Despite my big distaste for this arc in general, I will give it this: The episodes where No. 16, No. 17 and No. 18 are the main villains, I usually consider to be the best and the peak of this arc. It does help that the previous and the following episodes are all terrible, but I do consider this mini-arc to be greatly enjoyable by its own merits.
The Real Villains... For Now
Trunks comes back to the past and tells the heroes that No. 19 and No. 20 were not the actual Androids on his timeline (let's quietly pretend the manga didn't say otherwise), the real ones are then unveiled: No. 17 and No. 18, who waste no time in killing Gero's old ass and challenging the heroes directly.
I love No. 17 and No. 18, they are miles better than both the previous Androids and Cell in terms of design, menace, competence, motivation and personality. No. 18 showcases how deadly they are by single-handedly beating the crap out of Vegeta while No. 17 makes it clear he's even stronger than her. That's how you set up a villain.
The fight between No. 18 and Vegeta is simply fantastic, great choreography and great characters to be paired up against each other. Vegeta getting a lesson in humility is always a treat to watch, especially if it's Post-Namek!Vegeta we're talking about. Also, female representation in Dragon Ball is very rare, so I accept No. 18 with open arms.
Chichi's Likable Again
Every once in a while, the anime will stop to show Goku suffering from the heart disease while Chichi and Yamcha give him the medicine. I really enjoy these tiny little bits of filler, it shows that Chichi actually does care for her husband, a far cry from when she ran past his broken body in the Saiyan Saga without a care.
Something Worse Is Lurking
While No. 17 and No. 18 drive around enjoying nature in their game to kill Goku, Bulma and Trunks are shocked to find out there's another time machine abandoned in the middle of nowhere. Even Trunks doesn't know what the hell happened. Also, something is lurking around the city making people vanish without leaving a trace.
Alright, I don't really have many positive feelings about Cell, but this is a great set-up. There is an air of mystery and dread in these episodes that just can't be replicated any other time in this arc. It's such a shame when the actual reveal turns out to be such a letdown.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, in an arc where everybody acts like an obnoxious idiot, this set of episodes easily shines through. The villains are lovable, the fight scenes are incredible, the story advances at a pleasant pacing, and the storytelling doesn't boil down to "and then things happened because somebody was an idiot." It's a complete winner.
In retrospect, I can see why people rank this arc favorably in fan polls. (sigh) I wish I could say the same about the rest of it.
Android Saga - No. 17 and No. 18
Despite my big distaste for this arc in general, I will give it this: The episodes where No. 16, No. 17 and No. 18 are the main villains, I usually consider to be the best and the peak of this arc. It does help that the previous and the following episodes are all terrible, but I do consider this mini-arc to be greatly enjoyable by its own merits.
The Real Villains... For Now
Trunks comes back to the past and tells the heroes that No. 19 and No. 20 were not the actual Androids on his timeline (let's quietly pretend the manga didn't say otherwise), the real ones are then unveiled: No. 17 and No. 18, who waste no time in killing Gero's old ass and challenging the heroes directly.
I love No. 17 and No. 18, they are miles better than both the previous Androids and Cell in terms of design, menace, competence, motivation and personality. No. 18 showcases how deadly they are by single-handedly beating the crap out of Vegeta while No. 17 makes it clear he's even stronger than her. That's how you set up a villain.
The fight between No. 18 and Vegeta is simply fantastic, great choreography and great characters to be paired up against each other. Vegeta getting a lesson in humility is always a treat to watch, especially if it's Post-Namek!Vegeta we're talking about. Also, female representation in Dragon Ball is very rare, so I accept No. 18 with open arms.
Chichi's Likable Again
Every once in a while, the anime will stop to show Goku suffering from the heart disease while Chichi and Yamcha give him the medicine. I really enjoy these tiny little bits of filler, it shows that Chichi actually does care for her husband, a far cry from when she ran past his broken body in the Saiyan Saga without a care.
Something Worse Is Lurking
While No. 17 and No. 18 drive around enjoying nature in their game to kill Goku, Bulma and Trunks are shocked to find out there's another time machine abandoned in the middle of nowhere. Even Trunks doesn't know what the hell happened. Also, something is lurking around the city making people vanish without leaving a trace.
Alright, I don't really have many positive feelings about Cell, but this is a great set-up. There is an air of mystery and dread in these episodes that just can't be replicated any other time in this arc. It's such a shame when the actual reveal turns out to be such a letdown.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, in an arc where everybody acts like an obnoxious idiot, this set of episodes easily shines through. The villains are lovable, the fight scenes are incredible, the story advances at a pleasant pacing, and the storytelling doesn't boil down to "and then things happened because somebody was an idiot." It's a complete winner.
In retrospect, I can see why people rank this arc favorably in fan polls. (sigh) I wish I could say the same about the rest of it.
Rating: 5/5