This week, the United States held its midterm elections to choose members of the House of Representatives and Senate. It’s a political event that unexpectedly caught the attention of video game and anime fans. That’s because Texas’ next attorney general once worked on Dragon Ball Z.
We’re talking about Nathan Johnson, who emerged victorious in the recent elections held in early November in the neighboring country. What caught our attention is that he is the same composer who wrote music for more than 60 episodes and several movies of Toei Animation’s anime for its English-language version.
Nathan Johnson, an Anime Fan, Will Become Texas’ New Attorney General
The elections took place across the United States on November 3. Democrat Nathan Johnson ran against Republican Mayes Middleton for the position of Texas attorney general.
In the end, the 58-year-old politician emerged victorious and defeated his rival. This is a major milestone in the state’s history, as it marks the first time in 32 years that a Democrat has been elected attorney general of Texas. The previous person to achieve this was Dan Morales, who took office in 1994.
Nathan Johnson, who has served as a Texas state senator since 2019, will take office in January 2027, replacing Ken Paxton, the Republican politician who currently serves as the state’s attorney general.
All of this is quite interesting and will likely mark a turning point for domestic politics in the United States. It remains to be seen whether this change in political leadership will have any impact on the neighboring country’s relationship with Mexico. However, there was another detail that caught everyone’s attention.
As we mentioned, Texas’ next attorney general has an unexpected background in the anime industry, having worked as a music composer for the English-language version of one of the most popular, recognizable, and beloved franchises in the world: Dragon Ball Z.
Nathan Johnson Composed Music for More Than 60 Episodes and 5 Dragon Ball Z Movies
Before entering American politics, Nathan Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Arizona and a law degree from the University of Texas. He also co-founded a law firm specializing in commercial litigation and owned a music production company.
That last detail is particularly relevant, as Texas’ future attorney general composed the soundtrack for 67 episodes of the English dub of Dragon Ball Z. We’re talking about Funimation’s version, which is part of the 2005 Ultimate Uncut release.
Nathan Johnson also contributed music to five movies in the franchise, including The World’s Strongest, The Tree of Might, Broly: Second Coming, Fusion Reborn, and Wrath of the Dragon. In other words, he worked on some of the most recognizable feature-length productions in the entire series.
In a recent interview with Senator Taylor Rehme, the American politician admitted that many people are surprised when he tells them he was involved in creating the soundtrack for the English-language version of Dragon Ball Z.
“I composed the music, from beginning to end, for 67 episodes of Dragon Ball Z and five of the movies. I had a one-year-old son at the time, and I remember him sitting on my lap and saying, ‘Oh, Daddy Goku!’ He thought it was great. It gave me a creative outlet and a cultural connection that very few people have had the opportunity to experience,” Texas’ next attorney general said.
In another interview for The Dao of Dragon Ball in 2012, Nathan Johnson admitted that he had never watched the anime before being hired. He also revealed that he initially struggled to connect with its story and characters. However, he eventually grew to appreciate the series.
Following his election victory, the politician revealed that younger voters were unaware of his history with the franchise. “Along the way, some of them discovered my musical background, and specifically my love of Dragon Ball Z, and they got really excited,” he said.
Outside the world of anime, the U.S. elections also had another curious connection to the video game industry. Marty O’Donnell, composer for Halo and Destiny, ran for a seat in Congress representing Nevada’s 3rd District. Despite receiving Donald Trump’s endorsement, he lost to Democrat Susie Lee.
But tell us: did you know about this unusual connection? Let us know in the comments.
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