Dragon Ball Episode 17 Retro Review: “Milk Delivery” is a Hilarious Spin on the Classic Training Arc
----- ADS-----
Dragon Ball has worked out its early growing pains to confidently forge ahead as Goku and Krillin officially become Master Roshi’s students. “Find That Stone!” gave audiences a taste of Roshi’s unusual training tactics, beautifully going off book in a way that not only raises eyebrows, but expectations. “Milk Delivery” plays even better when viewed in succession so that a broader view of Roshi’s training style comes into focus. Much like “Find That Stone!,” “Milk Delivery” is another three-hander that focuses on Goku, Krillin, and Roshi, yet it does a better job than its predecessor in nearly every regard.
This is a deceptively simple Dragon Ball episode that adeptly mixes slice-of-life mundanity with humility and heroic training. “Milk Deliver” defies standard battle shonen conventions, but there’s still a sense of progress and a true method to Roshi’s madness. There are several points where Goku and Krillin – as well as the episode itself – nearly lose their footing. However, “Milk Delivery” brings everything together when it matters most and culminates into a special, inspirational episode that proves why Dragon Ball is such a different breed of anime.
Dragon Ball has breen breaking its own rules and bucking conventions from the moment that Bulma met Goku. It’s impressive that Dragon Ball’s big training arc for Goku and Krillin throws out the shonen playbook in favor of menial tasks and daily chores. A leisurely stone hunt may have seemed like a lackluster way to start off this story arc, but “Milk Delivery” sets out to prove that this is the new normal when Goku and Krillin are tasked with dairy delivery for an entire episode. The episode’s structure may come as a surprise, yet what’s even more shocking is that it actually works.
----- ADS-----
