[Autographs present! Have you seen the goal of the original work yet? Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy), Masato Oba (Smoker), and Toru Furuya (Sabo) interviewed to commemorate the release of the movie version of "ONE PIECE STAMPEDE", which also brought out some curious comments!

To commemorate the release of the theatrical version of "ONE PIECE STAMPEDE" on August 9, 2019 (Friday), the BIG 3 voice actors had a special conversation!　Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy), Masato Oba (Smoker), and Toru Furuya (Sabo) talked about the highly anticipated new movie.

The popular comic "ONE PIECE" has been serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" for 21 years. The comic holds the Guinness World Record as the "Most Published Comic Series by a Single Artist," with more than 450 million copies in circulation worldwide (as of March 2019). Its popularity is not limited to Japan, but transcends national borders, attracting support from a wide range of people. The TV anime began broadcasting in 1999, and the first film version was released in 2000. So far, 13 film versions have been released, and the box-office revenue of the series has reached a cumulative total of 30 billion yen, which has excited a large number of fans.

And to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the anime broadcast, "ONE PIECE STAMPEDE," the first theatrical version in three years, will be released on August 9, 2019 (Friday).

⇒" ONE PIECE STAMPEDE" will be the latest theatrical version of "ONE PIECE " ! Teaser visual shows a huge rubble monster

⇒Screening schedule of the anime film

We asked the cast members who play the three characters who play important roles in the new film to talk about the appeal of the film and their passion for the work "ONE PIECE".

At the end of the article, there is a present announcement, so be sure to check it out as well!

Impressions of the Three Characters

──The movie version of "ONE PIECE STAMPEDE" has been attracting a lot of attention because it is a story in which the main character Luffy and many other pirates, as well as Commander Smoker of the Navy and Sabo of the Revolutionary Army, come together to fight together. First of all, could you tell us about your impressions of the characters played by the other two?

Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy): If I think back to when Smoker and Luffy first met, it would be impossible, but now I wonder if Chemryn (Luffy's nickname for Smoker) is on my side. It's so strange that I wonder if Kemurin (Luffy's nickname for Smoker) is on our side now. （You can take me on your ship!　Wanna ride? (Laughs)

Masato Oba (Smoker): No, no, I'm not on your side (laughs).

Tanaka: Sabo was one of the two people (along with Ace) that I relied on the most from the beginning, and now that Ace is gone, he is the one who absolutely supports Luffy, so I personally love him, and I am really glad that he is still alive.

─ ─ What are Luffy and Sabo like from Smoker's point of view?

Oba: For Smoker, Luffy is becoming somewhat unapproachable. I think he likes Luffy in some way; he saved his life once, and he even missed Luffy on purpose.

The two meet for the first time in a long time in the Summit War Arc, and they will have a little fist fight with the upgraded Luffy, but Smoker is happy to fight Luffy. I feel that feeling was probably the same in this theatrical version of ONE PIECE STAMPEDE.

Sabo and Smoker met for the first time in this movie, and it was also my first time working with Furuya-san. From Smoker's point of view, Sabo is somewhat similar to Luffy and a bit irritating. ...... Luffy and Sabo (despite being enemies) say things like, "Don't be so angry" to Smoker, which makes me even more annoyed (laughs). (Laughs) Luffy and Sabo are similar in this way, and I felt that they are brothers after all.

─ ─ Smoker, who is in the Navy, is an enemy of Luffy and Sabo, but the two of them are cheerful toward Smoker, which must be frustrating for the serious Smoker (laughs).

Oba: My bosses in the Navy are watching us and such, but they treat us in a positive manner. ...... He is doing his best while carrying the sadness of a businessman (laughs). But it was fun to fight together with those two.

─ Then, what do you think about Luffy and Smoker from Sabo's point of view?

Toru Furuya (Toru Furuya): This time, Sabo has infiltrated Buena Festa to watch over the war makers, and that is where he meets Smoker for the first time. At first, he fights with Smoker, but the battle is never settled. Then, Barrett, a common enemy who torments Luffy, appears, and they join forces against each other. As he did with Fujitora, he seems to recognize Smoker, saying that there is a strong and good man in the Navy who shares his feelings. Also, when he combines his smoke and fire techniques, they are very strong, and he tries to help Luffy with his techniques, so in Sabo's mind, Smoker is changing into a reassuring friend. The combined technique is also a highlight.

Ohba: Smoker once fought Ace in the past, and there is a scene in which the two fight to see who is stronger, smoke or fire. The winner was never revealed. ......

