It’s not just the legendary Dragon Ball franchise, back in the early days of Akira Toriyama’s career, he has also offered a minor but promising manga, named Dr. Slump. Long before Dragon Ball, this manga used to please the readers with Toriyama’s unique sense of humor and creativity.
Now, in a surprising twist, the Dr. Slump manga unexpectedly shares one thread with the critically acclaimed Western TV series, Breaking Bad! It certainly does sound like an unlikely connection between a Japanese manga from the 1980s and a gritty American drama. So what could be the connecting link between Dr. Slump, Dragon Ball, and Breaking Bad?
Bryan Cranston Had Voiced Toriyama, But Not the Way You Might Think!
Bryan Cranston is a celebrated actor for his role as Walter White in Breaking Bad, but little did we know that he had also voiced a character by the name Tori, a bird-like persona in the English version of the Dr. Slump anime adaptation. And it is not just the cross-pollination in Eastern and Western pop culture that is interesting, but also the importance of the character “Tori” itself. Few people know that this super cute Tori the Bird was not just another ordinary character in Dr. Slump; he was, in fact, Akira Toriyama’s self-caricature, a personified representation of this manga legend himself.
Cranston’s voice acting brought Toriyama’s alter ego to life. He voiced the creator’s thoughts and narrations within the manga. This clever approach allowed Toriyama to inject his personality and comedy into the narrative, blurring the lines between creator and creation.
Cranston quite literally nailed it in bringing Toriyama’s self-caricature to English-speaking audiences, which further gave this fascinating connection an extra layer of amazement. This unlikely convergence of talents makes it interesting how different creative worlds intersect with each other and why Toriyama’s innovative storytelling is still being conveyed in Dragon Ball.
Surprisingly, Cranston Used To Be an Anime Voice Actor
Most will recall him as Walter White from Breaking Bad, but Bryan Cranston has a long history as an anime voice actor. Some of his iconic early works include Wings of Honneamise, Macross Plus, Armitage III, Dr. Slump, Street Fighter II, and many more. His contributions to the world of anime-dubbing may run equal to his live-action success, as they also reflect his talent and commitment to shaping character emotions.
Cranston brought so much energy, nuance, and depth to his anime roles, which earned him quite the fame within the industry. He single-handedly helped Japanese animation find a way into Western audiences’ hearts and paved the road for generations of anime fans. His legacy in voice acting will never be forgotten. Perhaps his most famous works have been in live-action films, but Cranston’s anime-voice-acting roots continue to reflect his fascination with the world of Japanese animation.
