Anime, a form of Japanese animation, has captivated audiences around the world with its unique blend of vibrant visuals, engaging stories, and immersive soundscapes. While the animation, characters, and storylines are the primary focus of anime, voice actors are equally crucial for bringing these shows to life. Today, we’ll be celebrating the incredible talent of 17 famous anime voice actors in Japan.
What is a Voice Actor?
The Japanese term for voice actors is “seiyuu.” Although seiyuu lend their voices to a variety of media, they are most well-known for their work as the voices of anime characters. In English, the term “seiyuu” is frequently used to refer to the Japanese voice actors who do the voices of anime characters. Due to the characters they voice, Seiyuu become quite well-known, and they even have their own fandom.
Popular Japanese Anime Voices Actors
- Megumi Hayashibara
- Akira Kamiya
- Rie Kugimiya
- Kana Hanazawa
- Kappei Yamaguchi
- Maaya Sakamoto
- Tomokazu Seki
- Yusuke Kobayashi
- Haruka Tomatsu
- Miyuki Sawashiro
- Akira Ishida
- Hiroshi Kamiya
- Yuichi Nakamura
- Natsuki Hanae
- Takahiro Sakurai
- Mamoru Miyano
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Megumi Hayashibara
Megumi Hayashibara has been active in the anime industry since the 1980s and is famous for her distinct voice and versatility. She’s voiced several legendary characters.
Some include Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion, Lina Inverse from Slayers, and Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop. Megumi also sang many anime theme songs, making her one of the industry’s most accomplished artists.
Akira Kamiya
Akira Kamiya’s famous resonating voice is instantly recognizable to anime fans. He voiced many iconic characters, including Ryo Saeba from City Hunter, Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star, and Kinnikuman from Kinnikuman.
He’s also voiced characters in live-action TV dramas, making him one of the industry’s most versatile voice actors.
Rie Kugimiya
Rie Kugimiya is known for voicing tsundere (characters with a cold exterior and a warm heart) in anime. She has over 220 voice acting roles to her name, including Nagi Sanzenin from Hayate the Combat Butler, Happy from Fairy Tail, and Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière from The Familiar of Zero.
Her unique tone and delivery have earned her a loyal fan base worldwide. She is equally well known for voicing Alphonse Elric in the Fullmetal Alchemist series
Kana Hanazawa
Kana Hanazawa’s voice is soft yet powerful, having voiced many memorable roles, including Nadeko Sengoku from Monogatari series, Rize Kamishiro from Tokyo Ghoul, and Akane Tsunemori from Psycho-Pass.
Through her voice, Kana has managed to evoke a broad range of emotions in her characters, making her one of the industry’s most sought-after voice actors. She is not only a voice actress but also a Japanese actress and singer.
Kappei Yamaguchi
Kappei Yamaguchi or Mitsuo Yamaguchi is recognized as one of the top male voice actors in the anime industry. He voiced iconic characters like L from Death Note, Usopp from One Piece and Shinichi Kudo from Detective Conan.
Kappei’s ability to convey emotion through his voice has made him one of the most in-demand voice actors in Japan. Just like Kana, Yamaguchi is a Japanese actor, singer, and Rakugoka affiliated with Gokū and 21st Century Fox.
Maaya Sakamoto
Maaya Sakamoto is not only a talented voice actress but also an accomplished singer and songwriter. She has voiced several legendary characters in anime, including Ciel Phantomhive from Black Butler, Haruhi from Ouran High School Host Club, and Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
Her unique vocal range and soft yet powerful delivery have made her a favourite among anime fans. She started voice acting in 1992 Chifuru in the anime Little Twins. Later on became known as the voice of Hitomi Kanzaki in The Vision of Escaflowne
Tomokazu Seki
Tomokazu Seki is another famous male voice actor who’s made a significant impact in the anime industry. Some of his most popular roles include Gilgamesh from Fate/Stay Night, Suneo Honekawa from Doraemon, and Kakashi Hatake from Naruto.
Tomokazu has a wide range, voicing characters of various ages, personalities, and backgrounds with ease.
Yusuke Kobayashi
Yusuke Kobayashi has been gaining popularity in recent years, known for his roles as Subaru Natsuki from Re:Zero, Zenitsu Agatsuma from Demon Slayer, and Bungo Stray Dogs as Atsushi Nakajima.
Yusuke’s dynamic range and ability to bring characters to life have made him one of the industry’s most promising young talents. He is affiliated with Yu-rin Pro. In 2017, he won the Best New Actor Award at the 11th Seiyu Awards
Haruka Tomatsu
Haruka Tomatsu is another famous accomplished voice actress and singer, known for voicing Asuna Yuuki from Sword Art Online, Lala Satalin Deviluke from To Love Ru, and Zero Two from Darling in the Franxx. Her sweet, melodic voice has captivated audiences worldwide, and her versatile range makes her a sought-after voice actor.
