I’m watching water 7 with my wife, and man, listening back you can really hear the difference in Franky’s voice. Very sad, but also, I’m filled with appreciation for the man himself.
@@thomasdeen2099 Juda in ZZ Gundam where you are rewarded if you got through the first half of the series.. Once Silent Night is the opening theme it finally gets good
@@aleccampbell7707 i know, I watched the series through and bought a mg zz ver ka cuz of it. Honestly, my favourite gundam series atp, Judau is my favorite gundam mc. I should've specified in my og comment, but this guy voiced Judau in the 80's for those who are reading this, YEAH he's been in the industry for that long.
The most ironic part is that Oda specifically changed his idea for the Straw Haw shipwright to what would become Franky because he wanted to give Kazuki Yao a main role after being impressed with his take on Jango and Bon-chan.
@@Kaiwalski we dont parties..thats the general consensus while some still do and thats between them and Allah..we do wrestle tho and its fun to break some sweat
He's a smoker, which causes many health issues. His voice sounds like he's slurring his words, possibly from a stroke, swollen lymph nodes, or issues with his throat. Age and bad health decisions don't mix well for anything.
It's best that the old voice actors should step down and retire, letting the new ones take their place. They can act as their consultants on how to get the voices right. Like how Peter Cullen was consulted by Chris Hemsworth how to sound like Orion Pax/Optimus Prime in "Transformers One" and get it right.
@@Phatnaru0002 THIS series is almost over, sure, but there's a whole new OP anime coming out by Witt Studios. Also, saying a 25 year series is almost over when there's still several years of it left is not incorrect, but ultimately a mute point. There's at LEAST 3 years of OP left.
Most people try planning their lives to be able to stop working at some point, most people at ideally at 65 some lucky ones at 55. Japanese VA's retirement plan is to keep working until they God damn drop dead, gotta respect the grind lol. Also I've seen interviews with this guy when he was younger and he used to love smoking, so maybe that's why.
Japan has a mentality of hard work, so it wouldn't surprise me that he already went beyond his capacity even before he decided to take this break. He should retire, I know it's sad and I can only guess that all the voice actor want to be part of the adventure until the very end, but sometimes you don't get to choose.
I'm literally waiting...WAITING for his reaction to 1122 to pop up because I know that comment section is about to go CRAZY on KOL 🤣 I can see it already
@@Rodikaku65 He's just gonna cope and say the speed blitz isn't in the manga. And it isn't, he is right. Garp is still not slow. But still that's what he will say.
Let Oda and the veteran voice actors choose their successors as the next generation of voices. There’s no shame in choosing the actors to carry your work. Even if they sound a bit different. Imagine choosing a new Joker, like from Mark Hamill to John DiMaggio. Different but still respecting the previous actors role.
Okay, looking at records of this, I know I have been concerned for Franky's voice way longer than most people on the internet. Maybe because I have good ears. But even so, my concern does not translate to wanting him gone for anyone's good, not his, and not ours. So my take is let him cook. Franky was created for him. He sounds like he had a stroke at some point (he was a heavy smoker in the past) which is unfortunate. Yall may not understand what it's really like to get old. It's not for you to decide what the man can and can't do. If he can still go, he should go. If he needs to stop, he'll stop. Besides, if you think you can already accept the idea of a "new" Franky voice, then why not just use that logic to accept that the current Franky voice isn't going to sound the same as he did 20 years ago? Don't pity him so much.
I think now for sure if there was any doubt, it’s out the window. With studio’s The One Piece, will most likely be getting new VA’s for the crew, it is what it is.
Even as far back as the start of Wano, i have seen discussion thread pop up around how much worse Kazuki Yao's voice has gotten. The dude could barely do the SUUUPER line. It was either he keep doing the voice until he can't anymore or he gets some well deserved retirement and gets replaced.
@@davidssshhhssshhh I want to think he just saw the YT notification and wasn't driving while in the phone (which is, sadly, a very common thing to do).
Egghead Franky just sounded so depressing & like his voice was going through hell & back compared to the past, really hoping whoever voices (assuming he'll retire ofc) him will do justice (cause they'll have to go crazy when we get in April) Also Goku & Luffy's va's really are built completely different cause my god idk how anyone can still sound just as young at their ages.
