Dragon Ball Super

Dragon Ball always finds ways to surprise me. Super is no exception to that rule. The anime is up to episode 91 but I have no interest to watch it for one simple reason; the manga is superior in every way. Stop now because spoilers ahead.

Problems

The comic is currently reaching the climax of the Goku vs Zamasu fight. Unlike the anime, however, how we reached that point was done in a much more graceful way. I’ve heard accounts and even watched clips that tell a different story than the one I was exposed to with the manga.

My biggest gripes with the anime are how dumb Goku and the crew are made to be, and how Vegeta’s been reduced to a mere sidekick. Another problem I have is how long it takes to move the plot forward. Within 26 chapters we were done with like 3 arcs.

I have to admit though that the comic releases seem to be sporadic and have no real dates attached. The anime does one thing right in being weekly.

God vs God

The latest chapter comes as Vegito’s fusion has come undone. What can our heroes do now that their strongest warrior has come and gone?

A normal rational person might think there’s nothing left to do, and they’d be right.

In Dragon Ball’s case though, they’d be wrong.

The plan boils down to healing Goku while Vegeta buys time-fighting Zamasu. They’re all out of senzu beans though so how is that plan even going to work?

That’s when we find out that future Trunks gained healing abilities from serving the supreme Kai. With that revelation Trunks’ character becomes important without being overpowered like what happened in the anime.

In one of the best moments of character growth for Vegeta, he saves Goku, provokes Zamasu, and receives the beating of a lifetime.

Vegeta normally never gets into that kind of situation, so seeing this happen was a pleasant surprise. Done this way, he feels like his own man instead of a plot device. I don’t know how to put it into words, but he just feels like more of a real person in the comic.

On Goku’s side, he borrows the basics of mastering Super Saiyan Blue from Vegeta. In a previous chapter, it is revealed that Vegeta switches into SSB for a few milliseconds when he punches Goku Black. That technique requires finesse and masterful precision that Goku is incapable of doing so he comes up with his own version; compressing the aura around him into his body.

It’s great seeing the difference between the two main Saiyans like this. Where Vegeta is like a needle, Goku is a rock. Used right both can kill someone. The manga gives us a better appreciation of the rivalry between the two.

Bright Future

In conclusion, “Son Goku’s Evolution” is one of the best chapters of Dragon Ball Super I’ve read. It developed Vegeta and Trunks without making it seem forced or out of character and with a much better resolution than the anime did. I can’t wait to see how much more the manga diverges and how much more intense it’s going to get.