Furuya In this work as well, the two fight at first, but they can't settle the score, so that's enough! So they will fight together. Smoke goes along with fire, so they are very compatible in terms of technique.

On the other hand, unlike Smoker, Luffy and Sabo enjoy fighting and get excited when a strong enemy appears. So, Sabo also sees Smoker as a strong and exciting enemy.

And as for Luffy, he is just a cute little brother. I even keep up with news about Luffy (laughs). So I'm happy just to be able to see him, and this time, when I see Luffy struggling against a powerful enemy called Barrett, I naturally want to help him somehow. In the movie version of "ONE PIECE STAMPEDE," I am glad that everyone (not just Sabo) was able to support Luffy.

─ As you mentioned, Luffy will be fighting together with various people in the movie version of "ONE PIECE STAMPEDE," what were your first impressions of the movie?

Tanaka: When I heard that there were going to be a lot of characters in the movie, I thought, "Is it safe for the story to have so many characters? (laughs).

Ohba: I've been doing animation for 20 years, and it was the first time in many years that I was like, "Oh my God, there's even this many people in the movie! I was thrilled to meet characters that I hadn't seen in years. Everyone was so cool and ....... I was especially moved to tears by Usopp when I read the script (laughs).

Tanaka I was also surprised when I read the script because there were treasures that I didn't expect to find!　But in the end, it all fits together very nicely.

I hope you enjoy the film because it is a unique work that could not have been possible in the main story that Eiichiro Oda is drawing. I had a lot of fun myself.

─ ─ I never thought that pirates, the Navy, and the Revolutionary Guard would fight together with Luffy. ......

Tanaka What's going on? I was like, "What's going on? But Smoker was the most desperate, wasn't he?

Ohba He was desperate! Many things made me mad, but I was especially mad at Sabo (laughs).

Furuya (laughs). (laughs) When I was first recording the TV series, the producer told me, "This movie is the 'Avengers' of 'One Piece'. I love the "Avengers" series, so I thought, "Wow! I was really looking forward to it.

I was really looking forward to it. It turned out to be exactly as I had expected, and I felt that it was indeed a work commemorating the 20th anniversary of the series. The most fascinating heroes and heroines of "ONE PIECE" fight together to defeat a powerful enemy while helping Luffy in the center of the story. It's very exciting and fun, and it's great entertainment to see all the unique techniques of these fascinating characters.

The character of Barrett, who is so dominant that he is considered the strongest, is also impressive. The climax of the movie is a highlight, where the popular heroes and heroines of "ONE PIECE" fight together to save Luffy and other characters who are helpless to face him alone. That is my main point of recommendation.

Also, I personally want people to see Sabo's one-on-one battle with Buena Festa. （In the (2016) movie version of "ONE PIECE FILM GOLD," I felt lonely because Sabo didn't have much to do, but this time he had a lot to show and I'm glad he played an active role.

...... And I can't go into too much detail, but something surprising happens in order to save Luffy. I think "ONE PIECE STAMPEDE" the movie is a must-see for "ONE PIECE" fans!

Tanaka Other than that, all of the guests in this year's show are performing quite interesting plays. （Yusuke Santamaria (who plays Buena Festa), for example, did a play that made me think, "Who's voice is that? (Buena Festa), for example. The guests also show their mastery of their craft.

Furuya I got the feeling that they were acting in the groove.

Tanaka The characters created by Oda are fascinating, after all!　Not only the story, but all the characters in "ONE PIECE" are fascinating.

Furuya They are all unique, which makes them very challenging to play.

Tanaka In terms of familiar characters, look forward to Baggy, played by Shigeru Chiba (laughs).

Furuya I laughed when I saw Chiba-chan's performance in the studio.

Ohba Mr. Chiba's turn was usually before or after mine, but (during the recording) I almost started laughing myself (laughs).

Furuya It's tough when you get into it (laughs). (laughs) There was a lot of ad-libbing, and I couldn't imagine how it would come out. That's something that only Chiba-chan can do.

Tanaka I think that the creators of the film are making the scenes with the expectation of Chiba's performance!

What is your favorite scene in "STAMPEDE"?

Ohba: I was impressed by Yusuke's narration-like line at the beginning of the film. Because it was the first time I heard someone other than myself speaking the narration. (Note: Mr. Ohba also narrates the "ONE PIECE" anime.) I thought Yusuke was a lighthearted narrator, but he spoke very firmly, and I thought he had put a lot of work into his narration. I thought he was very serious and had a lot of work to do. To begin with, narrating and playing a character such as the Smoker are two different things.

