Goku's Japanese voice

[InfernalVegito]

I always wondered why Goku's Japanese voice was voiced by a female.
I mean in every other dub Goku has a male voice, of course because he IS male. That's rather weird to me.

Can someone clarify?

[JulieYBM]

Masako Nozawa played Gokû as a boy for one hundred thirty episodes. They decided there'd be no point in recasting.

[InfernalVegito]

That's not what I wanted to know.
I wanted to know why they did choose a female actor to portray a male character?

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Masako Nozawa played Gokû as a boy for one hundred thirty episodes. They decided there'd be no point in recasting.

Yeah, then they would've actually had to get off their asses and search for a more well-suited actor for the role.

[Coola Yagami]

Masako Nozawa played Gokû as a boy for one hundred thirty episodes. They decided there'd be no point in recasting.

Yeah, then they would've actually had to get off their asses and search for a more well-suited actor for the role.

Goku's voice is so unique, NOONE could have replaced him in the Japanese version.

As for a female voicing the character, name all the other anime where the lead male is voiced by a female. Pokemon and Rurouni Kenshin come to mind....

[JulieYBM]

That's not what I wanted to know.
I wanted to know why they did choose a female actor to portray a male character?

Because females voice little boys in animation. When he got older there was no need to recast because nobody could do a better job than the actor who had voiced the character for one hundred thirty episodes.

[Herms]

That's not what I wanted to know.
I wanted to know why they did choose a female actor to portray a male character?

Same reason Bart Simpson (as both a boy and a man in the various flash-forward episode) is voiced by a woman?

Besides, Toriyama was the one who selected Nozawa to voice Goku, and there's no evidence that he, the anime staff, or any Japanese fans ever had the slightest problem with having her continue to voice the character after he grew up. Casting choices for Japanese shows are made to appeal to Japanese viewers. Sometimes what appeals to Japanese viewers won't appeal to people not from Japan. That's just the way it goes.

[Gaffer Tape]

I mean in every other dub Goku has a male voice, of course because he IS male. That's rather weird to me.

Why is Tommy Pickles played by a female? Why is Timmy Turner? Why is Peter Pan? Why is Edna Mode played by a male?

Honestly, if the actor has to be just like the character, you could easily say, "Well, why isn't Goku played by a guy with spiky black hair and a tail because he IS a guy with spiky black hair and a tail? That's rather weird to me." Portraying someone different from one's self is one of the joys of being an actor, and it happens all the time.

[Goku100xKamehameha]

Masako Nozawa played Gokû as a boy for one hundred thirty episodes. They decided there'd be no point in recasting.

Yeah, then they would've actually had to get off their asses and search for a more well-suited actor for the role.

Goku's voice is so unique, NOONE could have replaced him in the Japanese version.

As for a female voicing the character, name all the other anime where the lead male is voiced by a female. Pokemon and Rurouni Kenshin come to mind....

The more popular ones are Naruto and One Piece.

[chaosakita]

I mean in every other dub Goku has a male voice, of course because he IS male. That's rather weird to me.

Why is Tommy Pickles played by a female? Why is Timmy Turner? Why is Peter Pan? Why is Edna Mode played by a male?

Honestly, if the actor has to be just like the character, you could easily say, "Well, why isn't Goku played by a guy with spiky black hair and a tail because he IS a guy with spiky black hair and a tail? That's rather weird to me." Portraying someone different from one's self is one of the joys of being an actor, and it happens all the time.

Well, in the first three examples, those are all prepubescent boys, for which appropriately-sounding male voices are hard to find, especially due to child labor constraints. Only the last one isn't an industry-standard casting choice. That's hardly a good analogy.

I like Nozawa's voice though for Goku. It's very unique and belies his kind and childish nature, and it fits for the rest of the people in his family. The only person who it doesn't fit for, IMO, is Brolly. I listened to her for the first five minutes of Kai and it sounded like he was some deranged psycho guy rather than someone who was meant to be portrayed sympathetically.

