Charlie and I were talking about which wrestlers and celebrities had passed away this year. As we were going through last month, we learned that someone Charlie has admired for much of his life had passed away. Mike McFarland and he was one of the talented people who helped bring the world of Dragon Ball Z to English-speaking audiences, and his passing hit Charlie hard.

Just like when we lost Stan Lee, it almost brought Charlie to his knees. Some people might not understand how deeply we can feel the loss of someone we never met personally. But when you grow up watching a series, following its characters, playing its games, and sharing those experiences with your family, the people behind that entertainment can become part of your story or it does for mine.

I would like to ask us to take a moment this morning to say thank you to Mike McFarland for the work he shared with the world. We also want his family to know that they are in our prayers. When you lose someone you love, it is hard, and we pray that his family finds comfort and peace during this difficult time.

Whether it is an entertainer, musician, wrestler, author, or voice actor, sometimes these people become a part of our family in ways we never expected. That is how our family feels about the world of Dragon Ball and the people who helped bring it to life. This is why we are honoring Mike through a Dragon Ball-inspired lesson plan and by sharing some of our family memories with you here at Greatful Moments.

Dragon Ball has been part of our family’s entertainment for years. Charlie, David, and Bradley have watched Dragon Ball Z for as long as I can remember. Charlie and Mikayla also used to watch it together on Crunchyroll, and we even used Dragon Ball books during our homeschool days.

As a mom, I love looking back at the things that become part of our family’s story. Sometimes those memories come from a book we read together. Other times, they come from a television series, a video game, or something we all enjoy talking about around the house.

Dragon Ball has given us plenty of those moments. Charlie enjoys the video games, we have clothing and figurines, and we even own a Dragon Ball Monopoly game. It is also a natural fit for our Interactive Halloween Gift Guide and Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List because there are so many ways fans can enjoy the franchise.

We can picture making cookies shaped like Dragon Ball characters, finding collectibles for a fan, reading books together, or settling in for a favorite episode. These are the kinds of simple activities that can turn an interest into a family memory. And that is why Mike’s passing matters to us. His work was part of a franchise that has been woven into our lives for years.

Dragon Ball began with Japanese manga creator Akira Toriyama, whose stories introduced audiences to Goku and a world of martial arts, friendship, adventure, humor, and extraordinary battles. It also created Charlie’s love for all-things anami and Japenese.

The original Dragon Ball anime premiered in Japan in 1986, followed by Dragon Ball Z in 1989. As the franchise reached audiences around the world, English-language adaptations introduced its characters to generations of new fans including Bradley, Charlie and David.

Bringing an animated series to another language involves much more than changing the words. Voice actors must give the characters personalities and emotions that audiences can connect with. Writers and script adapters help make the dialogue work naturally in English, while voice directors guide performances and help bring the finished production together. That is where Mike McFarland made his contribution.

Mike was an American voice actor, voice director, scriptwriter, and producer who became part of the early generation of performers working on Funimation’s English-language anime productions. His career in anime voice work began in the late 1990s, and he continued contributing to the industry for decades.

He wasn’t the original creator of Dragon Ball. Rather, he was one of the talented people who helped make its characters and stories accessible to English-speaking audiences. That distinction is important because the people behind the English-language versions of our favorite shows deserve recognition, too. They help make these stories familiar to families like ours.

One of Mike’s best-known roles was Master Roshi, the eccentric martial arts master who trained Goku and Krillin. Fans also knew him as Yajirobe, the sword-carrying character whose personality brought a different kind of humor to the series Charlie told me.

His Dragon Ball work extended to other characters and productions, including Dragon Ball Z Kai and Dragon Ball Super. He also contributed to Dragon Ball movies and video games. His career with the franchise stretched across many years, allowing fans to encounter his work in different parts of the Dragon Ball universe.

But Mike’s contribution wasn’t limited to stepping into a recording booth and performing a character. His work as a voice director and scriptwriter helped shape English-language anime productions behind the scenes. Sometimes we recognize a voice immediately. Other times, we enjoy a show without realizing how much work went into making it feel natural in our language.

When we look back at Dragon Ball, we can appreciate both the characters we love and the people who helped bring those characters to our screens. Now, if we are talking about Dragon Ball in our house, we have to talk about Broly Charlie’s all-time favorite character. If you want to know why, you can just ask Charlie! He could tell you more about Broly than I could ever hope to put into one blog post.

Broly is known for his tremendous power and his place among the franchise’s most memorable Saiyan characters. He first appeared in the 1993 film Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan. The character later received a new interpretation in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, released in 2018.

I want to make one thing clear: we know Mike McFarland wasn’t Broly’s voice actor. We are not confusing the characters or the people behind them. Broly is Charlie’s favorite, and Mike is someone whose work helped bring the wider Dragon Ball universe to life for English-speaking audiences. Those are two different things, and both matter to our family.

When someone works on a franchise that has meant so much to your child, you can develop an appreciation for that person even when they didn’t voice your child’s favorite character. It is a reminder that a whole team of talented people contributes to the stories we enjoy.

For Charlie, Dragon Ball is more than a show. It is part of his interests, his entertainment, and his memories. That is why we want to honor the people who helped make that world possible. Another thing I wanted to share witrh you is Dragon Ball isn’t the only connection our family has to Mike’s career.

One of the other places we can recognize his work is the video game world, including Street Fighter X Tekken. Mike’s video game credits also included work associated with Dragon Ball games and other gaming franchises. For Charlie and his friend’s they’ve pallyed Street Fighter. Have you?

That gives us another familiar point of connection. We may not have followed every anime series he worked on, but we can appreciate the range of his career through entertainment we already recognize. And as a family that enjoys gaming, it is interesting to discover how voice actors can move between television, movies, and video games.

