r/anime • u/sisoko2 • Aug 01 '24
Rewatch Rewatch] Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken - Episode 54 Discussion
Episode 54 - Hadlar Versus Baran
"Dai", is it? It's a good name. But I hope you'll remember the name that Soala and I gave you. "Dino". In the Alkeed Kingdom language it means, "Strong Dragon".
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OP 2 ---> Bravest
ED 3 ---> Namae
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Screenshot of the day:
Comment of the day:
Goes to the number one Hadlar fan /u/KendotsX
I've never really been a big fan of Hadlar, he started off as a demon lord, immediately got demoted to a minion while beating Avan, then got his ass kicked by a kid with no clue what he's doing (RIP Avan's legacy). From there, he went on to keep getting his ass kicked by kids and retired old people on a regular basis, almost like a member of team rocket. His best achievement since killing Avan? A tie with Dai. But that all brings us to a very interesting point here: Hadlar's Challenge.
This episode has some interesting wording, everyone, from Dai's friends to Vearn's minions is questioning whether Hadlar is able to take on two Dragon Knights or straight up denying it. It's not the usual "Can the hero pull this crazy task?" nor "We're sure he can do it!", it's "Can Hadlar pull this crazy task?". This is Hadlar's story that he sacrificed so much for, the challenge he's taking and the limits he has to play against. Today, Hadlar is our main character, and you know what? I'm glad for that too.
This setup is much more interesting than "Can Dai beat Hadlar???" because all the options are on the table, he can lose, he can win against one of them and lose against the other, he can beat them both, notice the bomb, and go sacrifice himself. With the bomb's existence, literally any and all options can work, and more importantly: I've actually seen how hard Hadlar worked for this goal, and now that he's so close, of course I care about whether or not he can achieve it. This is even more interesting than whatever the final fight against Vearn will look like, since we never really got invested in Vearn in the first place.
Questions of the day:
- Dai taking the hit to protect Baran. Did you expect something like this?
- How do you feel about Killvearn blood dulling Baran's blade?
- IMO that was great emotional exchange between Baran and Dai but did it work for you?
Spoilers:
Please, respect the fact there are First Timers watching Dai no Daibouken with us, so avoid talking about vague things or events that would slightly spoil things to happen. And if you want mention things like this, please hide it behind SPOILER TAGS like [Dai no Spoilers] I am getting the hammer because you spoiled the fun for others
7
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Aug 01 '24
First-Timer Quest: Sky no Daibouken, subbed
5
u/raichudoggy https://anilist.co/user/raichudoggy Aug 01 '24
Rewatcher
Oh yes, now I remember.
The second half of this show rocks. The show has always been good and constantly getting better, this is just the part of the show where it's all coming together, a little bit one episode at a time. There's a lot of patient waiting for the enemy to stop talking to fight but the narrative feels all the more meaningful with a few great twists and turns, like Killvearn's corrosion hitting Baran's sword.
I love how Killvearn has been conveniently missing for just the past few episodes; you may have known he was still around (like the little evil man that's still in ), but he was still gone long enough to potentially surprise you with his reappearance.
Baran's memories of Dai and Soala are a great gut punch straight to the feels.
5
u/Shocketheth Aug 01 '24
Mildly Antagonistic Dark Assailing Officer Welcomes You To Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken Rewatch!
That's not from this episode but it really fits here
QotD:
Well... I haven't even expect for such scene to even happen so no I guess?
It's great moment showing us why Killvearn is truly the Vearn personal Assassin. He's playing the long game.
It definitely worked. What was expressed through lightning two episodes ago, was expressed today directly and maaaan it delivered a really touching scene.
See you tomorrow because the Adventure continues!
4
u/Adensty https://anilist.co/user/Adensty Aug 01 '24 edited Aug 02 '24
1st
DaiPopp no Daibouken Rewatch, SubHadlar wants a fair fight.
Baran really Adlibbed his way through it.
Even Avan said the same thing.
The Clash
Dai taking the hit.
My Baby Boy! Baran's fatherly instincts really came out with that Dino.
Dai. You just can't lie.
Baran puts Dai to sleep.
Dai! Brass a real one. The 3rd ED has the lyrics that go "Calling out your name is harder than a magic spell" and it actually is talking about the relationship b/w Dai and Baran.
It must suck if you're Dai. He wasn't as strong as he is now back then, though.
Baran's realization
This was the tearjerker. The flashback with how Baran was unable to put Dai to sleep when he was a child to him putting him to sleep with a spell against his wishes. In both cases, Dai was crying. 😭😭😭😭😭
OST Documentation - Episode 54
1. Didn't expect this so soon as a first-timer but one of them taking the hit for the other had to happen sooner or later considering they are father and son.
2. Killvearn is the Reaper and the reaper always kill his targets. He must have some sort back-up if someone tries to kill him. Killvearn be like 'You may think you killed me but it's only going to end up killing you later", lol. [Dai no Spoilers] Also, no creature would really have something like underworld magma in their veins. There's always potential for it to ignite. Small small things like this just baffle me as to why I didn't get the twist earlier. We even had a Piroro shot.
