One Piece Studio Parent Cuts Ties With Japanese Actress Over Underage Drinking

Well, this escalated fast. Toei Company — the home base for One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Super Sentai — has dropped 19-year-old actress Maya Imamori from No.1 Sentai Gozyuger after she was caught drinking underage. In Japan, that’s illegal until you’re 20, and the industry doesn’t exactly do grace periods when sponsors are watching.

What actually happened (and how fast it moved)

• Nov 8 (per Oricon Japan): Toei put out an official notice saying Imamori, who plays Sumino Ichikawa/Gozyu Unicorn in No.1 Sentai Gozyuger, was found to have been drinking alcohol despite being under 20.
• Toei publicly apologized to viewers, sponsors, and everyone connected to the show, and said that after discussions with broadcaster TV Asahi, they decided to terminate her appearance contract and remove her from the series.
• Shortly after, Imamori’s talent agency announced it was also canceling her management contract, calling it a serious breach. They added that they’ll beef up compliance training for their other talents to avoid a repeat.
• Context worth noting: Toei Animation — the animation arm under Toei and the studio behind One Piece and Dragon Ball — is known for guarding its brand pretty fiercely. Compliance isn’t just a slogan there.

Who Maya Imamori is (or, was, for Gozyuger)

Imamori is from Miyazaki Prefecture and broke out last year by winning the Grand Prix at Miss Magazine 2023, one of Japan’s biggest modeling contests. Gozyuger was her big acting leap — and a historic one. As Gozyu Unicorn, she wasn’t just a lead; she was the first-ever female Black Ranger in Super Sentai history. That’s a milestone role to lose.

Her response

After the story blew up, Imamori posted an apology on Instagram, owning the mistake and saying she’d reflect and do better. The tone was contrite and very much in the please-let-me-earn-your-trust-back category:

I would like to apologize once again to my fans, everyone involved, and my co-stars for causing great trouble and disappointment... I will reflect on my immaturity, face the consequences of betraying the trust placed in me, and live my life with sincerity so that this will never happen again.

Why the hammer came down so hard

Two things to keep in mind. One, the legal drinking age in Japan is 20, full stop. Two, Toei’s apology specifically called out viewers and sponsors, and they flagged that TV Asahi was involved in the decision. When sponsors and a broadcaster are in the loop, the response tends to be immediate and very public. It’s about protecting the show, the time slot, and some very valuable brands tied to Toei.

Where this leaves Gozyuger

Toei has said Imamori is out and will be removed from the series. They didn’t share next steps in that notice, so we’ll have to see how the production adjusts. Either way, it’s a stark reminder that in this industry, off-screen behavior can end a breakthrough role overnight.