Dragonball Super Episode 11

So this is what a battle between Gods looks like.

Recap; The battle between Goku and Beerus continues, but a devastating blow from Beerus threatens to end the fight.

Before starting the review and recap it might be important to lay out some of the issues I have written about in the past. For starters the last episode seemed to drag with the typical Dragonball Fight Scene and didn’t provide much as far as substance, there are also the occasional animation issues sprinkled in throughout the series. Overall, Super continues to yo-yo me between episodes that are great and some that make me cringe with no way of knowing what I’ll be getting on a week to week basis. Luckily, this week was a GOOD week.

Goku and Beerus’ battle continues and right off the bat it feels different from last week. Goku is landing punches and the choreography is unique. Where last week I grew bored with the fighting, this time I couldn’t take my eyes off it. There were moments or humor and moments of awe as the two seem equally matched. Of course, this doesn’t last long when Beerus finally decides to “get serious” and nearly kills Goku by slamming him into a nearby island.

The tension that was needed last time was definitely here for this episode, mostly due to the fact that Beerus proved the actual threat he poses for everyone. He is relentless in his onslaught against Goku but is still likable as a character. And though we, the audience, have seen Goku in trouble before there is no telling how his battle against Beerus will end considering the God is so… unpredictable in his emotions. This emotional instability is one of the highlights of the episode as Beerus quickly turns from light banter with Goku to kill-mode.

Another good point of the episode is how the fight escalates, eventually the two gods end up out in Earth’s atmosphere which provides a beautiful backdrop. One of the important things when considering fighting anime, especially one as iconic as Dragonball is how they need to make every fight feel unique. This episode gave us plenty of moments that made the fight memorable and enjoyable. One was Beerus’ soccer-inspired assault on the Earth, which Goku easily defeated.

Then Super did something that surprised us all when Beerus landed a lethal blow into Goku’s heart. The way our hero’s color drains and his literal fall from grace were things no one saw coming. This subtle change of Beerus is much different from Battle of the Gods. Here he seems intent on a battle to the death, however in the previous movie he was content merely to battle someone of his caliber.

Don’t worry though, apparently being a god means Goku can heal himself? The recovery isn’t really explained, but it relies on common shounen tropes  like “the powerful to live” and a Saiyan’s “love for battle.” In the end the how isn’t really important, and I’ve seen enough anime just to shrug it off.

Throughout the fight, we get glimpses of what Bulma and the others in their spaceship are during. Super made a smart move by focusing on just a few characters: Bulma, Gohan, Piccolo, and Goten instead of the entire gang. It made the extra scenes feel a lot more focused and helped the episode overall. Another positive is Gohan finally got some good lines and seems to have regained his personality.

All in all this episode was a pleasant surprise and I hope it keeps the momentum for a solid finish.

Overall: B

Freakouts, Giggles, and Notes:

• In case anyone was wondering, the Saiyan’s used up all their ki turning Goku into a Super Saiyan God, so that’s why they can’t fly.
• It was at some point during this episode that I realized Goku’s new transformation SPARKLES! Also, he apparently bleeds sparkles. Reminds me of someone.