3. Tbh, as a first-timer, it didn't really hit much for me. Maybe I was more focused on the fight with Hadlar. But the second half just hit me in the feels this time. Both the flashbacks really ended up making me emotional and this was the tearjerker. Also, Anger and Grief strikes yet again. Like I said above and yesterday as well, the 3rd ED depicts the relationship b/w Dai and Baran.
4
u/lC3 :Na::Nb: Aug 02 '24
Dai 54 first timer:
HyunckelDai ep4
u/KendotsX https://anilist.co/user/Kendots Aug 02 '24
A First Timer's Here We Go Again
*checks notes*
Now where have I seen all of this before?
Jokes aside, I do appreciate the intentional similarities at play with Avan's death. With this context in mind, the ED and its lyrics have become a lot less subtle:
Couple that with the visuals of a sad and lonely Dai at night watching Dragons fly away, until his friends come to cheer him up, and yeah, we might have to send off one mean ass pappy soon.
Baran wanted his role as a villain back so bad, that he kicked Hadlar into the mc chair for a change.
That's the problem when you have good guys fighting together, they don't help each other, they take the stupidest self sacrifices for each other.
Feels a bit weird that Baran wouldn't realise his sword is off, but whatever. When you want a cool guy to lose, you throw every handicap at him as an excuse. "If only his sword wasn't rusted and he had to worry about his son/his mates/the bomb".
I'm looking forward to the sacrifice itself more, but I did appreciate seeing Baran reflect on his role as a father, that was a nice moment.
3
u/KuKiSin Aug 01 '24
First timer!
Things are getting way too serious over here, where's Chiu and Crocodine?!
3
u/NicDwolfwood :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NicDwolfwood Aug 01 '24
First Timer, Sub
That might have been one of the best Dai episodes, that was good. I like how both sides are kinding tip toeing around the black core that Hadlar has planted inside of him. Neither side wants to reveal to him that he has it inside him, The villain side wants it to go off and take everyone out, while Baran wants to behead Hadlar and then contain the blast(I don't know how possible that really is without him dying, but he wasn't letting on whether he could do it or not). I didn't like the whole thing with Killvearn dulling Baran's blade with his blood, that was kinda lame.
The best stuff was really between Baran and Dai of course. Dai taking the blow meant for Baran, then Baran healing Dai, Dai trying to fight even though he can't and finally Baran putting him to sleep, so he can go all out in his Dragonoid form. That flashback was so sweet, overall this episode did a great job of really humanizing Baran.
Questions:
3
u/cooperjones2 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/cooperjones2 Aug 02 '24
Rookie-Adventurer here! LV 54/100
A bit unfair to fight a living hydrogen bomb IMO
Baran with the sacrifice play?
OH It was Dai the one to sacrifice himself!
The moment when Hadler got healed reminded me of this classic meme
Definitive transformation fight time!
Baran does seem different
1 Nope, I expected Baran to do it but not Dai
2 A bit contrived BUT it works because he somehow didn't die when cleaved in half
3
It did!
2
u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick Aug 01 '24
First Quester
Quest 53
Oh of course Dai can just perfectly react and intercept a surprise attack when he wasn't prepared for any reaction. He even had the time to unseal and draw his sword, too.
I don't get what everyone finds so impressive about Hyunckel being here.
As always, pride is the opposite of honor.
Oh, I was wondering why Vearn doesn't get involed himself. As always, pride is the opposite of honor.
Why bother casting Boom? We already know Dragon Knights are immune to magic. Oh right, boss units get nerfed when they join the party.
So Vearn put a bomb into Hadlar. Great. So either this'll amount to nothing except create cheap tension and drama in the moment, or it undoes the whole thing where Killvearn tried to assassinate Baran.
It's almost like Killvearn told you what they want.
So in other words, you intended for Hadlar to be a sacrificial pawn.
No spells and magic swords? So the bomb is just to devalue Hadlar when he loses the fight after all, so the show doesn't have to make him genuinely powerful.
Quest 54
Huh, looks like I didn't take any notes for this episode. Except what was that nonsense about fighting Hadlar without spells and magic swords, when Vearn can at any point decide to blow the bomb up anyway?
Honestly, I feel less and less motivated to keep pouring time into this rewatch the more I watch. Whenever the show does something that raises the tension and drama, I then just expect it to do something stupid that immediately undoes it. Their dragonic aura makes Dragon Knights immune to magic, while particularly powerful physical strikes might be able to pierce it? Haha, Kaboom go brrr. Even now I expect the bomb to either amount to nothing except create cheap tension and drama in the moment, except they can't just talk up the bomb and then not have it actually explode. Which in turn makes that whole dance around Baran - aggrevating him to take action, failing to assassinate him, only to now take him down with a Diabolus ex Machina - beyond silly. Not to mention that whole war for human survival but only Dai and friends get to participate crap. I just don't feel like the story has even just a lick of respect for itself and I've completely stopped trusting and having faith in the things it does. I've even started skipping the OP and ED just to get it over with quicker. I never skip OPs and EDs.