We all knew that this was going to happen eventually…but it still hurts. Why did we have to lose Mike McFarland so soon?
Even if you don’t know who Mike McFarland is, if you’re a fan of Dragon Ball, One Piece, or Fullmetal Alchemist, you’ll know the roles he’s played. We all know Master Roshi, Yajirobe, and Buggy the Clown. Heck, if there were a council of wise old mentors to shonen protagonists, he would be the chairman. And he would also be a proud member of the dirty old men club, no shame whatsoever. But he was also pretty well-known behind the scenes, serving as a director, scriptwriter, and voice actor. Needless to say, he was a pretty big deal. Which only made it harder for fans and those who called him friend when he learned he had cancer.
In January of 2025, we freaked out when we learned that Mike was in the hospital for a brain tumor, but they got it out. So we hoped that it was the end of it. But then in August, we learned that he had glioblastoma, AKA the worst form of brain cancer you could have. And we knew that Mike didn’t have long for this world. Even so, we all pitched in to help him. His friends set up a GoFundMe that managed to raise almost $270k. They got him the best care. And then, we didn’t hear about him for months. I hoped that he had beaten the odds and had a few extra years left. But it wasn’t meant to be.
How I found out…and Felt Sad for Aaron
I was getting up to go to the bathroom at around 1:00 am when I got a message on Discord from one of my friends who broke the news that Mike had passed. Even though I should have been sleeping, I checked online and saw that it was true. The OG VA for Bulma confirmed it herself, from what I heard. Knowing that Donte and Aaron, the people who founded this blog, were even bigger Dragon Ball fans than I was, my first instinct was to tell Aaron about this. I quickly dm’d him and broke the news, knowing that I would have to write this post about it. And the worst part wasn’t having to tell him the news; it was seeing his reaction. He said that it was just a rumor and that there had been no official word that Mike had really died, and my heart broke as I read his messages. I wanted it to be a rumor, but I could tell he was in denial.
And frankly, I don’t blame him.
Like I have said multiple times, I didn’t spend my childhood years watching Dragon Ball on Toonami. I was too young! I didn’t even get into Dragon Ball until my teen years watching DBZ KAI on Nicktoons (not sorry.) But I knew how much the characters have meant to people, and I can totally see why. Roshi may have been a pervert and would likely be on some kind of list in real life, but he was also a wise and supportive mentor, and while he wasn’t the first, it was ultimately Mike McFarland’s portrayal that defined the character in the West. So, I hate that he had to go so soon.
This also wasn’t just an isolated event, either. This was like the latest in a series of celebrity deaths that have hit us hard this year.
Two weeks ago, we lost three major celebrities in the span of three days. I didn’t know Dolly Parton that well, but I loved Tim Curry and his work over the years. But losing Peter Cullen? Losing the OG Optimus Prime, the guy responsible for making him so beloved that kids were traumatized when Hasbro killed him in The Transformers: The Movie in ‘86? THAT HURT! Especially since his role as the announcer was a big part of what made Toonami so successful in its first run.
What I’m trying to say is that we are all sad about Mike’s passing. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our fellow anime fans, the people who worked with Mike, and his family. I wish he hadn’t had to go so soon, and I hope that whoever they get to fill his shoes does him justice. Now go, Master Roshi. Go to that big hot spring with beautiful ladies in the sky!
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