Toei/ImdbDragon Ball narrator Brice Armstrong has died aged 84, his talent management group Mary Collins Agency has confirmed.
According to the organisation, Armstrong passed away as a result of natural causes on January 10.
Armstrong found fame when he narrated the Funimation dub of Dragon Ball, before going on to join the cast of Dragon Ball Z as the voice of Captain Ginyu. He later returned to the franchise as the narrator of the fourth Dragon Ball film, before playing Lord Slug in Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug.
Beyond Dragon Ball, he voiced several other roles, including Douglas on Lupin III and roles in Baki the Grappler, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fruits Basket, and Yu Yu Hakusho.
ImdbConfirming the sad news of his death, Mary Collins Agency said in a statement:
I’m sad to say we lost a dear client and friend, voice actor Brice Armstrong, on Friday, January 10th, 2020. He died of natural causes at his home at age 84. Although many of you might not know Brice’s work, as he retired in 2009, many more of you knew Brice as an exceedingly talented voice actor, and a very sweet, funny guy.
In the anime and game community, Brice is perhaps best known as the narrator for the original Dragonball series, characters Captain Ginyu and Lord Slug in Dragonball Z, as well as providing voices on Yu Yu Hakusho, Lupin III, Case Closed and many other titles.
Christopher Sabat, a Mary Collins Agency voice actor and founder of Okratron 5000, worked with and directed Brice often. ‘Brice was the kindest, funniest person I’ve ever known. He was always humble, never in a bad mood–not the attitude you’d expect from such an industry legend.’
Dragon Ball is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. It was said to be initially inspired by classical Chinese novel Journey to the West, as well as martial arts films from Hong Kong.
The series follows Son Goku, who spends his childhood and onwards training in martial arts until he meets a girl named Bulma, who persuades him to join her in travelling the world searching for the seven orbs, known as Dragon Balls.
Rest in peace, Brice Armstrong.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.