Key Takeaways
- Kazuki Yao, the voice actor for Franky, Django, and Bon Clay, is stepping down from his role after 25 years.
- Fans were disappointed by the news, but Kazuki Yao reassured them that a replacement will be announced at the upcoming Jump Festa.
- One Piece will have updates at the Jump Festa, including new character designs, visuals, and potentially a trailer and movie announcement.
For 25 years, Kazuki Yao has been part of the One Piece anime. He is mostly known for voicing Franky, the shipwright of the Straw Hat Pirates. Given Franky’s role, it’s hardly surprising that Kazuki Yao has been one of the most involved voice actors. Aside from voicing Franky, Kazuki Yao has also been bringing Django and Bon Clay alive.
Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Kazuki Yao would be stepping down from his role as Django. At the time, it made sense because voicing too many characters at the same time is never an easy job. However, fans were hopeful that Kazuki Yao would stay on as Franky’s voice actor.
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Franky’s Voice Actor Steps Down
Unfortunately, that won’t be the case, as the official One Piece X (formerly Twitter) account confirmed that Kazuki Yao would be stepping down from his role. The 75-year-old is one of the most iconic voices on the show, and he will be sorely missed.
Kauki Yao made a statement in which he expressed his frustration over the decision. He said, ” The tough goodbye’s finally here. After almost 25 years together, it’s time to part ways… It feels surreal, like I’m out of my body, and there’s this gap between me and the Franky I’ve always dreamed of being. So, I’ve decided to step off the Sunny for now.”
Kazuki Yao added that fans should not worry, as a replacement is already lined up, which will be disclosed at the upcoming Jump Festa.
Kazuki Yao also apologized to the fans for relinquishing his position, but it’s indubitably for the best that he puts his health above everything else. The new voice actor will have big boots to fill, so the higher-ups have to be careful with their pick.
One Piece Will Have Many Updates At Jump Festa
- A new movie could be announced
- Wit Studio might provide an update regarding the remake
The upcoming Jump Festa will also have other big announcements regarding One Piece. Earlier this year, Wit Studio displayed the Straw Hat character designs. They also released visuals for other things, such as towns and people. There is a good chance that Wit Studio will release a new trailer and provide an update regarding the release date.
One Piece fans have also been waiting for a new report about the project related to the One Piece movie. The last movie, One Piece Film Red, was released in 2022, and it was a big hit. But there have been no new updates regarding the movie, and it will hopefully change soon.
One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Source: X (Formerly Twitter)
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Creator
- Eiichiro Oda