100 Seiyuu Everybody Should Know: 90-81
Second installment in the series! Turns out that the previous post was my 500th (not counting all those I purged when I moved from Blogger), and it seems like a good way to mark the milestone. However I also saw on my dashboard that I currently have 4,444 comments, not a very desirable number for a Chinese like me…. ~_~
Anyway I’m having fun working on this, which is like a shot of nostalgia in the arm for me as I recall the seiyuu that lit up the industry in various ways, be it through their memorable performances, singing or just being great personalities. Good to see from the comments that people are enjoying this little ride through seiyuu history as well – so on to the list!
Why you should know him: One of the coolest granddads around, as well as being the founder of the growing Ken Production agency – he worked tirelessly to get it up and running back in the 80s and today it employs the likes of Konishi Katsuyuki, Saiga Mitsuki, Yukino Satsuki and Ito Shizuka.
All about Utsumi: His career stretches back to the 60s with roles in GeGeGe no Kitaro and Mach GoGoGo, taking in a boatload of anime as well as CM work and dubbing over for Sammy Davis Jr. and Robert Shaw. He’s married to fellow seiyuu Nomura Michiko (original voice of Shizuka in Doraemon) and their son currently serves as the president of KenPro.
Best known roles: Raoh in Hokuto no Ken, Shenron in Dragon Ball, Norimaki Senbei in Dr. Slump
What else you should know: Utsumi has mentioned before that he is a Mizuki Nana fan and even went to see her live concerts. He’s currently co-hosting the Kampfer radio show (his first ever) with Nakajima Megumi and certainly seems to be having fun flirting with the young girls (especially Inoue Marina).
My favourite Utsumi role: *sparkle* Alex Louis *flex muscle* Armstrong in both Fullmetal Alchemist adaptations.
Why you should know her: The only seiyuu in history to appear on Music Station.
All about Hekiru: One of the 90s’ more famous seiyuu idols, Hekiru was different in that she was a bit more of a rocker than your traditional bubblegum-pop-flogging seiyuu idols. Having always focused more on music rather than voice acting she’s notched some impressive sales figures, releasing a total of 36 singles and 14 albums since her debut in 1993. Apart from the distinction of being the only seiyuu to have performed on Japanese mainstream TV’s most famous live music programme Music Station, Hekiru is one of only 4 (soon to be 5) seiyuu to have played at the Budokan.
Best known roles: Shidou Hikaru in Magic Knight Rayearth, Hatsuseno Alpha in Yokohama Kaidashi Kiko, Kamitsuki Yuka in Kemonozume, Elissis in Eden’s Bowy
What else you should know: Her star has faded considerably in recent years, but she’s been taking steps to resurrect her career – first, by moving to Lantis from Sony Records. Her last major anime role was as Yamawaro in the third season of Jigoku Shoujo.
My favourite Hekiru role: Alpha in Yokohama Shopping Log, the sweetest yuri robot show around.
Why you should know her: One of the earlier ‘female seiyuu who does mostly male characters’, although her versatility stretched from little boys to onee-san types. Very good singer too.
Best known roles: Jinto in the Crest of the Stars franchise, Mamiya Otaru in Saber Marionette J, Renamon in Digimon Tamers, Okita Kai in Bakuso Kyodai Let’s & Go!!
What else you should know: Fell ill for a period in the mid-00s and had to hand over her roles in Demonbane and Precure Splash Star to other seiyuu. She has been doing more video games in recent years (Final Fantasy XII, the Tales series) but recently signed up with Atomic Monkey and has returned to regular TV work with Duel Masters.
My favourite Yuka role: Jinto, obviously. Her gentle, soft-spoken voice balanced out Kawasumi Ayako’s brash Lafiel perfectly, and together they made one of the most fascinating couples in anime (ever).
Why you should know her: One of the more popular voice actresses of the 80s, her career was cruelly cut short by lung cancer in 2003. She was 56.
All about Yo: Possessing a considerably lower voice than her fellow seiyuu of the day, Yo specialised at (or was pushed towards?) voicing tough-as-nail ladies.
Best known roles: Sayla Mass in Mobile Suit Gundam, Kanuka Clancy in Mobile Police Patlabor, Ran in Urusei Yatsura
What else you should know: Inoue has a lot of strange feathers in her cap – a graduate of Waseda University, she has been credited as a dancer, a broadcast writer and weirdest of all – a fortune teller.
