Episode 96 of Dragon Ball, first broadcast in Japan on January 13, 1988 and known in the English dub as Tail's Tale, wraps up the Goku vs. Krillin semifinal. Krillin plays his secret card, his friend's tail, which has always been Goku's weak spot, only to discover that in three years Goku has trained that weakness away too. The ending is a flash, literally: Goku moves so fast that the crowd doesn't even see the decisive blow.
Summary
The fight resumes. Goku runs at Krillin while charging a Kamehameha, jumps and uses it as a thruster to launch himself into his friend. Krillin goes down and the announcer starts counting, but he gets up and the bout continues with a tight exchange. Goku, though, is a step above and lands hit after hit.
Krillin realizes he has only one chance left. He fires a Kamehameha, even though he knows it won't be enough, and indeed Goku blocks it with one hand. But the blast was only a diversion. In the confusion Krillin appears behind his friend and grabs his tail. Goku collapses, drained of strength, the announcer counts and Krillin is already celebrating.
Before ten, however, Goku gets up and slams Krillin to the ground. He explains that over the past three years, following Roshi's advice, he trained his tail above all, until his only weakness was gone. Stunned, Krillin tries one last trick and manages to hit him, but the punch has no effect. Then Goku vanishes. In fact he is moving so fast that nobody can follow him anymore: he appears beside Krillin, strikes him without the crowd noticing and sends him out of the ring.
The spectators are disappointed: as far as they can tell, Krillin simply fell out on his own. Only Tien Shinhan, thanks to his third eye, saw everything, and he understands that he is facing an opponent on his level. At sunset Bulma, Launch and Oolong congratulate the two boys, and the final is set: Goku against Tien.
Our take
The semifinal is the most affectionate portrait of the friendship between Goku and Krillin. They really fight, no holding back, but without a trace of resentment, and Goku greets each of Krillin's tricks almost with admiration. The tail grab is a nod to the series' memory: for years it was Goku's Achilles' heel, exploited by enemies and friends alike, and here it is retired with a quip.
The invisible finishing blow, on the other hand, is a message to the viewer. The tournament crowd can't tell what happened, because the fighters are now beyond what ordinary people can perceive. It is the same gap the tournament has been showing for several episodes, and the final will push it to the limit.
Trivia
- The episode adapts chapter 126 from page five and the first thirteen pages of chapter 127. It drew an 18.8% ratings share in Japan.
- The flashbacks to Goku's training over the past three years, Oolong teasing Puar and the squabble between a bored Crane Hermit and Bulma are anime-only.
- In the manga Goku uses his diversion right away to ring Krillin out; in the anime Krillin first manages to land one last hit.
- Also in the manga, the announcer asks Goku whether he wants a break before the final, which there takes place the same day; the anime moves the final to the next day.
Did you know? A tiny King Ghidorah, the three-headed dragon from the Godzilla films, briefly shows up in the crowd.
Characters
- Goku
- Krillin
- Tien Shinhan
- Master Roshi
- The Crane Hermit
- Bulma