Why Did The 'Dragon Ball Super' Manga Overlook This Battle?

Dragon Ball fans have become painfully aware of how differently the Tournament of Power is shaping [...]

Dragon Ball fans have become painfully aware of how differently the Tournament of Power is shaping up in the manga compared to Toei Animation's anime series. But while some changes have been for the better, some have meant that particular characters get the short stick.

Especially Android 18. Android 18 had her big moment in the anime's Tournament of Power in her fight with Ribrianne, but the manga omits this fight pretty much entirely as both of them are eliminated by Universe 4.

In the anime, Android 18 and Ribrianne fight over the concept of love. Throughout the fight with Android 18, Ribrianne often made comments about Android 18's perceived lack of love, and while Android 18 was able to comically dodge Ribrianne's attacks at first, she eventually succumbed to a previously sustained injury. Thinking she had Android 18 on the ropes, Ribrianne got a love power boost from the eliminated Universe 2 fighters and unlocks a towering new transformation.

With the help of Android 17, Android 18 proves her love to Ribrianne and managed to defeat the giant magical girl by punching her in the giant face. But this doesn't happen in the manga. In the manga, Ribrianne briefly calls Android 18 ugly before the both of them are quickly taken by surprise by Universe 4's invisible fight Gamisaras and eliminated from the tournament.

Taking this important moment out stings a bit more because while anime fans were split on Ribrianne, Android 18 needed one final moment of awesomeness for her character. It also means that when Universe 2 is eventually erased in the manga, Ribrianne won't be able to exit with the kind of sel-fulfillment she had in the series paying 18 respects. It's a shame neither of the two characters will get this kind of emotional moment.

But this is just another example of how brisk the Dragon Ball Super manga feels compared to the anime's version of the events, but if you're interested in the anime the series is currently airing its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonami programming block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m. It is also available to stream on Funimation and Amazon Video. The Japanese language release of the series is complete, and available to stream on Funimation, VRV, and Crunchyroll.

The first Dragon Ball Super film is set to release this December in Japan, and has just released its first trailer. The film will focus on the Saiyans, the "origins of Goku's power," and potentially the story of the very first Super Saiyan. Not only does it aim to be the best film in the series, original creator Akira Toriyama will be contributing to the film's script and character designs. Fans will get their first look at the new film during the Dragon Ball North America Tour, as well.

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