Super, it's just dragged out filler of what we've already seen before.

Redeeming factors

No awful dinosaurs, just previously seen scenes.

          Admittedly, episode three isn't all bad and it does have some positive, nice-to-have features, even if they don't lead anywhere. The great characterisation is continued for the most part, with Goku being as naive and a nuisance as always, covering King Kai in paint. Everyday folk's reactions to people flying is still worth a chuckle when Krillin and #18 take to the air. Also, we got our first indication of Whis's superiority and domination of Beerus when he questions his speed, shooting him right down which is hopefully a foreshadowing of Whis will being major player in Super with his backstory explained, if and when it hits its stride. Oh and unlike the last two episodes we didn't have any awfully coloured dinosaurs, so that's a plus....

Conclusion
          On the whole this is a forgettable and pointless episode, doing nothing to advance the plot and once again either showing us what we've already seen or pointlessly building up to what we've already seen, minus the humour of episode two. If this series does go somewhere with a new saga, it's safe to say that these three episodes at least will have been pointless as they haven't indicated any new direction. Although there are a few nice throwaway moments in here, including a flashback to Super Saiyan Goku vs. Frieza, all that Super is doing is playing on nostalgia. In the immortal words of Taylor Swift, "band-aids don't fix bullet holes".


Score: 1 Star Ball
(Out of 7)