Netflix and the cast members of the One Piece live-action series revealed the exciting news that the original anime voice actors will be reprising their roles for the live-action Japanese dub. The announcement was made at Anime Expo 2023 and with the release of a special video where Iñaki Godoy, Luffy’s live-action actor, personally meets Mayumi Tanaka, the actress behind the original voice of Luffy.
In the video, Tanaka shared her excitement and thoughts. “I’ve been voicing Monkey D. Luffy since 1999 for over 20 years. For the live-action, there will be a real-life Luffy, and just as I was recording the Japanese dub… Inaki showed up. I’m so thrilled, thanks for coming! So glad we met. He’s young enough to be my grandson. I’m so happy to meet him. Hope you’re all looking forward to the show. It’s really something special. You know… there’s a language barrier, but you [Iñaki]… were great. Truly great.” After a hug and shouting the iconic outro quote together, Tanaka re-enacted one of the most memorable scenes in One Piece. She handed over a straw hat to Iñaki with a request of bringing it back after he became a great pirate.
The series will have a total of 8 episodes and will premiere on August 31, 2023. Watch the full video of the One Piece live-action dub announcements below:
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Aside from Tanaka, the other original Japanese voice cast to reprise their roles include Kazuya Nakai as Roronoa Zoro, Akemi Okamura as Nami, Kappei Yamaguchi as Usopp, and Hiroaki Hirata as Sanji. Meanwhile, the main cast of the One Piece live-action series includes Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Taz Skylar as Sanji, and Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp. Iñaki and Taz will also be voicing their respective characters in the Spanish dub version of the show.
In an interview with Netflix, Tanaka said that “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.” Yamaguchi also told Netflix that the “live-action is a bit different from both the manga and the anime, but the underlying spirit is the very world that everyone has wanted to see.”
In case you didn’t know, the original author Eiichiro Oda is also among the show’s executive producers. He recently shared a letter to fans about how the entire cast and crew, spanning various countries, were brimming with love for One Piece. He also added that Netflix has promised him that the series would not launch until he was “satisfied.” Read the full letter from Eiichiro Oda-sensei below:
The staff of the One Piece live-action series includes Matt Owens (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Luke Cage), Steven Maeda (The X-Files, CSI: Miami, Lost), and Becky Clements as the writers, executive producers, and showrunners. The live-action series is produced by Tomorrow Studios, a partnership between producers Marty Adelstein and ITV Studios. The One Piece live-action series will stream exclusively on Netflix.
Aside from the Netflix panel and Bandai booth at Anime Expo 2023, the next One Piece event is the One Piece Episode 1000 Dub World Premiere on July 2 with a few English voice actors and Toei animators as special guests. The One Piece Music Symphony concert will also take place in Dallas on July 5 and in Los Angeles on July 15.
Source: Anime Expo 2023 Netflix Panel, Netflix YouTube, Netflix TUDUM, One Piece JP Twitter
©Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha ©Netflix