When it comes to anime, there are few friends as iconic as Son Goku and Krillin (Kuririn). The pair grew up as childhood buddies and rivals as they trained in martial arts under Master Roshi. By the time Dragon Ball Z came about, Goku and Krillin had obtained varying powers, but their friendship was wholly unbreakable. With their camaraderie intact, the pair continued to face dangerous battles together even if Krillin was less-than-prepared to take on baddies like Freeza.

Over the years, fans have come to appreciate Krillin for his steadfast loyalty, but his inability to reach Goku’s level has miffed others. To them, they wonder why Krillin even bothers with Goku and continues trying to train when he knows he’ll never be as good as the Saiyan.

Lucky for them, there is someone out there with an answer. There is no one who knows Krillin better than the voice actress who has played the warrior for decades now. In previous interviews, Mayumi Tanaka has talked at length about how Krillin approaches his spot on Goku’s team. The way Tanaka sees it, Krillin has a similar status to One Piece‘s Usopp.

“During the original Dragon Ball, the studio was already largely composed of veterans, so there was always this sense of tension. I guess because of that, I was constantly thinking about how I couldn’t give a lousy performance. So at any rate, because of this I busted my tail off, and wasn’t able to see the whole picture. So even though I played Kuririn, I never really understood his position. However, later I started performing Luffy, the main character in One Piece, and so I started really thinking about what you’d call characters’ positions,” she said during a cast interview for the second Dragon Ball Kai Blu-ray release.

“As captain of the Straw Hat Crew, Luffy’s position is to draw everyone together. All of Luffy’s comrades are influenced by him, and they trust and love him. This is why they gather together to form a “crew”. When I thought about this from my position as the one playing the main character, for the first time I came to see each of his friends’ feelings. For instance, the character called “Usopp” isn’t the most physically strong out of all the crew. However, during battles he’ll go against his better judgment and face opponents stronger than himself with all his might. Though he’s definitely no match for them, he’ll do all he can for the sake of his friends. He can do this because Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Crew have complete faith in him. Kuririn’s the same way.”

Giving an example, Tanaka looked back to Dragon Ball Z‘s battle on Planet Namek to highlight her comparsion. “For instance, during the battle on Planet Namek, he took on people vastly stronger than him, like Freeza or Vegeta, and desperately gathered the Dragon Balls until Goku arrived. Even though it could get him killed, he desperately did whatever he could, clinging to the hope that Goku would manage something once he got there. Considering this, it made me think that Kuririn must really love Goku, and trust him, and that Usopp and Kuririn are alike. Having performed both from the side of entrusting hope to someone, and having hope entrusted to you, I’ve come to understand Kuririn’s feelings as he waits for Goku.”

So, what do you think? Can you see the similarities between Krillin and Usopp? If so, hit us up on Twitter @ComicBook to share your thoughts!

As for the saga’s start date, the new arc premiered on February 5, 2017. The “Universal Survival” saga is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. CST. Toonami will begin airing the English dub on Adult Swim Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.

[HT] Kanzenshuu

Dragon Ball SuperSunday at on Fuji Television Network

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