[Gaffer Tape]

Well, in the first three examples, those are all prepubescent boys.

As was Goku when he was cast. And the examples I listed also appear as older versions of themselves with the same voice (well, at least the former... not entirely sure about the latter). So I don't see what you're complaining about.

Only the last one isn't an industry-standard casting choice. That's hardly a good analogy.

Aaaand I'm supposed to care about some ethereal "industry-standard" whyyyy exactly? My point was is that gender bending of roles does happen, for whatever reason, on both sides of the board, quite frequently. As his complaint was leveled solely at the fact that "Goku is a male and should therefore be voiced by a male" with no reference to age or any other factors, the analogy is perfectly sound.

Oh, and I assume you're referring to "Bardock," not "Brolli."

[Goku100xKamehameha]

The only person who it doesn't fit for, IMO, is Brolly. I listened to her for the first five minutes of Kai and it sounded like he was some deranged psycho guy rather than someone who was meant to be portrayed sympathetically.

Broly's VA is not Masako Nozawa, It's Bin Shimada and I think you confusing Broly with Bardock because Broly didn't appeared in Kai, Let alone the first 5 minutes of Kai and Yes, I agree that her voice is not suited for Bardock's. I think Bardock should be voiced by a man because of his personality.

[Kaboom]

Bardock's voiced by Ms. Nozawa because he's meant to be the spitting image of Goku in every way. Even then, he does have a different personality in his voice; it's far more gruff and rough and mature. Tullece is another great example; he's a parallel to Goku, but as he's evil, he's given this really slimy, haughty tone to his voice that's perfect for a villain of his position and power.

[Kingdom Heartless]

Masako Nozawa played Gokû as a boy for one hundred thirty episodes. They decided there'd be no point in recasting.

Yeah, then they would've actually had to get off their asses and search for a more well-suited actor for the role.

In other words, get off their asses and go on a wild goose chase?

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

In other words, get off their asses and go on a wild goose chase?

I was thinking more along the lines of a casting call.

[penguintruth]

Why recast? Nozawa is perfectly appropriate for Goku as an adult. It's enough of an evolution of the child voice while still retaining Goku's childlike personality, which he more than retains himself in adulthood.

And really, nobody brings Goku to life, child or adult, like Nozawa does.

[Chibi Mystic Gohan]

In other words, get off their asses and go on a wild goose chase?

I was thinking more along the lines of a casting call.

His point is that Masako Nozawa is perfect for Goku; they can't be seperated. Toriyama even said as much!

(Why are you so anti-Nozawa that you accuse Toei of being lazy for keeping her after Goku got older? Did you ever consider that different cultures and people accept different things than you do?)

@chaosakita: Nozawa's Burdock in Kai was kinda lame. Check out the actual TV special in Z, her performance there is amazing. The special was the first DBZ DVD I ever bought, and so it's what made me love Nozawa so much.

[InfernalVegito]

I don't have anything against Nozawa and even tough I don't really like the original Japanese voices I still respect them as for they are original.
But simply when I compare it to the English or the German voice it just sounds weird to me. I know that adult Goku still has a lot of childish behavior and that's ok if Nozawa already voiced him in the first Dragonball series.
But the English and German voices are just other worlds for me. They sound powerful, overwhelming, mighty, strong. They just have the right something for a character like Goku in my view. The Japanese voice is way too squeaky for adult Goku in my opinion.

But nevermind I just wanted to know because choosing a female person to voice a male one is just a little bit off to me.

[Rocketman]

Bardock's voiced by Ms. Nozawa because he's meant to be the spitting image of Goku in every way.

I thought casting people based on their appearance instead of their personality was one of the Seven Deadly Sins of Funimation's dub.

[Kingdom Heartless]

Bardock's voiced by Ms. Nozawa because he's meant to be the spitting image of Goku in every way.

I thought casting people based on their appearance instead of their personality was one of the Seven Deadly Sins of Funimation's dub.

The way I see it, there's a difference between making Goku's father sound a little like him and making Recoom into a retard.