Low-Key DBZ: This TikTok Pianist Sneaks Anime Songs Into His Church Performances
As is the case with many trail-blazing examples from their respective genres, "Dragon Ball" is one of the most successful and beloved anime franchises of all time. Still, even with multiple long-running series and a slew of movies under its black belt, it's "Dragon Ball Z" that is most fondly remembered by fans.
Perhaps this is why a church performance from late 2023 is still garnering attention on TikTok. In the video, a pastor delivers a stirring speech about the power of the Lord to his congregation. However, the church pianist who accompanies his words decides to have a little fun with it, swapping in some inspiring music from "Dragon Ball Z" rather than a more typical hymn or song of worship.
The theme appears to be from the ending of Goku's (Masako Nozawa/Sean Schemmel) final battle with Majin Buu (Kozo Shioya/Scott McNeil) toward the end of the final season of "Dragon Ball Z." While this might seem like a bit of an unorthodox choice, it's hard to deny that the music is inspirational, whether you're imagining the triumph of a Christian martyr or Earth's mightiest hero vanquishing the most powerful foe he ever faced.
The pianist has pulled this trick plenty of times
The video comes from TikTok content creator @johndanielspiano, whose many posts to the social media site have garnered upward of 3 million views. While no one, including the pastor himself, seems to bat an eye at the theme being used in place of a more classical choice, it isn't the first time the musician has incorporated something like this into a church service.
Scrolling through Daniels' videos, you'll come across a treasure trove of nerdy content being played during worship. These include selections from games like "Final Fantasy VII," "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time," and "Super Mario Galaxy" or other legendary anime series such as "Berserk," "Sailor Moon," and "One Piece."
Of course, some who take their faith very seriously might balk at this kind of thing being played during a church service. Still, the number of religious people in the world has been increasingly dropping off over the last decade or so. With that in mind, perhaps engaging prospective newcomers by connecting attending church to things that they already love, like, say, "Dragon Ball Z," isn't such a bad strategy after all.