Following the passing of veteran Japanese voice actor Kozo Shioya earlier this year at the age of 70 due to a cerebral hemorrhage, the Dragon Ball franchise has officially found its new voice for Majin Buu. Shioya, celebrated for his iconic work across anime like One Piece, Naruto, and World Trigger, left fans wondering whether the beloved pink antagonist would be retired out of respect or recast for future projects.
The mystery was recently put to rest with the release of the "Super Limit-Breaking NEO" expansion for Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. Game credits reveal that Mitsuaki Kanuka has officially taken over the role, voicing Majin Buu alongside his other iconic forms, including Evil Buu, Super Buu, and Kid Buu.
Kanuka brings an extensive resume to the table. Anime fans may recognize his voice work as Loccobarocco in JoJob’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, Masashi Kawata in The First Slam Dunk, Zongquan Bai in Shenmue the Animation, and Guen in The Apothecary Diaries. He has also contributed to major video game titles such as Nioh 3, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties, Silent Hill 2 (2024), and Digimon Story Time Stranger. Additionally, he voices Patrick Star in the Japanese dub of SpongeBob SquarePants and has lent his talents to Japanese dubs of the Transformers franchise.
With Kanuka now stepping into the role, he is expected to voice the character in upcoming projects, such as the anticipated Dragon Ball Super anime adaptation of the manga’s fan-favorite "Moro" story arc. While Toei Animation has not yet announced a release date for Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol, fans can look forward to the upcoming Dragon Ball Super: Beerus arc remake, which premieres this fall and will be featured at New York Comic Con in October.
Current Dragon Ball series, including Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Daima, are available for streaming on Crunchyroll, with manga chapters accessible digitally through Viz Media and Manga Plus.