Masako Nozawa Calls Out "Unforgivable" Dragon Ball AI Videos

The Voice Of Dragon Ball's Goku For Over 40 Years Says AI Videos Are "Unforgivable" Published Oct 16, 2026, 9:38 AM EDT George is the Lead News Editor for TheGamer, and has been working in the industry since 2021 after graduating from the University of South Wales with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. He has also previously written for RPG Site, WhatCulture, and PlayStation Lifestyle. George is an expert on platformers, action games, and fighters, but tends to play as many releases as possible. This hands-on experience lets him dive into gaming communities and follow the latest trends. Some of the games George has extensively covered first-hand include Dead Rising, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Ninja Gaiden 4. Sign in to your TheGamer account Masako Nozawa, the legendary voice actor who has played Dragon Ball’s Goku in Japan for over 40 years, has called out AI videos using her voice as “unforgivable”. It’s been over 40 years since Dragon Ball’s anime first debuted in Japan, introducing audiences to one of the greatest and most beloved stories of all time. A lot has changed for the series in those four decades, but there’s been one amazing constant throughout it all - Goku’s Japanese voice actor, Masako Nozawa. Nozara also plays Gohan, Goten, and Bardock, so she’s an essential part of Dragon Ball as a whole. Nozawa has been portraying Goku ever since the very first episode of the original Dragon Ball anime, and has somehow kept up with all the screaming and powering up even at 89 years old. She clearly adores the role, so it’s no surprise to hear that she’s not happy about AI videos that steal her voice and have “no heart”. Goku’s Japanese Voice Actor Says AI Videos Are “Theft” “It Makes Me Angry” As reported by Dexerto and originally pointed out and translated by Twitter user DbsHype, Nozawa recently spoke to Japanese broadcaster NHK, where she talked about her viewpoint on AI-generated videos. Nozawa said that AI “has no heart” and that, even if it’s a perfect copy, it’s “no good” without that. The voice for Goku was even more brutal about videos that specifically replicate her voice, which she compared to theft and called “unforgivable”. Anyone using AI to replicate the Japanese voice of Goku, Gohan, or Goten is making Nozawa “angry”, and you absolutely can’t blame her after 40 years of hard work and, most importantly, heart. NHK’s interview with Nozawa happened after the Japan Actors Union revealed new guidelines that aim to protect its performers from AI voice cloning. Nozawa is far from the only anime actor having her voice replicated, but she’s undoubtedly one of the most affected considering the popularity of both Goku and Dragon Ball. Nozawa isn’t even the only Goku voice actor to have a clear disdain for AI, as Sean Schemmel, the English VA, wasn’t happy when he thought a YouTuber had cloned his voice. That turned out to just be a really accurate impression, but it’s clear that every Goku out there doesn’t want anything to do with the tech. Dragon Ball Release Date 1986 - 1989 Network Fuji TV Cast Masako Nozawa Son Goku (voice) Mayumi Tanaka Krillin (voice)