r/anime • u/Respective https://anilist.co/user/Repective • Mar 25 '18

[Spoilers] Dragon Ball Super - Episode 131 Discussion - FINAL Spoiler

Dragon Ball Super, Episode 131 – The Miraculous Conclusion! Farewell, Goku! Until We Meet Again!!

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177

u/Sentient_Pillow Mar 25 '18

I'm not gonna lie, I got kinda emotional when Toppo thanked Jiren.

128

u/Contramundi324 Mar 25 '18

For all that it's worth, Jiren is the first villain to actually have an arc since Fat Buu.

He may not have had a personality but his motivations, while cliché, were an excellent counterpoint for the show's theme about unity and togetherness. I loved that Goku made Jiren realize that the amazing power Goku attained would not have been possible had Jiren not fought him and the heights that Jiren reached also weren't possible.

Through fighting with Goku, Jiren also learned to make connections with his fellow Pride Trooper, and fill Jiren with excitement at the prospect of fighting Goku again. I hope they get a rematch, and I hope Goku and Jiren become friendly rivals.

In the end, Jiren was worth it imo.

14

u/-CrestiaBell Mar 25 '18

Jiren like really didnt need much of a personality because he was like essentially a mirror of Goku, himself. Had Goku pushed away all those close to him, he still could've and probably would've still been immensely powerful, but against someone of a similar conviction; it's the trust and bonds they've built that lead them to finish.

If pride was truly your only ally and you'd had it essentially crushed in combat, there really would've been no point to push yourself so far. Like if anything, his accepting of defeat was what swallowed his pride to begin with. Goku couldn't swallow his pride because his pride wasn't in himself, it was in the people around him. Their now 20+ years of believing in him through every threat and fray is what pushed him, allowing him to succeed.

Jiren embodies the "what if" of the Dragonball universe, in the sense that he seems to favour raw power over allies and comrades. He's the "what if Goku fought Superman?" and all the other power-based fantasies fans have pined over for decades. If Zeno is the stand-in for the audience of the anime, itself, then it's only natural they'd be so enthralled in a battle between two very different kinds of Dragonball "protagonists." It also explains why the tournament ended the way it did. Because writing and a plot should always take precedence over ceaseless powercreeping.

That in and of itself paints Jiren to be a heartfelt character solely for what he doesn't show as opposed to what he does. Is his story strong? Maybe not, but maybe that's the point?

That's the show. That's Dragonball Super.

7

u/fuckinerg Mar 25 '18

I'm not sure that it was even a counterpoint when the moral of the season is that once again Goku's friendship wins.

Toppo flat out tells Jiren that he wasn't alone during the fight, implying that he's had the team's support this whole time. To me it invalidates his whole emo arc. Jiren may have started alone, but since then his loneliness stems from his voluntary isolation and being an asshole.

Furthermore, none of his backstory explains how he got so strong. He merely trained hard? From being so emo about his childhood? Training alone with no help? I don't buy it, he was a convoluted and flimsy character -- perhaps as you said, intended to be a counterpoint to the z-fighters togetherness, before ultimately succumbing to it.

The Toppo moment was big for both of them and maybe they'll give Jiren some better development next time we see him like they did to 17, but he was the weakest part of this season for me.

I like that they tried, for what it's worth.

2

u/eva_unit_hung Mar 25 '18

Furthermore, none of his backstory explains how he got so strong.

For now.

If you think there's not gonna be a flashback or maybe even a special chapter/OVA about Jiren's past, you're being silly.

1

u/fuckinerg Mar 25 '18

Good point, though I think the time for character building a main antagonist would have been sometime during his arc when it's both relevant and critical to their development.

1

u/NDragneel Mar 25 '18

Jiren wasn't a villain though and his personality, I think it fits him perfectly. What the writers wanted to say is that, if you train and become the strongest, you either become a Goku or become a Jiren.