Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai’ Episode 8 Recap

Dragon Quest: Fans of Dai's Adventure have a lot to be excited about this week. The anime introduces its most layered 20 minutes yet, with episode 8. Now that the trio has gathered, a vengeful Crocodine is facing a hazard. Toei Animation is showing this 90's anime reboot. The series is based on the popular manga of the same name; it serves as a game franchise spin-off. Maam joins the boys in Dragon Quest Episode 8 to help fight the Dark Lord, and honor the memory of Avan, her former mentor. The three ride until they reach the Castle of Romos, expecting to see the King.

Meanwhile, Dai resents Crocodine for scarring his cheek. He wants vengeance, and he wants to stop Dai gaining more power. The Furfang Legion threatens the Kingdom of Romos at dawn, with Crocodine making a beeline to take the King hostage and lure Dai out. Maam and Dai find out what his plan is and Dai takes off to stop him without a second thought. What happens next is a moment of character that has been developing for Popp steadily over the last few weeks. Maam is appalled that he wants to see Dai go by himself. Popp breaks down, exclaiming that he had never signed up to fight, and that it's all because of Dai.

Equally emotional is Dai's battle with Crocodine. Second, seeing a king who completely refuses to run away and leave his people behind is refreshing. Secondly, Crocodine, avoiding spoilers, plays dirty around battling Dai this time. Under Zaboera's influence, he cruelly exploits the sentimentality and vulnerabilities of Dai. This leads to an emotional battle which, depending on what happens next week, can rival, if not exceed, Avan vs. Hadlar. In Dragon Quest Episode 8, the slightly awkward picture of CG against 2D animation is back, but much less obvious. It is evident that it was used to animate the creatures of the Furfang Legion fighting in the background, so it is not as distracting as it was earlier in the series. Fortunately, it wasn't present at all during Dai's big fight.

Episode 8 of Dragon Quest packs a lot into 20 minutes, but it is succinct and well done. Both deep character scenes and battles with high stakes occur. In the last few weeks, the series has picked up a lot of pace and hopefully it'll just keep climbing.