Mayumi Tanaka is one of the very few voice artists who have gained worldwide fame for voicing a single character. She is the voice of One Piece’s Monkey D. Luffy. She has been with the franchise for more than two decades, and fans cannot even think of anyone apart from her when it comes to Luffy. But she is also involved with another big franchise, which is worth more than $23 Billion.
Mayumi Tanaka is also the voice actor of Goku’s best friend, Krillin. Even before landing the role of future Pirate King, she got to work with the Dragon Ball franchise. The Dragon Ball and One Piece fandom often get involved in heated arguments, but the voice artist revealed that Krillin is quite similar to Usopp as a person. There is barely any difference between the two.
Mayumi Tanaka Believes Usopp And Krillin Are Similar
Mayumi Tanaka is familiar with the One Piece and the Dragon Ball franchise. Having closely worked with both franchises for so long, she found that Usopp and Krillin share the same traits. While Krillin was comparatively strong in Dragon Ball than in the latter series’, Usopp was never physically strong. But they overcame their weaknesses by keeping faith in their friends and always fighting for the just cause.
During an interview, Tanaka said,
“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. 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.”
According to her, neither of the two cared for their lives when their friend’s life was at stake. Their resilience always made up for their weaknesses. Krillin is indirectly responsible for Goku turning into a Super Saiyan. On the other hand, Usopp motivated Luffy to get up and fight Rob Lucci even though his body was aching and he could barely stand on his feet. Moreover, wasting time until the protagonists arrive is their special power.
Mayumi Tanaka Has Become Inseparable From One Piece And Dragon Ball
Mayumi Tanaka can be the voice actor of One Piece’s protagonist, but that does not make the Dragon Ball franchise love and respect her any less. She is actively involved with both the anime. While Tanaka is busy with One Piece, she might return to voice Krillin in the upcoming Dragon Ball series. Dragon Ball DAIMA is scheduled to be released in October 2024. The veteran voice artist is a part of a combined anime franchise of $44 Billion.
The fans love her dearly and cannot wish to see anyone else taking up the role of Luffy or Krillin. She jokingly mentioned that the only person who could take up her job was the legendary Masako Nozawa, the voice actor of Goku. Being the voice actor of Krillin, he knows every trick of the characters. She even mentioned that he would have been the perfect bride for Goku, given their close bond. While anime fandoms fight, she has been the link between two franchises for multiple decades.
One Piece and Dragon Ball are currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