Miyuki Sawashiro
Miyuki Sawashiro is known for her sultry, deep voice and her ability to imbue her characters with a sense of complexity and depth. She has voiced iconic roles such as Shinku from Rozen Maiden, Kanbaru Suruga from Monogatari series, and Mordred from Fate/Apocrypha.
Miyuki brings intensity to her performances and creates memorable characters that stick with audiences long after the show has ended. She equally voiced characters in Beelzebub, Noragami and Sword Art Online II
Akira Ishida
The voice of anime actor Akira Ishida is incredibly distinctive and identifiable. He has voiced numerous other anime characters, but he is best known for portraying Gaara in “Naruto.”
His voice is ethereal and light, and it’s excellent for the characters he plays! His voice is instantly recognizable, and you may probably associate it with other characters he has voiced if you hear it! Some of the most well-known characters he has voiced include Akaza from Demon Slayer and Kaworu Nagisa from Neon Genesis Evangelion
Hiroshi Kamiya
Due to his distinctive voice, Hiroshi Kamiya is a highly well-known voice actor. Having said that, he portrays such a wide variety of personalities that it can occasionally be surprising to learn that he voiced particular characters.
Due to his exceptional voice-acting talent, he has had the opportunity to portray a wide variety of characters and vocal styles. Levi from “Attack on Titan” is undoubtedly the most well-known character he has voiced, and many people can recognize it without having heard it.
Here are a few of his most well-known figures like Yato from Noragami and Kusuo Saiki from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K’
Yuichi Nakamura
Yuichi Nakamura is a well-known Japanese voice actor for anime. His voice has a deep, ethereal tone that makes it quite recognizable. He is frequently chosen to voice cool characters since his voice lends them a funny and endearing tone.
He recently rose to fame for his role as Gojo Satoru in “Jujutsu Kaisen,” but he has voiced numerous other characters in a variety of previous anime series like Kuroo Tetsurou in Haikyuu! and Hawks in My Hero Academia
Natsuki Hanae
Another one of the most famous Japanese voice actors now working in Japan is Natsuki Hanae. This is primarily because he performs Tanjiro’s voice from “Demon Slayer.” Hanae has gained more notoriety as a result of Demon Slayer recently rising to the top of the anime charts worldwide.
Hanae’s voice is distinctive and emotive, making it easy to recognize. Many people have argued that it wonderfully captures Tanjiro’s persona and brings him to life.
Hanae has lent his voice to a number of other characters like Kaneki Ken in Tokyo Ghoul, Kousei Arima in Your Lie in April and Youth Narukami in The Day I Became a God.
Takahiro Sakurai
Another exceptionally well-known Japanese anime voice actor, Takahiro Sakurai is known for his distinctive voice and is frequently used to voice enigmatic or antagonistic characters.
This makes his voice instantly recognizable regardless of the character he is portraying. For his portrayal of Makishima Shogo, the villain in “Psycho-Pass,” Sakurai rose to prominence. Sakurai does a fantastic job of conveying Makishima’s character, who is incredibly complex, through voice acting.
Takahiro has voiced some of the most well-known characters, including Tomioka Giyuu in Demon Slayer and Makishima Shogo in Psycho Pass.
Mamoru Miyano
He is an instantly identifiable Japanese voice actor. Mamoru Miyano has garnered notoriety over the years for voicing incredibly well-known anime characters, despite the fact that his voice is not as distinctive as those of the other characters on this list.
He frequently gets the job of voicing popular main characters or anime heroes. Characters like Okabe Rintaro in Steins;Gate, Light Yagami in Death Note and Matsuoka Rin in Free sound more relatable and realistic because of his voice
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka is yet another well-known voice actor with a distinctive voice. Having said that, he plays a wide variety of roles. You probably had no idea that Matsuoka portrayed the roles of both Kirito from “Sword Art Online” and Inosuke from “Demon Slayer,” for instance. This demonstrates how skilled a voice actor he is. He has a distinct nasal quality to his voice, which is slightly raspy. He equally voiced Hashibira Inosuke and Yukihira Souma in Demon Slayer and Fodd War! respectively.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, voice actors play a crucial role in bringing anime to life, breathing personality and humanity into the series’ characters. These 17 famous anime voice actors in Japan are among the most talented, versatile, and accomplished in the industry.
They’ve each left their mark on countless anime series, making them a beloved part of anime history.
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