Dragon Ball’s Masako Nozawa is a legend of voice acting, having provided the voices of Goku, Gohan, and Goten for almost 40 years at this point. So, what’s the secret to voicing a character as energetic and high-intensity as Goku for so long? As it turns out, the answer is shockingly simple.
Masako Nozawa has been lauded with many awards over her long career, for Goku as well as other significant roles, like her performance as Tetsuro Hoshino inGalaxy Express 999. Her knowledge and experience in the field of voice acting is practically unmatched, and it’s only natural that fans and fellow voice actors are clamoring for her secrets.
Masako Nozawa’s Goku Voice is Surprisingly Easy for Her
Goku is Brought to Life With a Simple Trick
In an event for the closure of one of Tokyo’s oldest roadside cinemas, Masako Nozawa made an appearance beforea screening ofDragon Ball Super: Super Hero,giving a talk to the audience gathered to watch the film.According to Oricon News, Nozawa spoke about training, and had a distinctly different approach than her character.
“As an actor, I’m supposed to train, but I tend to skip it,” Nozawa said. “Every day, I just take a bath and gargle—‘Garagara-gara, spit!’ That’s it!“The answer shocked the presenter, as well as much of the crowd. Goku, of course, is known for his love of training, so it was amusing to hear her so opposed to the idea.
Nozawa showed off a bit at the event, switching between Goku, Gohan, and Goten’s voices, as well as performing a Kamehameha live for the audience. Even something as strenuous as the Kamehameha is something she can perform without exercises. “I can do it. I don’t do warm-ups like ‘Ahhhh’—I just wake up and do it, no problem.”
Masako Nozawa’s Continued Career as Goku
The Actress, Now 88, Seems to Have No Plans to Retire
Despite her age and the length of time she’s played the character, Masako Nozawa seems perfectly content to continue voicing Goku for as long as the producers ofDragon Ball’s anime will have her. With such a wealth of skill and experience at her disposal, there are few other voice actors out there who can do what Nozawa does.
While there are no newDragon Ballanime projects known on the horizon, it’s only a matter of time beforeDragon Ballreturns, be it to TV screens or theaters, and fans can rest assured that when that time comes, Nozawa will still be there, breathing life into Goku and her otherDragon Ballcharacters.
