Most fans were understandably skeptical whenShinjoinedGoku’s initial team to the Demon Realm, and although some perplexingly feel that Shin has already justified his presence inDragon Ball Daima, the latest episode has already proved that they aren’t the series' best duo. Instead,that title clearly goes to Goku and Glorio.Daimaprovided them with a clear shtick almost from the moment they met, maintained that unique dynamic throughout the series, and then gave it a satisfying conclusion. In comparison, nothing that effective has happened between Goku and Shin.
Daimanaturally put more emphasis on character relationships when the series introduced the concept of the heroic party. In fact, Akio Iyoku, a former editor forShonen Jumpwho now works exclusively withDragon Ball, referenced this aesthetic directly inan interview where he shared Akira Toriyama’s involvement inDaima. For the heroic party to be effective, relationships naturally take center stage, so viewers were already more inclined to put more weight on their importance inDaima. The fact thatDaima’s spiritual influencer,GT, captured that dynamic perfectly with Giru and Pan upped the ante.
Goku Has Been Harassing Glorio Since the Beginning of Dragon Ball Daima
And That Whole Shtick Has Finally Concluded in the Best Possible Way
From the momentGloriointroduced himself inDragon Ball Daima,Goku began mispronouncing his name, much to the demon’s eternal chagrin. This wasn’t a one-off moment, either. It was so frequent that it would not be a stretch to assume that Goku said Glorio’s name incorrectlyat least once every episode. So, naturally, whenGoku finally pronounces Glorio the right way in episode #19, it is a momentous occasion. Glorio clearly took notice, and the audience couldn’t help but recognize its importance.
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This development was also effective at the time because of how it was delivered. From almost the moment he entered the picture, there was alwayssomething off or mysterious about Glorio, all of which was underscored by Shin’s suspicion of him. All of that came to a head in episode #18 when Glorio ostensibly betrayed Goku and his friends to grant a wish for Arinsu.It was only after Shin proved himself to Goku and his friends,despite having already pledged his allegiance to Arinsu, that Goku finally said Glorio’s name correctly.
Goku’s actions were therefore not only a way to show the progression of their relationship, but a way for Goku to truly convey how much he appreciates and respects Glorio enough to actually make the effort to say his name correctly.
Dragon Ball Daima Has Kept Goku and Shin Static
Luckily, It’s Much Less Likely That They’ll Fuse Together
By comparison,Goku and Shin haven’t experiencedanything close to this. Ironically, the two characters already have their own thing, which isGoku not respecting Shin despite him being the ruler of their universe. Only after just meeting inDBZ, it didn’t take long for Goku to threaten Shin’s life. After Majin Vegeta had just murdered some innocent onlookers during the Strongest Under the Heavens tournament, Goku demanded Shin transport himself and Majin Vegeta away so that no more innocents would get hurt. Failure would result in a ki blast right to Shin’s face.
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Ironically, even though Goku and Shin already had this foundation to build off from, it never became a theme inDaima, unlike what transpired between Goku and Glorio. Such moments may have occurred, but much less frequentlyto the point where any sort of prospective change would now feel completely random and out of place. This is especially the case now, seeing asGoku and Glorio’s relationship has already reached such a turning point.
Ironically, there are many fans who have been speculating aboutGoku and Shin fusing togetherthrough a new form of fusion. Luckily, Vegeta’s dominant presence in the latter parts ofDaimahas put that theory to rest. In essence, such a fusion would be akin to the completely random way in whichGoku suddenly transformed into Super Saiyn 4 without warning. In fact, it would make much more sense at this point for Goku and Glorio to fuse, though that, too, feels farfetched.
Dragon Ball Daima Still Hasn’t Justified Why Shin Is There
Arinsu and Degesu Haven’t Helped Make Shin’s Case, Either
Although there are still some episodes left,any such development in Goku and Shin’s relationship would feel nothing more than last-minute window-dressing, which now begs the question of why Shin was even inDaimato begin with. Some might point to the fact thatDaimarevealed a lot about Shin’s people, including his own name, but he didn’t need to be there for that to happen. Glorio and even Panzy have already proven themselves to be very knowledgeable about the Demon Realms, so they could have very well filled in things about Shin’s people on their own.
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That isn’t even taking into consideration Shin’s siblings Arinsu and Degesu. They could have easily divulged the truth about their brother, Shin, too. In fact, how Shin interacted with them could have helped justify his presence. To say the least, the way Degesu’s story concluded was lackluster at best, and it’s undoubtedly a sign of what will happen between Shin and Arinsu.
In truth, the fact thatDragon Ball Daimachose to includeShinin the story just underscores how much of a letdown his treatment has been, especially when taking into consideration how well the series has portrayedGokuandGlorio’s superior relationship.