Even more stuff to know: In the mid-80s, she disappeared to India (+ other countries) on a 1-year trip, leaving other seiyuu to cover her regular roles at the time.
My favourite Yo role: The kick-ass, cool-as-ice (and possibly kuudere?) Kanuka. I like strong women! And now I shall admit to having read (and maybe dreamed up) Kanuka/Kumagami yuri fanfiction in the past…oh dear.
Why you should know him: He’s one of the stars of today’s generation, often stepping into the leading man role but equally adept at villainous and token dumb characters – versatility is his main draw.
All about Namikawa: Started out life as a child actor but following the recommendation of kodanshi Ichiryusai Teiyu, tried out for voice acting. He landed his first role at the age of 9 but only caught his first real break as Kamishiro Maiku in the Onegai Twins! series in 2003.
Best known roles: Kurono Kei in GANTZ, Tanaka Koyuki in BECK, Fay D.Flourite in Tsubasa Chronicle, Italy in Hetalia Axis Powers
What else you should know: He must be the only male seiyuu I know who shapes his eyebrows so perfectly!
My favourite nmkw role: Dokkoida in Dokkoida, the greatest 2D anime hero ever.
Why you should know him: Blessed with good looks and a great acting/singing voice, he’s one of the current decade’s brightest stars, not to mention its hottest male idol.
All about Mamo: Miyano got his start in showbiz fairly early, joining the Gekidan Himawari theatre troupe when he was in elementary school. He only got into voice acting after passing an audition for a dubbing role in Caitlin’s Way and in 2002, got the part of Riku in PS2 RPG Kingdom Hearts. Work in the Prince of Tennis musicals, BONES’s Wolf’s Rain and Soukyuu no Fafner followed, but it wasn’t until 2006 with Ouran and DEATH NOTE that his career really took off.
Best known roles: Setsuna F. Seiei in Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Yagami Light in DEATH NOTE, Suou Tamaki in Ouran Koukou Host Club, Ling Yao in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Kiba in Wolf’s Rain
What else you should know: It would appear that his shotgun wedding in late 2008 (complete with foolish video message announcement) has had little long-term effect on Miyano’s career as he’s already on his second live tour, played at Animelo Summer Live and is still a regular in the Fullmetal Alchemist anime.
My favourite Mamo role: His performance as the goofy, narcissistic Tamaki was a royal blast – definitely the primary reason why Ouran was so memorable.
Why you should know her: One of the few seiyuu to have had significant roles in all four major anime adaptations of Takahashi Rumiko’s works (Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, Inu Yasha, Maison Ikkoku)
All about Saeko: Sometimes soft-spoken, most other times loud and rude, Shimazu has often voiced ‘the other woman’, ‘the obnoxious one’, ‘the rival’, ‘psycho characters’… but rarely the lead heroine. Most prominent in the 80s, she now mostly does narrations as well as providing the voice announcements on the Keisei 3700 train and Hokusou 7300 lines.
Best known roles: Four Murasame in Mobile Suit Z Gundam, Miyake Shinobu in Urusei Yatsura, Kuno Kodachi in Ranma 1/2, Ayase Megumi in Magical Angel Creamy Mami, Yuri in Dirty Pair
What else you should know: Shimazu has been involved in at least two pieces of casting controversy – the first when she refused to do a sequel to Dirty Pair without her original acting partner Tongu Kyoko, leading to the roles being recast (by Matsumoto Rica & Kouda Mariko). The second involved compilation movies for the Gundam series in 2005 – despite Shimazu having expressed her interest in reprising her role as Four Murasame, she was replaced by Yukana (rumours go that the sound director was having ‘improper relations’ with the younger seiyuu). Angry fans bombarded (and crashed) Yukana’s site in protest at the change.
Even more stuff to know: Still maintains her fanclub ‘Blue Moon’, where she personally meets up with fans twice yearly for a chat and ‘tea parties’.
My favourite Sae role: The slightly unhinged Kodachi aka The Black Rose (OHOHOHO!), who would seemingly stop at nothing to get Ranma for herself.
