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From this point onwards it should be getting easier to predict the rest of the list by way of elimination, there’s really not a lot of ‘obvious’ choices left! I think the next forty seiyuu all possess bodies of work speak for themselves, though hopefully people’s memories will stretch back longer than 4-5 years.

Without further ado.

40. Chiba Shigeru (千葉 繁)

More on Shigeru: Originally an actor/stuntman in the late 70s-80s, he appeared in various Oshii Mamoru live-action movies before crossing over to voice acting with a bunch of roles in Hokuto no Ken. In recent years Chiba has turned to the production side of things, heading his own talent agency C&O Actors’ Studio as well as working in sound directing on the Sister Princess series and Kirarin Revolution, amongst others.
Best known roles: Kuwabara Kazuma in Yu Yu Hakusho, Pilaf/Raditz/Garlic Jr in Dragon Ball series, Ichido Rei in High School!! Kimengumi, Megane in Urusei Yatsura, Vanilla Varta in Votoms, Yotsuya in Maison Ikkoku, Don Kanonji in Bleach
Currently heard in: Dragon Ball Kai (Raditz), One Piece (Buggy the Clown)

39. Kawakami Tomoko (川上 とも子)

All about Tomoko: Majored in the arts in junior college (Paku Romi was a classmate) while attending Production Baobab’s voice acting class on the side. Made her voice acting debut in Metal Fighter Miku while still studying, although her breakthrough came in 1997 when she voiced Chiriko in Fushigi Yugi.
Illness: Diagnosed with an unspecified illness in summer 2008, Kawakami underwent surgery and has had to limit her workload since then which resulted in some of her long running roles in Bleach and Keroro Gunsou being passed on to Kuwashima Houko. In September 2009 her radio show Usagi no Mimitabu was put on hiatus after an 11-year run, but she recently reprised her role as Amber in the second season of Darker than Black.
Best known roles: Tenjou Utena in Shoujo Kakumei Utena, Kamio Misuzu in AIR, Shindou Hikaru in Hikaru no Go, Fuyuki Hinata in Keroro Gunsou, Athena Glory in ARIA series, Soifon in Bleach, Motomiya Akane in Harukanaru Toki no Naka de series

38. Miki Shinichiro (三木 眞一郎)

All about MikiShin: His sister was a huge anime/manga fan and that got Miki aware of the seiyuu business, enrolling in 81produce’s voice acting school in the 80s having previously worked as a pastry chef. He made his seiyuu debut in 1989.
Best known roles: Fujiwara Takumi in Intial D series, Lockon Stratos in Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Allen Schezar in Escaflowne, Kojiro in Pokemon series, Urahara Kisuke in Bleach, Kurz Weber in Full Metal Panic! series, Tsuzuki Asato in Yami no Matsuei
What else you should know: Miki is a well-known car and bike maniac, writing columns for various auto magazines. He has also taken part in the K-TAI karting series in 2008 and 2009 with fellow seiyuu Kawakami Tomoko, Toyoguchi Megumi, Namikawa Daisuke and Mizuki Nana.
Currently heard in: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (Roy Mustang), Pokemon Diamond and Pearl (Kojiro)

37. Okiayu Ryotaro (置鮎 龍太郎)

All about Okiayu: A graduate from the Osaka branch of Aoni’s seiyuu training school, Okiayu made his debut in 1990 with Dragon Quest and remains one of the most prolific male seiyuu in the business 20 years on. An incredible range, a wicked laugh and smooth, charming tones are amongst the many weapons in his arsenal.
Best known roles: Mitsui Hisashi in Slam Dunk, Kuchiki Byakuya in BLEACH, Tezuka Kunimitsu in Prince of Tennis, Treize Khushrenada in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Dark Mousy in D.N.Angel, Jinnai Katsuhiko in El-Hazard, Nueno Meisuke/Nube in Jigoku Sensei Nube, Matsura Yu in Marmalade Boy
My favourite Okiayu role: Shigure in Fruits Basket was just adorable, equal parts cool and hilarious.
Currently heard in: The Book of Bantorra (Seagal), BLEACH (Byakuya)

36. Tsuru Hiromi (鶴 ひろみ)

All about Hiromi: Tsuru made her seiyuu debut at the age of 18 with the titular role in Perinne Monogatari. Most popular in the 80s and early 90s, she was particularly famed for voicing many strong (and sometimes tsundere) female characters. Since the mid-90s Hiromi has worked mostly on narration for variety programmes as well as providing voices for video games, most notably Naomi Hunter in the Metal Gear series.
Best known roles: Kashima Miyuki in Miyuki, Ayukawa Madoka in Kimagure Orange Road, Mikami Reiko in Ghost Sweeper Mikami, Bulma in Dragon Ball, Dokin-chan in Soreike! Anpanman, Kuonji Ukyo in Ranma 1/2
Currently heard in: Dragon Ball Kai (Bulma)

