How famous is Masako Nozawa in Japan?

[Kid Buu]

I always hear stuff on how iconic Nozawa is in Japan, but the only other series I've heard her in is Guilomon in Digimon Tamers and a guest role in Urusei Yatsura. Where as I always hear Yamcha, Piccolo, Freeza, etc VA's in other series.

So my question is: Is Nozawa mostly just legendary because of her work in this series?

[MagicBox]

Heck, browse through her filmography (which probably still doesn't cover everything she's done). Just look at how many starring roles she's had. Tetsuro in Galaxy Express 999. Guilmon in Digimon Tamers. Kitarō in Gegege no Kitarō. She was even one of the original voices of Doraemon before Nobuyo Oyama got the role. And that's not even counting smaller shows like The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer, Teppei, Blue Blink, and so many others in which she played the main character. Actors dream of getting that many lead roles.

Nozawa's been doing this since the 60s. She had minor roles in the original Astro Boy cartoon. That's insane. Think of how many generations of childhoods her work has helped shape. She (and Noriko Ohara, I suppose) is probably the closest you can get to a Japanese equivalent of June Foray. Now, answering your question about her "famous" status is a tad tough. Voice actors never get the same spotlight that idols and celebrities enjoy (even in Japan), but she continues to get starring roles even today, she receives unanimous praise and adoration from her peers, and she's received decent exposure in magazine interviews and TV appearances, so anyone aware of her work likely knows her face.

I'm sure being the "voice of Dragon Ball" certainly helps, but she'd still have a very, very impressive résumé even without this series.

[theoriginalbilis]

I'd equate her to the Japanese version of Tress MacNeille. Both have been doing the VA thing for decades at this point. Both have voiced major and supporting roles in pretty significant animated shows. Both specialize in playing children and old women characters.

Yep, works for me.

[Kid Buu]

Ah okay, I was curious because I hadn't really heard her in a major role in anything but Digimon Tamers.

Where as the others I've heard in quite a few animes.

Freeza: Bleach
Kuririn: One Piece
Bulma: Ranma 1/2
Chi-Chi: Saint Seiya
Cell: M. Bison/Vega, Vince McMahon
Yamcha: Mobile Suit Gundam, Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon
Lunch: Mobile Suit Gundam, Urusei Yatsura, Sailor Moon
Piccolo: Mobile Suit Gundam, Urusei Yatsura, Sailor Moon
Tenshinhan: Mobile Suit Gundam, Saint Seiya, Ranma 1/2

I actually haven't heard much of Buu, or Vegeta outside of a few guest appearances in Sailor Mopn.

[TheGmGoken]

Ah okay, I was curious because I hadn't really heard her in a major role in anything but Digimon Tamers.

Where as the others I've heard in quite a few animes.

Freeza: Bleach
Kuririn: One Piece
Bulma: Ranma 1/2
Chi-Chi: Saint Seiya
Cell: M. Bison/Vega, Vince McMahon
Yamcha: Mobile Suit Gundam, Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon
Lunch: Mobile Suit Gundam, Urusei Yatsura, Sailor Moon
Piccolo: Mobile Suit Gundam, Urusei Yatsura, Sailor Moon
Tenshinhan: Mobile Suit Gundam, Saint Seiya, Ranma 1/2

I actually haven't heard much of Buu, or Vegeta outside of a few guest appearances in Sailor Mopn.

Vegeta is Captain Falcon. Just so you know

[Fionordequester]

Y

Vegeta is Captain Falcon. Just so you know

Yeah, and his performance there (this is Smash Bros. I'm assuming) is absolutely hilarious. You could tell he was having a lot of fun that day !

"Falcown....PAAAWWWWNCH!!"

"FalconKick!!"

"YEEES! YEEES! YEEES!"

"Sho-yer MOVES!"

"Ooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuh....OOOOOOOUGGGGGHHHHHHAAAAAA!!!"

[OmegaRockman]

Furuya also took on the role of Casshern in Casshern Sins and Horikawa plays Hermit/Tanimoto in Kenichi. If I missed any other DB actors in those series, please let me know.

[Kid Buu]

Furuya also took on the role of Casshern in Casshern Sins and Horikawa plays Hermit/Tanimoto in Kenichi. If I missed any other DB actors in those series, please let me know.

