“Mother of Dragon Ball” Honored on May 9, Now Known as Goku Day

Let it be heard throughout the streets, May 9 has officially been recognized as Goku Day by the Japan Anniversary Association to honor the Dragon Ball character. As the numbers five and nine are read in Japanese as “Go” and “Ku,” respectively, it only makes sense that May 9 is honored by the strongest man in the universe. Voice actress Masako Nozawa was invited to a stage event after a screening of the recently released Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ to celebrate this special day. Learn more after the break.

Known best as the main protagonist from the hit anime series Dragon Ball Z, Goku is definitely one of the most familiar faces in animation. Having voiced the Saiyan since the ’80s starting with Dragon Ball, Nozawa gave a heartwarming speech where admittedly she hated the idea of voice acting when she started her career. Cinema Today was on the scene, stating Nozawa warmed up to the idea after passing various auditions to dub “young boy” roles in Western films and began gaining popularity.

Nowaza, who started off as a stage actress in a troupe, quickly rose to fame as a voice actress. She added in her speech that when she auditioned for the role of Goku, Dragon Ball manga creator Akira Toriyama made the decision to cast her immediately. “I’m truly glad that I’m a voice actress,” she said. It’s hard to imagine that little lady screaming her head off to represent Goku powering up to Super Saiyan levels.

Along with recognizing Goku Day, it is also Mother’s Day today in Japan. Presented with a bouquet of 59 carnations, Nozawa was also crowned as the “Mother of Dragon Ball. She replied humbly, “That’s sneaky of you. I’m gonna cry!” The voice actress also stated, in a manner of speaking, that Goku seemed like her own child.

I’ve been a fan of the Dragon Ball franchise since I discovered it was a thing back in the good ol’ days of Toonami and Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. Ironically, in the original animated series King Piccolo declared May 9 as Piccolo Day.

I’m sure a world tournament is the only way to settle this debacle to declare whose day May 9 will be.