One Piece Franky Voice Actor Kazuki Yao to Retire from Role

As the long-running One Piece anime takes a well-earned breather , it was revealed today that a beloved member of the Straw Hat crew won't be returning when the voyage continues in April 2025 . Kazuki Yao (65), the voice of Franky since his debut in 2005, is retiring from the role and will be a part of a graduation ceremony at Jump Festa 2025 on December 22 , where his replacement will also be announced. Yao also voiced Jango, Mr. 2 Bon Clay and Mounblutain in the anime. Yao shared the following message to his X (formerly Twitter) account (translated): The time has come for me to say a tearful farewell to a guy I've spent nearly a quarter of a century with. It's like an out-of-body experience, but I feel a gap has formed between me and my ideal Franky, so I've decided to disembark Sunny for now. It's frustrating! It's sad!! I can only apologize… however! We're preparing for a suuuuppeeerr successor to be revealed at Jump Festa on December 22. Look forward to it~ ♬ RELATED: Meet Franky: One Piece Anime 25th Anniversary Spotlight Crunchyroll simulcasts the One Piece anime in multiple languages, including the currently releasing One Piece Log: Fish-Man Island Saga , describing the overall adventure like so: Embark on a voyage of a lifetime with One Piece. The epic anime series created by renowned mangaka Eiichiro Oda is a global phenomenon, captivating the hearts of fans across generations throughout its 25-year span. This thrilling high seas adventure is filled with unwavering friendship, epic battles for freedom, and the relentless pursuit of dreams. Join Monkey D. Luffy and his lovable pirate crew as they discover the true meaning of power and justice in this great pirate era. Monkey D. Luffy refuses to let anyone or anything stand in the way of his quest to become King of the Pirates. With his rubber-like stretching powers granted by the supernatural Devil Fruit, the spirited young pirate seeks the legendary treasure known as the One Piece. He’ll chart a course for the treacherous waters of the Grand Line and recruit a motley crew to build his Straw Hat Pirates one bond at a time. This is one captain who’ll never drop anchor until he and his friends all reach their dreams! One Piece boasts more than 1100 episodes. Currently in the Egghead Arc, the Straw Hats finally meet the long awaited Dr. Vegapunk on Egghead Island. Crunchyroll is home to every subbed episode and also every English dubbed episode, with over 1000 and counting. In addition, One Piece has 13 television specials and 15 movies, with the latest, One Piece Film Red, being the highest-grossing film in the franchise. One Piece is produced by Toei Animation. Source: Official X (formerly Twitter)

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