Dragon Ball Super Episode 37 Review: Don’t Forget Your Saiyan Pride! Vegeta vs. the 6th Universe’s Saiyan

This Dragon Ball Super review contains spoilers.

Dragon Ball Super Episode 37

“Don’t forget that feeling.”

Ever play a game of Super Smash Bros. where Link fights against Toon Link? That’s kind of what this episode of Dragon Ball Super ends up feeling like at times. It’s this bizarre, amazing battle that’s essentially between two alternate character designs of the same fighter. It’s such a spectacle to take in, but an idea that also immediately validates itself. Even if this battle is completely terrible, it’s still going to end up being pretty damn awesome by default.

The audience quickly learns that Universe 6’s Saiyans are actually a chivalrous and heroic breed (not to mention, tail-less) from Planet Sadala, rather than the power-hungry conquistadors that the audience has gotten used to from Universe 7’s Planet Vegeta. In fact, Saiyans are almost Universe 6’s equivalent of the Guardians of the Galaxy. They’re galactic protectors and Vegeta is endlessly fascinated by this alternate take on his heritage. Not only is it very satisfying to watch Vegeta go head-to-head with another Saiyan, but an odd mentorship begins to form between Vegeta and Cabbe. It’s clear that the two respect each other a fair bit, which already makes this fight feel different than Vegeta’s previous battle against Magetta.

It’s a nice detail when the referee needs to take some time to repair the arena from the damage that Vegeta did to it in the last battle. It makes for an effective way to fill some time before the next fight kicks into gear. It also allows Beerus and Champa to go at it for a few more rounds. Their rivalry is currently at its apex with this tournament now in its final stages.

It’s somewhat touching to see the degree of pomp and circumstance that the episode applies to this historic battle between Saiyans. The opening shots continually place Vegeta and Cabbe in juxtaposition to one another as it repeatedly highlights the funhouse mirror aesthetic of this battle. Vegeta addresses how their fighting styles are extremely similar. In a moment that’s even more surprising, Cabbe also shows off that he has some Gallet Gun equivalent. This leads to frequent moments where Vegeta and Cabbe square off with complimentary displays of power and it makes for a fun fight.

Cabbe manages to initially hold his own against Vegeta, that is until Vegeta powers up into a Super Saiyan. Vegeta is enjoying this playful battle, but when he tells Cabbe to transform along with him so they can continue to duke it out, Cabbe confesses that he has no idea what Vegeta’s talking about. Presumably due to the kinder nature of Universe 6’s Saiyans, none of the race have managed to turn into a Super Saiyan yet. Vegeta is none too pleased about his formidable opponent suddenly becoming a pitiful challenge (that repeated spine kick is a hell of a move that rightfully freaks out everyone in the audience). In a particularly gripping moment, when Cabbe attempts to surrender the fight to get out of this torture, Vegeta tells him that he’s not allowed. That if he does do such a thing, he’ll kill him.

The Saiyan Prince begins to assault Cabbe, both physically and verbally, as he yells at him that if he doesn’t start turning things around soon then he’s going to destroy his planet and kill everyone he knows. These psychological insults eventually push Cabbe to his breaking point and an all-too familiar transformation starts to occur for the little guy. It’s pretty fun and nostalgic to watch someone turn into a Super Saiyan for the first time, especially when it’s someone so humble like Cabbe.

Surprisingly, Cabbe’s fight with Vegeta doesn’t get more interesting after Cabbe goes Super Saiyan. In fact, the whole affair ends in a single punch. Yes, Vegeta is still hopelessly stronger than Cabbe, but his aggressive display against the fledgling Saiyan was merely a training tool to bring out his anger and help him unlock the potential within. Cabbe is deeply grateful that Vegeta could push him to such growth and he’s certainly eager to even have the Saiyan take him on as a protégé. While Vegeta doesn’t deny the merits of this, he declares it more important for Cabbe to not forget the killer instinct that he showed in the arena and to never forget the pride that lies inside of all Saiyans. He should want to be the very best and surpass everyone else and the moment the guy starts acting more like a tiny Vegeta, the more Vegeta Prime will be happy to further help.

After Cabbe’s elimination, Champa starts to look a little worried. Universe 6 is down to its final warrior, the assassin, Hit. Universe 7 may outnumber their competition at the moment, but the past few episodes have all teased at how Hit is such a powerful opponent. The renowned fighter going up against Vegeta is surely going to make for an entertaining battle. However, with the way that both of the universe’s teams are set up, it certainly seems like Vegeta will be facing elimination. It’d make for a fairly anticlimactic—albeit awesome—finale if Vegeta simply continued his winning streak with little consequence.

Besides, we’ve got to see what Monaka and those giant nips are capable of doing!

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