Gear Fifth’s debut has come and gone but that doesn’t mean fans aren’t finding new ways to bask in the glow of Monkey D. Luffy’s ultimate transformation in One Piece. Since unleashing this form in his fight against Kaido in the Wano Arc, the Straw Hat captain has been more than willing to rely on his most powerful technique on Future Island. When it comes to the Grand Line, Luffy and his crew aren’t just popular in North America and Japan as a recent viral video has proven. Luffy’s German voice actor has gone viral thanks to his take on Monkey’s Gear Fifth debut and if you’re a One Piece fan, witnessing it is most definitely worth your time.
Videos by ComicBook.com
For decades in Japan and North America, Monkey D. Luffy has been brought to life by Mayumi Tanaka and Colleen Clinkenbeard respectively. In Germany however, the Straw Hat Pirate has been voiced by actor Daniel Schlauch, who has performed the role since hopping aboard the Going Merry in 2004. On top of lending his vocal chords to Luffy, Schaluch has also played major parts in anime franchises such as Pokemon, Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha, Gantz, and more. While its tough for anyone to compare with Tanaka and Clinkenbeard in the Monkey D. Luffy department, Schlauch has done just that with his performance that has gone viral.
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German Gear Fifth Arrives
Thanks to recently bringing Luffy’s Gear Fifth to life for German anime fans, viewers all over the world are taking note of Schlauch’s performance. Considering that Monkey’s ultimate technique is based on cartoons like Looney Tunes, the German voice actor decided to throw in a little “Woody Woodpecker” to help nail home this fact. In the original manga introduction of Gear Fifth, Oda was having the time of his life in bringing it to life and it’s clear the same can be said for the German voice actor.
When’s Gear Fifth Coming Back?
As anime fans know, One Piece’s television series is taking a break from the Egghead Arc to instead focus on the remaster of the Fishman Island Arc. The Future Island Arc is planning to return this spring as new episodes focusing on Dr. Vegapunk and the World Government will hit this April. With the manga continuing to pump out new chapters, this hiatus comes at a perfect time to build up more material for the anime’s take on the final saga.
Without diving too deeply into spoiler territory for One Piece fans that haven’t followed the manga, expect Luffy to get plenty of use for his Gear Fifth transformation. Unfortunately for the Straw Hat Captain, busting out his ultimate form is normally tied to some big problems heading toward the crew riding aboard the Thousand Sunny.
Want to stay up to date on everything related to Gear Fifth? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Grand Line and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