Tanaka When you usually record the narration for the previews, you always do it sitting down. Does that mean that narration and acting are two different things?

Ohba: When I record the narration, I try to speak as if I were turning the pages of a thick book that contains the epic story of "ONE PIECE. That's why I sit down to record.

Tanaka But you are standing when you record the preview for the next episode, aren't you?

Ohba That's because I want everyone who is listening to the preview to be excited.

Tanaka So you mean that the preview is close to the dialogue!　I see...!

──We also heard some behind-the-scenes stories about the recording sessions.

Furuya All the voice actors celebrated Director Takashi Otsuka's wedding (laughs).

Tanaka We were all saying, "Stampede wedding! But then we found out that "stampede" didn't mean anything good, so we were in a bit of a bind.

Furuya I know it's presumptuous of me, but the director was very pleased because we had an all-star lineup of voice actors.

And I personally am a fan of Hancock. I like his erotic side (laughs). （I also had a lot of fun talking with Kotono Mitsuishi (who voices Hancock). I have worked with her in various productions and know her well, so I was happy to see her again after a long time.

Tanaka She seemed to be having a good time!

Ohba I also talked with Ms. Chiba about the theater company and her work between recording sessions and in the smoking area. Even there, Chiba-san usually talked one-sidedly (laughs).

Have you seen your goal yet? Mayumi Tanaka talks about her thoughts on "ONE PIECE

─ ─ It looks like a very enjoyable site. ......　Lastly, please tell us what "ONE PIECE" means to you.

Furuya Even before I started acting in this work, there were many "ONE PIECE" cosplayers at conventions around the world, and I was well aware that it was a very popular work.

I was asked to play the important role of Sabo, the brother-in-law of the main character Luffy, and he is a very strong, cool, and attractive character, and has become one of my own representative characters.

I am looking forward to the future of "ONE PIECE" as it celebrates the 20th anniversary of the anime and will continue to be continued. The storyline makes you want to know what happens next, the characters are very unique and interesting, and there are plenty of places to laugh and cry.

─ ─ In the main story, it seems that Sabo will play a more active role in the future.

Furuya Please do! I'm really looking forward to seeing Sabo in action!

───Then, how about you, Mr. Ohba?

Ohba: As I mentioned earlier, I feel the joy of being a part of this epic story. It is a work that allows me to feel the same excitement and thrill I felt as a child, even now that I am an adult, and to continue to feel that kind of joy. That is what "ONE PIECE" is to me.

─ ─ Thank you very much. Finally, what kind of work is "ONE PIECE" for you, Mr. Tanaka?

Tanaka I feel that I have become Luffy so much that I cannot remember the time when I was not working on "ONE PIECE". In fact, I am afraid that I have become so dependent on "ONE PIECE" for my acting career that I am not sure if I can handle it. I am so afraid of being so dependent on "ONE PIECE" for my acting life. I'm sure there will be more to come, with the amazing treasures in this movie, but the end of "ONE PIECE" is somewhat in sight, isn't it?

Until now, every time when I got together with the cast of "ONE PIECE" at New Year's, Mr. Oda would say, "Ten more years. Every year he would say that and many years would pass, but recently he has stopped saying "10 more years.

So, my own imagination says, "Maybe the goal is less than 10 years away?" I also think of ....... Even those things that we thought would never end, what we have started will surely end. So, while preparing myself for that, I am also reflecting on how I have been relying too much on "ONE PIECE" lately.

That is why I want to spend my acting life to surpass Luffy of "ONE PIECE". For me, "ONE PIECE" is such a big work.

─ ─ Thank you very much for your time today!

(Interview and text by Michiko Sugahara)

Commemorating the interview and the release of "ONE PIECE STAMPEDE! Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy) x Mahito Oba (Smoker) x Toru Furuya (Sabo) autographs will be given away to one lucky winner!

To commemorate this interview, we are giving away autographs of Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy), Masato Oba (Smoker), and Toru Furuya (Sabo) to one lucky winner! Please read the detailed application guidelines before applying.

＜Prize

ONE PIECE STAMPEDE" Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy), Masato Oba (Smoker), Toru Furuya (Sabo) autographs

<Entry Requirements

Application period: August 8, 2019 (Thu) - August 15, 2019 (Thu) 23:59

Number of winners: 1 person

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Prize shipping: Prizes will be shipped by the end of October 2019.

How to apply: Use the dedicated application form below.

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