The same performer may help bring a character to life in one medium and contribute to an entirely different experience somewhere else. This is one of the things I love about learning more about the people behind our favorite entertainment. There is often more to their careers than we initially realize.

One way our family can celebrate Mike’s career is by discovering some of the other shows he worked on. David, Charlie, and I haven’t necessarily watched all these series, and I don’t want to pretend otherwise. Instead, we can use this as an opportunity to learn something new together.

One Piece– Is a show I hadn’t heard of but Mike voiced Buggy the Clown in the English-language version of One Piece. Buggy is a recognizable character in a franchise filled with pirates, adventures, and unusual personalities. Mike’s work on the series became one of his best-known roles outside Dragon Ball This gives us a new series to explore and a chance to see another side of Mike’s voice acting.

Attack on Titan– In Attack on Titan, Mike voiced Jean Kirstein. This series has a very different tone and setting from Dragon Ball, which makes it interesting to consider how a voice actor adapts to different kinds of stories and characters. Mike also contributed behind the scenes as a voice director. Another show I haven’t seen. Have you?

Fullmetal Alchemist– Fans of Fullmetal Alchemist may recognize Mike as Jean Havoc. He worked on both Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and his contributions extended beyond performing to directing and scriptwriting. I wonder if Charlie and Bradley know this show. Or if David does. How about you. Have you watched it?

Fruits Basket– Mike also voiced Ritsu Sohma in Fruits Basket. This is another opportunity for our family to discover a different kind of anime story and appreciate how one actor can play characters across very different worlds. Making this a fun show to check out with my family. Would you want to join us for a movie nite?

We may have originally come to appreciate Mike through Dragon Ball and familiar video games, but these other series give us new ways to celebrate his career. We can explore a show, learn about its characters, and discover something about the people who helped bring it to English-speaking audiences. We don’t have to claim we already know every series. We can simply be curious and enjoy learning.

Since we are honoring Mike through a lesson plan, I want to bring together entertainment, reading, creative activities, and family memories. We can begin by learning about the history of Dragon Ball and the people involved in its creation and English-language adaptation. From there, we can talk about voice acting and how a performer uses their voice to help a character feel believable.

Books can be part of the lesson, just as they were during our #homeschool days and these books can be used in our 10 Minute Reading Challenge. Then we can explore character stories, talk about the difference between manga and anime, and discuss how a story can move from the printed page to the screen.

For a creative activity, we could make Dragon Ball-inspired cookies shaped like stars, balls, or favorite characters. We can use our imaginations to decorate them, then enjoy them while watching an episode or discussing our favorite parts of the franchise. And, of course, we have our Dragon Ball Monopoly game. A family game night can be another way to bring everyone together and celebrate an interest that has been part of our home for years.

We can also introduce the four other anime series mentioned above, giving older kids and adults an opportunity to learn about Mike’s broader career. The point isn’t to turn every activity into a formal school assignment. It is to remember that entertainment can open the door to reading, history, creativity, conversation, and time spent together. That is something I have always appreciated about learning through our family’s interests.

Sometimes people don’t understand how much a celebrity, musician, wrestler, author, or voice actor can mean to a family. We may never meet them. They may never know our names. Yet their work can become part of our routines and memories. We remember the shows we watched, the games we played, the characters we loved, and the people we shared those experiences with.

When Stan Lee passed away, Charlie felt that loss deeply. Mike’s passing brought back some of those same feelings. As a mom, it is hard to watch your child grieve someone who meant so much to him, even when that connection came through entertainment. But it also reminds me that stories and characters can become part of the way we connect with one another.

We have Dragon Ball memories from years of watching, gaming, reading, and homeschooling. We have favorite characters, collectibles, clothing, and a board game that brings the franchise into our home in another way. Those things may seem small to someone else, but they are part of our family’s story.

And now, as we learn more about Mike McFarland’s career, we have an opportunity to discover new shows, revisit familiar games, and appreciate the many talented people who help create the entertainment we enjoy. Today, we want to say thank you, Mike, for the work you shared with the world and for being part of a franchise that has meant so much to our family.

Thank you for helping bring Dragon Ball characters to life for English-speaking audiences. Thank you for your years of voice acting, writing, and directing, and for the many other characters and stories you helped bring to fans. To Mike’s family and loved ones, please know that you are in our prayers. We know that losing someone you love is hard, and we pray that God brings you comfort, strength, and peace as you navigate this difficult time. We hope you find comfort in knowing that his work reached people around the world and became part of their lives in ways he may never have fully realized.

For our family, we will remember Mike through Dragon Ball, through the characters we have enjoyed, through the games we play, and now through the other shows we can explore in his memory. We will remember him by sharing our stories and encouraging others to remember the people behind the entertainment they love. Rest in peace, Mike McFarland. Thank you for being part of our family’s story.

Now, I have a question for you Do you remember Mike McFarland from Dragon Ball, One Piece, Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fruits Basket, or Street Fighter-related games? Which Dragon Ball character is your favorite? Charlie’s all-time favorite is Broly, but we’d love to hear which characters have stayed with you over the years.

Have you ever discovered that a voice actor from one of your favorite shows worked on another series you enjoyed? Share your memories with us. Here at Greatful Moments, we believe that being grateful, thankful, and blessed includes remembering the people whose work has brought happiness into our homes.

Do you or your children watch Dragon Ball Z? If so who is your favorite character and why?

Today, we are remembering Mike, praying for his family, and celebrating the stories that brought us together.

#MikeMcFarland #DragonBallZ #Broly #OnePiece #AttackOnTitan #FullmetalAlchemist #FruitsBasket #StreetFighter #Anime #Homeschool #FamilyMemories #GreatfulMoments #GratefulThankfulAndBlessed

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Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates