Farewell, Universe 10.
Warning: The following review contains spoilers for the episode.
Universe 10 finds themselves in a tough spot this week as the Tournament of Power rumbles on and they continue to lose warriors. Episode 103 had some good moments but struggled early on as characters were depicted in an unusual way. These issues were quickly pushed aside during the latter half, however, as Gohan took over and delivered a crushing emotional moment to end the episode.
Picking up right where things left off last week, Android 17 continues his battle with the warrior maiden of Universe 2. Although the fight was decent, it was the out of character depiction of Android 17 that left me scratching my head. Since his re-introduction into the series, 17 has acted very calm, cold, and serious, reflecting how he once was during Dragon Ball Z. This week, the opening scene had 17 yelling and mimicking the Universe 2 warriors’ flavorful speech. It’s clear that this was supposed to be a joke – that 17 is poking fun at the warrior maidens – but it fell flat. Android 17’s character works best when he’s embracing that cold, serious persona. It’s what sets him apart from many of our other heroes and makes him such a treat to watch.
The irregular things didn’t end there for Android 17 either, as he is then forced to protect Goku from an attack for what felt like no real reason. Goku would've likely been fine. In fact, moments later we see him use the Instant Transmission, something that would've saved him from damage previously, further adding to the confusion of why Android 17 was forced into the situation to save him. To top it off, instead of finish off his enemies like we’ve seen him do before, 17 hesitates because he’s talking to Goku, allowing his defeated foes to flee to safety. These many strange actions add up to make the first half of Episode 103 feel quite underwhelming.
Gohan quickly spins things around for the latter half of the show when we see him and Piccolo fighting the last remaining Universe 10 warriors. It’s great to see Piccolo in action; he confidently deals with his enemies. It’s only a shame his moment to shine was so short. Gohan’s fights were both excellent this week and they displayed perfectly how he, more than any other fighter, can analyze a situation and find a technique to beat his foes.
It was the last few minutes that truly tugged at the heart, though, as Universe 10 was erased and we saw Gohan struggle to deal with what he had just done. I was glad to see that it was Gohan who took part in this, as it’s been well established over the years that he cares more deeply about those around him than Goku or Vegeta. I also appreciated the quiet, somber nature of the scene, with the dreary music playing in the back as Gohan silently watched the last trace of Universe 10 disappear. It’s these moments that I thought would break our heroes at some point, and I am eager to see in the future how our warriors will begin to deal with the knowledge that their victory comes at the cost of trillions of lives.
The Verdict
Episode 103 is a rollercoaster of emotion that sadly starts out on a rough path. Strange decisions surrounding Android 17 cause the first half of the episode to feel unconvincing as several unusual decisions feel very out of character or make little sense. Thankfully, these issues are mostly alleviated as the second half begins with Gohan’s great fights then ends the episode with a truly heartbreaking moment.
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