It just dawned on me that the Netflix “One Piece” show using the original anime voice actors for the Japanese dub is a lot more complex than it seems. At first glance, it looks like the voice actors are just reprising their roles. They are already familiar with their characters, so it shouldn’t be too difficult doing the dub.
What makes things complex is that, technically speaking, these aren’t their characters. When Mayumi Tanaka goes to voice Luffy in the anime, she’s only working off of the script and directions from the director. When Mayumi goes to voice Luffy in the live-action, she’s actually working off of Iñaki Godoy’s performance. Even if you’re the greatest actor in the world and can replicate another performance perfectly, there’s still going to be distinct differences that will make you stand out. These differences could be anything, from dialogue changes to make the pacing work for the show to Godoy’s own little nuances that he adds to his version of Luffy.
It’s strange to think that even though Mayumi Tanaka is doing the Japanese dub for Luffy, she has to approach the same character from a different angle since this isn’t her Luffy, it’s Godoy’s. Same goes for the entire cast and their respective characters. It’s like they’re starting fresh.
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The Three Captain's Interview (2021) : Hiroshi Kamiya as Law (Translated)
Awfully late to the party again. Here's a partial translation of the "Three Captains QnA" interview conducted in 2021 to celebrate the 100th volume of One Piece. I think most readers already accessed the translation via auto translator, or maybe someone translated already (in that case, ignore this)
I didn't find any available translation so I'm putting all of Hiroshi Kamiya's answers here. Just in case you don't know, Kamiya san in Law's voice actor. His answers were particularly long and informative, so I focused only on him.
Starts below the cut!
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Q. How did you feel when you got the role?
- The casting of Namikawa san (Eustass Kidd) and I was triggered by the work "Ilya no Sora, UFO no Natsu", in which Namikawa san played the role of a timid boy in junior high school and I was a sharp-tongued senior. Hiroaki Shibata, who was the producer of that work, later became the producer of One Piece and then approached us.
I understood the flow of the process and was grateful for the offer, but both Namikawa san and I were good at giving higher pitched voices at that time. So, to be honest, we had absolutely no idea what he had in mind when he cast us. But since I was approached and I had no choice but to give it a go, I gave the character a rough, low-pitched sound that didn't go well with my personal theme but matched the character's appearance; and they gave me an OK...
But, adding a personal note, I voiced an unnamed role 'Pirate A' all the way back in the first episode. I had a few more roles afterwards, and eventually I was given the role 'Eddy' in the Sky Island Arc. After a short interval, I was very happy to be chosen for a major role with the name 'Law' and as a rookie with over a hundred million bounty like Luffy.
By nature, the sounds I make don't have a distinct quality, so I didn't have much of a chance to be cast in "ONE PIECE" filled with unique characters. But thinking about it, Law doesn't really have any outstanding feature either (laughs). Regardless, I am very grateful that I was selected out of all other choices.
(T/N: I made a separate post about Kamiya san's roles in one piece here.)
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Q. Did you have any specific thoughts or feelings while playing in One Piece?
- I really wanted to play Law as a child. The past with Corazon is inseparable from the present Law, isn't it? Since Law at the moment is here because of that past, I really wanted to incorporate the childhood Law into my character.
Also, in the long history of One Piece, Luffy is the only male character who is played by the same actor for both his adult and child versions. There had never been a male voice actor who had the chance, so I had a personal ambition to set a precedent. The moment I found out that Law's past was going to be portrayed, I made a blunt confession that I absolutely wanted to play the (child Law) role. I later auditioned and was hired.
When the time came to record the episodes of Law's past and I was given a script with "Law, Hiroshi Kamiya" right next to Luffy, it meant a lot to me. Seeing the senior members of the One Piece cast team playing the main characters and monopolizing the studio microphones, I had always wanted to play as a main character in the same place someday. Unfortunately, I never had the chance, so, that time it felt like a dream come true.
I think this, too, was possible because it's a story created by Oda sensei. To begin with, it's rare for me to put up my hand to take an initiative by myself. The possibility of trying out a role and then people thinking "Totally off, this shouldn't be their voice at all" - is terrifying, isn't it? I'm a person lacking self-confidence, yet, Oda sensei created a work that moved my heart and made me feel like I wanted to express my tone, and thus I was able to have such a joyful experience. So, once again, I think One Piece is amazing.
(T/N: Kamiya san talking about voicing young Law in a different interview can be found here.)
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Q. Impression of the character you're currently playing?
- I think he's a man with a deep sense of responsibility. After all, the alliance was originally formed to defeat Doflamingo by taking advantage of Luffy's desire to beat the 'Emperors', and now even after defeating him, they're still working together. That makes him an honest guy who keeps his words.
That said, he's the captain of the Heart pirates. I think he wants to reciprocate the feeling to the crew that follows him with a belief that he's the best in the world. That's why when he said "I hate breads!" and the Straw hats kept pulling him like "you're one of us too!" (laughs), he kept holding his stance, "I'm NOT gonna go that way!"
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Q. Thoughts on Mayumi Tanaka as Luffy?
- I saw Mayumi san leading the anime like a boss from the moment Luffy came out of the barrel shouting "I SLEPT WELL!" in episode 1. The fact that it continues to go strong and become more popular with the viewers to this day - is truly amazing.
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Q. Thoughts on Daisuke Namikawa as Kidd?
- I think Namikawa san is ridiculous! After all, back at that time he would only play characters with meek voices, I really thought he didn't have the voice range to be entrusted with such a dynamic role. I think he threw his own persona away to play Kidd.
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Q. Do you think it's possible to win against Kaidou?
- It has to be. I think Luffy would be able to beat him with something beyond Law's strategy. To Law, Luffy is the one person that can create unexpected circumstances. I believe their actions would blossom meaningfully in future.
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Source: @Eiichiro_staff (search up the hashtag #三船長QA on Twitter)
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