Love conquers all.
Warning: The following review contains spoilers for the episode.
Things went a radically different direction from the Goku-focused episodes of recent weeks as the Androids fighting the Maidens of Love from Universe 2 took center stage. With an emphasis on hilarious moments and fun interactions, Episode 117 is able to bring a much-needed break from the intensity of Goku’s current situation while still offering up interesting tidbits about Ultra Instinct and Vegeta’s future.
Dragon Ball’s take on comedy has been inconsistent, but Episode 117 is a good showcase of when Dragon Ball Super gets it right. From subtle things like Vegeta getting punched over and over, to the always adorable Zen-Ohs pretend fighting each other, there was no shortage of moments that made me chuckle. Beyond being funny, these moments were integrated into the story in a meaningful way, which is something Super has often struggled with in the past.
It wasn’t all jokes this episode, though, as a serious thread featuring Androids 17 and 18 played out. Once again, these two were used to great effect. Former bad guys turned good, they still have a mysterious and intimidating aura about them that makes them a great joy to watch. The moments where they do break and show emotion, are all the more touching because Super goes to great lengths to maintain their otherwise stoic nature. No moment shows this better than when Android 17 offers to fix 18’s injured foot. Their exchange is succinct but hints at the truly deep bond the pair share.
One thing that became apparent as the episode went on is that we truly don’t know how strong the Androids are. I like to hope there is a plan to explain this, but I find myself concerned that Super is just randomly handing out power increases to fit its needs. Android 18 exhibited immense strength as she brought down Ribrianne, while 17 also showed off considerable power and not for the first time. It’s in their nature to be mysterious, but Super is pushing the Androids a bit too far power wise, and without any proper explanation as to how they’re accomplishing it.
Ribrianne’s character may have spurred on several touching moments for the heroes, but as a villain, she wasn’t terribly interesting. Her single-minded focus on spreading love to all universes felt out of place when pitted against other warriors. Even after realizing Krillin and 18 were in love, she blindly rejects it so that she can continue fighting for her own reasons. For someone who has appeared countless times as a threat to various combatants, her character in the end felt rather one-dimensional and unfortunately lacked any long-lasting impact.
While brief, it was a nice touch to see Vegeta trying to unlock Ultra Instinct. Super is clearly setting something up for him, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out and if it will backfire in his face as things often do for Vegeta when he tries to directly compete with Goku.
The Verdict
Episode 117 was all about love as Ribrianne and the rest of Universe 2 appeared to try and knock out our heroes. This made for several funny scenes, but also spawned many touching, heartfelt moments between Androids 17 and 18 as they worked together to bring down Ribrianne. Unfortunately, by the end, Ribrianne still felt one-dimensional, and the Androids questionable strength seems to be growing more and more with each episode they’re in.
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