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The world of Shonen anime provides an interesting irony with how many male characters are voiced by female artists. Eiichiro Oda’sOne Piecesees the same with many male characters having a female voice behind them. The irony remains that in both anime and manga, the female characters have always been questionable. Those who aren’t presented with problems are considered to be exceptions and not the norm.
The same spectrum of the industry hires female talents to voice the most iconic characters in the world of anime. Luffy, Naruto, and Goku all have women bringing them to life. It showcases just how vast talent can be in switching voices from one character to another.
Eiichiro Oda Did Not Make Luffy Easy to Voice
During an interview with theNew York Times, Luffy’s English voice actor, alongside the voices of Naruto and Boruto gathered together. They discussed what it was like to be female voice actors who were behind some of the most iconic anime characters ever. Luffy’s voice actor Colleen Clinkenbeard has been playing the character for a long time now.
As an actress, my voice is less likely to change significantly than a male voice. Luffy’s voice hurts my throat intensely — I can’t do him for more than three hours, and even that’s pretty wearing.
For someone who is known to alter her voice according to the character, Luffy came as a challenge she did not expect. Voice actors are used to shifting their voices to fit the character better, giving them the kind of versatility that makes them extraordinary. In the case of Monkey D. Luffy, a character as cheerful as him simply took a toll on her.
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He is the optimistic, goofy protagonist fans know and love. For those who bring him to life, this sense of cheery livelihood becomes difficult.Eiichiro Odamade sure to make the Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates an ever-smiling character, blending into the many themes ofOne Piece.To fit into that, Clinkenbeard has to give her very best, and that too to a limit.
The Advantage of a Female Voice
Colleen Clinkebeard can channel her inner Luffy for 3 hours and no more, lest she loses her voice. His cheery demeanor is not as easy to keep in touch with as many would seem. The laughs, the joy, the humor, it may all appear to be a ray of sunshine, but things are much different. Despite it all, there is an advantage to having a female voice as compared to a male one.
If they had gotten a male actor who was young enough to sound like Luffy, 10 or 12 years later he would sound much more manly.
Having a female voice ensures consistency that a male voice does not provide. It is more likely for women to be able to balance their voice with minimal changes in a span of a decade as compared to a man. For a series like One Piece, it becomes even more difficult. Luffy is a child at the beginning of the series, and the pacing of the series makes sure the arcs last a long time.
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The span can be of many years, yet consistency in the voice becomes impossible. It is like Netflix asking a 35-year-old actor to pose as a 16-year-old high schooler. The change in one’s voice becomes inevitable, especially for men. Having such iconic characters voiced by women removes that problem.
One Pieceis available to watch on Crunchyroll.
Adya Godboley
Anime Content Manager
Articles Published :1879
Adya Godboley is the Anime Content Lead at FandomWire with over 1800 published articles. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-certified critic with a background in literature. From The Case Study of Vanitas to Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, her anime knowledge is one she’s gathered with years of experience. She also enjoys Marvel, DC and Superhero media with her works having been recognized by prominent figures such as Dwayne Johnson, Abby Trott and the Blood of Zeus creators.
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Eiichiro OdaOne Piece
