The wildly popular series ONE PIECE, which just kicked off its new "Egghead Arc" in April, announced in May a complete anime remake titled THE ONE PIECE. The first season is set to adapt roughly 50 chapters of the original manga, spanning seven episodes for a total of approximately 300 minutes, all dropping at once.
For this highly anticipated remake, the iconic protagonist Luffy will once again be voiced by the legendary Mayumi Tanaka, now 71 years old, continuing her role from the current TV anime. While Tanaka admitted, "At this age, starting a new series again makes me a bit uneasy," her return was actually prompted by an enthusiastic invitation from the production team, extending her 27-year tenure as Luffy.
This marks the first official voice cast announcement for THE ONE PIECE. Mayumi Tanaka, who has voiced Luffy since the anime first aired in 1999, shared her thoughts:
"I'm Mayumi Tanaka, voicing Luffy. I'm truly thrilled to be involved in this brand-new series, THE ONE PIECE, as Luffy once again. At my age, there's naturally some apprehension about starting a new series, but getting into the actual performance, I've made so many new discoveries. It allows me to portray Luffy with a fresh perspective."
Tanaka has been Luffy's voice for 27 years, and she's set to continue her signature role in this new anime.
Speaking of ONE PIECE voice acting, back in April 2025, Kazuki Yao, who had voiced Franky for nearly 20 years, passed the torch to Subaru Kimura. While the official reason for the change wasn't explicitly stated, Yao had posted on X at the time, "Ultimately, a sad farewell has come. I have to say goodbye to the guy who's been with me for almost a quarter-century. There was a gap between my ideal Franky and the Franky I could currently portray, so I decided to leave the Thousand Sunny for now."
The official statement at the time also indicated that the recasting decision was made after extensive discussions. Consequently, when THE ONE PIECE remake was announced, many fans immediately worried: "Will the voice actors be replaced?" and "Will the entire cast be re-recorded?" These discussions have been ongoing.
Following the news of Mayumi Tanaka's return, the production team directly stated, "This casting was made possible by the enthusiastic invitation from the production team." Director Masashi Koizuka also revealed, "The voice actors poured immense emotion into their performances, delivering something truly spectacular, so the animation team must respond with 120% of their ability." This underscores the significant importance of Mayumi Tanaka continuing as Luffy for the entire production team.
Currently, only Luffy's voice actor has been announced, with other character VAs still under wraps. Whether the original cast from the current anime will return remains a mystery. This has sparked further online discussions: "Will Zoro, Nami, and the others be the original cast?" and "Will the other voice actors be replaced?"
As THE ONE PIECE gears up for its 2027 premiere, beyond the fresh animation style, the subsequent announcements of the voice cast will undoubtedly be one of the biggest focal points for fans. We'll just have to wait for official updates!