Bandai Namco considers changing the voice actor for Amuro Ray

Amuro Ray, the protagonist of Mobile Suit Gundamhas been closely linked to its original Japanese voice actor, Tooru Furuya. However, the collaboration with the voice actors may end sooner than usual, as Bandai Namco is considering hiring a new voice actor for the famous character in light of the recently uncovered scandal surrounding Furuya.

Meikou Kawamura of Yahoo! Japan has submitted an inquiry to Bandai Namco asking if the company is considering changing Tooru Furuya’s voice acting role to Amuro Ray. Bandai Namco Filmworks, the subsidiary of Sunrise, responded with the following message:

In this company, we think very carefully about the worlds and characters that appear in our works. Regarding this matter, we want to think carefully about how we handle it, so we will refrain from commenting for now.

Bandai Namco Filmworks

Tooru Furuya has been in the spotlight since Bunshun reported on his adultery scandal involving a forced abortion. The veteran voice actor has since apologized for the actions. However, the scandal still has a major impact on his career. His agency, Aoni Production, persuaded him to step down from his two roles as Sabo in One piece and Tooru Amuro in Detective Conan / case closed. Atlus also fired him from an upcoming role in Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Quite a number of people from the Japanese fan community have posted recommendations for Osamu Wakai as the new voice actor for Amuro Ray. This is because the Japanese comedian is known for his impersonation of the character.

The recommendation is not without reason, as there has already been a similar example. Kanichi Kurita is originally a comedian who is known for playing the title character of Lupin the Third series. Starting with the 1995 film, he eventually became the official Japanese voice actor for Lupin III Farewell to Nostradamus after the death of the original voice actor Yasuo Yamada.