I can't imagine anyone but Kazuki Yao as Franky and Bon-chan. I want the best for the voice actor of course, which if that means stepping down and passing the torch then by all means, but it's hard to imagine anyone else could breathe the same life into those characters. I suppose we'll have to see what the WIT studio adaptation does with Bon Clay when they get there, maybe it's possible.
i hope the anime finishes before mayumi tanaka retires/dies. I refuse to accept any other voice for luffy at this point. Anyone else just wont sound legit.
I understand the sentiment, but I want the Wit Remake too much and I think they’d be too paranoid to not be absolutely meticulous in picking a replacement. Mayumi Tanaka has a special place in my heart, but sadly we will have to make more room. Luffy is literally the role of a lifetime
@@Tapiteka In the One Piece remake trailer Luffy speaks some lines, and since they clearly can't go with the original VA for the remake I'm wondering if that was done by the new VA. The lines spoken sound good to me
@@Mambojambobombastic I’m pretty sure that will be the case. I think we will get used to whoever does the voice by the second or third episode. The first ever animated One Piece media had a different voice for Luffy and it wasn’t terrible (One Piece: Defeat the Pirate Ganzack!)
Mayumi's a spring chicken. She's been doing live stage performances as recently as the past couple years every summer for another role she's had since the 90s for another series im a fan of, and it's a very active e energetic character too. In recurring roles like this, Japanese VA don't stop unless health issues get severe enough or they straight up pass. And i figure part of the point of the WIT version is to have an adaptation that ISN'T as long running as Toei's, so I don't think their ages will be a problem. Yao's situation is probably health related not so much due to his age, but we'll have to see how things unfold with him.
I'm from Hungary and as a kid I didn't understand english well.. in like 2007 hungarian dub/sub for animes pretty much didn't exist but I started getting into Naruto and One Piece through amvs. I remember there was a single blog that created downloadable hungarian subtitles for these animes, it was badly-synced, really faulty and the text appeared over the original english subtitle lol. I had to change the color of the hungarian subtitle to blue or red so I could see it on top of the original white english text. Nostalgia always hits me thinking back to those times
It does _not_ make sense to me that Studio Wit and Netflix should feel forced to use the same VAs just to appease old fan's nostagia. I don't even think Oda would make a big deal of it, as he'll most likely have the final say anyway. Not to mention, I don't think you can call it a 'remake' if the exact same VAs are in it. At that point, Studio Wit's One Piece would just be Toei's One Piece with a fresh coat of paint and a new release schedule. I know people *are* gonna complain if they announce new VAs for the remake, I just hope the OP community hasn't gone so insane that simply having new VAs will be enough to cancel the remake due to low ratings and viewship.
@@adaurysantos The original and remale of FMA were 7 years apart compared to one piece's 20+ years. Not a good comparison. There is a better example though. The original Hunter x Hunter and its remake is 12 years apart and had the same VAs. However, using other animes is not a good argument in this situation. This is One Piece and that is different animes. For example, Fruits Basket and its remake has a 17 year gap, but all of its voice actors got replaced. The old ones are still active doing other roles.
Yeah he should step down. If you can’t preform anymore you should be replaced. There is also something noble about knowing when your time is up and step down to make way for someone else. I also don’t think this is anything controversial.
Many of us respectfully disagree. This is where Western culture differs from Japanese culture, and I side with Japanese culture on this. They are the true voice of the character, and especially as the series draws to a close, it makes no sense to replace core voices, unless they have to. They cannot and should not be replaced so nonchalantly in the name of some vague sense of "better" voice acting. They are doing a great job, despite what a few reactors, that don't like his voice think about it.
@@Phatnaru0002 I care whats best for the audiance and I think Franky’s VA can’t preform anymore sad as it may be. If its Japanese culture to keep around something or someone that may hinder the experience of the audiance then I am totally againt that part of japanese culture.
@@Phatnaru0002 So, you want Kazuki Yao to keep voicing Franky until the dude physically can't anymore? You have heard his voice in recent episodes. It's very slurred and strained. Yes, he has an amazing, iconic voice but the dude should get some well needed retirement and have an new VA take over.
