Warning: Spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima episode #3
Very rarely has Dragon Ball ever caused an environmental force on an alien planet to affect how Goku and his friends fight. And even though Dragon Ball Daima episode #3 introduces such a dynamic with how the dense gas from the Third Demon World's volcanoes causes its air to become heavy, the series perplexingly takes drastic steps to eliminate any such effects.
Part of Daima's initial appeal is how it makes Goku much weaker by reverting him to a kid (like GT did). In fact, the first few episodes explored this phenomenon with how Goku had to get used to not just fighting but also flying in his smaller body. However, Dragon Ball Daima episode #3's introduction of the Third Demon World's gas-heavy air compounded Goku's unfair predicament even further. It also provided fans with an environmental factor other than stronger gravity, which was used previously in the series.
Dragon Ball Daima Renders Its New Gimmick Useless Too Quickly
The Environment of the Third Demon World Could Have Been More Impactful
When Goku inevitably gets into a fight, he seems to overcome what could have been a unique problem throughout the series. The young Saiyan not only defeats the demons in short order as was expected, but his later comment confirms that: "I think I'm gettin' the hang of my smaller body's balance and sense of distance." The ostensible effect that the atmosphere could have had on him has already been overcome, as though it wasn't even a problem to begin with. Some fans might point to the fact that Goku was fighting in a bar, but the air inside the building would still be composed of the same atmospheric gases present outside.
Moreover, an earlier incident unnecessarily rendered what would have normally been considered useless even more so. When some local bandits shoot arrows at him, Goku remarks how slow they were, making it much easier for him to jump out of the way, despite the heavier air. This doesn't bode well for future conflicts because this would suggest that the demons in this third world are slower in general. It would have been much more troubling if the arrows were quite fast, and Goku said something like, "Hey, no fair! I thought the air was heavy."
Dragon Ball Daima May Get Rid of Flying Battles
Of course, Dragon Ball Daima could present some explanation for these phenomena and use these situations as some sort of stepping stone for another development. For instance, the planet could defy the laws of physics, where the air in a building can somehow withstand the world's dense gases. But this is unlikely. And even if this does end up being the case, it doesn't make sense that the creators would eliminate an obvious form of conflict for the worse and then backtrack in a later episode.
The only hope that viewers have at this point is the promising development in episode #3 when Glorio explains how ships can't fly quickly or risk getting ripped apart by the dense atmosphere. This could force Goku and his friends to fight on the ground, if they ever learn how to fly properly. Surprisingly, Goku can fly in this body unlike in GT, as was made apparent in Daima episode #2. The only problem is that he has issues with balancing, much like Piccolo.
Luckily, Goku has only been in the Third Demon World for a short while. Maybe Dragon Ball Daima will reverse course in episode 4, but fans shouldn't hold their breath, especially if they are in the Third Demon World.
Dragon Ball DAIMA is the fifth overall series in the action-adventure anime franchise. It features most of the classic cast members as de-aged versions of themselves, including Goku, Vegeta, and Bulma. The series was announced at NYCC 2023, with creator Akira Toriyama returning to handle DAIMA's run.
English (US) ·