Dragon Ball Z Enters Politics With Recent U.S. Election

Many consider Dragon Ball Z to be one of the most important anime series ever created, and it’s easy to see why. The epic story of Goku and his friends has continued for decades, with adventures in Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, and now Dragon Ball Daima. Beyond the show itself, the series has surprisingly impacted real-world events. Recently, Dragon Ball unexpectedly appeared in a North American election.

Even though North America’s big midterm elections aren’t until 2026, the primary elections are already happening. Nathan Johnson, a Democratic candidate for Attorney General, previously served as a Texas Senator. Surprisingly, before entering politics, Johnson worked as a music composer – and you might recognize his work on the popular anime series Dragon Ball Z. He created the soundtracks for the first 67 episodes of the Funimation dub, as well as several of the Dragon Ball Z movies, including The World’s Strongest, Tree of Might, Broly – Second Coming, Fusion Reborn, and Wrath of the Dragon. While Johnson hasn’t made an on-screen appearance in an anime, given his career path, it’s not entirely out of the question considering the history of the medium.

Anime’s History in Politics

In recent years, we’ve seen a growing connection between politics and anime, especially in Japan, where anime originated. A notable example is Ken Akamatsu, the creator of the popular series Love Hina, who decided to run for office. He campaigned for a seat in Japan’s House of Councillors, and is now using his position to address challenges within the manga and anime industries, focusing on reducing stress and improving conditions for creators.

Anime often touches on American politics. For instance, My Hero Academia featured the U.S. government grappling with how to respond to Japan’s fight against All For One. Baki The Grappler, recently back with a new season called Baki-Dou: The Invincible Samurai, regularly includes real-life politicians in its over-the-top storylines. The creator, Keisuke Itagaki, has featured figures like Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama. As anime’s popularity grows, we can expect to see even more crossovers between the medium and the world of politics.

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Via Fox 7 Austin

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2026-03-04 23:11