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Eiichiro Oda’sOne Pieceis one of the most popular Shonen series at the current time; it has featured a ton of defining moments in 25 years. However, a major credit for the fame should ideally go to the voice actors of the Straw Hat Pirates. One such name that has resonated quite well with the fans is Kazuki Yao, the voice behind Cyborg Franky.
The actor has been involved in voicing the character since 2000, first playing the role of Jango and later Mr. 2 in 2001, later becoming the permanent voice of the Straw Hat Member in 2005. Indeed, he was a core part of the show’s production.
Sadly, the deteriorating health of Yao-San will force him to lend his voice to the iconic character for one last time in the upcoming episode, 1120. The fans were heartbroken as they expressed their concern for the health of the actor.
Kazuki Yao Voices Franky For One Last Time!
Even though this should not come as a surprise,Eiichiro Oda’sOne Piecehas been a phenomenon since 1999, where each episode features something new. The hype following the recruitment of the new characters would take the popularity to a whole new level that other Shonen series can’t even come close to.
However, in the past couple of episodes, the fans of the series were introduced to something that is slowly breaking their heart. The show is currently in the Egghead Island Arc of the show, where fans noticed how in episode 1090, titledNew Island! Future Island Egghead, Franky’s voice has been noticeably affected.
In one of the scenes, where Franky feels hesitant to steer the ship in Jibei’s stead, he says,“I guess I’ve got to do it!”Despite the outstanding quality of the show, the voice was unclear.
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Additionally, a Japanese website,Josei Jishin, also highlighted this issue, where the actor seemed to be“slurring his words,”and some viewers also found it difficult to“hear the lines”as well.
Yao, currently 64 years old, has been voicing the role for 19 years, and over the years, he has become synonymous with the role, thanks to his“SUPER”voice acting and the massive fan following that followed him.
Following the heartbreaking news, Pew (@pewpiece), a reliable insider forOne Piece,took to X, sharing that episode 1121 is the last time fans will be hearing his voice, as he will be replaced by Wataru Takagi due to health concerns.
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Both news shattered the hearts of the fans as they did not waste time, expressing their concern and praying for the actor’s speedy recovery.
One Piece Fans Express Their Concern To Kazuki Yao
As Pew shared the news of the actor getting replaced by Wataru Takagi, who is renowned for voicing Obito Uchiha inMasashi Kishimoto’smagnum opus, fans were concerned. Hence, it did not take them long to summon the post and express their concern for the actor, whom they cherish so much.
Most fans of the series have grown up hearing his voice to the Straw Hat Pirate and do not even consider others to be a right fit for the role. The fans commented,
Bro not Franky! his voice is so unique, when he hits that Super I spin my arms together like he does and hit it flawlessly, prayers up for Yao sans health, I hope he comes back. Let me get some Supers! in the comments for Kazuki Yao!pic.twitter.com/49ivgFeRJ7
I hope Kazuki Yao recovers swiftly. His voice acting is very iconic. He does an absolute phenomenal job as Franky and Bon Clay!
it’s crazy how old one piece is getting. hope he recovers.
I think we have seen this coming for a while, lest hope Kazuki focus on his health so he could comes back SUPER strong.I think Wataru it’s a really good choice for Franky, he can be rude, Zesty and goofy just like Franky.
i felt this coming, hope all is well and prayers for good health
I have been noticing his voice getting worse throughout the years but man this is sad to see
Nevertheless, it is impossible to imagine someone else voicing our favorite Cyborg. However, fans are praying that Yao-San quickly recovers to continue voicing the role for a few more years.
One Piececan be streamed on Crunchyroll.
Tushar Auddy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1784
Tushar Auddy is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, primarily covering WWE. He has contributed to anime, MCU, DCU, animation, and TV Series, giving sharp insights and coming up with his own unique theories, which take the fandom by storm.
