Missed the Straw Hats? The dub cast of the long-running One Piece made one of the largest cast panels at Anime Pasadena to tell stories of their time on the Sunny!
This article contains spoilers up to the end of Episode 340 (Beginning of Thriller Bark) of the One Piece anime.
One Piece Dub Cast Q&A Panel
2023’s Anime Pasadena running November 4th and 5th was monumental for One Piece dub fans, with a huge list of voice actors from all across the series, including six of the Straw Hats. In the main panel room on Sunday, Colleen Clickenbeard (Luffy), Christopher Sabat (Zoro), Luci Christiansen (Nami), Stephanie Young (Robin), Sonny Strait (Usopp), Ian Sinclair (Brook), Sean Hennigan (Gol D. Roger), and Brandon Potter (Shanks) gathered to discuss their decade-and-a-half long journey voicing with Funimation. With their host Michelle (@michellemaka_), fans were able to get a glimpse into the eyes of the beloved crew.
With a celebratory “We’re back on the boat!” from Ian Sinclair, the cast was ecstatic to be gathered in one place again. Having worked together for so long, and being able to get so close, there’s no doubt that the chemistry between this group would inspire amazing conversation. Each of them recalled an expected four to five years of runtime after hearing from their director, Mike McFarland, but obviously, this ship just kept on sailing.
“Boy do you not know how something’s going to turn out when you start it.”
When asked about how the cast got close to their characters, each cast member was able to recall specific events in the anime that really resonated with them. From the paternal aspects of Shanks in One Piece: Film Red (2022), the final push of Sonny Strait’s tears during Usopp vs. Luffy, to the breaking points of Nami and Robin in Arlong Park and Enies Lobby respectively, each cast member has a core moment that really connects them to their pirates.
Each of them are excited to see what comes next in the anime, with Christopher Sabat’s excitement rising from the interactions between Chopper and Zoro. Each member of the cast knows what fans are excited for, and want to discover more about their characters as the series continues. Brandon Potter said that he wants to discover the true extent of Shanks’ power, and Sean Hennigan knows that there’s more to Roger than we’ve seen. Colleen Clickenbeard called out Episode 1028, saying how there’s a moment where she was really able to feel the connection fans have to the series. Simply witnessing the joy between cast members only adds to the hype of the series.
Perhaps the most profound tid-bit of their process arose when talking about the mangaka, Eichiro Oda, and his connection to the voice-over process in Japan. Staying true to the vision, the cast is allowed to really have fun and express themselves, because Oda loves when his actors are having a good time. As Ian Sinclair described, there are times when everyone has to get serious, but more often than not, Oda wants the cast to feel like a close group of friends that want to enjoy the comical world. Colleen and Ian then went on to describe their favorite gag of the Thriller Bark arc, where Luffy casually pushes a zombie back down into the grave, along with a cast-wide impression of everyone’s characters in everyone else’s voices. Laughing all the way, the recording studio for much of One Piece is usually filled with an overwhelmingly positive air.
When asked about their favorite arcs in the series, Water 7 was almost unanimously the cast’s favorite. Although Christopher Sabat brought up Zoro’s amazing spotlight in Wano (adding on that he’d been waiting years for the arc, and has loved every second of it), and surprisingly Luci Christiansen talked about Thriller Bark, Stephanie Young’s description of Robin during Enies Lobby was powerful. Quoting the iconic “I want to live!” line, she describes her development of Robin’s character as the show went on from such a crucial moment. It was from this point forward that Stephanie Young was able to realize Robin’s character development. She slowly evolved from a mysterious criminal to a companion able to make jokes and feel joy around the Straw Hats.
The rest of the panel was filled with fun questions covering all of the fan’s favorite interactions with characters from across the series. Ian Sinclair brought up how he was inspired to take on learning the piano because of Brook, Brandon Potter made a few jokes about Shanks’ obvious lack of an arm as if he were to get ahold of a bionic one, and Christopher Sabat went on a tangent on how Zoro really can get lost, even if it’s outside of his pre-established universe. He loves to see any and all art of Zoro somewhere he shouldn’t be.
“Well luckily Zoro can be in any anime he wants to.”
With a few other debates on if Zoro can bite through bones, whether the cast would be Team Zoro or Team Sanji in a Captain America: Civil War (2016) scenario (Sanji won by one member), which Harry Potter Hogwarts house each character would belong to, and Colleen’s theory of the one piece being a space-maneuverable pirate ship, the cast had a blast talking about their time with these heartfelt, honest characters.
The dub cast also emphasized their comradery with some amazing advice. Sonny Strait brought up how courage isn’t not being afraid, but rather pushing through when you are, Luci Christiansen brought up how the treasure may not always be just gold (even though the gold is still a plus), and Ian Sinclair made sure to emphasize just how important it is to appreciate your friends.
Overall, One Piece dub cast is nothing short of a group of amazing oddballs, just as excited for the series as the fans are. In the search for wealth, fame, and power, they’ve taught the world just how important it is to keep people close in pursuit of dreams greater than anyone could imagine.
Where to Watch One Piece
One Piece is available on Netflix (up to episode 417) and Crunchyroll now, with new episodes releasing on Sundays through Crunchyroll. Eichiro Oda’s manga is available through Shonen Jump, with new chapters released on a weekly basis.
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