Popular anime starring Mayumi Tanaka

Key insights

• Mayumi Tanaka, known for voicing Luffy, has also portrayed iconic characters in Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon and Yu Yu Hakusho.
• Tanaka's versatile voice talent shines in roles such as Pazu from Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Turbo Granny from DanDaDan.
• From her early appearances in Urusei Yatsura to recent roles like Phyllis in The Ancient Magician's Bride, Tanaka's career has spanned a diverse range of characters.

The protagonist of One piece, Monkey D Luffyis undoubtedly one of the most famous anime characters around the world. There are several reasons for this, one of which is his unique voice in the Japanese version in which he is portrayed by the legend Mayumi Tanaka.

She is a talented and experienced voice actress who has not only voiced Luffy for over 27 years, but has also lent her voice to countless other characters One piece began broadcasting. This is most likely the case One piece Fans have heard Mayumi Tanaka's voice on other shows and the following performances are some of the most notable examples.

1 Dragon Ball

As Krillin and Yajirobe

As expansive as her role as Luffy was, it's not even what put Mayumi Tanaka on the map. Dragon Ball Fans most likely remember her voice from two of her most important and iconic roles: Krillin And Yajirobe. These are different but equally entertaining performances, and the voice she would later use for Luffy can easily be heard in both.

Needless to say, Tanaka was of utmost importance to the country Dragon Ball franchise, as she has portrayed both of these characters for over 38 years, even longer than her tenure as Luffy (although she did not return to portray Mini Krillin). Dragon Ball DAIMA).

2 Sailor Moon

As Robert

Sailor Moon is another extremely popular and influential anime series animated by Toei Animation. But although Mayumi Tanaka usually plays main or supporting characters, this time she was hired as the voice Roberta boy who only appears in episode 143 of the series.

Despite his brief appearance, Tanaka still gave her best. Robert is quite different from her usual male roles, as he is not as comedic and simple-minded as someone like Luffy or Krillin. Ultimately, this means that she managed to appear in three of Toei's biggest shows: Dragon Ball, Sailor MoonAnd One piece.

3 Urusei Yatsura

As Ryūnosuke Fujinami

Most anime fans are familiar with the latest animated adaptation of Urusei Yatsura which was already broadcast in 2022. But considering that the original manga came out in 1980, it should come as no surprise that it received an earlier adaptation back in 1981, which was voiced by Mayumi Tanaka Ryunosuke Fujinamione of the main characters of the series.

Her performance as Fujinami is particularly fascinating because it is completely different from the two types of characters she usually portrays: little boys and old women. Instead, Ryūnosuke Fujinami is a young woman and sounds like one, meaning Tanaka most likely used her normal voice for her more often. After all, she would have been 26 years old at the time.

4 Yu Yu Hakusho

As Koenma

Dragon Ball And One piece are not the only classic action shōnen anime in which Mayumi Tanaka was able to demonstrate her talent. She made her debut as the character in 1992 Koenma in Studio Pierrot's animated adaptation of Yu Yu Hakushoanother classic that made her an icon among fans of the genre.

Koenma has two different forms: a baby form (which sounds like Luffy's Chibi Gear 3 form) and a teenage form (which sounds like a calmer version of Luffy). This is a fun character quirk that has allowed Tanaka to showcase her extensive and impressive range. And since Koenma is the ruler of the spirit world, she was able to give him a voice for a very long time.

5 Laputa: Castle in the Sky

As Pazu

Of course, Mayumi Tanaka has excelled in several TV shows, portraying several iconic characters, but she has also appeared in a whole host of feature films (and not just adaptations of big series like…). Dragon Ball And One piece). One of her most important roles was Pazuone of the main characters of Hayao Miyazaki's second film, Laputa: Castle in the Sky.

As always, Tanaka did an incredible job as Pazu, a young and energetic boy with a heart of gold. Considering that she began portraying Krillin around the same time, both roles seem to have inadvertently shaped Tanaka's career, and it's fair to say that without these two great performances, she would never have voiced Luffy.

6 Gegege no Kitaro

As Sunakake Babaa

Most of Mayumi Tanaka's non-Luffy roles have come before One piece began airing as this long and popular anime most likely kept them very busy, especially considering additional material (like movies, video games, commercials, etc.). However, she has still managed to occasionally appear on other shows, with one of the most famous being the 2018 version of Gegege no Kitaroin which she speaks Sunakake Babaa.

Now in her 60s, Tanaka has taken advantage of her age and experience and started voicing older women. Therefore, her performance as Sunakake-Babaa is both charming and funny. She stands out as this Yokai, who is also Kitaro's advisor and manager of the Yōkai Apartments. The animators even placed a familiar straw hat right next to her in one scene, which is most likely a fun little nod to Tanaka's most famous role.

7 The old magician's bride

As Phyllis

• Release date: October 7, 2017
• Genre(s): Dark fantasy, mystery, supernatural
• Studio: With Studio, Studio Kafka
• Creator: Kore Yamazaki

These days, Mayumi Tanaka may specialize in dubbing older women in anime, but that doesn't mean they always have to be comedic or light-hearted characters. Around the same time in 2018, she appeared on another popular modern show: The old magician's bridewhere she expressed herself Phyllis.

Phyllis is a faceless witch who is also the leader of an entire coven, meaning she never gets into over-the-top, comedic situations like Tanaka's other characters. With this surprising performance, Tanaka has proven that she can seamlessly transition into darker and more serious roles when necessary.

8 DanDaDan

As a turbo grandma

DanDaDan'S Turbo grandma feels like the epitome of Mayumi Tanaka's entire voice acting career because it simultaneously represents the two types of characters that she has always excelled at. Turbo Granny is initially introduced as a powerful, vengeful spirit who appears very scary despite his foul mouth.

However, later in the series, Seiko Ayase encases her in a stuffed cat doll, revealing the character's more comical side. This new version of Turbo Granny sounds a lot more like Monkey D. Luffy, but Tanaka still managed to give her her own identity. Overall, “Turbo Granny” is definitely one of her best performances and showcases her incredible vocal range. In Episode 1, she shared the screen with the Serpo Aliens, voiced by Mayumi Tanaka's colleague and Roronoa Zoro's voice actor Kazuya Nakai.