Metaphor: ReFantazio is recasting a veteran voice actor after he admitted an abusive affair

A veteran Japanese voice actor has been removed from Metaphor: ReFantazio after he admitted having an affair that turned abusive.

Toru Furuya was set to contribute to the game’s voice cast, but last month it was reported by Japanese tabloid Shūkan Bunshun that he had a four-year affair with a fan who was 37 years younger than him.

Furuyathen took to X to confirm that the report was accurate, and also confessed that at one point during the relationship he struck her, and made her get an abortion after making her pregnant.

“I cannot apologise enough for betraying the trust of all my fans who have supported me over the years, disappointing them, hurting them and tarnishing my character,” Furuya said in his statement.

Atlus posted a statement on its website on Tuesday, confirmed that Furuya will be removed from the game and replaced by a new actor.

“Atlus Co, Ltd is announcing that due to various circumstances, the voice actor Toru Furuya, who was announced to appear in the new RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio, scheduled for release on October 11, will be changed,” the statement reads.

“The new casting will be announced in a follow-up report scheduled for July. We hope you will continue to support Metaphor: ReFantazio.”

Furuya, 70, has been voice acting in Japan since the 1960s. His most notable roles have included Tuxedo Mask in Sailor Moon, Yamcha in Dragon Ball, Pegasus Seiya in Saint Seiya and Amuro Ray in Gundam.

He also voiced Mario in a number of Nintendo commercials, as well as in the 1986 anime film Super Mario Bros: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach.

A recent VGC hands-on preview said that Metaphor: ReFantazio ” is going to make the wait for Persona 6 so much easier”.

“It’s not a Persona clone, but the team has taken everything you’d want them to from a Persona title, and brought it to its new world of Metaphor: ReFantazio,” we wrote. “If the future of Atlus is swapping between a Metaphor and a Persona every few years, we’re all for it.”