Popular anime starring Mayumi Tanaka

Key points

• Mayumi Tanaka, known for voicing Luffy, has also played iconic characters in Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Yu Yu Hakusho.
• Tanaka's versatile vocal talents shine in roles such as Pazu from Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Turbo Granny from DanDaDan.
• From her early performances in Urusei Yatsura to recent roles as Phyllis in The Ancient Magus' Bride, Tanaka's career spans multiple characters.

The protagonist of One piece, Monkey D. Luffyhe is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable anime characters in the world. This can be attributed to several reasons, one of which is his unique voice in the Japanese version, in which he is played by the legendary Mayumi Tanaka.

She is an experienced and talented voice actress who has not only voiced Luffy for more than 27 years, but has also lent her voice to countless other characters in the past. One piece began airing. It is very likely that One piece fans have heard Mayumi Tanaka's voice in other shows, and the following performances are some of the most notable examples.

1 Dragon Ball

Like Krillin and Yajirobe

As extensive as his role as Luffy was, it's not even what put Mayumi Tanaka on the map. Dragon Ball fans most likely remember his voice in two of his most important and iconic roles: Krillin AND Yajirobe. These are different but equally entertaining performances, and the voice he would later use for Luffy can be slightly heard in both.

It goes without saying that Tanaka was of extreme importance to the Dragon Ball franchise, as she has voiced these two characters for over 38 years, even longer than her role as Luffy (although she did not return to voice Mini Krillin in Dragon Ball DAIMA).

2 Sailor Moon

Like Roberto

Sailor Moon is another very popular and influential anime series animated by Toei Animation. But even though Mayumi Tanaka usually plays main or secondary characters, this time she was called upon to provide the voice Robertoa boy who only appears in episode 143 of the show.

Despite his brief appearance, Tanaka still gave it his all. Robert is very different from his usual male roles, as he is not as comical and naive as someone like Luffy or Krillin. Ultimately, this means she managed to make appearances 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 most recent anime adaptation of Urusei Yatsura aired in 2022. But, considering that the original manga came out in 1980, it should come as no surprise that it already got an earlier adaptation in 1981, in which Mayumi Tanaka voiced Ryūnosuke Fujinamione of the main characters of the series.

Her portrayal of Fujinami is particularly fascinating because it is completely different from the two types of characters she usually plays: boys and older women. Instead, Ryūnosuke Fujinami is a young woman, and sounds like one, meaning it's very likely that Tanaka used his normal voice more often for her. After all, he would have been 26 years old at that time.

4 Yu Yu Hakusho

Like Koenma

Dragon Ball AND One piece aren't the only classic action shōnen anime where Mayumi Tanaka got to showcase her talents. In 1992, he made his debut as the character Koenma in Studio Pierrot's animated adaptation of Yu Yu Hakushoanother classic performance that established her as an icon among fans of the genre.

Koenma has two different forms: a child form (which sounds like Luffy's Chibi Gear 3 form) and a teenager form (which sounds like a calmer version of Luffy). This is a fun quirk of the character that allowed Tanaka to show off his wide and impressive range. And since Koenma is the ruler of the spirit world, she has been able to give him voice for a long time.

5 Laputa: Castle in the sky

Like Pazu

Of course, Mayumi Tanaka has excelled at voicing numerous iconic characters in several TV shows, but she has also worked on a fair share of feature films (and not just film adaptations of great series like Dragon Ball AND One piece). One of his most notable 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, energetic boy with a heart of gold. Considering he started voicing Krillin around the same time, it seems like both roles inadvertently defined Tanaka's career, and it's safe to say he never would have voiced Luffy if it weren't for these two standout performances.

6 Gegege no Kitaro

Like Sunakake-Babaa

Most of Mayumi Tanaka's non-Luffy roles have happened before One piece began airing, as this long and popular anime most likely kept her extremely busy, especially when supplementary material (such as movies, video games, commercials, etc.) was taken into consideration. However, she still managed to occasionally appear in other shows, with one of the most notable being the 2018 version of Gegege no Kitaroin which he gives his voice Sunakake-Babaa.

As she is now in her sixties, Tanaka took advantage of her age and experience and began giving voice to older women. As a result, his portrayal of Sunakake-Babaa is both charming and entertaining. He stands out as this yokai who is also Kitaro's advisor and the manager of the Yōkai Apartments. The animators also included a familiar straw hat right next to her in one scene, which is most likely a fun little nod to Tanaka's most iconic role.

7 The bride of the ancient magician

Like Phyllis

• Release date: October 7, 2017
• Gender(s): Dark Fantasy, Mystery, Supernatural
• Study: Wit Studio, Studio Kafka
• Creator: Kore Yamazaki

Nowadays, Mayumi Tanaka may specialize in voicing older women in anime, but that doesn't mean they always have to be comedic or lighthearted characters. Around the same time, in 2018, she appeared in another popular modern show, The bride of the ancient magicianwhere he expressed Phyllis.

Phyllis is a faceless witch who is also the leader of an entire coven, meaning she's never found herself in over-the-top comedic situations like Tanaka's other characters. With this astonishing performance, Tanaka proved that he can seamlessly transition into darker and more serious roles when required.

8 DanDaDan

Like Turbo Grandma

DanDaDan'S Grandma Turbo feels like the epitome of Mayumi Tanaka's entire career as a voice actress, because she simultaneously represents the two character types she always excels at. Turbo Granny is first introduced as a powerful vengeful spirit who manages to seem very creepy, despite his disgusting mouth.

But later in the show, Seiko Ayase seals her inside a plush doll, and this is where the character's more comedic side comes out. This new version of Turbo Granny looks much more like Monkey D. Luffy, but Tanaka still managed to give him his own identity. Overall, Turbo Granny is definitely one of his best performances and demonstrates his incredible vocal range. In episode 1, he shared the screen with the Serpo Aliens, voiced by Mayumi Tanaka's colleague and Roronoa Zoro voice actor, Kazuya Nakai.