Dragon Ball: Goku's Voice Actor Didn’t Realize The Saiyan Was A Star At First
For Dragon Ball fans, the name Sean Schemmel should be a familiar one. If it does not ring a bell [...]
For Dragon Ball fans, the name Sean Schemmel should be a familiar one. If it does not ring a bell at first, then you might want to look up the man and hear him talk; You'll catch on then. The geek-friendly actor is the man who brings Son Goku to life in Funimation's dub of Dragon Ball, and Schemmel first (literally) roared onto TV screens when he was cast in Dragon Ball. Now, the actor has made a return to television as Goku in the new Dragon Ball Super dub, and Schemmel recently spoke about his legacy work on the franchise.
UP NEXT: Where To Watch Dragon Ball Super's English Dub & Sub
Apparently, Schemmel didn't even realize he'd been cast as the franchise's star when he first nabbed the role of Goku.
Speaking with Gaming Conviction, Schemmel was asked at what point he realized the popularity of Dragon Ball, and the voice actor said it took him longer than it should have.
"It took a couple years actually," he admitted. "I didn't realize I was the lead character until 2 weeks into recording, and that was pretty Gokuy in terms of my awareness of the character. So it took me a long time, and I'm still astounded by it."
The actor said he was also surprised to see how the anime franchise's popularity has continued to rise in the U.S. When movies like Battle of the Gods and Ressurection F were dubbed, Schemmel hinted that the fans and their response blew him away.
Now, Schemmel is back in the spotlight as he and several returning voice actors have reprised their Dragon Ball roles for the franchise's latest anime. The series, which was created in conjunction with Akira Toriyama, had its English debut on Toonami this past weekend, and social media was buzzing with nostalgic praise.
Next month, a brand-new story arc of Dragon Ball Super is set to kick off in Japan with the 'Universal Survival' saga. It might be awhile before Schemmel gets to voice out this new arc, but you can check out the brief synopsis for it below:
"At Goku's request, the Omni-Kings' "Tournament of Power" martial arts tournament between universes now begins! …But this also proves to be the beginning of universal destruction. What awaits the victors of this tournament, and the vanquished…?! How will these intense team battles between the elites of each universe turn out…?!"
MORE: Dragon Ball Super Toonami Premiere Date Announced / English Dub Sneak Peek Revealed / Voice Cast Announced / Simulcast Confirmed / New Saga Synopsis, Key Visual Released / Here's What Happens To Nappa's Hair When He Goes Super Saiyan
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 starting January 7.
