Dragon Ball Daima Episode 20 Review
It’s over, everyone. After five months and twenty episodes, Dragon Ball Daima, the series made to honor the franchise’s 40th anniversary, has ended. The real question, though, is whether or not the series ended on a high note. And since it wound up being the last thing Toriyama worked on before his passing, fans wanted the finale to be the highest note possible. So, did it stick its landing? Did Toriyama choose to end the story in an epic fashion, or a comedic one?
Let me put it this way: if you loved Toriyama’s sense of humor, then you’re going to laugh at how the finale plays out.
Going Wild Right from the Start
Super Saiyan 4 Goku (Adult) vs Gomah#DAIMA #dragonballdaimaspoilers #daimaspoilers pic.twitter.com/w9ChUjq4cX
— Zero Gravity 💫 (@Z3RO_GRAVITY_) February 28, 2025
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The second the episode cuts away from the Toei logo, Daima lets everyone know it’s not messing around. Instead of wasting time with the OP, it opts to get right into the action as SSJ 4 Goku and Gomah continue their final battle. And much to Dragon Ball fans elation, Daima gives eight minutes of glorious, uninterrupted fighting. And I do mean uninterrupted, as beyond the screaming, there’s almost no talking of which to speak. Just two super strong people punching each other in fast-paced sakuga fashion, epic beam struggle and all!
Those eight minutes aren’t just to entertain the audience. They’re a testament to why Dragon Ball is such a legendary anime. When it wants to go all-out on the fighting, it will pour every yen it has into giving the audience a show to remember.
Super Saiyan 4 Goku Kamehameha in the final Episode of Daima! pic.twitter.com/Ye1fX74PKh
— Dragon Ball Perfect Shots (@DBPerfectShots) February 28, 2025
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Unfortunately for the heroes, their big gambit fails at the last second, leaving them unable to get the Evil Third Eye out of Gomah. For a moment, it looks like things might really be all over for Goku and his comrades with Gomah poised to kill them all. It’s like those cutscenes some video games add after the player defeats the boss, only to make it seem like they failed. And like those cutscenes, Daima pulls something out of the fire that saves them in the most unexpected fashion.
Majin Kuu defeating Gomah pic.twitter.com/dvKbETgS7Q
— Dragon Ball Perfect Shots (@DBPerfectShots) February 28, 2025
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At first glance, it might seem like having Kuu be the one to stop Gomah feels like a cheap copout. However, this is Toriyama we’re talking about. That man loved to make everyone think things would go a certain way, only to have something unexpected and silly happen. Like Yajirobe cutting off Vegeta’s tail? Or Recoome getting one-shotted? Watch something long enough, and you’ll notice these sorts of things!
Plus, it makes what happens next pretty funny, too.
ALL HAIL KING KUU
So, Gomah doesn’t die after being defeated. Instead, the heroes opt to imprison the now ex-Demon King along with Degesu in a magic prison for the next 99 years. At least they’ll have plenty of video games to play while they think about what they did. However, things get interesting when Arinsu declines to become the next King (or Queen) because she didn’t get her wish from the Dragon Balls. Instead, the title goes to the one responsible for defeating Gomah: Kuu!
From being hated during his first appearance to being loved by everyone.
From Zero to Hero to King.
The most beloved and funniest character in all of Daima, Supreme Demon King Majin Kuu!! pic.twitter.com/ofcbG6MDRJ
— Kringer – Thank You Toriyama (@DB_Kringer2) February 28, 2025
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Of all the ways that this could end, I don’t think anyone expected Majin Kuu to be the one becoming the new King of the Demon Realm. However, it makes sense. He may not be strong, but he’s good at befriending others and recognizing their talents. Case in point, he makes Arinsu his Vice-Demon King so she can keep using her knowledge to help everyone. Even better, he makes Neva, Marba, Glorio, Duu, and Kadan all Ministers to help him rule. And for the first time in eons, the Demon Realm has a ruler worthy of the position!
And so, like any good JRPG, the world this adventure took place in becomes a better place. People can now travel freely between the Demon Worlds, and thanks to the tunnels opening, the gas that gave Goku so much trouble in the Third Demon World becomes much lighter.
And so, with their quest done, Goku and the others head home, heroes one and all. But not before we get one last joke.
WHY WAS THE ANIMATION IN THIS SCENE SO SMOOTH pic.twitter.com/DFKN5BT5lP
— SLO (@SLOplays) March 1, 2025
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Leave it to Toriyama to turn a seemingly ancient and unique artifact into something found at a drug store. I had the biggest grin on my face when I saw that.
PEAK. ANIME.
So, how was the finale to Dragon Ball Daima? Honestly, it was pretty good! It did a great job of balancing fan’s expectations for the action with Toriyama’s sense of humor. That final fight between Goku and Gomah may not have been as epic as the fights he’ll have in the future, but it stands as one of the series best in recent years. The kamehameha alone might be among the best in the entire franchise!
Dragon Ball Daima, What else can I say. Absolute Cinema. (Thank You Toriyama) pic.twitter.com/wwIBfpii5z
— Devil Artemis Animation (@DevilArtemisX) February 21, 2025
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As for the comedy, for those who saw the outcome as a cop out, I reiterate my previous examples. Toriyama understood the humor behind hyping someone up, only to have them absolutely embarrassed, and that was something he never forgot. The ending wasn’t just an epic shouting match. It was also a return to the comedy found throughout Toriyama’s works!
We’ll likely be doing a full series review for Daima soon, so we can fully explore what worked and what didn’t. However, at the end of the day, I would say that Daima proved to be a success for Dragon Ball. Even if it hadn’t been the last thing Toriyama worked on before he died, it likely still would have been a success.
Also, it should be pointed out that the finale ended right before midnight, March 1st in Japan, exactly one year to the day that Akira Toriyama left this world to join the other great storytellers in Heaven. That could not have been a coincidence! People knowingly chose the finale’s date in honor of Toriyama’s memory! It was Japan’s way of allowing him to move on to Otherworld, his work fulfilled!
Go, Akira Toriyama. Go teach a dinosaur to ride a ball in Heaven and spend eternity with the great storytellers of history.
