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Today marks the birthday of legendary voice actor Mayumi Tanaka, who is known for her role as Monkey D. Luffy in Eiichiro Oda’sOne Piece. Tanaka has been voicing Luffy since the series started back in 1999, but her contribution to the anime community goes way back. She has been voicing different characters since 1978 and has been an inspiration for many.
Every major anime series or movie has featured Tanaka as a voice actor for one of their characters. From Hayao Miyazaki’sLaputa: Castle In The Skyto Akira Toriyama’sDragon Ball,Tanaka has voiced an infinite number of characters. However, her popularity came from all the major roles that she took on during her journey.
1Krillin inDragon Ball
Krillin is one of the most popular characters in theDragon Ballfranchise. He has been Goku’s ally since childhood, and although the two characters now live different lives, they have faced many enemies together and have survived the toughest of battles.
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Krillin might be the second most popular character that Tanaka has played after Luffy. Also, it might be her first role that earned her fame considering the popularity ofDragon Ball.However, Krillin isn’t the only character in Dragon Ball who is voiced by Tanaka.
The Japanese voice actor has also voiced Yajirobe, the ronin who lives in Korin Tower. Aside from Yajirobe and Krillin, Tanaka has also voiced Baba Uranai. While the current era ofDragon Ballfans might not know much about them, they held a lot of significance in the initial phase of theDragon Ballstory.
2Turbo Granny inDandadan
Turbo Granny is a part ofYukinobu Tatsu’sDandadan, and while the series has only recently started, she has developed a fanbase of her own. Turbo Granny is a significant character in theDandadanstoryline, as she is the one who gave Okarun his powers and is helping him and Momo fight their battle against the Occult and extraterrestrials.
When it was announced that Turbo Granny would be voiced by Tanaka,the internet blew upbecause it was one of the biggest roles that Tanaka had taken responsibility for in a long time. Also, it showed a rare side of Tanaka’s voice that many fans don’t know about.
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AlthoughDandadanhas only released its first season, Tanaka has already gained appreciation for her role, and fans can’t wait to see how she does justice to Tubro Granny’s character in the future.
3Pazu inLaputa: Castle In The Sky
Pazu is a character inHayao Miyazaki’ssecond film,Laputa: Castle In The Sky.It was the first project that Studio Ghibli took on back in 1986, and they chose Tanaka for the role of Pazu. Pazu is one of the protagonists, and he is one of the few characters who has some knowledge of the flying castle.
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Considering the fact thatLaputa: Castle In The Skywas the first Studio Ghibli film, it held a lot of importance for the studio and for Miyazaki. Thus, their decision to choose Tanaka for the role was the perfect one. It was also one of her first feature films, which was a big deal for her too.
Also, Tanaka got the role of Pazu at the same time as she was voicing Krillin. Thus, it is safe to say that these two characters became the stepping stones of her career that led her to success and eventually helped her landthe role of Luffy inOne Piece.
4Koenma in Yu Yu Hakusho
The current ruler of the Spirit World and the son of the Great King Enma, Koenma is one of the most significant characters ofYu Yu Hakusho.He runs the day-to-day operations of the main castle and assigns tasks and missions to Yusuke as a spirit detective.
Koenma was played byMayumi Tanaka, and it was one of her first big roles in the shonen genre of the anime community. Koenma’s character offered variety to Tanaka as she got to perform Koenma in two different ages.
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The child Koenma, who was initially introduced inYu Yu Hakusho, and the teenage Koenma, who sounded a lot like Luffy. It was also one of her longest performances after Luffy and Krillin, asYu Yu Hakushowas a long series.
5Robert inSailor Moon
Aside fromOne PieceandDragon Ball, Sailor Moonis probably the biggest anime series by Toei Animation, considering its global popularity. Tanaka has also offered her talents forSailor Moon, but her performance was only part of one single episode as the character of Robert.
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While Robert may not be a significant character inSailor Moon, Tanaka made him special by voicing him. He managed to leave an impact on the anime series, and it was one of the many roles for which Tanaka was appreciated.
Tanaka evidently chose this role because it was different from her usual goofy characters like Luffy and Krillin. Not only that, it offered her a chance to work in one of the pillars of the anime industry that paved the way for the anime community on the global stage.
6Sunakake-Babaa inGeGeGe no Kitarō
Fans might not know this, but Tanaka has also voiced a character in the 2018GeGeGe no KitarōTV series, which ran for 97 episodes. Tanaka played the role of Sunakake-Babaa, the old Yokai caretaker of the Yokai apartment. She is also a member of the Kitarō Family.
Sunakake-Babaa was the perfect role for Tanaka, as she was able to bring out the elderly, mature essence of the character, which was appreciated a lot. The character was extremely important because it was one of the roles that Tanaka took while she was voicing Luffy inOne Piece.
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It is safe to say that Tanaka is on a completely different level when it comes to voice acting. She has played all kinds of roles and has managed to do justice to each one of them. Hopefully, fans will see her bring Luffy’s role to fruition and take on other prominent characters in the future.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
