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I found the perfect live-action Goku actor for Dragon Ball after seeing their two biggest roles

I found the perfect live-action Goku actor for Dragon Ball after seeing their two biggest roles

Summary

  • Manny Jacinto’s versatile acting skills make him the perfect choice for Goku in a hypothetical live-action
    Dragon Ball
    .
  • His experience in comedy and action from shows like
    The good place
    And
    The Acolyte
    present its spectrum.
  • Casting Jacinto could give a live-action adaptation of Dragon Ball the right balance of humor, action, and authenticity.



A live action Dragon Ball Adaptations are inherently a difficult thing to do when you want to make them into live-action, but I think Hollywood has already found the perfect Goku. In recent years, there have been several live-action adaptations of famous anime. While some (like Death notice, Ghost in the ShellAnd Cowboy Bebop) were perceived as lackluster by fans and critics alike, the best live-action anime films and series have been received more positively. While flawed in their own ways, Avatar: The Last Airbender And One piece have proven that the concept can be implemented well.

While Dragon Ball has one of the most notorious examples of bad anime adaptations thanks to Dragon Ball DevelopmentThis does not mean that the concept should be abandoned entirely. A live-action Dragon Ballespecially one that describes the events of Dragon Ball Zcould easily be a huge success if the right cast and the right creatives were put together. There is already a perfect candidate for the main role of Gokuwith her recent starring roles in major television shows underscoring the versatility and skill required to portray this character.


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Manny Jacinto’s biggest TV roles prove he’s a perfect live-action Goku

Manny Jacinto’s reach proves he could bring Goku to life

Manny Jacinto’s most notable TV appearances convinced me he would be a perfect Goku in a new live action Dragon BallJacinto had minor roles in shows like Bates Motel And iZombie before his big breakthrough as Wing Lei in The Romeo sectionThis was followed The good place where he played Jason Mendoza, one of the four people in the afterlife. One of his most recent roles was at the center of The Acolytewhere he plays the mysterious Qimir. The roles of Qimir and Jason are completely different and underline Jacinto’s acting range.


Both roles highlight very different skills that are crucial to any good live-action adaptation of the film. Dragon Ball Franchise, from comedic timing and dramatic skills to truly impressive martial artsThere is a natural balance in the way Goku’s longtime English voice actor Sean Schemmel alternates between silly and serious, something that is evident in Justin Chatwin’s version in Dragon Ball Development. I believe the flexibility to go from intense to silly is crucial to any Goku performance. Given Jacinto’s two biggest roles, I think he’s the only performer who could nail that aspect of Goku.

Manny Jacinto’s role in “The Good Place” underlined his comedic talent and his lovable innocence

Jason Mendoza is one of the best comedy stars on modern television

Jason from The Good Place


Even with a top-class cast, Manny Jacinto was a comedic highlight The good place. While the show benefited from a wacky tone and outstanding performances across the board, Jacinto was often a comic MVP who could be used in any situation. Jason, a cartoonishly stupid but surprisingly sweet Florida crook, turned out to be the deceitful heart of The good place. I was incredibly impressed with Jacinto’s performance on the show, especially his sweet romance with D’Arcy Carden’s Janet. It showed the willingness to do big and far-reaching things that defines Goku as a character.

Goku has never been the most intellectual character, but has often been portrayed as a food-loving and goofy hero with a noble streak. He quickly turns enemies into allies, which would make the kind of energy found in the overly friendly Jason easy to emulate. We’ve all seen Jacinto fully embrace a broad gag, and he would be more than capable of copying Goku’s charm. Both shows also thrive on a sense of comedy grounded in the characters despite the bizarre circumstances, proving that Jacinto could fit well into the cartoon world of Dragon Ball.


The Acolyte proves that Manny Jacinto can handle the action of Dragon Ball

The Acolyte Gave Manny Jacinto a really impressive action show

Qimir (Manny Jacinto) looks over his shoulder while repairing his helmet in
Image via Disney+

At the other end of the spectrum is Jacinto’s performance in The Acolyte was a great demonstration of what the actor can do in action sequences. I was a little suspicious of Jacinto’s Qimir in the first few episodes of the war of stars series, but everything came to a head in “Night,” the fifth episode of the series. After revealing himself to be the mysterious master who teaches Mae the dark side, Qimir gets the chance to compete against a whole group of Jedi and slaughters them in a modern war of stars‘ best fight scenes.


It proves to me how skilled Jacinto can be in acting, which is a very important aspect of any good potential Dragon Ball Adaptation. Combat is one of the main attractions of Dragon Ball as a franchise, with many explosive action sequences that require fast but powerful physical performance. Jacinto’s fight scenes as Qimir are incredibly impressive In The Acolyteparticularly his one-on-one duel with Sol. It’s a fast and wide-ranging fight in which Jacinto is great throughout, with enough brutal touches that could be used to recreate the tougher physical strain of a live-action fight Dragon Ball battle.

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Why it’s so difficult to turn Goku and Dragon Ball into live-action films

Dragon Ball Has a difficult tone to bring to live action

Goku from Dragon Ball with manga panels


Dragon Ball (and Goku in particular) is a deceptively difficult concept to translate into live actionThe most famous attempt to date, the notoriously bad Dragon Ball Developmenthas highlighted this clearly. It failed to reproduce the bright elements of the source material and tried to filter the very unique cast into more standard character types. It tried to apply a darker filter to the concept, which stands in stark contrast to the colorful world and bombastic action of Dragon Ball Z and the rest of the franchise.

Goku in particular is a character that requires a very versatile actor to get him right. It requires an actor who can perform the tough physical stunts Dragon Ball without being too dull or boring. Goku has a charm all his own as a character, a well-meaning (if a little silly) and determined innocence that makes him easy to root for. For that, you need an actor who is good at comedy but can still bring a harder edge when the story gets serious – and Jacinto is perfect for that.


Manny Jacinto could be the key to a great live-action version of Dragon Ball Z

If you take a silly but capable Goku as your guide, you could make a live-action version of it Dragon Ball Z Excellent

Qimir/Sith (Manny Jacinto) with an indifferent expression in The Acolyte, Season 1, Episode 5
Image via Disney+

I think Manny Jacinto would be perfect as a live-action Goku in any possible live-action Dragon Ball. Jacinto’s abilities would translate perfectly to a new screen version of Goku. This could help establish the bright and exciting tone of a live-action Dragon Ball Z that reproduces the energy of the source material. This would prevent a possible adaptation from becoming unnecessarily dramatic, as Dragon Ball Development. Manny Jacinto is a very talented artist and has the talent to justify more time in the spotlight.


The main role in a hypothetical Dragon Ball Z Adaptation could make Jacinto a huge star. He has the right age and stature to play Goku as he first appeared in Dragon Ball Z. The actor is also from the Philippines, which would give the casting a better sense of authenticity if an actor of South Asian descent played Goku instead of having a Caucasian actor take on the role. Although there are currently no Dragon Ball There is a live-action film in the works, I believe the perfect Goku is already out there.