Furuya Toru Steps Down From His Role as Sabo and Amuno

Toru Furuya has officially stepped down from his roles as Sabo in One Piece and Toru Amuro in Detective Conan. The announcement comes following his apology for having an affair with a fan, after which he deactivated his Twitter account.

Toru Furuya has revealed that he was in a relationship with a female fan for four and a half years until last September. He acknowledged that he had developed feelings for a fan who had been supporting him sincerely and had initiated the affair. He also admitted having raised his hand against her once during an argument and to making the woman have an abortion.

Toru Furuya has expressed deep remorse for his actions and has once again extended his heartfelt apologies. The translation of his full comment can be found below, offering a comprehensive understanding of his decision:

I know my selfish behaviors have caused trouble and worry to many of you. Regarding my future appearances in Detective Conan and ONE PIECE, which I have deeply hurt the image of both the works and the characters due to this matter. After careful consideration and with a heavy heart, I have decided to step down from my roles as Toru Amuro and Sabo as the only form of atonement that I can offer at this time. Allow me to have once again a chance to extend my apologies to everyone significantly troubled. I sincerely apologize for the matter.

Aoni Production, the agency representing Toru Furuya, has confirmed that they initiated the resignation process. This decision was proposed to the voice actor, who ultimately accepted it. Their comprehensive statement provides further details:

We extend our sincere appreciation to your continued support. We have had a series of discussions with our voice actor, Toru Furuya, regarding the scandals involving him. Allow us to announce: at the conclusion of our discussions, we proposed a resignation request to him from his roles in Detective Conan as Toru Amuro and ONE PIECE as Sabo, whose image he has directly and significantly damaged, and he has decided to accept our request. We would like to extend our deepest apologies once again to everyone involved in the productions and to the many fans who support them.

Toru Furuya, a veteran Japanese voice actor, has left an indelible mark on the anime industry with his versatile performances. His career, spanning over 50 years and encompassing more than 100 titles, has seen him voice iconic characters such as Tuxedo Mask in Sailor Moon, Amuro Ray in Mobile Suit Gundam, Yamcha in Dragon Ball, and Tōru Amuro/Rei Furuya in Detective Conan. His departure from roles like Sabo in One Piece and Toru Amuro in Detective Conan marks the end of an era in the anime world.