Ultra Instinct!
Episodes 109 & 110 aired as a two-part special, and as such are being reviewed together as one entity. Spoilers for both episodes follow.
After weeks of fighting, the event that everyone in the Tournament of Power was waiting for finally happened Jiren and Goku met up in battle.An epic, nearly world-shattering fight ensued. It wasn’t without its stumbles, but they were few and far between, which left ample room for Super to amaze and delight with its amazing battles and stunning ki-blasts.
One thing that becomes clear only after viewing both episodes in their entirety is Episode 109’s excellent pacing. This is especially important for Dragon Ball Super because, let’s face it, Dragon Ball series of the past weren’t exactly known for their success in condensed, action-packed fights. This instilled a worry that potentially great moments would be ruined with excessive exposition and pointless screaming, but that thankfully was not the case with these episodes.
Episode 109 is all about building momentum for Episode 110’s excellent payoff, and it did so with almost no issues. The opening moments with Ribrianne in Episode 109 did dwindle a touch longer than was necessary, but that was ultimately swept aside as the rest of the episode was spent almost exclusively with Goku and Jiren. What’s more, the speed of the episode didn’t take away from the significance of the battle, which truly speaks to how well it was written and animated.
Jiren’s almost laughable amount of power was used in just the right fashion to maintain that near perfect pacing too. This is most clearly evident by the short but powerful bursts that were used to knock Goku down a peg, forcing him to use more strength or a new technique. Restraining Jiren like this may have limited the amount of combat, but it made those moments of strength all the more impressive and meaningful. It kept things flowing, forcing Goku to quickly move on or fail, and for me, made the entire episode far more enjoyable.
Super hasn’t seen much better combat than the likes of Episodes 109 and 110. The animation was stellar, the movements great, and the bursts of power felt intense and impactful, something that Super can often struggle with. Giant blasts of energy flying all over may be visually appealing, but they are ultimately meaningless if that’s all there is. Both episodes were aware of that and made every major impact feel meaningful, whether it was Goku getting his breath knocked out, or Jiren getting a small scratch.
Episode 109 ended with a Spirit Bomb, the tried and true classic that has had questionable results in the past. Although I enjoyed the power battle that ensued as Goku tried to crush Jiren, the way 109 ended felt rather silly. In no way was it believable that Goku died from the Spirit Bomb. It was clear based on the information available for Episode 110 that he would survive and to no surprise, Episode 110 did, in fact, open with Goku being alive. The fake death came off as an unnecessary grab for some emotionally impactful content when emotions were already raised to begin with.
Much of Episode 110 mirrored 109 in quality, but I found it interesting that both suffer from a slow beginning. Episode 110 spends just a bit too long watching Goku struggle against the Spirit Bomb and ultimately succumb to it. It’s an important moment for Goku, I understand that, but several minutes were already spent in the previous episode, so another five minutes or so being used felt like too much.
The Spirit Bomb scene and Goku’s death and subsequent reappearance do have some redeeming qualities, though. It was visually striking; the Spirit Bomb collapsed on itself like a black hole and sucked Goku in, erasing him for a short time. The lack of sound as the camera cut to various fighters, including Gohan, added even greater impact to the moment. Scenes of confusion and determination from the other fighters soon followed, but it was Beerus who brought it all together for me. The quick cuts that showed off his rage, his shaky voice, and his screams for Goku to return. This moment made one thing abundantly clear: after dozens of episodes, Beerus finally sees Goku as a friend.
Ultra Instinct. Though both episodes had many excellent moments, this was by far the most exciting thing of the two-part special. Goku’s new form has quite the appearance, but what stood out the most was how Goku acted. With so many transformations already in the franchise, Super had its work cut out for it, but it managed to rise to the challenge. Every scene after Goku reappears with Ultra Instinct simply feels different than anything before it. His movements are strange, his temperament is calm, and even his voice is different. Ultra Instinct needed to feel unique, or else it would run the risk of being swept aside like so many other power-ups. By the end of Episode 110, it’s made clear that Ultra Instinct here to stay.
With all the high powered excitement on screen, it’s easy to overlook some of the smaller moments, but Super was wise to include them. The teases about Jiren being more than just mortal, the implications that Ultra Instinct isn’t something just a Saiyan can achieve, and of course the ending with Frieza standing over Goku were all key moments that helped tie together the main plot, while also making us think about the future. Super has constantly improved in this regard, and I hope Episodes 109 and 110 serve as examples on just how to handle more foreshadowing while also balancing the story and action of the episode at hand.
The Verdict
Ultra Instinct is here, and it’s great. Episodes 109 and 110 crafted an interesting narrative, filled with intense moments and visually stunning artwork. Both episodes suffered from slow openings and Episode 109 didn’t have the best ending, but as a total package, you’d be hard pressed to find a better pair of Dragon Ball Super episodes and they have left me excited for the future of Dragon Ball Super in ways I haven’t been in a long time.
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