Original voice actors rejoin the crew for the Netflix Live Action Series "One Piece"

The globally popular One Piece anime is set to sail onto Netflix with a live-action series starting August 31, 2023. Adding to the fans' excitement, the original Japanese voice actors from the anime will be returning to voice their characters in this live-action adaptation.

News of this reunion was first revealed at the Anime Expo 2023 held in Los Angeles. A video was presented in which Mayumi Tanaka, the original voice of the main character Monkey D. Luffy, warmly welcomed Iñaki Godoy into the Straw Hat crew. The ritual involved Tanaka symbolically passing on Luffy's signature straw hat to Godoy.

Alongside Mayumi Tanaka, all original Japanese voice actors will be on board for the Japanese-language version of the live-action series. This includes Kazuya Nakai lending his voice to Roronoa Zoro, Akemi Okamura to Nami, Kappei Yamaguchi to Usopp, and Hiroaki Hirata to Sanji.

Mayumi Tanaka shared her thoughts on the project, “I’ve been voicing Luffy for more than 23 years now, and I think everyone has a little bit of Luffy in their heart. Iñaki, who performs Luffy in this live-action series, is so fun and joyful that he really makes a perfect Luffy! I’m very happy to be able to voice Luffy in this adaptation as well. One Piece is a story whose words and images can resonate with you in different ways depending on your situation or perspective at any given moment, allowing for new discoveries all the time. And of course, nothing would bring me greater joy than if people who’ve never experienced One Piece can become part of the family beginning with this show.”

 

More about One Piece

One Piece is a globally loved adventure by Eiichiro Oda that takes place on the high seas. The story revolves around Monkey D. Luffy, a young adventurer who has dreamed of a life of freedom from a very young age. Luffy embarks on a journey from his tiny village, aiming to find the mythical treasure known as ONE PIECE and earn the title of King of the Pirates. However, to reach his goal, Luffy must first assemble his dream crew and acquire a ship. He will then have to navigate the vast oceans, stay ahead of the Marines, and outsmart numerous rivals.

The live-action adaptation features Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji. The series is brought to life in collaboration with Shueisha and is produced by Tomorrow Studios and Netflix. The team includes Matt Owens and Steven Maeda as writers, executive producers, and showrunners. Eiichiro Oda, Marty Adelstein, and Becky Clements are also serving as executive producers.

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