Atlus has announcedvia its Japanese sitethat they aredropping veteran voice actorToru Furuya from the cast ofMetaphor: ReFantazio. While the statement only says that they’re dropping the actor for “various reasons,” it most likely has to do with reporting by Shūkan Bunshun that alleged the actor had a four-and-a-half year affair with a much younger fan.
Toru Furuyaposted a messageon Twitter back in May to apologize to fans. In his statement, he confirmed the affair with the fan, who was reportedly 37 years younger than him, as well as the fact that he, at one point, struck her. He also reportedly coerced the woman into getting an abortion after she became pregnant.
Following the reporting, many companies chose to distance from the actor, with the Showroom streaming servicedropping his programand his appearance at Momocon 2024being canceled.
Toru Furuya is a prolific voice actor, with roles going back to the ‘60s. He’s lent his voice to characters such as Yamcha fromDragon Ball, Amuro Ray inMobile Suit Gundam, and Tuxedo Mask inSailor Moon. He also, for a time, voiced Mario in the anime movieSuper Mario Bros: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!, as well as various commercials.
Atlus has stated that they’ll announce who is filling the role in July.Metaphor: ReFantaziois slated to be released on July 04, 2025.
