The Only Voice for Luffy
Mayumi Tanaka (田中真弓) has voiced Monkey D. Luffy for 27 years. She took the role when the original Toei Animation series launched in 1999 and has carried it through more than 1,100 episodes and over a dozen theatrical films.
So when WIT Studio (Spy x Family, Attack on Titan seasons 1–3) began assembling the cast for The One Piece, a ground-up re-adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's manga for Netflix, the question of who would voice Luffy had a short answer. According to Japanese entertainment news site Oricon News, the production team made a direct offer to Tanaka, calling her irreplaceable in the role.
Tanaka, now 71, was candid about her hesitation. "Starting something new at this age made me a little anxious," she said. "But once I actually got into it, I made new discoveries, and I was able to play Luffy with a fresh feeling."
Beyond Luffy, Tanaka is one of the most prolific voice actors in anime history. Her credits include Krillin across the Dragon Ball franchise, Pazu in Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky, and Koenma in Yu Yu Hakusho.
What Is The One Piece?
The One Piece is not a continuation of the long-running Toei Animation series. It is a complete re-adaptation of Oda's manga, starting from Chapter 1 of the East Blue arc and produced entirely by WIT Studio.
Season 1 consists of seven episodes with a combined runtime of approximately 300 minutes. The story covers the first 50 manga chapters, following Luffy from Foosha Village through his encounters in Shells Town and Syrup Village, all the way to his meeting with Sanji at the sea restaurant Baratie.
Masashi Koizuka, who directed Attack on Titan seasons 2 and 3 at WIT Studio, is directing. Kyoji Asano and Takatoshi Honda handle character design, with Takashi Kishimoto on series composition.
A teaser trailer premiered at the Annecy International Animation Festival on June 24, 2026. It marked the first public look at WIT Studio's visual approach to Oda's world.
Looking Ahead
The One Piece launches on Netflix worldwide in February 2027. All seven episodes will drop at once. Netflix holds global streaming rights, so international fans can watch from day one.
Oda's original manga, serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump, is available in English through Viz Media. The Toei Animation TV series continues separately and is not affected by this remake.
WIT Studio has not announced plans for additional seasons beyond the East Blue arc. For now, the focus is on making these first 50 chapters count.