Mami Koyama (Lunch) plays Leda in Casshern Sins. Kind of funny she still working with her ex-husband Furuya despite being divorced since 1983!

Furuya also considers Yamcha to be his third most special role to him.

[Adamant]

Horikawa plays the main character Kenta in the absolutely brilliant Wingman, which you should all watch.

[TheBlackPaladin]

You know, I think in both Japan and over here in North America, voice actors haven't even become "semi-famous" until (relatively) recently in history. Between various different policies on crediting the voice actors in question and the fact that they aren't seen on screen, I think for many decades people just didn't connect the dots on a subconscious level that the voices they heard in cartoons and anime were coming from real people in a real booth. Peter Cullen (the voice of Optimus Prime for the Transformers TV series and the Michael Bay movies) said that he didn't even realize anyone cared about him as an actor, or his character, until Prime died in the animated movie and he got a ton of fan mail.

Now the secret is definitely out. Between the internet allowing for more widespread interaction and the amount of websites dedicated to voice actors, it's not nearly as much of a "behind-the-scenes" job as it used to be. As a working voice actor, that's not really a good thing because it allowed for an enormous amount of new competition, but as a fan, it's really cool to be able to interact with the people that made our childhoods--and occasionally adulthoods--and to acknowledge them for all the hard work they put into it.

[Gyt Kaliba]

Horikawa plays the main character Kenta in the absolutely brilliant Wingman, which you should all watch.

I've been wanting to watch (and read) more of that one for ages now. Though I admit that has more to do with it being Katsura's first serialization than it does Horikawa playing the lead (though from what little I've heard, he's great).

It always amuses me when I hear Dragon Ball seiyuu in other things that I watch. You would be amazed how often it happens in various Lupin III productions over the years too. Just off the top of my head, Nozawa plays a yakuza lady in one of the more recent specials; Kohei Miyauchi played a great old man character in Fuma Conspiracy; Jouji Yanami plays another old man character in another older special; and Shigeru Chiba played the ever annoying Nazeloff (or something like that) in Fujiko's Unlucky Days.

[Kid Buu]

Shigeru Chiba is another one I hear a lot: Ranma 1/2, Bleach, One Piece, Urusei Yatsura, etc.

[DarkPrince_92]

Pretty sure Freeza is that poison gas guy in One Piece.

[VegettoEX]

The discussion could go all day and night simply pointing out examples of voice actors popping up in other productions. Let's try to stick to the actual topic at hand instead. Thank you!

[coola]

Ms. Nozawa also played main role in anime Piccolino no Bōken ( anime based on Pinocchio) She also performed opening song for Sally, the Witch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKXTatBS6a8

[TheUltimateVegito]

Cell: Vince McMahon

Wait, THE Vince McMahon? As in Vince McMahon from WWE?

[dbboxkaifan]

Cell: M. Bison/Vega, Vince McMahon

What about Vicious? He nailed it flawlessly.

Whenever I hear Wakamoto's voice it reminds me of Cell, though.

[GarrettCRW]

I'd equate her to the Japanese version of Tress MacNeille. Both have been doing the VA thing for decades at this point. Both have voiced major and supporting roles in pretty significant animated shows. Both specialize in playing children and old women characters.

Yep, works for me.

Tress MacNeille doesn't have anything on June Foray, who's been in the business since the '50s (there are people who call Mel Blanc "the male June Foray"). On that thread, I would think that Masako Nozawa was more well known than an equivalent American voice actress pre-internet since animation never got ghettoized with the rise of TV like it did in the US. But now, with the internet, I'd say that all bets are off in that regard. Still, it's hard to believe that she's stopped on the streets with any regularity unless she's making regular live-action TV appearances.

[Chuquita]

Ms. Nozawa also played main role in anime Piccolino no Bōken ( anime based on Pinocchio) She also performed opening song for Sally, the Witch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKXTatBS6a8

That is such a surreal listen. It's more difficult to tell when there's the dual-voice parts going on, but in the single-voice sections you can definitely tell it's Nozawa. First time outside her child!Gohan and child!Gokû character songs that I've heard her singing voice.


EDIT: I did find out she voices triplets in this series; and upon listening, each one has a distinctive voice from the other two; that's pretty cool. (The third one's closest to her child!Gokû).