The anime "Dragon Ball Super: Beerus" began broadcasting on Sunday, October 11th, 2026 (JST). The story of the "encounter and fierce battle between Son Goku and God of Destruction Beerus", originally depicted in the 2015 TV series "Dragon Ball Super", has been powered up as an "ENHANCED edition". This new version faithfully recreates original author Akira Toriyama's original drafts and features new cuts, along with the latest visual and audio direction.

To commemorate the start of the broadcast, a special interview between Masako Nozawa, the voice of Son Goku, and Koichi Yamadera, the voice of Beerus, has been realized! They spoke at length about everything from their deep bond spanning nearly 40 years and unforgettable episodes from the recording studio, to the new surprises they felt in the latest work, "Dragon Ball Super: Beerus".

Pictured left: Koichi Yamadera (voice of Beerus) / Pictured right: Masako Nozawa (voice of Son Goku)

*This article is a long version of the interview published in "Weekly Shonen Jump" 2026 No. 48, V Jump's super-sized December 2026 edition, and Saikyo Jump's December 2026 Edition, restructured for publication on the "Dragon Ball Official Site".

It's the Same Dialogue, Yet It Changes So Much! The Surprises of the "Enhanced" "Dragon Ball Super: Beerus"

-- "Dragon Ball Super: Beerus" has finally begun broadcasting, and we hear it's an "ENHANCED edition" that more precisely expresses Akira Toriyama's original drafts. What were your thoughts upon seeing the powered-up footage featuring new cuts and the latest visual and audio direction?

Yamadera: Well, it was a very fresh experience. The dialogue remains exactly as it was back then, but elements like the visuals, music, and sound effects have been updated. That's something I've rarely experienced before... it was fascinating. I was truly surprised to see something I had already performed and had broadcasted be reborn in such a new form.
Nozawa: I'm sure for the viewers, everything sounds new and completely different too!
Yamadera: Exactly! Even if you think, "The story and our lines haven't changed, so it can't be that different", just the increased intensity of the music and visuals makes the lines I performed as Beerus, like "A very small display- Of a Destroyer’s power." or "Goku...!", sound far more intimidating and charming than they did back then. I was shocked like, "Wow, it changes this much!" I could really feel the passionate desire of the staff to "use various ingenious ideas to make the work even more enjoyable", and I thought the impact of the battle scenes in particular has become incredible.

-- I saw the "Super Surge Trailer", and there's a Kamehameha right from the start, isn't there!

Yamadera: While watching that, Mako-san (Nozawa's nickname) was doing the "Kamehameha!" along with it. I figured she probably just couldn't resist (laughs).
Nozawa: That's right, my body just reacts to the "Kamehameha" (laughs). When the new music and sound effects overlap in that scene, the intensity of the voice sounds even greater.
Yamadera: Definitely, the impact of that "Kamehameha" was amazing.
Nozawa: Whenever something comes up in my everyday life, I'm always quick to say, "I'll shoot a Kamehameha at you!"
Yamadera: Please don't do that (laughs)! When Mako-san says it, it really feels like something is going to shoot out of her hands, like something is actually going to happen. After all, Mako-san once broke a brand-new shotgun mic in the studio with just one shout!

-- She broke a mic just with the pressure of her voice!?

Nozawa: That's right. The shotgun mic was very sensitive, so they told me, "If you shout near it, the sound will clip, so please step back." I backed up all the way to the glass window at the very edge of the studio, so far back that I couldn't retreat any further. Then, when I yelled "Ha!!!!", the recording came to a complete stop.
After a while, a staff member said, "Sorry, I'm going to go get a replacement mic. This one gave out...". I asked, "Oh, will my voice sound even better if you change it?" but it turned out it was completely broken (laughs).
Yamadera: The mic was ruined (laughs). That's why you can't just casually say "Kamehameha", Mako-san. If you say "I'll shoot!" and actually do it, something might really happen. Everyone, please be careful too (laughs).
Hearing that story again, it really proves that your vocal power makes you entirely unique among humanity, Mako-san.
Nozawa: I might not be entirely human (laughs). But I'm incredibly happy that we can deliver that "Kamehameha" to everyone even more powerfully with these new cuts.

-- On the other hand, Beerus, whom you voice Yamadera-san, has his presence as an "absolute powerhouse" highlighted once again in this work.

Yamadera: While voicing Beerus in "Dragon Ball Super", there were battles with other universes, so there were more aspects of him acting somewhat like an "ally or family" member, cheering on Goku and the others to protect his own universe. But returning to this episode, I felt a return to the roots, thinking, "Oh right, at first he appeared as an incredibly terrifying being who would easily try to destroy Goku and the Earth".

