I’m starting to think Toyataro might not like Krillin. Since I’ve been reading the Super Manga, he seems to be getting worse treatment than Yamcha, whose entire purpose these days is being the butt of the jokes, I guess he did do something pretty useful though this time. This chapter details the turning point where things inevitably start to go against our fighters. Shockingly, Moro himself is yet to lift a finger.
The chapter starts with Krillin capping off the rivalry he’s been having with this fat, panda looking alien. Who seems to be one more opponent who can simply power through Krillin’s Kienzan. Through gumption, luck and strategy Krillin does manage to get the win in the end though.
Having read this much of the manga, which has generally been telling a better story than the anime did. I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of how the manga seems to go out of its way to contradict some events of the anime that I felt were good moves in its part. Taking away Kaio-Ken Blue for one. The other one that relates to this chapter is bit of development they gave Roshi in the anime.
It was one of the few bits of positive character growth the character has had since his introduction in the original Dragon Ball all those years also. It allowed him to get over his lecherous nature, which becomes increasingly uncomfortable in the modern era. Especially in light of Weinstein’s recent guilty verdict.
Here, it’s kind of swept away when he follows the female convicts into the woods, and then needs a blindfold to actually fight them effectively.
And then the three women fuse off panel.
Which is kind of weird. Is that a technique anyone can use? Or is it something specific to these three? It’s a weird choice considering it could be something the main characters could utilise and create even more fusions. I have to assume it’s something specific to these three, but if that’s the case then why not just show that and remove this weird space for fan theorising.
Oh, We also get a fight in which Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu face off against a universe 7 Metalman, like Magetta from universe 6. It’s kind of cute that it’s Chiaotzu that is the one that manages to defeat him thanks to Tien’s total inability to insult someone.
From here though, things start to go downhill. Moro and his highest ranking subordinates come down from their ship, between his two strongest henchmen and the new female fusion, the heroes of earth finally seem to lose their momentum.
Annoyingly though, Moro himself doesn’t get involved just yet. His number one guy; Saganbo elects himself to take on the group of Gohan, Piccolo and Androids 17 and 18, getting a boost of power from Moro before he does so. Moro’s magical powers have proven to be very tricky for our heroes to deal with since he showed up, and I get that he’s probably spent the past few months eating planets and becoming significantly more powerful.
But I can’t help but feel hard done by seeing a minion (albeit an empowered one) easily overpowering both Gohan and Android 17 after they both put on such good showings during the tournament of power. Having them get beaten by Moro himself is one thing, but this seems kind of disrespectful of the characters.
When things start to take a turn for the less than agreeable, I don’t think we’re quite at “hopeless” just yet, Krillin makes a random guess that Goku is nearby and looking for them, thus powers up and acts as a beacon for Goku to teleport to him using his instant transmission. It’s similar to what Gohan did during the Resurrection ‘F’ story, which current bit of the arc seems to be borrowing pretty heavily from.
One thing that does surprise me about the ending to this chapter though is that Goku shows up first, before Vegeta is on the scene. If the age old tropes of shonen anime have taught me anything, then this would suggest that we might be finally getting an arc in which it’s Vegeta, and not Goku, who might be getting the final win against the major villain of the arc.
The fact that he did not feature in this chapter whatsoever, and is presumably still training on Yardrat mastering his new power, implies that it’s Goku who will mop up all of these minions. Then moving on to Moro, trying and failing to reattain Ultra Instinct in the process, before Vegeta is teleported to Earth to be the one to finish Moro.
Personally, I find myself hoping that this will be the case. However, I am still sticking to my earlier prediction that Meerus is going to factor into events again somehow before this arc is over. I feel the most likely outcome is the angel in training intervening, and sacrificing his very existence in the process, to be the one who puts the major nail in the space goat’s coffin.
The story is fast approaching its climax and I am real excited to see what Vegeta’s new power is going to be and how thing arc will conclude.
A Richard Wood Text Adventure 