In Japan, cartoons are taken seriously! There is even a special date that proves this. May 9th is Goku Day (悟空の日). Yes, a day dedicated to the main character of the Dragon Ball franchise’s Manga and Anime.
This day was officially recognized in 2015 during a promotional event for the movie “Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’.” At this event, the official voice actress of Goku in Japan, Masako Nozawa (who was named the “mother” of Dragon Ball), was present.
Toy Animation had been making an effort, along with the Japanese Anniversary Association (日本記念日協会), to recognize the date, since in 2016, the year following the tribute, the 30th anniversary of the first TV broadcast of the anime in Japan would be celebrated (it aired on February 26, 1986).
As with May 4th, Star Wars Day (May/4th: May the “4th” be with you), May 5th provides, in Japanese, a pronunciation similar to the character’s name: 5/9: 五 (Go: five) and 九 (Ku: nine).
A little about the fame
The numbers of Dragon Ball are impressive. There are 42 volumes in manga. The anime has nearly 800 episodes (including classic Dragon Ball, Z, GT, Kai, and Super). About 30 movies, OVAs, and specials, a hundred games, songs that marked childhoods, and thousands of licensed products have made this anime a part of many people’s lives.
Who hasn’t tried to use one of Goku’s techniques? Whether it’s a “Kamehameha”; trying to fly by concentrating “ki”; attempting to replicate the teleportation technique or even; transforming into a Super Saiyan.
Even with the end of the anime in 1997 in Japan, a legion of fans kept its success for almost 20 years without new content; however, since June 2015, the “Super” phase has been bringing nostalgia to older fans and gaining new ones. The series already has over 80 episodes aired in Japan (in Brazil, the episodes are officially aired on Churchroll, the “Netflix” of anime), with no end in sight.
Today there are a bunch of YouTube channels that talk exclusively about Dragon Ball. The channel Desbravando o Japão is running a promotion to celebrate Goku Day:
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