Dragon Ball DAIMA has been a genuine delight as each new episode confidently builds upon its predecessors, adding more fuel to this demonic fire. DAIMA’s first five episodes all featured contrasting degrees of setup, the likes of which felt like an extended prologue. Make no mistake, these first five episodes are great, but Episode 6 suddenly feels like DAIMA is ready to take off the training wheels – or weighted clothing – and get into the real meat of this story.
Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 6, “Lightning,” is the anime’s biggest and best episode yet. Goku, Shin, Glorio, and Panzy don’t make that much progress, but there’s such a greater sense of camaraderie and development that points to a very promising future for Dragon Ball DAIMA. The Tamagami and Supreme Demon King Gomah have no idea what they’re up against.
Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 6, “Lightning,” begins in freefall as the team’s newly-acquired ship immediately experiences engine trouble from Panzy’s overstocked supplies. DAIMA understands that an entire episode of ship failure and finding yet another means of transportation would be a false step in the narrative. Thankfully, this problem amounts to a minor hiccup that’s really just an excuse to show off character skills and throw in some greater Gendarmerie lore. The heroes are back in the air after only a few minutes, which creates a creative opportunity for exposition and character development. This complication may have felt frustrating in the previous episode’s finale, but it’s turned into a smart asset in Episode 6.
Panzy’s enthusiasm is so much fun and she really brings a lot to DAIMA. Goku’s oblivious actions often defuse Glorio and Shin’s more reserved demeanors, yet Panzy is even more valuable in this regard. It also doesn’t hurt that Fairouz Ai is absolutely killing it in the role and her playful performance adds so much to Panzy. There’s also a little more context provided on the Magic Collars, which are an oppressive custom of the Third Demon World. Panzy may be King Kadan’s daughter and part of Demon Realm royalty, but even she isn’t immune to such treatment.
On the topic of ship trouble, “Lightning” finally catches up with Vegeta, Piccolo, and the rest of Earth’s heroes as they prepare for their Demon Realm adventure. This really doesn’t amount to much and leaves the heroes back where they started. That being said, it’s pretty funny that this episode goes out on the same cliffhanger as the previous episode. Apparently, engine trouble is the greatest evil of all in Dragon Ball DAIMA. Nevertheless, it’s nice to get any material with the Earth crew, even if it’s just a reminder that they still exist. This obstacle will likely be solved by Hybis’ arrival, which hopefully won’t take another six episodes to happen.