The newest saga of Dragon Ball Super is seamlessly bridging two arcs without the abrupt jumps seen in previous transitions, marking a positive development. While the series has struggled with awkward transitions between sagas in the past, the current unnamed saga is demonstrating significant improvement. The Granolah the Survivor Saga stands out as one of the most effective transitions in Dragon Ball Super, showcasing enhanced storytelling.
Despite its overall unpopularity, the Super Hero arc of Dragon Ball Super introduces a crucial improvement to the series' narrative coherence. Warning: The following discussion contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Super chapter 101. Fans have long criticized the Super Hero arc of Dragon Ball Super for valid reasons, but it effectively addresses a significant weakness of the sequel series by building on its previous chapters. While the decision to stretch out a storyline already condensed into a two-hour movie may seem questionable, the initial chapter of the unnamed saga takes promising steps forward.
Crafted by Akira Toriyama and artist Toyotarou, Dragon Ball Super chapter 101 picks up immediately after the conclusion of Super Hero, expanding on the manga's revised storyline with a pivotal focus on Carmine, an associate of Red Ribbon leader Magenta, as he plots his revenge.
Chapter 101 notably delves into Carmine's early schemes, where he attempts to enlist Goten and Trunks after witnessing their superhero alter egos, Saiyaman X-1 and Saiyaman X-2, in action. This marks a departure from Super's usual tendency to jump between arcs abruptly, such as the shifts from the High School Saga to the Super Hero Saga. However, it promptly severs the direct connection between Super Hero and the current arc as Carmine's plan to pit the Saiyaman against Gohan unravels due to a misunderstanding.
Super has often struggled with smooth transitions between its sagas, contrasting sharply with the seamless blend seen in Dragon Ball Z. For instance, the leap from the God of Destruction Beerus Saga to the Universe 6 Saga was jarring, despite its narrative significance. Unlike Super Hero, which condensed the Resurrection 'F' movie into a brief summary before delving into Champa's arrival and subsequent challenges to Beerus, these shifts lacked fluidity.
Similarly disruptive was the segue from the Universe 6 Saga to the "Future" Trunks Saga, interrupting the flow towards the Tournament of Power. Even the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga failed to bridge this gap smoothly, relying on a vague passage of time to connect storylines.
Remarkably, despite its shortcomings, Super Hero and other less favored arcs manage to remedy this narrative weakness, elevating Dragon Ball Super closer to the storytelling finesse of Dragon Ball Z. Dragon Ball Super chapter 101 is accessible via Shonen Jump and Manga PLUS for those eager to explore these developments further.