Dragon Ball really found a weak spot in its narrative with the introduction of the World Martial Arts Tournament. Constant fighting and unusual opponents helped open up the series and its universe in enlightening ways, even when these elements were lacking. “Smells Like Trouble” proved that it is possible to Dragon Ball go too far in one direction and lose the audience in the process. “Quarterfinals Continue” elegantly corrects course.
While the last episode was too silly, episode 22 features two battles that perfectly reflect Dragon Ballthe ability to balance hard-boiled martial arts with unconventional gag comedy. These contrasting forms of combat culminate in a purely Dragon Ball experience and the kind of story that can only be told in a series like this. It's everything that audiences expect from a Dragon Ball episode – for better or for worse.
Yamcha and Jackie Chun's match is a masterclass in martial arts
Yamcha's growth and development reaches a disappointing destination
Dragon Ball deserves some credit for keeping Goku's first fight in check and really building suspense before he enters the arena. As a result, “Quarterfinals Continue” offers a strong match between two of its most accomplished martial artists, Jackie Chun (Master Roshi) and Yamcha, that is a welcome change of pace from Krillin's clash with Bacterian. Jackie Chun effortlessly dodges all of Yamcha's attacks with an incredibly calm demeanor, which means even more after learning how powerful Yamcha has become during his training. Chun even easily dodges Yamcha's signature attack, the Wolf Fang Fist, and nonchalantly responds with a seismic clap. This clap releases a wave of energy so tremendous that it knocks Yamcha out of bounds and ends the battle.
It's a bit frustrating that Yamcha is eliminated in his first match so unceremoniously, after so much time has been spent proving that he's truly become an intimidating fighter. At the same time, Yamcha's easy elimination becomes a testament to Jackie Chun's incredible power and proof that he is destined to be Goku's greatest opponent. It's an effective way to build suspense and Krillin is already worried about having to face Chun next. That said, it would have been nice to see Yamcha at least get one win before his elimination by Chun. Obviously there have to be some tough losses here and not everyone can win. Yamcha just looked genuinely powerful and it's disappointing that he and Goku won't get the rematch that was anticipated.
The loss of Yamcha is a disappointing development, though it is still understandable. It is at least clever that Yamcha has already deduced that Jackie Chun is Master Roshi and that this “mystery” is not needlessly drawn out and treated as a big reveal. Chun's identity is incredibly obvious, but that's part of the fun. Dragon Ball is at least inside this joke. This approach allows Dragon Ball for more fun with this device, as Roshi presumes to operate anonymously, but the characters (and audience) know it's him through his rampant Roshi-isms. Goku even deduces it's him through the use of his feral child olfactory abilities.
Ranfan's unusual tactics reflect Dragon Ball's unique identity
Beauty and brutality make a powerful combination
Ranfan is a deceptively simple fighter and an effective distillation of Dragon Ballcontrasting sensitivities. Only Dragon Ball could feature a martial arts tournament filled with powerful dinosaurs, werewolves, and a fighter whose best strategy is that she's sexy and likes to take her clothes off. “Smells Like Trouble” featured a fighter who really smells, but Ranfan's schtick is even more basic. That said, it kind of works. Ranfan was teased during the previous episode, where she was casually objectified by Master Roshi. “Quarterfinals Continue” makes her one of the showpieces of the episode and a character who effectively weaponizes the male gaze and misogyny for her superpower. It's a fascinating idea to explore in a shonen battle series that's primarily aimed at a male audience.
This would be a dull gag that gets old pretty quickly if that were all Ranfan brings to the table, but she also has some real martial arts skills to back up her tactics. This is a crucial detail. It's important that Ranfan isn't just a delicate orphan who's never had to fight because her looks always get her through to the next round. It's also a curious strategy that would have very different results depending on who she's up against. This would be an easy way for Ranfan to defeat Master Roshi, but such tricks wouldn't work on Goku for a second. In the end, it's for the best that Ranfan is paired with an outsider instead of one of Dragon Ballmain characters, although a showdown against Yamcha while Bulma watches would have been interesting. Ranfan doesn't advance to the next round, but he doesn't wear out his welcome either. Nam vs. Ranfan is a satisfying way to follow up the more traditional showdown between Yamcha and Master Roshi.
The emotional backstories give the World Tournament real depth
Nam & Ranfan's match mixes poverty and provocation
“Quarterfinals Continue” is a great episode because it really gets into the motivations of the characters. It's mostly basic backstory, but it makes a huge difference when it comes to caring about or understanding these new side characters. Not everyone is in it for the pure love of martial arts. One backstory in particular makes the Tournament Saga feel like the Emperor Pilaf Saga. The prize for the World Tournament is money, not a Dragon Ball wish, but Nam's desire to save his dehydrated village is exactly the kind of request someone would make of Shenron. Nam's motivation is a clever way to gain some insight into his character and sow some drama for future fights.
Nam is strong, but the World Martial Arts Tournament is just a way for him to make the money he needs for his village. It's touching that Nam draws inspiration from his fragmented village during its moment of greatest weakness. He doesn't lose sight of why he's competing in the first place, even as he literally loses it in resisting Ranfan's charms and lecherous tactics. Roshi makes Nam's subtext explicit, but the audience doesn't realize that he's the only character fighting for altruistic reasons. He's here in extremely heartbreaking circumstances that are reminiscent of the dark energy that hangs over Dragon Ball Super's Tournament of Power. Nam's universe won't be erased if he loses, but the fallout is almost as depressing. Nam isn't just fighting for himself, but for his entire village, which makes it all the more ironic that this serious fight is infused with pin-up playfulness.
Oddly enough, this makes his fight, brief as it is, stand out more than the fight between Yamcha and Master Roshi, both characters the audience cares about. Nam is the polar opposite of everything Bacterian represents and is a smart choice to follow up Krillin's crass fight. “Quarterfinals Continue” has something for everyone. Both fights are engaging and interesting, despite being completely different. These encounters don't suffer from the same broad concessions seen in the previous episode, though they don't take themselves too seriously. The World Tournament was a fascinating testbed for Dragon Ball AND “Quarterfinals Continue” is one of the first episodes that really sets the tone for the kind of anime the series wants to be. and how to achieve this goal. Now, let's start Goku's first fight!