-- The charm of Beerus lies in the fact that while he possesses ruthless and overwhelming strength, he also has a playful side where he has a weakness for delicious food and will fly into a rage just over someone eating his pudding.

Yamadera: That "duality" is exactly what makes Beerus so interesting. The part of him that gradually opens up his heart as he experiences the charm of Goku and his friends on Earth, starting with Bulma's cooking, contrasted with his overwhelming majesty as a God of Destruction. Since "Dragon Ball Super: Beerus" focuses heavily on the battles, I think his "strength" will stand out even more.
Actually, during the battles, while Mako-san was next to me screaming at the top of her lungs with "Taa! Atatata, Haa!", there were many scenes where Beerus just watches in silence because he has energy to spare. During those recording sessions back then, I always thought to myself, "Mako-san, I'm sorry for having it so easy next to you!" (laughs).
Nozawa: It's perfectly fine. Even without speaking, your feelings are properly channeled and riding along as Beerus.
Yamadera: Thank you. What I felt anew this time was the intrigue of the "power of direction and editing" in visual works. In movies and anime, it's often said that "even with the same performance, how the director frames it, edits it, and the volume of the music they hit it with determines how the work is perceived".
Nozawa: There are directors who say that. Once, when I was told that, I firmly replied, "Our voices are alive too, so we won't lose to the visuals!" People just laughed and said, "That's so like you, Mako-chan".
Yamadera: Of course, as actors, we always give 100% and express ourselves with all our might every time. But this time, our already completed performances act as "raw materials" in the hands of the staff, and there's this exciting anticipation of "how incredibly will they make it look this time!" Looking back at it, the character outlines are thicker than they were in the previous "Dragon Ball Super", and despite it being an era of advanced digital technology, I strongly felt the warmth of human touch and a deep respect for Akira Toriyama's art style. As just a viewer myself, I'm genuinely looking forward to how things will unfold from here.

Nearly 40 Years Since Their Meeting. The Bond Woven Between an Admired Megastar and the "Rumored Amazing Rookie"--

-- The first time you two co-starred in the "Dragon Ball" series was 13 years ago in the movie "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods" (2013), wasn't it?

Yamadera: Beerus first appeared in 2013, so it really has been 13 years.
Nozawa: Is that so! That's amazing.
Yamadera: For Mako-san, I'm sure it's just one part of the long history of "Dragon Ball", but for me, that was truly my starting point.

-- We hear your original meeting goes back even further, over 30 years prior to that. What do you mean to each other?

Yamadera: More than 30 years, actually. I just looked it up, and the broadcast of "Kamen no Ninja Akakage" where we co-starred was 39 years ago. So it's been nearly 40 years since I first met and worked with Mako-san. I've been in her debt ever since!
Nozawa: Thank you so much as well. I remember our very first meeting incredibly well. Back when Yamadera-san joined his agency (his then-agency, Haikyo), rumors had even reached my ears saying, "An amazing rookie has joined!"
When I heard, "You're finally going to meet him today", I went to the set with a racing heart, so excited wondering "What kind of person is he!" He was truly wonderful right from the start.
Yamadera: There's no way, Mako-san! You're startling me (laughs). We started seeing each other every week as regulars on that set of "Akakage", didn't we. It's true for the current generation, but for our generation too, if you name any anime we loved as kids, Mako-san was in all of them, and we grew up watching so many works where she played the protagonist. Even though she was someone high above the clouds like that, she was just as kind from the very beginning as she is now. She welcomed me so warmly on set.
Nozawa: I'm just a "person who loves people" (laughs).
Yamadera: (Laughs). Ever since then, not to mention "Dragon Ball Super", we even got to do a radio show together a few years ago.
Nozawa: That's right, I was so happy about that.
Yamadera: Both professionally and personally, I really owe her so much.

-- After the movie "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods", you were bantering back and forth in the same studio every week for the TV series "Dragon Ball Super". What was the atmosphere like at the recording studio back then?

