Why Did the One Piece Anime Change Sabo’s Voice Actor? Explanation

In the most recent episodes of the One Piece anime, viewers witnessed the return of the popular character and second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army, Sabo. Despite appearing to have been killed by the Mother Flame, Sabo was actually alive and well, as he returned to the Revolutionary Army headquarters in the present time. Upon his return, he wasted no time in meeting with Emporio Ivankov and Monkey D. Dragon.

Despite this, One Piece anime fans have also observed a change in the character’s portrayal in his recent appearances, leading many to believe that his voice actor has been replaced. This has been confirmed to be true, as Miyu Irino has taken on the role of Toru Furuya, the original voice actor, from episode 1116 of the anime.

One Piece anime fans are also questioning the reason behind Furuya’s replacement in the role, especially as it coincides with a highly anticipated return for the character. However, the decision to replace Furuya was prompted by a scandal that surfaced in which he was involved. As a result, the seiyu chose to voluntarily step down from the role in June 2024.

One Piece anime’s Toru Furuya voluntarily steps down from role as Sabo after news of scandal broke

As previously stated, Furuya’s departure from his role as Sabo in the One Piece anime was due to a scandal that came to light. On May 22, 2024, Furuya publicly addressed a report published by Weekly Bunshun magazine on his X account. The report revealed that he had been engaged in a four and a half year long affair with a female fan.

Furuya stated that the affair had started when he was drawn to her genuine support for him and subsequently reached out to her. He also acknowledged that, while they were together, he had raised his hand in anger and caused her to undergo an abortion during a heated argument.

One month after, on June 22, Furuya resigned from his current positions as Sabo in the One Piece anime and Toru Amuro in the Detective Conan anime. This was announced jointly by Furuya and the Aoni Production talent agency, with the agency stating that it requested Furuya to step down. In the same statement, Furuya also expressed his apologies for the inconvenience he caused to everyone involved.

Due to Furuya’s departure during Sabo’s extended absence from the series, Toei Animation had no choice but to hire Irino for the role before Sabo’s eventual return. This situation is similar to the controversy surrounding Takahiro Sakurai, whose involvement as Suguru Geto in Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 was revealed after the dubbing had already been completed. In light of this, MAPPA Studios made the decision to keep Sakurai’s performance and not recast the role during the season.

Although Irino is a fresh addition to the One Piece anime series, he is a seasoned veteran in the anime voice-acting industry, providing assurance that Sabo is in capable hands. Irino’s impressive resume includes notable roles such as Haku in Spirited Away, Shoya Ishida in A Silent Voice, Sena Kobayakawa in Eyeshield 21, Jinta “Jintan”Yadomi in Anohana, Koshi Sugawara in Haikyu!!, and Sora in the popular Kingdom Hearts video game series.

In summation

Sabo is in good hands following Irino's arrival to the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation) — Sabo is in good hands following Irino’s arrival to the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

In the anime, Sabo’s voice actor was replaced from Toru Furuya to Miyu Irino after Furuya’s involvement in a scandal came to light in May 2024. In June 2024, Furuya voluntarily resigned from the role and Irino made his debut as Sabo in episode 1116, which aired on August 18, 2024.