
Maybe someone told him to “go train,” and he misunderstood.
Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t watched Dragon Ball Super in its entirety, you might want to immediately scroll down below the picture of Mr. Sato getting a haircut in Turkey.
With the end of Dragon Ball Super last March the series’ most popular villain, Frieza, received a special prize and was resurrected to the land of the living. Being the go-getter he is, Frieza immediately declared his intention to rebuild his evil paramilitary enterprise.
But you try building an evil empire in this business climate. Times are tough, so to make ends meet and help raise the capital for his new planet trading venture it seems as though the conqueror of worlds has gotten a job with the railway.
▼ OK now we can all be on the same page!
There have been several sightings – or listenings rather – of a voice identical to that of Frieza’s. Now, this part’s tricky because depending on when and where you watched his appearances in Dragon Ball, you may have a specific voice for Frieza in your mind.
Here’s a rundown of voice actors who have taken on the part.
Obviously, the second voice in the above video, done by Ryusei Nakao, is what Japanese audiences associate with the legendary character.
Here’s a little more of him speaking so you can get a good sense of it.
If you haven’t, go back and listen to his voice before checking out this recording of a train conductor making an announcement, and tell me that isn’t Frieza speaking. Even a person in the video can be heard blurting out, “That’s Frieza, isn’t it?”
https://twitter.com/hiro_pon109/status/989163989841068033According to comments this employee is something of a local celebrity on the rails of Tokushima Prefecture where he can be heard.
“That guy is well-known around Tokushima.”
“I’ve heard him on various trains like the Tsurugisan Limited Express and regular trains.”
“That sounds exactly like him! I live near Osaka and am going to go there someday.”
“Totally Frieza. Are we sure this isn’t Ryusei Nakao doing these announcements?”
“Actually he kind of sounds like [Anpanman antagonist] Baikinman.”
Many also pointed out to the original tweet that he can be found frequently on YouTube listing station names in the intonation of Goku’s greatest adversary.
The question remains, however, whether this guy is just trying to break the monotony of train conducting by doing his best Frieza imitation, or he just naturally sounds like that.
Although it gets lost in translation, one of the main features of the character of Frieza is his very polite way of speaking. This habit not only makes him more of an unnerving villain, but is very similar to the way train conductors speak while addressing passengers.
So, it is very conceivable that this is just a guy with a very similar voice who, by nature of his job, also speaks in a very similar manner to that of the self-proclaimed emperor of the universe.
At the very least we can rule out the real Frieza because it’s already been determined that he has upper-management written all over him.
Source: Twitter/@hiro_pon109, Hachima Kiko
Top image: YouTube/Dragon Ball super short videos


Never fear, humans: Frieza and Vegeta pledge to destroy coronavirus and save Earth once again
26 anime voice actors and actresses form group to speak out against unauthorized generative AI
Dragon Ball Z’s Piccolo and Frieza show their Halloween spirit, help bring the holiday to Japan
Dragon Ball’s Frieza soft and sweet? He sure is, as marshmallows!
New Dragon Ball die-cast car toys bring Frieza’s pod to the Dream Tomica line【Photos】
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Two new Sailor Moon art manhole covers are coming to Usagi’s real-world Tokyo neighborhood
Krispy Kreme releases new limited-edition fox doughnuts at only four stores in Japan
What makes the Starbucks Japan chocolate terrine so popular?
KFC Japan’s “The American Burgers” include a pile of guilt
Tokyo restaurant offers lunches for less than 1 U.S. cent…if you’re good enough at rock-paper-scissors
Gundam teams up with 300-year-old daruma maker for wood-carved anime mecha figures[Photos]
Government says 5.7 trillion yen of Japanese media was pirated last year, thinks AI could help
Pizza Hut Japan’s drinkable curry pizza is here – Is it all we dreamed it would be?[Taste test]
Japanese temple burns to the ground, fire burning inside for 1,200 years unharmed
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Japan has a new cute and clever sunblock for cat lovers
Tokyo’s new extra-expensive ramen restaurant is dividing opinions, so we tried a bowl
Japan’s izakaya pubs closing at record pace, failing to attract foreign tourists
Japan’s instant ramen snack theme park features an athletic course even adults can enjoy
Krispy Kreme Japan is bringing two special donuts to the most-forgotten big city in the country
Starbucks Japan hoping fans will go bananas for its new mottainai banana affogato Frappuccino
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Japan now has gyoza doughnuts, and they taste like no other doughnut we’ve tried before
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
This Tokyo Station sweets sensation sells out daily, but we finally got our hands on it
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Dragon Ball “should have ended with the Frieza Saga”, says Akira Toriyama’s former editor
How epic is PlayStation 4? The specs of Sony’s newest console explained through Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Z’s Frieza cheers on runners at Japan’s New Year’s relay race with Koi Dance【Vid】
Britney Spears’ son loves Dragon Ball Z, cosplays as anime villain
Friezas continue their yearly tradition of cheering on runners in Japan’s New Year’s relay race
Dragon Ball Super finally ends after three years, voice actress of Goku says she’s not done
Dragon Ball anime replaces Yamcha’s voice actor for first time in 38 years
Dragon Ball costumes made easy with new masks of your favorite characters
Dragon Ball Z Friezapod cushion chair on sale from Bandai Namco
Dragon Ball Super fan unleashes tirade of criticism against the series in viral video
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ opens – We attended screening with voice actors, Momoiro Clover Z
Gaggle of Friezas support runners for Hakone marathon once again, this time dancing “Paprika”
Tired of flipping pages? Artist creates amazing, rotating-paper-cup Dragon Ball manga 【Video】
Dragon Ball’s Frieza appears in giant 3-D outside Shinjuku Station【Video】