Culture Otaku
At 89, Goku’s voice achieves her dream of being an anime heroine for McDonald’s
Legendary Masako Nozawa surprised audiences by voicing a “beautiful girl” for the first time in an epic crossover ad with Baki.
Veteran voice actress Masako Nozawa, globally known for voicing Goku in the iconic Dragon Ball franchise, recently surprised the entire otaku community by taking on a role she once joked she would never play. At an impressive 89 years old, Nozawa stars in a new anime-style commercial for McDonald’s Japan, where she transforms into an adorable and powerful “beautiful girl” (bishoujo).
The Strongest Heroine at Tatsuta Academy
The quirky and fun promotional campaign is an epic crossover with the hyper-muscular world of the anime Baki. The video, titled “Baki de Koi Suru Tatsuta na Nozawa Prologue ‘The Strongest Heroine Appears'”, was released on April 17, 2026 to promote McDonald’s Chicken Tatsuta burger line. In the ad, the seiyuu is humorously credited as “Masako Nozawa, voiced by Masako Nozawa”.
Described as brilliant, athletic, and kind, the protagonist appears on screen with an endearing design and speaks with a soft, maiden-like voice: “I wonder if I’ll meet the strongest and most worthy knight for me at this school”. Meanwhile, the tough characters from Baki react to her overwhelming presence. Baki himself comments: “Too strong… interesting”, while Retsu Kaioh adds his desire to test his strength against her.
A Dream Fulfilled After Decades of Career
What makes this commercial so special for fans is the backstory. In a past interview, Nozawa had openly admitted that, in her extensive and prolific career, she had never played the role of a traditional anime “beautiful girl,” joking that she would hesitate to accept such a role because she felt it didn’t fit her usual image. However, this absurd project allowed her to cross that desire off her list in a brilliant and humorous way.
The ad ends perfectly when, after the slogan “The strongest love on Earth begins,” the maiden Nozawa lets out a line that immediately evokes her classic, energetic Goku tone: “I wonder… this is exciting”. The campaign is already a huge success on social media, proving that Masako Nozawa’s talent and charisma remain more vibrant than ever, captivating new generations and bringing smiles to lifelong fans.