Yamadera: For the movies, we often recorded separately, but for the TV series "Dragon Ball Super", we all gathered together to record at the studio in Ichigaya. Surrounded by many senior actors, I joined in and tackled the recordings alongside them. What I'll never forget are the dinners after recording. Mako-san actually doesn't drink any alcohol at all, you know.
Nozawa: That's right, I can't drink.
Yamadera: She gets tipsy even from Narazuke (pickles cured in sake lees).
Nozawa: That's why I don't eat Narazuke either (laughs).
Yamadera: And yet, when everyone went out to eat after recording and the atmosphere was all rowdy and exciting, Mako-san would stay with us until the very end, smiling and listening to everyone's stories. Did you all always go out like that since the days of "Dragon Ball" and "Dragon Ball Z"?
Nozawa: Yes, yes, we always went out. I absolutely love talking with everyone and listening to their stories.
At the recording studio, there were always about 20 newcomers playing what we call "gaya" (background voices), creating and performing their own roles without fixed lines. They are an incredibly necessary presence for the work, aren't they? So when recording finished, I would go over to the group of newcomers and invite them, "We're going to a drinking party now, can you come? Don't worry about money, if you can go, let's go together!" Then they would all say, "We can go!" I just wanted to chat with everyone even a little bit, so I joined them.

Yamadera: Normally, a newcomer wouldn't even dream of being able to go out to eat with Mako-san. For Mako-san herself to invite them saying, "How about it?", of course they'd be overjoyed (laughs)!
From the first time we worked together on "Kamen no Ninja Akakage", you took me out to eat, and I bragged to all my friends saying, "I ate with Masako Nozawa and we talked about this! Isn't that amazing!" When Mako-san would head home in a taxi, everyone wanted to express their gratitude, so they would line up all the way outside to see her off. To an onlooker, it was such an overwhelming sight they'd wonder, "What is this line for?" (laughs).
Nozawa: For me, I just want to slip away quietly, so while I feel really apologetic, I'm truly grateful that everyone comes out to see me off.

-- From rookies to veterans, everyone is captivated by your warmth, Nozawa-san.

Yamadera: She truly treats everyone equally. In fact, she'll even speak up to senior veterans on behalf of the younger cast. In a way, she's like Goku, standing up to strong opponents.

-- Is that so. Nozawa-san, having voiced "Son Goku" for so many years, do you ever feel like you "resemble Goku"?

Nozawa: Thinking carefully about it, we might be similar. Especially in Goku's way of thinking, his free-spirited nature... and maybe even how he can be a bit laid-back (laughs).
It goes back to what we were just talking about, just because someone has a "long career doesn't mean they're better". Whether it's a rookie who walked onto a set for the first time today, or a veteran who has been doing this for decades, once you step into the studio, you have to treat each other as equals, as "individual actors". I know the seniors don't say things out of malice, and their advice comes from a parental affection of "wanting to improve the show, wanting to improve that person even a little". But if a newcomer is told too many things before the actual take, they panic from nervousness and can't deliver the good performance they are capable of. So, if I see someone giving overly enthusiastic guidance, I step in and say, "It's better to let them do it freely".
Just like Goku, you get a better performance when you do it freely. And you know how the atmosphere softens when Goku is around outside of battle? I believe it's the role of us seniors to soften the atmosphere on set.
Yamadera: When Mako-san says that, no matter how great the senior actor, they accept it thinking, "If Mako says so..." I really take that attitude to heart myself.

"Targeting 182 Years Old!" The Mindset of the "Real Goku" Masako Nozawa, Continually Surpassing Her Limits

-- Within the work, Goku and Vegeta challenge the high wall that is Beerus, constantly training to surpass their own limits. How do the two of you feel about this kind of "attitude of continuously challenging and surpassing limits"?

Yamadera: I always draw courage from seeing people who push past their limits and give their all, not just in the world of anime, but in the real world. Mako-san and I both love sports and often get excited talking about it. For example, when you see an athlete like Shohei Ohtani accomplishing things everyone thought were "impossible" and being told he's "more amazing than manga or anime!", it truly makes my heart race. It might be a line I shouldn't say given my role, but just like Goku, it makes you feel like, "I'm getting excited!" (laughs).

-- In any industry or daily life, we're bound to run into walls, after all.

Yamadera: Exactly. For me, even though I have the ambition to aim higher, when I hit a wall, I'm the type who almost comes to a halt thinking, "Maybe this is as far as I can go..." But Mako-san absolutely never complains or shows weakness.
Nozawa: Right from the start, I'm the type who thinks, "Even if I can't do it, if I keep at it, something will work out! It'll be fine!" That hasn't changed at all even now. When I think about it, I sometimes feel my way of thinking and acting really is quite similar to Goku.
Yamadera: You are exactly the "Real Goku"! Years ago, I was completely astounded when I heard Mako-san say, "I want to get better at acting next year". Despite having such a monumental career, she says it so casually like, "Well, that's just how it is for an actor". Just like when I'm watching Goku as Beerus, Mako-san keeps surpassing limits where I would think "It's impossible to go beyond this", so I'm truly amazed and strongly encouraged to think, "I have to work hard too!"

