The world lost one of its greatest artists with the passing of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama this week. The mangaka left this world at the age of 68, with both anime fans and manga creators mourning one of the giants of the industry. To no surprise, creators who worked on the shonen franchise have expressed their grief online, with Masako Nozawa sharing a touching tribute to Toriyama in a new statement.
Throughout Dragon Ball’s long history, Masako Nozawa has been the one to bring Goku, Gohan, Goten, and other characters in the series to life. Dragon Ball first began in 1986, with Nozawa taking on the role of the anime hero ever since. While there have been multiple voice actors who portrayed Goku in English, Nozawa has been the only one to do so when it comes to the anime adaptation. Nozawa is currently 87 years old but has stated repeatedly that she would love nothing more than to voice Goku and the other Z-Fighters for as long as she can, in fact, she makes this point in her tribute to Toriyama.
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Goku’s Voice Actor Comments on Toriyama’s Passing
In an official statement, voice actor Masako Nozawa shared her mourning of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, “I don’t want to believe it. My head is empty because I don’t want to think about it.Even so, every time I see Goku, I remember what Toriyama Sensei said to me, ‘You will take care of Goku, won’t you?’I cherish that moment. It makes me think: ‘I will stay by Goku’s side until my strength runs out completely’.Sensei, please watch over us from the heavens.We hope you depart in peace.”
While Nozawa is perhaps best known for her work in the world of Dragon Ball, she has also lent her talents to other big anime franchises. In her career, she’s had significant roles in One Piece, Lupin The Third, Pokemon, and Digimon. Nozawa will be a part of Dragon Ball Daima this fall, an original anime adaptation created by Akira Toriyama that sees Goku and the Z-Fighters transformed into children.
What has been your favorite Dragon Ball memory throughout the history of the shonen series? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Z-Fighters.
