“Kamehameha!”
The word was heard over and over again on Wednesday, July 17, as nearly 800 of “Dragon Ball Z” fans gathered to attempt to set a world record at the Marriott Marquis San Diego.
The group of fans gathered ahead of Comic-Con International‘s Preview Night along with Guinness World Record officials to see if they could set the first record for the most people simultaneously performing the Kamehameha super energy attack move.
Those who were waiting in line joked about and demonstrated their “Dragon Ball Z” moves while discussing key plot points of the animated series and their favorite characters.
To set the record, at least 250 people needed to be present, but organizers were hopeful that they’d get up to a thousand by offering freebies to those who lined up Wednesday afternoon. Those participating had to also drag out the pronunciation of “Kamehameha” like the characters on the show holding the final “ha” for at least three seconds.
🏆GUINNESS WORLD RECORD ACHIEVED!! 🏆
Most people doing a KAMEHAMEHA at once! @GWR @BandaiNamcoUS pic.twitter.com/AVYsXRl1NF
— Dragon Ball Super (@dragonballsuper) July 18, 2019
Before the attempt, a Guinness official laid out the rules to the crowd, adding in jokes to help loosen everyone up, though he needed a Japanese translator to help him square everything away in the end.
The English voice actor of Goku, Sean Schemmel, also helped coach the crowd, giving pointers on how to yell “Kamehameha” without damaging their voices and telling them exactly how to space it out.
Schemmel led fans in a few dry runs before the did two record attempts to make sure everything was as perfect as it could be.
Fans screamed and giggled in delights as they set a new Guinness World Record and then posed for giant group photos with hundreds of their new best friends.
The event marked the opening of the Dragon Ball Z World Adventure installation, which kicks off with its first stop at Comic-Con and then will travel to seven more cities across the world.
The installation includes exclusive collectibles, video games and photo booths and will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sunday, July 21.
READ MORE about SDCC 2019:
- Photo galleries: Cosplay | Scenes from Comic-Con | Her Universe Fashion Show | Preview night
- Recaps: Day 1 | 5 memorable moments from opening day |Preview night and the Running of the Nerds
- Fashion: Her Universe Fashion Show winners | SoCal Her Universe designers | Interview with Her Universe’s Ashley Eckstein | The Hero Within clothing line | What cosplay weapons are allowed
- Inside SDCC: A daily guide to TV and movie panels | The $1.1 million comic book | Mensa members predict the future | The future of college esports
- Super fans: “Dragon Ball Z” world record | Wayward Cocktails “Supernatural” party
- Things to do: No badge needed for these activities | Comic-Con museum in Balboa Park | Where to drink and party
- History: The 12-year-old who co-founded Comic-Con | 50 facts about Comic-Con’s 50 years
- The big issues: Service animals are superheroes | Cosplay, panels reflect diversity | Security measures