-- Nozawa-san, you will be celebrating the milestone of your 90th birthday this year, yet you are working more energetically than ever.

Nozawa: Oh, it's better to just throw age out the window (laughs)! When people ask me, "How many more years will you be a voice actor?" I always make sure to answer with a number containing an "8" because I like the concept of expanding prosperity. So I say, "I will continue for at least another 80 years". If I answer "18 years" or "28 years", people might wonder, "Why so short?" so my current goal is until I'm "182 years old"! Then, when I turn 183, I'll extend my goal even further.

Yamadera: The next 80 years, right (laughs)! Right now, everyone in the voice acting industry is keeping a close eye wondering, "Why is Mako-san so amazing!?" Yet, even when we ask her about any special training or discipline, she just says, "I don't do anything like that at all", and won't tell us her secret.
Nozawa: No really, I truly don't do anything special at all. I just live naturally and do things exactly as I feel during the actual recording.
Yamadera: She has already transcended everything. Before, when we did a radio show together, there was a segment where the two of us performed all the roles of the characters in a story sent in by a listener. We had to switch between playing three generations, like a young grandson, a mother, and a grandmother, one after another. Mako-san just lightly read the script, but when the take started, she switched roles in an instant with a simple breath.
Nozawa: That was something I really wanted to do myself, so I was incredibly happy we got to do it together. It's the same when I voice Goku, Gohan, and Goten; there's no logic of "doing this or doing that". When Goku speaks, I instantly become Goku, and when Gohan speaks, I instantly become Gohan. It just happens naturally.
Yamadera: I was so fortunate to witness that "divine technique" right beside her. Thinking "I want to become like this someday", I continue chasing after Mako-san's back every single day.

Akira Toriyama's "Purity" and the Soul Imbued by Voice--The Reason It Remains Loved Around the World

-- The "Dragon Ball" series continues to be loved by fans all over the world, transcending eras, generations, and even borders. What do you two think is the biggest reason this work has been loved for so long?

Nozawa: I believe it lies in the "personality and character" of the original author, Akira Toriyama. I've personally had tea and spoken with him about two or three times, and he is a person who is truly pure towards manga. When you become an adult, inevitably, some form of calculation or ulterior motives tends to slip in, doesn't it? But he has absolutely none of that. Everything he says is truly pure.
Yamadera: It might be presumptuous of me to say this since I joined partway through its history, but of course, it's primarily the overwhelming charm of Akira Toriyama's original work--the art style, the character designs, and the straightforward, thrilling storytelling. And I believe it's also because the anime staff, with their deep respect for him, turned it into wonderful animation and spread it across the globe. However, among all the various elements, if I were to give my "ultimate answer", I truly think it's the fact that "Masako Nozawa played Son Goku".

Nozawa: Oh my...!
Yamadera: The fact that Mako-san played Goku, and that she continues to stand at the forefront of the series like this even now. If that weren't the case, I don't think it would have become a work that spread this far across the world. Among the young staff and creators working on productions today, there must be many who grew up watching the "Dragon Ball" anime with Mako-san performing, fell in love with it, and entered this industry. As a voice actor who does this job believing that "animation gains a soul when the voice is finally added", I am convinced that Mako-san breathing life into Goku is one of the greatest reasons it continues to be loved. ...Even as I say this, I play such a high-and-mighty role against that very Goku in the show, I'm truly sorry (laughs)!
Nozawa: No, no, it's perfectly fine (laughs)!

-- From your words, your deep love for Akira Toriyama and the work is profoundly conveyed. Finally, could we get a message from each of you for the viewers who are excitedly watching "Dragon Ball Super: Beerus" every week!

Nozawa: Goku is completely free. I think he will continue to run wild freely. Please, everyone, enjoy yourselves while getting excited along with Goku and the gang!
Yamadera: For me, I am absolutely thrilled beyond words that the show title includes "Beerus". Of course I want you to enjoy the entire work, but please take this opportunity to support Beerus!
Actually, when a fan said to me, "My child loves Beerus, please say a few words!", Beerus's catchphrases are all dangerous things like "I will destroy you!" or "Before creation, comes destruction...", so I was worried the mother might think, "Please don't destroy my child!" (laughs). I thought about coming up with another line like "This is delicious"... but I'll stick to my character and dare to say this. "Support Beerus, or I'll destroy you!" (laughs)
Nozawa: Hehe, that really is the perfect fit for Beerus after all!


-- Thank you for the wonderful conversation today!