Toru Furuya, One Piece and Detective Conan Star, Exits Roles Amid Scandal

Earlier this year, the anime fandom was taken by surprise when one of its top stars was thrust into a scandal. Toru Furuya, a veteran voice actor known for their anime work, made headlines after confessing to an illicit affair. The shocking scandal made waves in the fandom, and now, a new report from Japan has confirmed Furuya is stepping down from work on One Piece and Detective Conan.

The update comes straight from Aoni Production Co., the talent agency that oversees Furuya. The group has confirmed the actor is stepping down from two major roles: Sabo and Rei Furuya. According to the agency, Furuya was asked to retire from the characters, and he did so without complaint. At this time, no word has been given on the roles’ replacements, but they will come to light eventually.

Over on One Piece, the anime’s staff released a statement addressing the actor’s exit.”Toru Furuya’s agency has requested that he no longer voice the character Sabo. We have accepted this request and decided to replace the voice actor. We will proceed with selecting a new voice actor. We ask for your continued support of the One Piece anime in the future,” the staff shared. So far, the team behind Detective Conan has kept quiet on Furuya’s decision, and the same goes for the actor’s other well-known series.

For those unfamiliar with Furuya’s recent scandal, the whole thing came to light in May when Japanese newspapers learned about his 4.5 year affair with an unnamed fan. The affair shocked fans, and as details about the relationship went public, Furuya found himself embroiled in controversy. In a note to fans, the actor admitted to raising his hand to his mistress and also encouraging them to have an abortion.

“I had an affair with a female fan for four and a half years until last September. I was attracted to her because of her straightforward support for me, and I foolishly contacted her myself to start the relationship. During our relationship, we argued once and I unintentionally raised my hand. It was the worst thing I could have done as an adult and as a human being,” Furuya wrote.

“I also made the unforgivable mistake of causing her to have an abortion. I am truly, truly sorry for the deep hurt that I caused the other woman, both physically and mentally. I cannot apologize enough for betraying the trust of all my fans who have supported me over the years, disappointing them, hurting them, and tarnishing my character. I have also betrayed the trust of all those involved and have caused them a great deal of trouble.”

What do you make of this latest scandal update? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!