Dragon Ball Super Episode 18 Review: I’m Here, Too! Training Commences on Beerus’ World!

“Maybe your training is too tough. At this rate those two are going to die.”

Screw new Super Saiyan transformations, because Goku gets a new training gi this week! May the internet community explode with frenzied anticipation accordingly!

Many Dragon Ball fans have taken exception to the series’ slow tendency to become “The Goku and Vegeta Show.” While it makes sense for a series about power to focus on its two most powerful characters, this is a universe that has literally invested hundreds of episodes on a wide and eclectic cast of warriors. Spreading the wealth wouldn’t exactly be the worst thing.

That being said, the past few episodes have done a good job at focusing more on the supporting cast of Dragon Ball Super. It’s a smart move on the show’s part because when it does finally pivot back to Goku and Vegeta in this episode, it actually feels earned and overdue rather than business as usual.

“I’m Here Too!” not only functions as a successful Goku/Vegeta installment, but it’s also just a lot of fun. It additionally feels like progress is being made this week and that there’s greater weight behind this episode. This is useful after the lighter collection of episodes that have come following the defeat of Beerus.

I sort of love the idea that this one reunites Goku and Vegeta together after Vegeta has been getting intensive training for half a year and Goku has basically just been the victim of spousal abuse and become a grandfather. There’s a lot riding on that reunion. Is Vegeta now capable of reaching the heights of a Super Saiyan God? Can he go even higher? Is Goku now hopelessly outmatched? So it’s all too beautiful that this test of strength between the two of them comes in the form of doing Beerus’ chores and housework. This episode could have been called “New Job Cycle! Goku and Vegeta Join an Intergalactic TaskRabbit!!” and it’d still be appropriate.

Make no mistake though, in spite of Goku and Vegeta needing to do the silliest of things like making Beerus’ bed (while he’s still in it, without waking him), it doesn’t dampen the competitive spirit between these two in the slightest. Both of these guys want to be Whis’ star pupil, so if that means cleaning a bunch of bowls for the Oracle Fish or pulling out a ton of weeds, then that’s what these Saiyans are going to do.

All of this material acts as a fond reminder of Goku’s initial training with Master Roshi and King Kai. Both of them also found ways of training Goku without it seeming like training. Besides, at the end of the day isn’t seeing something creative—albeit silly—still more interesting than just another flurry of fists and sparring match?

This episode does still finds ways to illustrate how far along Vegeta has come in his training too, even if it’s being put to the most impractical of uses here. Goku’s presence also makes Vegeta all the hungrier to push himself to the limit here. Later on, Vegeta’s the one still jumping through Whis’ hoops while Goku is off taking a nap.

Whis eventually throws the audience a bone by doing some more conventional training with his two new students. The “weighted race” sequence is pretty damn cool and different. The fact that neither Goku or Vegeta are capable of landing a hand on Whis is a nice development, too. There was a point when Beerus had the same effect on these guys, so to see that Whis is still operating at this level is another small glimpse of just how powerful this guy is. I don’t expect the series to ever use Whis as an all-out warrior where he’s getting complicated, overpowered fight scenes, so these sparse, humble looks at his strength are always fun.

“I’m Here Too!” is a strong, exciting episode of Dragon Ball Super that makes the most out of focusing on Goku and Vegeta’s longstanding rivalry and their quests to be stronger. This training saga only leads to more exciting stuff down the road, so this is a nice little pocket of episodes that the series is about to get into.

This entry also does its best impression of Marvel movie post-credit sequences with a collection of teases offered up at the end of the episode. The first features Sorbet, an alien warrior with an army who are all in very familiar armor. The crew are searching the universe in the hopes of resurrecting their long-fallen leader—you guessed it—Frieza. However, the more interesting scene is the one that follows, where a fatter version of Beerus is traveling alongside a female version of Whis. This is Champa and Vados, and with them comes the fascinating concept of the multiverse that Dragon Ball Super begins to play around with.

Now, who’s curious about all of the misadventures and moments of understanding that Vegeta and the Oracle Fish shared while on Beerus’ planet together?