“Still doesn’t feel the same without him”: Oda’s Flowers to Luffy Va Reminds One Piece Fans of a Sad Future

In December 2024, Kazuki Yao, the Japanese voice actor of Franky in One Piece, retired from his role. The voice actor’s exit from the anime created a major transition for fans. With Eiichiro Oda recently sending flowers to Mayumi Tanaka, the voice actress of Luffy, fans have been reminded once again about the loss of Yao.

A recent X post revealed that One Piece‘s author had sent flowers to Luffy’s voice actress, Mayumi Tanaka. The Va has been playing Luffy ever since the anime began in 1999, making her a critical person for the franchise. Thus, a fan commented:

Appreciate these guys while they’re still doing it, don’t take them for granted.