‘Dragon Ball Super’s English Dub Proves Why Piccolo Is The Best Uncle Ever

There are a set of Dragon Ball Super fans who have only been following the dub, and they’ve recently gotten one cute character building episode after another.

A pervasive joke among Dragon Ball fans over the years has been that Piccolo often comes across as a better dad than Goku, but after Episode 43 of the English language broadcast, Piccolo definitely cements his place as a cute and doting uncle.

The preview for the episode teased Goku going through problems controlling his power, and that’s definitely the story that gets the most attention, but there’s a B-plot concerning his granddaughter Pan that’s just too cute.

When Goku falls from the sky and crushes his home, he goes and stays with Gohan. Upon entering the home he finds Piccolo watching over Pan while Gohan and Videl are at an interview for a really good job.

Piccolo not only cutely dotes on Pan, but is attending to every one of her needs. He’s hesitant to leave her with Goku as he runs down a detailed list of her likes and dislikes (“She hates celery!”). And even once he decides to leave, he ends up walking back to the house telling Goku to make sure he brushes Pan’s teeth.

There’s a pride in Piccolo when he also says that Pan is usually fussy with everyone but himself, and he’s noticeably jealous when Pan easily takes to Goku holding her. This level of detailed knowledge of her caregiving implies that Piccolo has spent more nights than this one with Pan, and has built the kind of bond he once had with Gohan. Though it is admittedly far less mentor like, and more of a loving parent.

Goku seems carefree when he plays with Pan, and it just makes it even funnier when Piccolo not only worries when he does this but freaks out the most when Pan eventually goes missing. She’s revealed to have a power all of her own and ends up flying around in space with Emperor Pilaf, Shu, and Mai and they were worried for no real reason.

Dragon Ball Super‘s “Universal Survival” arc is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturday evenings at 7:15 p.m. CST. Adult Swim airs the English dub during its Toonami block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m, and is now available to stream on FunimationNOW and Amazon Video.

The English broadcast release of Dragon Ball Super just ended the “Universe 6” arc, where the God of Destruction Beerus challenges his brother, Universe 6’s God of Destruction Champa for ultimate superiority of the planet Earth and its delicacies. Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo and the mysterious Monoka fought against various tough enemies from Universe 6 such as a member of Frieza’s race, Saiyan, and a time-shifting assassin.