Dragon Ball Super - Episode 130 (Review)
By: RogueSymbiote
SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!As the Tournament of Power nears the end, Goku and Jiren face off in the ultimate showdown of strength and determination. Goku has obtained the complete Ultra Instinct form and appears to have surpassed Jiren. The proud warrior from Universe 11 is not content with losing and taps into incredible power in order to match Goku.
Episode Arc
With newfound power from true Ultra Instinct, Goku dominates Jiren in spectacular fashion. Refusing to be defeated, Jiren recalls his past failures and unleashes a palpable energy to rival Goku's heightened abilities. Jiren begins to overtake Goku, but the proud Saiyan refuses to stay down. Frustrated by Goku's talk of increased strength from friendship, Jiren targets the stands where the heroes of Universe 7 are seated. Goku is able to deflect the blast and is enraged by this dishonorable tactic. Fueled by fury, Goku unloads on Jiren and sends him crashing back into the tournament field.Just as Goku is about to knock Jiren off the platform, he is overtaken by an immense kickback from the limit breaking power of the gods. Although visibly conflicted by knocking out a helpless opponent after clearly losing the battle, Jiren attempts to knock Goku out of bounds. He is saved at the last moment by Frieza of all people. To the shock of everyone in the stands, Android 17 also appears after he was thought to have self destructed earlier in an attempt to save Goku and Vegeta. With an immobilized Goku, it is up to Frieza and 17 to defeat Jiren... Or at least hold him off long enough for Goku to recover. The Tournament of Power finally comes to a close next week with episode 131!
Episode Review
The story for this episode was genuinely surprising. I was expecting Goku to defeat Jiren and then Frieza would knock Goku off in order to have some insane wish granted. Having the power of Ultra Instinct paralyze Goku was unexpected, as was Frieza coming to the rescue. Although I do enjoy the surprise, this arc has a little too much deus ex machina for my liking. Goku has been saved nearly every other episode for quite some time now. Don't get me wrong, I've been enjoying this arc, but some themes are getting too repetitive.One of my major complaints about Dragon Ball Super throughout the entire series has been the inconsistencies in the animation. The quality fluctuates drastically in nearly every episode. You can tell what moments were a priority and which were not worth the animators' time. That's probably due more to crazy tight deadlines than anything else though. While the episode had some rough segments visually, Goku and Jiren both had moments that were absolutely stunning to watch.Here's just a random thought... Does anyone else think that Jiren looks like a roided-out Kid Buu when he obtains that red/pink glow? No? Just me? Ok, moving on then. One moment that stood out to me was when the fighters from Universe 7 began to reminisce how Goku is able to turn enemies into allies. This sequence was very similar to the end of Dragon Ball Z where Vegeta speaks so highly of his once rival.
What's Next for Dragon Ball Super?!
With only one episode remaining in the Dragon Ball Super schedule, many people are wondering if the series will continue. I'm happy to say that we will be seeing more Dragon Ball Super! Toei Animation has confirmed that the franchise will continue. A Dragon Ball Super film will be released in Japan on December 14th of this year and will take place after the events of episode 131. Details are still being released about the specifics of the film, but so far we know that it will center around Frieza and the Saiyan race. That leads me to believe something very interesting may occur in regards to the super dragon ball wish. There appears to be plans to continue the tv series once the dubbed version catches up, but there is currently no confirmed date for the series' return. With popularity for franchise at an all time high, I would be shocked if the tv series did not return. On that hopeful note, let's prepare for what is sure to be an exciting conclusion to the Tournament of Power arc next week!
