'Dragon Ball' Fans, Kamehameha Day Is Here

If you have logged onto social media today, there’s a chance you saw some very confused Dragon [...]

By Megan Peters

If you have logged onto social media today, there's a chance you saw some very confused Dragon Ball fans. Sites like Twitter have seen the hashtag Kamehameha Day trend, leaving some questioning what Son Goku is up to. So, it's time those fans learned that the big holiday has very little to do with the Saiyan.

Kamehameha Day may be a real holiday, but it isn't concerned with Akira Toriyama's series. Instead, the day is meant to honor one of Hawaii's most famous rulers.

For those of you confused about the fandom's confusion, the misunderstanding makes sense when you remember what Goku's most famous attack is called. Dragon Ball brought fans the famous Kamehameha Wave technique decades ago when Master Roshi whipped the attack out. The teacher went on to pass the move down to Goku, and the Saiyan claimed the Ki attack as his No. 1 technique. However, the move borrowed its name from one of Hawaii's famous monarchs.

If you look back in history, Kamehameha the Great is the person best-known for using such a name. The monarch is the one responsible for establishing the Kingdom of Hawaii, a conjoined group of islands including O'ahu and Maui. On June 11, Kamehameha Day is held in Hawaii to honor the state's heritage, and the elaborate event pays tribute to Hawaii's cultural ancestry. So, you can see why the special holiday trends online and why Dragon Ball fans might be confused about the whole thing.

Of course, there is a legit connection between Dragon Ball and the heralded Hawaiian leader. When Goku's special attack was being thought up, Toriyama wasn't sure what to name the technique. Stumped, the creator asked his wife for advice, and she said the 'Kame' attack would be easy to remember if it were named after Kamehameha the Great. Toriyama decided to take his wife's advice, leaving Dragon Ball to pay homage to the Hawaiian ruler and introduce the name to an entirely new audience.

Did you ever make this Dragon Ball connection with Hawaiian history? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!

Dragon Ball Super is currently airing its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonamiprogramming block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m. It is also available to stream on Funimationand Amazon Video. The Japanese language release of the series is complete, and available to stream on Funimation, VRV, and Crunchyroll.

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