Voice actress Mayumi Tanaka is the iconic figure behind the voice of our dearest rubber boy, Monkey D. Luffy. What’s really amazing though, is how Tanaka herself proved to be as much a pioneer in the art of voice acting as Luffy did in his journeys.
She devised a certain technique that inspired a whole generation of voice actors. And its influence was definitely seen with the critically acclaimed series Code Geass. So what could possibly be the secret technique that paved the path for our beloved Luffy to come to life?
Not Knowing The Story Ahead of Time Increases The Authenticity of The Voice Impressions
During an interview, Mayumi Tanaka boldly set a new trend in voice acting, especially when it comes to authenticity with her most iconic role: Monkey D. Luffy. Tanaka said that she intentionally does not read the One Piece manga in order to go through the story for the first time with its script and artwork so that she can maintain fresh and honest reactions that can be used toward a more genuine Luffy performance.
I don’t read the manga. It might actually be better if I did, but my style is to do my performances while still holding onto that fresh feeling of surprise and going ‘Whoa, so this is what happens!’ that comes from reading about it in the script for the first time and seeing the artwork for the first time too.
Though this method of Tanaka might sound extreme, it is based on the ability to maintain that ‘first time’ factor of being surprised. Since she doesn’t know what is ahead in the story, her voice acting would be more natural and sincere. This would also produce spontaneity in reaction to plot twists and character developments.
It was this ideal of commitment to authenticity, which earned Tanaka the immortal role of Luffy. The style developed by Tanaka stands as a testament to the power of freshness and authenticity in voice acting and has continued to shape the world of anime today.
Code Geass Director, Goro Taniguchi, Perfected The Use of This Voice Acting Trick of Mayumi Tanaka
This voice-acting trick was later perfected by others in the industry. Code Geass Director Goro Taniguchi is one among them. Taniguchi himself pointed out in an interview that episode directors, animators, and voice actors usually work backward from the end result and develop a tendency because of this, which causes subdued performance in the process. He wanted to avoid this pitfall by keeping the story under wraps.
There are times when working backwards actually makes it better, but if there is a continuous chain of turning points in the story, there are times when you subconsciously save your strength. I was afraid that would happen.
As Jun Fukuyama (voice actor of Lelouch) also mentioned, he did not want to know how the story was going to progress in the future. This lack of knowledge allowed Fukuyama to perform more truthfully and avoid the problems of living up to expectations.
I didn’t want to know what was going to happen next. Finding out beforehand means I’ll have to set the bar higher for myself, you see (laugh).
The voice-acting technique Mayumi Tanaka adopted, perfected by the Code Geass crew, pioneered its way in the anime industry. It is possible for voice actors to truly become their character and really give a true performance if they embrace the element of surprise and refuse the temptation of working backward from the end result.
You can watch One Piece & Code Geass on Crunchyroll.
