Dragon Ball Super has made it clear by this point that Hit’s greatest asset is his speed. Vegeta couldn’t rise above this challenge, but Goku manages to figure out how to stay ahead of this. That is, until he doesn’t. Initially, when Goku powers up to Super Saiyan Blue it appears to give him the necessary speed increase to keep up with Hit and cause his opponent to move onto the defensive. Goku even gets in a number of good blows on Hit as he taunts the guy to use his signature “Time Skip” ability so he can further deconstruct and disable it. It’s pretty satisfying here to see Goku bring out his aggressive side and belittle Hit until he begins to take him seriously. Furthermore, it’s also cathartic to see Hit wince from Goku’s attacks and bellow in pain after the Universe 6 warrior did such swift work against Vegeta last episode.

Dragon Ball Super has recently spent a lot of time helping Vegeta get back in his merciless groove, but “Here Comes Goku’s New Move!” is wise to remind the audience of how calculated and precise Goku can be in battle, too. I defy anyone to watch this episode and not crack a smile when Goku flawlessly counters Hit’s “Time Skip” move and sends the guy flying. The moment becomes even stronger when it’s clear how much Vegeta is seething over this. He’s officially back in jealousy mode.

Goku and Hit’s battle may be more suspenseful and powerful than Hit’s previous bout with Vegeta, but that former fight also contains the more beautiful animation of the two. The choreography and look of this new fight is just fine, but when the last battle was a stunning example of what the show is capable of doing with its animation, it’s easy to feel a little let down here. The quality never dips too low in this entry, but it’s still something worth addressing here. It’s also likely a measure to ensure that the end of this tournament looks as polished as possible.

These complaints aside, the final scene that’s full of explosive blues and reds is a delight to take in. Plus, the art style that’s used when Hit implements his “Time Skip” attack is really beautiful stuff. The whole color palette morphs into this muted, simplistic design that’s a creative way to convey Hit’s extreme power. It’s a touch that certainly isn’t necessary, but the visual of glass shattering and the world breaking as fighters find themselves frozen in time makes the powerful move even more impressive.

The highlight of “Developed ‘Time Skip’ Counterstrike?!” is clearly Goku’s return to the move from his glory days, the Kaio-Ken Attack. There’s an explanation given for why it’s not possible for Goku to use the Kaio-Ken in conjunction with his Super Saiyan power-up, but the ways in which Super Saiyan Blue controls and distributes power has made it once again viable. Goku curiously notes that he’s secretly been experimenting with this technique and preparing it as a last ditch effort against Beerus, if necessary. However, Super Saiyan Blue is already a tremendous stress on the human body and a severe sap of strength. Kaio-Ken does the same thing and because of this Goku reveals that the gambit has a 10% chance of working and a 90% chance of killing him. Yep. That’s the level that this fight is at.