Scandals are commonplace within celebrity culture, and the advent of the internet has made it harder to keep skeletons in the closet. One scandal that rocked the anime world to its core was when famed Japanese voice actor Toru Furuya was reported to have had an extramarital affair with a female fan 37 years his junior. Furuya has been a prolific voice actor in the industry since the 70s. His most well-known work is playing Amuro Ray, the lead character in the original Mobile Suit Gundam from 1979. Furuya would play Amuro in every proceeding major appearance in the Gundam franchise. He’s also well known for playing Yamcha in the Dragon Ball franchise, Seiya in Saint Seiya, Sabo in One Piece, and several roles for Detective Conan.
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Furuya admitted to having an affair with a fan for four and a half years, ending the relationship in 2023. He would also admit to striking the woman he was having an affair with and pressuring her to terminate her pregnancy in X (formerly Twitter) posts. He apologizes for the affair and his action, claiming it was an “inexcusable act, both as an adult and as a human being.” His scandal has led him to be replaced in Detective Conan, One Piece, and Dragon Ball Daima. Furuya has now appeared in a new video on the official YouTube channel Terry Tsuchiya no Kuruma no Hanashi to talk about his recent affair.
[RELATED – Jujutsu Kaisen Star Exits Another Anime Amid Cheating Scandal]
Toru Furuya’s New Appearance Surprised Fans
Toru Furuya’s sudden appearance on the YouTube channel surprised fans for several reasons. His scandal was widely reported in 2024, meaning his affair and controversies are still in people’s recent memories. However, what surprised viewers the most was Furuya’s new look. Despite being 71, Furuya always had a youthful appearance even when he hit his 60s. His sudden appearance on Terry Tsuchiya no Kuruma no Hanashi was the first time fans took notice of his age. He now had a full head of white hair and a beard. Some YouTube comments have pointed out he appears as if he lost a lot of weight and looks “like a hermit.”
Why Furuya’s Scandal Was a Big Deal
While celebrity affairs and cheating scandals feel commonplace in Western society, it’s a bigger deal in Japanese culture. Japanese celebrities, no matter how notorious they are, are expected to serve as role models to the public. Even drug use can be viewed as an extreme offense to the public. Japanese actor Pierre Taki was taken out of the video game Judgment and replaced as the Japanese voice of Olaf in Frozen after he was arrested for cocaine use.
Nonetheless, Furuya’s actions were more severe given his actions beyond cheating on his wife of over four decades. The woman he was having an affair with was a fan, meaning he abused his position of power to manipulate the emotions of someone who looked up to him. Furthermore, he openly admitted to assaulting her and coercing her to terminate a pregnancy, heinous actions no matter how you spin it. Furuya has apologized for his actions and even chose to step down from his roles in One Piece and Detection Conan by his own admission. His recent appearance on Terry Tsuchiya no Kuruma no Hanashi may be him trying to fix his image, though, it’s unknown what kind of career Furuya will have now going forward.
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Image courtesy of Marvel Studios
