Voice actor Masako Nozawa appeared on July 9 at a stage greeting held before a screening of Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO (2022) at Marunouchi TOEI in Tokyo. She shared the secret behind her powerful rendition of the iconic “Kamehameha” attack, leaving the audience stunned with her unexpected answer.

Marunouchi TOEI, known as the last directly operated theater by Toei and Japan’s final roadside-style cinema, will be closing its doors on July 27 after 65 years, due to redevelopment of the Toei building. As part of the grand finale event “Farewell Marunouchi TOEI,” over 100 classic films are being screened between May 9 and July 27. Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO, in which Nozawa voices multiple characters, is featured during the 11th week, from July 18 to 24.

Recognized as a true “super legend” in the voice acting world, Nozawa voices Goku, Gohan, and Goten in the Dragon Ball series. Greeted with loud cheers and applause, she instantly switched between the three voices during her greeting, drawing even more applause from the crowd. While intense battle scenes are a hallmark of the series, her co-stars all agree on one thing: “The most energetic person is Ms. Nozawa.” She humbly explained, “It’s not like I’m forcing myself to be energetic. I just can’t stay quiet.”

Even during the 2018 film Dragon Ball Super: Broly, Nozawa had enough energy to check in on Bin Shimada—voice of Broly—who was left exhausted in the hallway after a recording session.

During the talk, Nozawa enthusiastically performed the Kamehameha live, drawing huge excitement. When asked about her daily training, she replied with a laugh, “I’m really carefree, so I’m actually no good at that. As an actor, I’m supposed to train, but I tend to skip it.” As for how she maintains her voice, she shocked the room with her simple method: “Every day, I just take a bath and gargle—‘Garagara-gara, spit!’ That’s it!” The host, surprised, asked, “You mean just regular gargling?” to which Nozawa confidently replied, “Gargling is all you need!

She also recounted a story about doing a Kamehameha in the studio upon request, only for those around her to look stunned—something she found puzzling. Her ability to effortlessly switch between Goku, Gohan, and Goten continues to impress, and her energy shows no signs of fading. The host shared a comment from fellow voice actress Mayumi Tanaka, who once said, “Mako-san can do a Kamehameha right after waking up.” Nozawa responded with pride, “She did say that. And I can do it. I don’t do warm-ups like ‘Ahhhh’—I just wake up and do it, no problem.”

Nozawa’s remarkable agility and passion, even after decades in the industry, continue to inspire and amaze fans across generations.

Source : ORICON NEWS