Why you should know her: Queen of the violent tsundere genre – if you’re looking for someone to voice a character in her mid-teens who likes beating up people one minute & tee-hee-hee blushing the next minute, Satsuki’s your gal (if character is under 13 years old look for Kugimiya Rie).
All about Satsuki: She’d wanted to become a seiyuu from a young age but had to work hard at persuading her family before they allowed her to move to Tokyo (from her hometown Kyoto) to pursue a career in the business. Graduating at the age of 21, things started slow but after major roles in Kiko-chan’s Smile, Chuuka Ichiban! and Trigun over the 1996-98 period her fortunes took a turn for the better and Satsuki’s since built up a CV that’s the envy of many.
Best known roles: Higurashi Kagome in InuYasha, Chidori Kaname in Full Metal Panic! series, Sonozaki Mion/Shion in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Shihouin Yoruichi in Bleach
What else you should know: Apparently InuYasha mangaka Takahashi Rumiko described Satsuki as having a ‘cute-sounding scream’.
My favourite Satsuki role: Hard to pick one, but Otae from Gintama is a current fave – typically sweet-looking, mercilessly violent and a barrel of laughs.
Why you should know her: 1/3 of the Goddess Family Club, though it seems her popularity is eclipsed by that of fellow goddesses Inoue Kikuko and Hisakawa Aya.
Best known roles: Urd in Ah! My Goddess, Emma in Victorian Romance Emma, Cecily Fairchild in Mobile Suit Gundam F91, Hongo Yui in Fushigi Yugi
What else you should know: She’s also well-known for her fighting game characters – Ling Xiaoyu in Tekken, Lei Fang in Dead or Alive and Ivy in Soul Calibur, not to mention voicing Chun Li in the Street Fighter Zero movie and Kazama Jun in the Tekken film.
My favourite Yumi role: Emma – meganekko meido ftw!
Why you should know him: That funky bloke with a distinct, gruff voice who’s always wearing shades. Pretty good voice actor too, even though he seems to be destined to be the best man and never the bridegroom.
Best known roles: Nohara Hiroshi in Crayon Shin-chan, Eledore Massis in Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, Holland Novak in Eureka 7, Ali Al-Saachez in Mobile Suit Gundam 00, Kimura Tatsuya in Hajime no Ippo
What else you should know: Left KenPro in 2006 to start his own agency AIR AGENCY. Also lectures part-time at Nihon Geijutsu Gakuen.
My favourite FujiKei role: Ummm let’s see, he’s got so many roles!! I’ll go for Honey & Clover’s Hanamoto Shuuji, the all-wise, all-knowing mentor to Takemoto & co.
I should put a disclaimer here – I stole all the images from somewhere but honest to God, when you have 4-5 500mb folders marked ‘Seiyuu Pix1′ it’s impossible to attribute them to their sources correctly. All pictures are the copyright of their respective owners!
Quick Links:
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Is it strange that I find Yukino Satsuki good-looking in a non-acknowledging way (translation: it’s a tiny girl crush)?
I know this isn’t a Top 100 favorite seiyuu list, but I would personally put Miyano somewhere in the top 20 or 30 list. He’s one of the more well-known seiyuu of this past decade, so I would put him in any position around those spots to show that some members of the new generation of seiyuu CAN act (and then some, as you described in his little blerb).
^ Putting Miyano in the top 30~20 list would mean someone like Nana and Aaya gets bumped up imho. Way, way up. And I need some Hayashibara Megumi love before my mind forgets… things!
jimujimu! You put both FujiKei and Namikawa on here? Who got cut? ;A;
Just started Gintama the other week and Yukino is awesome. I want to hear some of these cuter sounding screams…
PS – This list makes me feel young. I feel bad for not knowing a lot of these names, but…
I’m not saying you’re old or anything! I swear!These posts are great for finding my inner UC Gundam nerd again. 8D
Learnt a lot, many thanks!
Nice list.
This is more a top 100 fav list at this point :p I mean Yukino Satsuki is srsbzns IMO, although she didn’t really get a big break until this decade.