We always knew this day would eventually come.. The strawhat voice actors are not spring chickens.. And people still dont think they wont use a whole new cast for the netflix remake.. they have to
When you think about most iconic “voice” within the crew, it’s hard not to put Franky right there at the top. I mean, “SUPPPPEEEERRR” is probably one of the most popular greetings between one piece fans there is.
Kazuki Yao was the voice of Judau Ashta, the protagonist of Gundam Double Z which was in 1986, almost 40 years ago! So yeah he's been working for a heck of a long time and sadly his Franky voice and "Supers!!" are not there anymore. I wish him a good recovery and I hope they find someone who can fit his shoes in the role of our beloved Franky.
Now that we are going to have 6 months without One Piece anime, I hope Yao recovers. ❤ About the Wit remake, I really want the original Seiyus to appear, but it's true that if they want to have more than one arc, it will take years. Actually, because i'm SO attached to the Seiyus, i didn't want a new anime because a part of me knows that the Seiyus probably won't be the same. I really can't watch one piece without the original seiyus. For me they are the straw hats. And I know that Oda loves them, I know because they consider each other friends. But Oda accepted this new remake because he wants one piece to be more recognized and he knows that many new people don't want to watch the anime because it is old and has a bad rhythm. And that's why he accepted this. For me it was not necessary, but for Oda and many fans it was. I'm just sad 😢
wow i never noticed because i havent made the comparison but i heard it here for sure. when you showed the first example 2:34, my jaw actually dropped!
man i only watch the dub because i just like being able to understand what they are saying without having to avert my attention from whats actually happening but damn- that really sucks, ive seen clips of the japanese va and its genuinely a shame, he does a really good job. i really hope that he can come back to voice, atleast long enough for some of the very important scenes. (ngl tho when i saw the title i was kinda worried this was a minecraft youtuber situation for half a second and thought "oh the irony of it being franky of all people." idk man im just used to someone on the internet getting in "trouble" means they did some minecraft youtuber type shi) regardless i genuinely hope he can recover.
They’re literally just too old. Some of the VAs are in their 80s and die before retiring. Japan has a tenure system to a fault. It’s a bit crazy to be having 60-80 year olds voicing teens
This is really sad news, I've really enjoyed his work wayyy back with Dancouga and ZZ Gundam during my college days. I remember the chills I had being introduced to Franky in during Water 7, when I first started watching One Piece too. Wishing him the best! And if they do end up replacing him, I hope they fit the same level of energy Kazuki Yao gave Franky.
The remake should have an entirely new cast. Sorry not sorry, get some young blood in to inherit the will of the original VAs. Let the original anime VAs go on in that anime until they’re done.
Indeed they will always be the characters voice but they can’t do it forever and shouldn’t have to be in the position to give lesser performance because they don’t have it anymore. Let em go out standing not on their shields 😢
Completely agree. Not only to give the old VAs a rest, but... Yeah, man, they can't do these roles forever. A remake of the anime is the perfect opportunity to recast everyone, give some young VAs a little time in the spotlight
Would definitely be a good choice. I'm surprised they didn't get a new cast for dubbing the LA series. If you can't imagine the strawhats with new voices, check out the 1998 OVA, which came out before the anime. They had different voices for Luffy, Zoro, and Nami, but I think they still sound great.
Inherited Will, The Destiny of the Age, and The Dreams of the People. As long as people continue to pursue the meaning of Freedom, these things will never cease to be
same son gokus VA when she steps down it be hard to find a suitable japanese Va for goku in the future, because we all know shes a legend and currently the oldest japanese VA in the world who still voices and she is 87 kudos to that
We have the same exact issue in German Dub rn with Frank Engelhardt. He's 79 now, but in the last Episodes of Wano he sounded very off. He's also german Brian Griffin, where he got replaced just recently... So i guess we will have a new Franky VA when Egghead will be dubbed.
And another thing the VA for Frieza (Dragon Ball), Ceaser(One Piece), and Mayuri(Bleach) is like 80 years old now and I’m scared for him. And he’s still voice acting and has been since I believe the 80s.
Where is the OP episode. You've been hating on Garp I wanna see that reaction. I'm on your head KOL. Put respect on Garps name. I only get on youtube for your reaction. A money wall won't stop me. I'm coming in...no Diddy.
