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In many ways, Vegeta stole the show when Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods hit theaters in 2013. His comical attempts to appease Beerus forced him to set aside his pride, and develop as a character in ways that were both heartfelt and humorous. Episode six of Dragon Ball Super covers equivalent scenes, but goes with a decidedly darker vibe than the theatrical source material. Fans who prefer Dragon Ball's more serious moments will find a lot to like here. Others will no doubt miss the film's wackier tone.
Lord Beerus himself stands at the epicenter of the show's tonal shift. Dragon Ball Super has gone out of its way to characterized him as a straight-faced villain, rather than the more-or-less neutral force of destruction seen in the films. Sure, he displayed the same fickleness and irritable temper, but there's an extra layer of petty sadism underlying his actions now. Look no further than a flashback that shows Vegeta's father groveling under the God of Destruction's foot. Beerus violently berates the Saiyan king before stomping his head into the ground as chibi Vegeta looks on. Compared to the film, where he simply used Vegeta's dad as a footstool, his behavior is uncharacteristically unpleasant. Personal preference will dictate whether viewers enjoy this more sinister persona, but it does somewhat diminish the likeable qualities that made the character stand out from Dragon Ball's previous antagonists.
Traumatized by his memories, Vegeta bends over backwards to keep the God of Destruction happy. Close calls abound, with Yamcha slapping Beerus playfully on the back a bit too hard and Goten and Trunks squirting his face while playing with water guns. These silly missteps force Vegeta to pull off a crazy stunt to calm Beerus. He jumps into the ocean, yanks out a giant octopus and barbeques it with a midair energy blast. Upon landing on the ship, he proceeds to the cook a fried tentacle, even donning a chef hat and apron. And yet, the tension created by Beeru's unpredictable mood swings never lets up, leading up to him finally losing his temper when a grumpy Majin Buu slurps all over the party's last pudding cups. With one hand, the God of Destruction spins the pink gum monster into a distorted mess above his head, before blasting him into the ocean with a striking sneer. After a bumbling display of animation slip-ups last week, episode six mostly delivers a competent presentation. Creative low-angle camera compositions help offset inconsistent character art throughout the episode and help lend it greater intensity, particularly when Beerus and Majin Buu square off.
As an adaptation, Dragon Ball Super's sixth episode continues to introduce just as many problems as it does improvements. Scenes with Vegeta humbling himself come out fine, but don't quite match the self-inflicted humiliation he put himself through with the bingo dance from Battle of Gods. Furthermore, the episode strips Pilaf and his minions of all involvement in the plot, making the episode dedicated to their introduction feel rather useless in hindsight. There are also no shortage of inconsistencies when it comes to character portrayals. We've seen nothing of Majin Buu's and Mr. Satan's heartwarming friendship in Dragon Ball Super, for example, and while charming on its own, the flashback with kid Vegeta confronting for hurting his "papa" is a bit at odds with the murderous sociopath he was introduced as during the Saiyan arc. On a side note, Ryō Horikawa can't pull off a boy's voice at all
In its sixth installment, Dragon Ball Super gives us a genuinely tense episode that still manages to remain true to its cheerful roots. I don't particularly care for how the writers have underutilized the polite and playful sides of Beerus's personality, but I can't knock them too much for wanting to differentiate their show from Battle of Gods. Still, why anyone would want to make a more serious version of a story about a purple cat god who throws a temper tantrum after a chubby pink manchild eats his pudding is beyond me.
Episode Score - B-
Episode One, Episode Two, Episode Three, Episode Four, Episode Five
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