Dragon Ball Z has long been thought of as one of the most influential anime franchises of all time, and for good reason. The story of Son Goku and the Z-Fighters has spanned decades, following the shonen warriors through adventures such as Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, and Dragon Ball Daima. While the series has long held steadfast in the anime world, there are more than a few times where the wishing orbs have had real life effect on the world at large. In a recent North American election, Dragon Ball has once again made a surprise appearance.
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While North America’s mid-term elections are taking place later this year in 2026, this doesn’t mean that primaries aren’t in full swing. Nathan Johnson, the Democratic representative vying for the role of Attorney General, has held the title of Texas Senator in his career. Before he got into politics, however, Johnson just so happened to be a music composer on an anime series you might be familiar with, aka Dragon Ball Z. Specifically, Johnson created the soundtracks for not just the first sixty-seven episodes of Dragon Ball Z’s Funimation Dub, but also several of the films of the shonen sequel. The list of films includes The World’s Strongest, Tree of Might, Broly – Second Coming, Fusion Reborn, and Wrath of the Dragon. Johnson hasn’t appeared in an anime himself, but based on his political trajectory, that’s always a possibility when you look at the medium’s history.
Anime’s History in Politics
Politics and the anime world have gone together quite a bit in recent years, though these unions happened far more in Japan, anime’s homeland. One of the most prominent examples was Ken Akamatsu, the creator of the beloved anime franchise Love Hina, throwing his hat into the political arena. While he was well known for his work within the anime world, Akamatsu would run for a seat with Japan’s House of Councillors within the Diet party. Thanks to his experience within the manga world, Akamtasu has been using his role as a way to shine a light on the issues facing the industry and what can be done to alleviate the stress placed on creators.
As for anime franchises themselves, we’ve had more than our fair share of stories that have hinted at American politics. My Hero Academia, for example, saw the U.S. Government struggling with the correct option to take when it came to Japan’s battle against All For One. Baki The Grappler, which recently returned with its latest anime season, Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai, would regularly bring in real-life politicians as a part of its unbelievable story. Specifically, the likes of Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama have all made appearances thanks to Baki creator Keisuke Itagaki. As anime continues to grow in popularity, expect more politics to find its way into the medium and vice versa.
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