Man, I remember Hekiru Shiina when she was the hot stuff. But I guess I was reminded her recently by the label switch and whatever so this was not much of a reminder…
@Vness
….ack I’m starting to think I shouldn’t have put numbers on these things, or started at No.1-10 instead. If Mamo was 20-30 I wouldn’t know where to put FukuJun, Sakurai or Kamiyan…
@r3
It was Ogata Kenichi who got cut. I know you’ll have no idea who he is so go google/wiki it up ^^
@omo
And hey you’re using my list to evaluate your own favourites too so we’re all biased in some way.
No it isn’t a fav list, otherwise Iwao Junko, Inoue Marina & Yoshino Hiroyuki would be on and they aren’t
You’re placing far too much importance on the numbers btw, I’m not ranking them in order of…whatever – influence, impact, talent etc. & I don’t know what you mean by a big break for Yukino – was Trigun and Cooking Master Boy not big enough for you :3
huh, out of this list, I only “knew” 5 of em. Mamoru Miyano’s first role i heard(albeit small) was fun (suzuka 2005?). I guess out of these, i just “enjoy” mamoru and satsukis voice.
Gotta say, that shiina hekiru is hot :p
Saeko Shimazu is my favorite seiyuu of all times!
I amazed by her vocal range and her dinstinctive sound in her voice, I was shocked by suprise when I find her in this list.
Yukino Satsuki remains my top favorite seiyuu ever, but then again that could be pretty biased and my repertoire of seiyuu knowledge is pretty small anyway. Nice to know about her history and how hard she worked though, her roles so far have not failed to impress comparing her work throughout the shows I have managed to see with her in it.
I agree with Miyano too in Ouran – his quirks were great in that one, though his role as Kira in Death Note was such a complete contrast thereafter.
Talking about seiyuus… I heard that K-On! seiyuus + May’n + Nakagawa Shoko + Fukuyama Yoshiki + Mizuki Ichirou is going to attend the AFA 2009 in Singapore… there is even a Hatsune Miku Concert…
Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~~~~~~~~~
So… is anyone going??? Just wondering if J1m0ne will go to?
@Shinra_1989: who cares about the girls? ANIKI and Fukuyama are the only ones worth paying the 200 bucks to watch.
and lol @ the others’ OMG WHY IS MAMOMAMO/[insert recent hot seiyuu] SO LOW ON THE LISTS? HAIUFBHASBFSGNSDJG in the 2 lists
OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!
I wonder if Shimazu Saeko’s tea parties involve copious amounts of black rose petals. And is that a gymnast costume she has on in that picture???
@Shinra_1989
Ummm yeah I am going to AFA09 but just for the K-ON! girls. Not bothered about the Anison thing, I figure if I was unwilling to pay S$150 to see JAMPro, Shokotan, May’n & Miku at Animelo I sure as hell won’t pay more than that to see them in Singapore.
@issa-sa
LOL black rose petals… er I dunno if that’s a gym costume, I’m sure the pic was taken way before Ranma 1/2 (besides, I’m too busy looking at her legs)
@ j1m0ne
Thats what I was hoping for… XD A person who is there for the K-On! girls… Hope U post something about them too… like pictures, Q&A, Signatures and etc… since its impossible that I can go there due to exams, so I’m counting on U ^^
Hope its full seiyuu appearence and not only 1 or 2…
Good Luck there.
Why is it that many of Fujiwara Keiji’s roles sport some kind of facial hair? Is it some kind of industry in-joke to have the dandy bearded ossan voiced by him lol? Though I really enjoyed his role in Baccano as the absolutely insane Ladd Russo.
And interesting tid-bit about Shimazu Saeko/Four Murasame, I always wondered why they changed her role.
Keep up the good work by the way, I love all this great Seiyuu knowledge you’re sharing with us!
You’re right on spot for Keiji-san’s favorite role. I think he nailed the role of Hanamoto Shuuji and I could watch H&C over and over again because of him. Guess I have an oyaji fetish! (Most of my favorite male seiyuu were born in the 60’s, so yeah…)
Loving the list thus far. Can’t wait for the next installments.
Just came across something interesting while browsing Maten…Pokemon rap seiyuu version.^^;
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm8740995 Only 151 of them so obviously doesn’t cover everyone’s favorites though. Still fun to check it out.
Ahhh definitely a lot of memories.. while I am surprise at how you’re rating the seiyuu’s I really appreciate the information and pictures of the seiyuu’s.