35. Horikawa Ryo (堀川 りょう)

All about Horikawa: Apparently he was a terrible student, so his parents had him try out child acting. He made his seiyuu debut at the age of 26 in Yume Senshi Wingman. Formerly signed to Aoni Production he now heads Aslead company, which also has his wife & fellow seiyuu Oikawa Hitomi on its books.
About his voice: Hailing from Osaka, Horikawa was a popular go-to guy for characters with Kansai accents, including his roles in Detective Conan and Please Save My Earth.
Best known roles: Andromeda Shun in Saint Seiya, Vegeta in Dragon Ball series, Reinhard von Lohengramm in Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Hirono Kenta in Yume Senshi Wingman, Yokoshima Tadao in Ghost Sweeper Mikami, Hattori Heiji in Detective Conan

34. Hiyama Nobuyuki (檜山 修之)

All about Hiyama: SCREEEEAAMMM!!! SHOOUUTTTTT!! The best modern-day example of a hot-blooded screamer, Hiyama often gets cast in mecha shows, tokusatsu voiceovers and fighting games. His talents are not just limited to those kind of roles – from creepers to heroes to cool bishie types, he’s covered everything in his career thus far… except women (I think).
Best known roles: Hiei in Yu Yu Hakusho, Amada Shiro in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, Shishioh Guy in GaoGaiGar, Takamiya Teppei in Bt’X, Senpuji Maito in The Brave Express Might Gaine, Madarame Harunobu in Genshiken
My favourite Hiyama role: Of his two Madarame roles, the ultra-cool Genshiken otaku one.
Currently heard in: ONE PIECE (Mr.3), BLEACH (Madarame Ikkaku), Keroro Gunsou (556)

33. Ikeda Shuichi (池田 秀一)

All about Ikeda: Much to his chagrin, Ikeda will forever be most associated with the Char (Aznable) brand despite the fact that he has built a strong career away from the character. Playing the lead role in NHK drama Jiro Monogatari at the age of 6, Ikeda continued acting in a great number of TV shows but also did some dubbing for Western movies on the side. The late Matsuura Noriyoshi, one of the sound directors he knew from these sessions, got him his first role in an anime in Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3. Subsequently Ikeda auditioned for the role of Amuro Ray in Gundam, but they had him test for Char and he was awarded the role. The rest is history.
Best known roles: Char Aznable in Gundam series, Akai Shuichi in Detective Conan, Hiko Seijuro in Rurouni Kenshin, Red-haired Shanks in One Piece, Gilbert Durandal in Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny
What else you should know: Formerly married to Toda Keiko, his current wife is seiyuu Tamagawa Sakiko.

32. Noto Mamiko (能登 麻美子)

(One of her) Signature lines: Ippen shinde miru?
History: Mamiko went straight to Yoyogi Animation school after graduating high school and then onto her current agency Osawa’s voice training school. She worked part-time jobs as a waitress and photographer’s assistant before making her debut as Tonomura Moto in Boogiepop Phantom in 2000.
Voice: Undoubtedly one of the industry’s biggest stars of the 00s, the gentle, breathy tones of Mamiko’s voice have graced many an anime, game and drama CD. Working for Osawa, an agency that specialises in CM narration Mami has provided voiceovers for ads by Toyota, Mitsubishi, Kewpie and Suntory and is also the spokesperson for insurance agency AVOCOM.
Best known roles: Todo Shimako in Maria-sama ga Miteru series, Angol Mois in Keroro Gunsou, Enma Ai in Jigoku Shoujo, Tsukamoto Yakumo in School Rumble series, Ichinose Kotomi in Clannad, Rin in Inu Yasha
What else you should know: Said to be completely machine-illiterate, not knowing that earphones were separated by ‘R’ and ‘L’ (because she doesn’t listen to music) and used to wash all her clothes by hand before learning how to use the washing machine. It is also said that music producer Nakata Yasutaka (Capsule, Perfume) mentioned on radio before that Mamiko is his childhoold friend – they both hail from Kanazawa in Ishikawa.
My favourite Mamiko role: I have a soft spot for Hecate from Shana’s uruchai, uruchai, uruchai.
Currently heard in: Keroro Gunsou (Angol Mois), Inu Yasha Kenketsu-hen (Rin), Kimi ni Todoke (Kuronuma Sawako)

31. Toda Keiko (戸田 恵子)

All about Keiko: Seiyuu work is just one of the many hats that Keiko dons – she’s successfully forged a career as an all-round talento, regularly appearing in J-dramas and movies, does lots of Western dubbing and also sings on the side.
Background: At the age of 16 (1974) Toda moved from her hometown Nagoya to Tokyo, debuting as a young enka singer under the stage name Ayu Akemi. Success was not forthcoming, and she worked reporting & other side jobs before the agency she was signed to folded in 1977. Toda’s saviour was veteran seiyuu Nozawa Nachi, who invited her to join a theatre troupe he was heading and in no time she became one of the group’s biggest stars, putting in award-winning appearances in musicals. At the same time, she debuted as a seiyuu in Invicible Steel Man Daitarn 3 and went on to gain fame with her role in Mobile Suit Gundam.
Best known roles: Anpanman in Soreike! Anpanman, Kisugi Hitomi in Cat’s Eye, Amamori Hajime in Queen Millennia, Karala Ajiba in Space Runaway Ideon, Orihara Kaoru in Oniisama e…, Matilda Ajan in Mobile Suit Gundam
What else you should know: Keiko is the official dub voice of Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully in the X-Files series and is the official voice of Thomas in Thomas the Tank Engine. She speaks French fluently.

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