With news of One Piece's hiatus, anime fans quickly scrambled for a different series to occupy themselves until April 2025, with Dan Da Dan being an easy candidate. After having screened the premiere and met with numerous key individuals involved in its production, I grew increasingly hyped for the future of Yukinobu Tatsu's hit Shōnen Jump+ manga adaptation. But as I sat down to show the anime to my friend\e, a key One Piece connection was pointed out to me, with Monkey D. Luffy's voice actor, Mayumi Tanaka, featuring as Turbo Granny in Dan Da Dan.

I'd fallen off of One Piece and was intimidated by its length when trying to resume it in my adult years. However, slowly reintroducing myself to the anime with its most gorgeous new episodes reignited my appreciation for the franchise. As I'm always looking for future media to enjoy, Dan Da Dan was a wild and surprisingly more absurd premise, yet I'd never have thought of such an amusing connection between it and One Piece. It's an exciting way to remind myself not just of the illustrious creative types involved in anime's biggest stories but of its bright future.

Luffy's One Piece Voice Actor Is Turbo Granny in Dan Da Dan

Mayumi Tanaka Turns from Anime Pirate Treasure to Yokai Terror

Even upon learning about the voice cast of Dan Da Dan, something hadn't clicked about Luffy's voice actor, Mayumi Tanaka, lending talents honed over nearly fifty years to the voice of Turbo Granny. Given her portrayal of more wholesome icons spanning from Mega Man Legends' Rock Volnutt and Dragon Ball's Krillin to surprising cases like the Japanese dub for the titular pig in 1995's Babe, a weenie-gobbling yokai is a surprise. But as my friend noticed, herself a longtime One Piece viewer, there was no mistaking it: Luffy's voice actor captivates Dan Da Dan fan hearts and family jewels alike.

Hearing the same voice actor command Okarun to kill his friend Momo and her grandmother in exchange for the rest of his reproductive organs in Dan Da Dan episode #5 is quite the surprise.

Given the generally upbeat personalities of other well-known characters portrayed by Tanaka, the crudeness and sadism of Turbo Granny is a surprising yet delightful change of pace. With a filmography including the disarmingly cute King Enma Jr. from Yu Yu Hakusho, hearing the same voice actor command Okarun to kill his friend Momo and her grandmother in exchange for the rest of his reproductive organs in Dan Da Dan episode #5 is quite a surprise. Yet, despite Turbo Granny's more cruel twists in the series, her transfer to the maneki-neko vessel is sufficiently adorable to make this a striking fit.

With on hiatus until April 2025, I'm delighted by this fantastic casting choice, especially with how even Tanaka's other Toei Animation mainstay, Krillin, doesn't feature heavily in Dragon Ball DAIMA. Beyond her initial appearance in the Turbo Granny Arc, Tanaka gets a prominent and lasting role as she's transferred to the cutest, meanest lucky cat figurine around. But Mayumi Tanaka is not alone, as another One Piece reunion occurred in Dan Da Dan episode #1.

More Fun for One Piece Fans Beyond Initial Dan Da Dan Arc

Give Zoro Your Bananas

Given Kazuya Nakai's tendency to voice sword-wielding tough guys in anime and video games, among other characters, his voice casting in Dan Da Dan as the Serpoian aliens is another surprise for One Piece fans. While his appearance in the series seems more limited, Dan Da Dan viewers can rest assured that there's a future with more Nakai, and he'll bring an absurd take on a beloved cryptid when the occasion arises. But even Zoro's return is not the end of the One Piece to Dan Da Dan pipeline, as a quick cast query can show.

Dan Da Dan's voice cast features several returning One Piece actors, including:

Mayumi Tanaka as Turbo Granny
Kazuya Nakai as Serpoian
Ryūzaburō Ōtomo as Flatwoods Monster
Nana Mizuki as Seiko Ayase
Tomokazu Seki as Mr. Mantis Shrimp
Tomokazu Sugita as Taro
Fumi Hirano as Hana

At first, I figured this was just an instance of voiceover artists' busy schedules inevitably intersecting. However, in six of the seven cases, these characters are either occult adversaries, several being monsters of the week like the Flatwoods Monster from episode #2. Taro and Hana are equally unusual but break the mold. Still, with voice credits including Ryūzaburō Ōtomo, the voice of One Piece's Crocodile portraying a sumo-themed alien in Dan Da Dan, it makes every episode a treat to envision. It also makes for an easy sell with Dan Da Dan's rapidly growing fanbase.

Mayumi Tanaka Easily Adds Dan Da Dan to Hit Roles

A Storied Resumé Gets an Additional Highlight

I have many fond memories associated with Mayumi Tanaka's voice credits over the decades preceding Dan Da Dan. She's played plenty of other characters before and after I was actively following One Piece, including Yu Yu Hakusho's King Enma Jr. (or Koenma), Krillin since the original Dragon Ball, and even Pazu from my favorite Ghibli film, Castle in the Sky. But with Dan Da Dan regularly topping the Fall 2024 anime lists for both MyAnimeList and Anitrendz and Tanaka supplying such a vital voice role, this is another immense credit sure to be added to her "best known for" section.

Dan Da Dan English dub AJ Beckles Abby Trott Interview

Dan Da Dan English Dub Interview: A.J. Beckles and Abby Trott Discuss Alienation, the Supernatural, and High School

Abby Trott and A.J. Beckles bring their various inspirations and strengths as English dub voice actors portraying Momo and Okarun in Dan Da Dan.

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Playing Turbo Granny, a vengeful spirit with a comionate side for many tragically unfortunate young girls in Dan Da Dan is an excellent draw for One Piece fans and general anime viewers. With Mayumi Tanaka regularly recognized among history's most famous voice actors thanks to a long and successful career, it's an exciting pivot. At the same time, One Piece takes a much-needed break for the manga to catch up, and for the quality to stay at its latest heights. However, one other benefit of Dan Da Dan's success is evident in One Piece's absence.

One Piece's Hiatus Lets Huge Anime Like Dan Da Dan Seize the Spotlight

Not "Goodbye" but "See You Later"

Knowing I still have plenty of catching up to do on One Piece, I'll it that I'm more relieved than others may be that it's got a six-month break going until April 2025. Dan Da Dan is easily the season's trendiest, wildest anime, with other stellar series sitting just below it on the charts and also worth discussing. One Piece's hiatus, for those who closely follow it, is an opportunity to explore the vast offerings of shōnen anime, from other action-packed series like Dan Da Dan to extraordinary introspective shōnen stories like Blue Box.

One Piece will be back, and by then, Dan Da Dan will have long-completed its twelve-episode first season and, in all likelihood, be renewed until it suitably adapts the entirety of its manga. There's always something new to watch beyond Dan Da Dan, including new Solo Leveling episodes in January or the incredibly promising Sakamoto Days for those who can't go without a fix of Shonen Jump. But to get as many One Piece voice actors as Dan Da Dan already has in its first season excites me to dive headlong into both.