Dragon Ball Z: Japan's New Prime Minister Was Once Majin Buu

Shigeru Ishiba might be Japan's new Prime Minister but he also was once one of Dragon Ball's greatest villains.

By Evan Valentine

On Tuesday, October 1st, Japan is set to anoint its new Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba. Representing the Liberal Democratic Party, the sixty-seven-year-old was able to overtake opponent Sanae Takaichi in the race to lead the Eastern country, stepping for previous Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. While Ishiba might have a long career as a politician in Japan, you might be astonished to see how his work led him to create one of the biggest anime crossovers. In the past, Ishiba had the opportunity to cosplay as none other than Dragon Ball Z's Majin Buu, proving that anime's continued popularity has it appearing in some wild avenues.

Anime and politics have found themselves intermingling in Japan for quite some time. A prime example is the case of Ken Akatsuma, the creator of Love Hina who decided to put down his pen and run for office. In 2022, Akatsuma secured enough votes to gain a seat in Japan's 26th House of Councillors. So dedicated was he to win this election that he halted his work on his biggest manga offerings and has continued to play a big role in politics. When it comes to major politicians appearing in anime worlds, the likes of Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama have appeared in series such as Baki The Grappler, Inuyashiki, and even Death Note. 

Why Did Shigeru Become a Majin?

In 2018, the upcoming Prime Minister was helping in the opening of an anime figure store and was handed a costume of Dragon Ball Z's Majin Buu. When he was handed the outfit, he didn't have time to say no and was more than willing to throw on the villain's costume as he delivered an address to attendees. You can check out a video of the ceremony below.

Is Majin Buu In Dragon Ball Daima?

While we don't foresee Shigeru once again donning the Majin's attire, anime fans should expect Majin Buu to make a comeback in the upcoming anime series Dragon Ball Daima. Beginning next month, the Dragon Ball Z sequel series will see Buu and the other Z-Fighters transformed into child-sized versions of themselves. Thanks to the events of the final major arc of Dragon Ball Z, "Fat Buu" became friends with Goku and company and mostly hangs out with Mr. Satan during his "off hours". 

While Buu has appeared in Dragon Ball Daima promotional material, it has yet to be seen how involved the former villain will be in the anime. The story of the series has mostly focused on Son Goku joining the likes of Supreme Kai and newcomers Glorio and Panzy as they attempt to uncover a conspiracy involving the dragon balls. 

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Buu In The Moro Arc

There has been one major storyline involving Majin Buu that has yet to be animated. Dragon Ball Super's Moro Arc saw the former Z villain joining forces with the Z-Fighters to fight against the energy-absorbing sorcerer. Not only do we get the chance to see Buu front and center in the storyline, but there's a definitive moment featuring the reincarnation of Kid Buu, Uub, that determines the outcome of the arc. While the Dragon Ball anime will return in Daima, there has been no word from Toei Animation regarding the return of Dragon Ball Super. 

Want to see how anime intersects with politics in the future? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest updates on the anime world and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

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