The One Piece franchise is continuing one of its busiest years yet with another animated project heading to screens. This time, the spotlight shifts away from Monkey D. Luffy and onto two of the series’ most popular female characters.
One Piece: Heroines is set to premiere on Netflix in Japan this July, adapting the officially licensed light novel series of the same name. The special places Nami at the center of the story while also featuring Nico Robin in a prominent role, giving fans a fresh perspective on two longtime members of the Straw Hat Pirates.
The announcement arrives alongside another major piece of voice acting news for the franchise. Veteran actress Mayumi Tanaka has confirmed she will continue voicing Luffy in The One Piece, the upcoming remake produced by WIT Studio, putting to rest any speculation that the iconic role might be recast.
Together, the announcements highlight how One Piece continues to expand while maintaining the voices that have defined the series for decades.
One Piece: Heroines Brings Nami and Robin Into Focus
Unlike the main anime, One Piece: Heroines shifts the attention away from large-scale pirate adventures and instead focuses on character-driven stories adapted from the light novels written by Jun Esaka with illustrations by Sayaka Suwa.
The first animated adaptation centers on Nami, exploring a new adventure that allows the Straw Hat navigator to take the lead. Robin also plays an important role, continuing the emphasis on two of the franchise’s most popular female characters.
The special is scheduled to premiere on Netflix in Japan on July 5, introducing a story that differs from the weekly television series while remaining part of the wider One Piece universe.
The project also reunites fans with the familiar Japanese voices behind the characters. Akemi Okamura returns as Nami, continuing a role she has played since the anime first began in 1999. Yuriko Yamaguchi also reprises her role as Nico Robin, maintaining another long-standing performance that has become closely associated with the character.
Additional cast members include Maaya Sakamoto as the original character Miucha and veteran actor Takehito Koyasu as Lebno, adding further experience to the production.
For longtime viewers, the decision to retain the established cast helps preserve the familiarity that has become one of the anime’s defining strengths.
Familiar Voices Continue to Define the Franchise
One of the reasons One Piece has maintained such a strong connection with audiences is the consistency of its voice cast.
Akemi Okamura’s portrayal of Nami has spanned more than 25 years, evolving alongside the character from the earliest East Blue adventures to the current Final Saga. Her performance has balanced humor, determination, vulnerability, and confidence, helping establish Nami as one of anime’s most recognizable heroines.
Yuriko Yamaguchi has likewise become inseparable from Nico Robin. Since joining the series during the Alabasta storyline, she has given Robin a calm, intelligent, and emotionally restrained presence that has remained consistent through some of the franchise’s biggest story arcs.
The Heroines special gives both actresses another opportunity to place their characters at the center of the story rather than supporting Luffy’s adventures.
That approach reflects the growing popularity of character-focused projects across anime. Rather than expanding the main storyline alone, studios are increasingly exploring side stories that allow established characters to receive additional development without disrupting the ongoing series.
For voice actors, these projects also provide opportunities to revisit familiar roles in new settings while continuing performances that audiences have followed for decades.
Mayumi Tanaka Will Continue as Luffy
Alongside the Heroines announcement, fans also received reassuring news about the future of the franchise’s most recognizable voice.
Mayumi Tanaka confirmed that she will continue voicing Monkey D. Luffy in The One Piece, WIT Studio’s upcoming remake of Eiichiro Oda’s original manga.
The confirmation addressed one of the biggest questions surrounding the remake. Whenever a long-running series receives a new adaptation, fans often wonder whether iconic roles will be recast. In this case, Tanaka made it clear that she intends to continue bringing Luffy to life.
She also spoke positively about the project, saying the remake had “truly renewed my spirit,” reflecting her enthusiasm for returning to the role in a fresh adaptation.
Tanaka has voiced Luffy since the anime’s television debut in 1999, making her one of the longest-serving lead performers in modern anime. Over that time, her energetic portrayal has become one of the defining elements of the franchise.
Her return also provides continuity between the original television series and the remake, reassuring longtime fans while introducing new audiences to the same performance that helped build One Piece into a global phenomenon.
One Piece Continues to Grow Across Multiple Projects
The latest announcements demonstrate how rapidly the One Piece franchise continues to expand beyond its weekly television series.
Alongside the ongoing anime, fans now have Netflix’s live-action adaptation, WIT Studio’s remake, theatrical films, video games, novels, manga spin-offs, and now the One Piece: Heroines special. Each project explores different aspects of Eiichiro Oda’s world while attracting new audiences across multiple platforms.
Despite that expansion, one element has remained remarkably consistent: the voice cast.
Longtime performers continue to anchor many of the franchise’s biggest characters, providing familiarity even as new stories, formats, and productions are introduced. That consistency has helped maintain a strong connection between generations of fans while giving new projects an immediate sense of authenticity.
With One Piece: Heroines preparing to debut and Mayumi Tanaka confirmed to continue as Luffy in The One Piece, the franchise has once again shown that its future is being built on both fresh storytelling and the voices that have helped define it for more than a quarter century.