Dragon Ball Proves It’s Still Bigger Than One Piece

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Dragon Ball is considered the pioneer of the shonen genre, and its lasting popularity proves its impact. Created by the renowned Akira Toriyama, it has profoundly influenced both the manga and anime worlds, shaping the childhoods of many fans. It’s safe to say that many popular shonen series wouldn’t be what they are today without Dragon Ball, solidifying its place as the most iconic shonen of all time. Recently, the series reached another milestone: Masako Nozawa, the voice of Goku, became the first voice actor in Japan to receive the Cultural Merit Award—a truly historic achievement. While Mayumi Tanaka, the voice of Luffy, hasn’t received this award yet, she is a strong contender for future recognition.

Goku’s Voice Actress Masako Nozawa Wins The Cultural Merit Award

  • Dragon Ball Proves To Be A Major Cultural Phenomenon Still
  • Luffy’s VA Mayumi Tanaka Has Yet To Win This Similar Award

I’ve noticed that Goku, the star of Dragon Ball, is pretty much a household name now. He’s become the most famous anime character around, and it’s amazing – even people who don’t follow anime or Dragon Ball specifically usually know who he is.

For decades, fans have loved Goku from the Dragon Ball manga, and a huge part of that is Masako Nozawa, who has voiced him since the very beginning in 1986. She truly brought Goku to life, and remarkably, she still provides his iconic voice almost 40 years later. Her voice is so closely tied to the character that fans can’t imagine anyone else playing the role.

Goku, and especially the voice behind him, Masako Nozawa, have had a huge influence on popular culture, so it wasn’t a shock when Nozawa received the Japanese Cultural Merit Award. She’s the first voice actor ever to earn this honor, and many believe it was well-deserved. Her selection highlights just how massive Dragon Ball remains as a cultural force – perhaps even more so than One Piece, considering that Mayumi Tanaka, the voice of Luffy, hasn’t yet received the same award.

Mayumi Tanaka Could Be The Next Winner

  • Mayumi Tanaka Is Just As Iconic
  • Voice Actors Have Long Been Overlooked

Although Mayumi Tanaka hasn’t received a Cultural Merit Award like Masako Nozawa, her impact is just as significant. For over 26 years, she’s brilliantly voiced Luffy, and her performance has become instantly recognizable as the voice of the main character in one of the world’s most popular manga series.

Like Dragon Ball, One Piece – and its voice actor, Mayumi Tanaka – has become incredibly popular both in Japan and around the world. While only one voice actor receives an award each year, many think Mayumi Tanaka deserves to win, especially since Nozawa’s success has helped open doors for other talented voice actors to be recognized.

The newest chapter of One Piece, chapter 1163, will be released this week, as usual on Sundays. While it becomes available in Japan at midnight on Monday (JST), most fans around the world will be able to read it on October 26th. The official release date is October 26, 2025, and it will be available to read for free on Manga Plus.

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2025-10-23 14:34