Dragon Ball changes Yamcha's voice for an infidelity

On October 4, agency Aoni Production announced through its website that Tooru Furuya will no longer play Yamcha, one of the recurring characters from the 'Dragon Ball' series, starting with the premiere of the new 'Dragon Ball Daima' series on October 11. In the statement, the agency reported, "Tooru Furuya, who has long played Yamcha in the 'Dragon Ball' series, will be replaced as of the first episode of 'Dragon Ball Daima.'"

On the official site of the new series, this information was also confirmed, mentioning that Ryouta Suzuki, known for his roles as Yuu Ishigami in 'Kaguya-sama: Love is War' and Ryusui Nanami in 'Dr. Stone', will take the role of Yamcha in this new installment of the franchise. 'Dragon Ball Daima' is one of the most anticipated projects of the year and will premiere on Fuji TV's anime programming block.

The change in the cast comes after a scandal involving Tooru Furuya, who in May 2024 acknowledged having had an extramarital affair with a fan for more than four years. The incident was widely covered by Weekly Bunshun magazine, prompting Furuya to issue a statement apologizing for his behavior, mentioning that on one occasion the situation escalated into a physical altercation. This scandal also cost Furuya other important roles, such as Tooru Amuro in 'Detective Conan' and Sabo in 'One Piece'.

The new actor, Ryouta Suzuki, has an outstanding career in the world of anime, but the fan community has reacted with mixed feelings to the news of Furuya's replacement:

"Really? 😢 ».
"Yamcha! 😩 ».
"I wonder if he will retire completely..."
"I know too, but I don't want them to change Amuro and now Yamcha too..."
"Yamcha even appears in the new series?"
"With Suzuki as a replacement... In a way, this is exciting."
"Wow... At least I got to hear it one last time on Sparking Zero."
"What!? Even Yamcha? I didn't think they would change it."
"It looks like they're going to erase Furuya's existence completely."
"It looks like they'll change Amuro, too..."

With this change of voice, an important stage closes for the character of Yamcha, who has been played by Furuya since the beginning of the franchise. Fans express their sadness and nostalgia for this change, although some are excited for the future of the series with Suzuki in the role.

Source: Otakomu