Goku’s Voice Actor Calls Dragon Ball Super The Franchise’s Definitive Series

When it comes to Dragon Ball, you may think no other series can top Dragon Ball Z, but that […]

September 5, 2017, 3:09pm

When it comes to Dragon Ball, you may think no other series can top Dragon Ball Z, but that isn’t true for one vetted anime actor. Recently, the main cast of Dragon Ball gathered at Anime Expo 2017 to celebrate the recently English dub premiere of Dragon Ball Super. And, surprisingly, it was there that Sean Schemmel told fans he feels Dragon Ball Super will one day take over Dragon Ball Z‘s reign.

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During his panel, Schemmel opened up about how he saw the anime moving forward in time. The actor, who has voiced Goku since 1999, said Akira Toriyama’s newest anime will become the franchise’s definitive series thanks to its massive scope.

“I think there were things in Goku that we just never got to see [in DBZ], so I think Super will go down as the definitive series as time goes on because it has so much of Dragon Ball in it and Dragon Ball Z in it,” Schemmel said. “It’s such a perfect amalgam.”

Earlier in the panel, the actor even delved into what exactly Dragon Ball Super explores about Goku that makes him excited.

“It’s important to know that Goku from the way I glean it is not a character designed to – he’s always representing the beginner’s mind. So he’s not designed to evolve necessarily as a person as much as he is a fighter. He tends to have this beginner’s, childlike mind the entire time,” Schemmel explained.

“What I thought was fascinating about Super was all the facets of himself that we get to see. Like, he’s dealing with a cell phone and being a radish farmer.”

Of course, there are some pieces of Dragon Ball Z which just can’t be replaced. The anime will forever hold a special place with fans as it was one of the first big series to make it in the U.S. Dragon Ball Z rose to extraordinary popularity in the early 2000s and paved a way for future series like One Piece and Naruto. However, a new generation of Dragon Ball fans is rising, and their attachment to Dragon Ball Super is different from those who grew up with Dragon Ball Z. So, in about ten years, Schemmel’s prediction may very well come true.

Just, don’t tell Vegeta that. His temper isn’t conducive to such changes.

The synopsis of Dragon Ball Super‘s current saga can be read here: “According to an invitation that Goku gets, Zen-Oh (Omni King) is starting a martial arts tournament between all the universes called “Chikara no Taikai” (Tournament of Power). But it is the beginning of universal destruction. Something awaits the winners and losers of this tournament. What will become of this fierce team battle between each universe’s elite warriors?

Dragon Ball Super‘s “Universal Survival” saga is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. CST. Toonami airs the English dub on Adult Swim Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.