One Piece has done it. The anime has spent decades with its top stars at this point, and it isn’t often we see roles change over. However, such swaps are a part of life, and the One Piece anime just welcomed a new one. Earlier this year, reports confirmed the original voice of Sabo was leaving One Piece following a scandal, and now we have been treated to our first look at the character’s new actor.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The debut, as you can see below, comes courtesy of actor Miyu Irino. The actor, who debuted back in 1992, has joined the One Piece team as Sabo. The character made a grand comeback in the anime this week following Garp’s rescue of Koby, and it was there Sabo unloaded all-new information about the Five Elders.
Of course, there is no denying that Irino’s performance is different from what actor Toru Furuya brought to life. Still, the voice actor absolutely nailed the nuance of Sabo’s role. Fans will get to see more of Irino as One Piece carries forward, and the actor’s take on Sabo will only improve. After all, Luffy’s older brother is a key member of the Revolutionary Army, and he is a powerhouse in his own right.
If Irino sounds familiar to you, well – you have a good ear. The actor is perhaps known best for voicing Haku in Spirited Away, but he has overseen a number of big roles. From Shoya Ishida in A Silent Voice to Koshi Sugawara in Haikyu, Irino has worked in anime quite a bit. The actor is even the voice of Sora in Kingdom Hearts overseas, so One Piece scored an impressive talent.
As for why Furuya exited One Piece, the decision came after the 71-year-old voice actor was struck by a personal scandal. In May 2024, reports from Japan revealed Furuya was involved in an affair with a fan who was 37 years younger than him. In his address regarding the affair, Furuya admitted to striking the woman once and even pressuring her to have an abortion. Public outcry followed the scandal, leaving Furuya to step down from One Piece as well as Detective Conan.
Want to know more about One Piece? No sweat! You can read up on the story’s official synopsis below:
“As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer “Red-Haired” Shanks. But Luffy’s life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber…at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure…one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary “One Piece,” said to be the greatest treasure in the world…”
What do you think about Sabo’s new voice in One Piece? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
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