I've been rewatching OP from the start with my wife but with the English dub. I've grown so used to the English VA that hearing what he sounds like now just makes the difference all the more apparent.
Japanese voice acting roles in general, let alone in series as prolific as One Piece, are like the equivalent of being an A-list celebrity over here. Seiyuu take great pride in it and it's part of why you rarely hea of folks leaving recurring roles outside health issues, controversy or straight up leaving the mortal coil. Sometimes to the point where the character they voiced just won't speak anymore (not that it'd apply here where its an adaptation and Franky's a main cast member and the other characters he voices are fairly prevalent side characters so they can't control that). That being said, this just goes to show how serious the situation is. Ever since Wano started, I could tell Yao couldn't put in the same oomf as he used to and its only gotten more noticeable in Egghead. Im glad they're willing to tag him out, but also sad because he is such a distinctive actor and he's just a huge part of Franky's charm. Its a shame considering how lively he sounded in the early days even with Jango and Bon Clay but if its for his health then it is what it is. Hope he can recuperate even if he won't be able to return to the roles. Long as he's healthy again.
They are definitely recasting for the netflix remake. Not only are the vas, especially the Japanese ones, already old, but they would need to voice act for 2 anime at once.
I've been saying this ever since they announced The One Piece. If they want it to be as much of a hit as they've been telegraphing, they're going to NEED a new cast of VA's. The old crew are iconic and I will love them until the end of time; but they are still people with their own problems and needs. And I say that while also acknowledging that Franky is my favorite Strawhat and I love Kazuki Yao in all of his roles. However, we can't just start this new chapter of One Piece starting from the beginning and then keep the old crew of VAs only to replace them like spare parts as time goes on. Start fresh to keep it fresh the whole way through! Less stress for the older VAs who still have plenty of One Piece content to work on and more opportunities for the new VAs to enter the scene and make careers for themselves and a more consistent and enjoyable experience for all the viewers. It just makes sense.
This Franky situation is reminding me a lot of Pokemon's Haruka/May, whose Japanese voice actress had a similar problem. The solution Pokemon came up with was to allow no one else to voice the character, but as a result, any appearance from her character would be silent. They didn't even hire anyone new for the role, despite how popular her character was.
It's tough because he set the bar so high with such unique performances in the past that the dropoff lately becomes even more noticeable. I'm wondering if they are considering a change in the role, and if so the anime hiatus might be an opportune time to do it. He's an absolute legend and I don't want him to wallow in too much of a Washington Wizard MJ period.
Hopefully whatever is his health issue can be cured w/n the next 6 months. I think since I have not liked his Franky (honestly I thought they had changed Franky too no lie) I probably won't mind a replacement temporarily or permanently. Did they announce the case for The One Piece? I never thought they'd use the same actors.
They really should do a whole new voice cast for The One Piece remake so we can start getting used to having other people voice the strawhats. Plus if they do a good enough job, the main cast has an out if they want to retire or something else happens
It kind of makes me hope that the Wit remake will recast new voice actors for that series. I love the voice cast of One Piece right now, but giving new actors a chance to play such iconic characters, and preemptively replacing actors who are currently in their 60's and 70's and sadly may not make it all the way to the end of the show, might not be the worst idea.
Autistic take but: These 'click' sounds that are edited in for transitions and popups are hella annoying. Do people actually -like- the annoying 90s plastic mouse click noise?
Not autistic, maybe few times for fun they would be good but for every transition? Plus every mouse click is unique in a way, this is the absolute same mouse click ... gets old fast ... no pun intended.
even as a dub watcher in most animes (that has a non-horrid dub) I am aware of how much of a legend Kazuzi Yao is and I think he is an incredible VA, someone else playing the role of Franky in the original subbed anime would be an uncanny situation, but if it does have to happen we will just have to adapt and let the legend rest until he is possibly suitable to come back.
I've noticed his voice sounding different lately in the anime. Makes me sad when that happens. Billy West can't do the voice of Philip J Fry in "Futurama" anymore. He can still do his other voices in the show just fine, but something about Fry's voice makes him unable to do it anymore. And it's sad.
And here I was, thinking that they were trying to make Franky sound more like a robot in these new episodes. Shocker to see it's due to health reasons. That's unnerving.
