Popular anime starring Mayumi Tanaka

Key conclusions

• Known for voicing Luffy, Mayumi Tanaka also played iconic characters in Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Yu Yu Hakusho.
• Tanaka's versatile voice shines in roles such as Pazu from Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Turbogranny from DanDaDan.
• From early appearances in Urusei Yatsura to recent roles such as Phyllis in The Ancient Wizard's Bride, Tanaka's career spans a variety of characters.

The main character One Piece, Monkey D. Luffyis undoubtedly one of the most recognizable anime characters in the world. This can be attributed to a few different reasons, one of which is his unique voice in the Japanese version, in which he is portrayed as a legendary Mayumi Tanaka.

She is a talented and accomplished voice actress who has not only voiced Luffy for over 27 years, but has also lent her voice to countless other characters. One Piece the broadcast began. Most 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 her role as Luffy is, it's not even what put Mayumi Tanaka on the map. Dragon ball fans will most likely remember her voice from two of her most important and iconic roles: Krillin and Yajirobe. These are different but equally hilarious performances, and the voice she later uses for Luffy can be heard in both.

Needless to say, Tanaka was extremely important to Dragon ball franchise, as she voiced these two characters for over 38 years, even longer than she was Luffy (although she did not return to voice Mini Krillin in Dragon Ball DAIMA).

2 Sailor Moon

Like Robert

Sailor Moon is another very popular and influential anime series animated by Toei Animation. But while Mayumi Tanaka usually plays the main and supporting characters, this time she was voiced Roberta 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 her usual male roles as he is not as comedic and simple minded as Luffy or Krillin. After all, that means she's managed to appear in three of Toei's biggest shows: Dragon ball, Sailor Moonand One Piece.

3 Urusei Yatsura

Starring Ryunosuke Fujinami

Most anime fans are familiar with the latest animated adaptation Urusei Yatsura which aired in 2022. But given that the original manga came out in 1980, it's no surprise that it already received an earlier adaptation in 1981, voiced by Mayumi Tanaka Ryunosuke Fujinamione of the main characters of the series.

Her performance as Fujinami is particularly fascinating because she is completely different from the two types of characters she usually portrays: young boys and old women. In contrast, Ryunosuke Fujinami is a young woman, and she sounds like that, which means that it's likely that Tanaka used his normal voice more often for her. After all, she would have been 26 at the time.

4 Yu Yu Hakusho

Like Koenma

Dragon ball and One Piece this isn't the only action classic shonen anime in which Mayumi Tanaka has showcased her talents. In 1992, she debuted as a character Koenma in Studio Pierrot's animated adaptation Yu Yu Hakushoanother classic performance that cemented 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 teenage form (which sounds like a calmer version of Luffy). It's a fun character trait that allowed Tanaka to show his wide and impressive range. And since Koenma is the ruler of the Spirit World, she could voice him for a very long time.

5 Laputa: Sky Castle

Like Pazu

Sure, Mayumi Tanaka has done a great job voicing many iconic characters in several TV shows, but she's also worked on her fair share of feature films (and not just adaptations of big TV series like Dragon ball and One Piece). One of her most important roles was Grooveone of the main characters of Hayao Miyazaki's second film, Laputa: Sky Castle.

As always, Tanaka did an incredible job as Pazu, a young and energetic boy with a heart of gold. Considering she started voicing Krillin around the same time, it seems like both roles unintentionally defined Tanaka's career, and it's safe to say she never would have voiced Luffy if it weren't for those two great performances.

6 Gegege no Kitaro

Like Sunakake-Babaa

Most of Mayumi Tanaka's non-Luffy roles have come before One Piece started airing because this long and popular anime probably kept her very busy, especially considering the extras (like movies, video games, commercials, etc.). However, she still managed to appear in other shows from time to time, with one of the most notable being the 2018 version. Gegege no Kitaroin which she voices Sunakake-Babaa.

Since she is already in her 60s, Tanaka has taken advantage of her age and experience and started voicing older women. As a result, her performance as Sunakake-Babaa is both adorable and funny. She stands out as this yōkai who is also Kitaro's advisor and head of the Yōkai Apartments. The animators even included a familiar straw hat next to her in one scene, which is likely a fun little nod to Tanaka's most iconic role.

7 The bride of an ancient magician

Like Phyllis

• Release date: October 7, 2017
• Genres: Dark Fantasy, Mystery, Supernatural
• Studio: Studio Wit, Studio Kafka
• Created by: Kore Yamazaki

Mayumi Tanaka may specialize in voicing older women in anime these days, but that doesn't mean they always have to be comedic or light-hearted characters. Around the same time in 2018, she appeared in another popular contemporary show, The bride of an ancient magicianwhere she voiced Phyllis.

Phyllis is a faceless witch who also happens to be the leader of the entire coven, which means she never ends up in over-the-top comedic situations like Tanaka's other characters. With this amazing performance, Tanaka proved that she can seamlessly switch to darker and more serious roles when required.

8 DanDaDan

Like Turbo Granny

DanDaDan's Grandmother's turbo feels like the epitome of Mayumi Tanaka's entire career as a voice actress, because she simultaneously represents the two types of characters she always excels at. Turbo Granny is first introduced as a powerful vengeful spirit who manages to look very creepy despite her nasty mouth.

But later in the series, Seiko Ayase seals her into a plush cat doll, where the character's more comedic side is revealed. This new version of Turbo Granny looks 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 it showcases her incredible vocal range. In episode 1, she shared the screen with the Serpa aliens, who are voiced by Mayumi Tanaka's co-star and Raronaa Zoro actor, Kazuya Nakai.