“I never even met him”: Goku’s English Voice Actor Sean Schemmel Gets Emotional Talking About How Akira Toriyama Saved His Life
The beginning of this month saw the loss of one of the greatest artists in anime and manga, Akira Toriyama. Born in 1955, the artist started with a manga series that did not do so well. Once he found his direction and crafted interesting characters, Toriyama became an unstoppable force in the Japanese world of animated series, creating memorable characters like Goku and the masterpiece series Dragon Ball.
Goku Actor Expresses Gratitude to Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama is best known for creating Dragon Ball, a show that became a crucial part of so many childhoods across the world. From its powerful characters to its intriguing storyline, Toriyama went on to create something so magnificent that it spawned more series and even video games. People resonated with the characters and wanted to watch it more and more. On top of that, even the voice actors who worked on Dragon Ball loved the show and its creator.
In a recent video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by a video game streamer, Goku’s voice actor Sean Schemmel expresses how Dragon Ball and voicing Goku changed his life. Toriyama’s work has impacted millions, and Schemmel sums up his experience working on the show. He said,
“Akira Toriyama sensei saved my life, and I never even met him… is not a metaphor, it’s quite literal…The vast majority of every single close friend I have, my partner, everything you see in this room *points behind him on stream*… everything is just because he decided to pick up a pen, and start drawing…Dragon Ball just brings everyone together, it’s a show about fighting that brings everyone together… when I first got on the show I took the money I earned and started going to therapy, working on myself, and improving myself, just like Goku.”
Sean Schemmel talks about Akira Toriyama’s legacy and how his death affected him 🥲 pic.twitter.com/ELsR8nnJAw
— 乇ᐯ丨ㄥ ㄒ尺卂ᐯ丨 🕷️ (@LilTravi2) March 15, 2024
Toriyama’s death was mourned by all fans across the world. The manga and anime community collectively poured over social media to remember the artist and his work. Even the big creators of anime shows released statements as Toriyama’s passion encouraged them to work on characters and create stories that would touch people’s lives.
Also Read: ‘Exceeded Expectations’: Fans Are Calling Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero a Raging Success
Who is Sean Schemmel?
Voicing Goku is not the only acting credit on Sean Schemmel’s resume. The incredible voice actor has also worked in other anime series and video games. Schemmel initially auditioned for a minor character on the show because he didn’t know if he was up to play the lead. After Goku, a lot of opportunities opened up as Schemmel went on to work in G.I. Joe: Sigma 6, Kappa Mikey, and DC Super Friends.
Moreover, Schemmel also worked on adapting Japanese shows into English because they were so enduring that everyone needed to watch them. Goku remains one of the biggest roles of his career since he is featured in all the shows and even the video games related to the world of Dragon Ball.
