Yamato products offered in a prize contest
LEFT SIDE:
Announcement of a “Best Ten” reader poll for the May issue. One of the prizes was a card signed by the voice actors for Kodai and Yuki
RIGHT SIDE (top portion):
Current ranking for top ten male and female voice actors
Who are the most popular voice actors?
The Yamato duo, Susumu Kodai’s Kei Tomiyama and Yuki Mori’s Yoko Asagami, took the lead. Other members of the Yamato group, including Isao Sasaki and Noriko Ohara, are also doing well.
Yasuo Yamada is known as Lupin III. His silly talk is very popular among junior high school students.
Akira Kamiya is probably the most popular among girls. He is also very active in the band Slapstick. Among women, Noriko Ohara (Sabera) and Eiko Masuyama (Mine Fujiko) are also popular, It is surprising that their voices sound a little bit evil.
A Gathering of Popular Anime Voice Actors
Susumu Kodai, Kei Tomiyama
Born on October 31 in Tokyo. He is 160cm tall and weighs 50kg.
He is the voice Takaya, the hawk in Super Grand Prix. He is also the voice of Sajoko in Starzinger. At the end of last year, he also did the voice of Terry in Candy Candy. (See his full credit list at Anime News Network here.)
He won first place in the male category of the “Voice Actor Popularity Contest” held on Nippon Broadcasting System, and is one of the leading voice actors in the animation industry. His hobbies are fishing and listening to records. He especially loved fishing in rivers as a child. He grew up in the mountains of Kyushu, and his favorite place to play was the riverbanks. Even now, standing on a riverbank brings back memories of his childhood.
In junior high school, he was a rather shy and quiet child who studied hard, which is why he got such good grades. The reason this quiet kid became an actor is because in high school, he happened to go on stage and perform in a play, and that was the beginning of his addiction to acting! He thought, “Theatre is so interesting,” and immediately joined the Toho Children’s Theatre Company. That was the starting point for his career as a voice actor.
He receives so many fan letters that he can’t keep track of them. Most are from junior high and high school students. Mr. Toyama is a very warm and friendly person, well-liked by junior voice actors.
Yuki Mori, Yoko Asagami
Born on July 10 in Kanagawa Prefecture. Height 157cm, weight 47kg.
She is the voice of Ai Tachibana in Dinosaur Wars Aizenborg, Pacun in Paul’s Miracle Operation, and Chiiko in Majokko Tickle. She has a clear and cute voice. (See her full credit list at Anime News Network here.)
She enjoys playing Go and tennis, and listening to music. Her favorite food is pears. Her favorite singer is Miyuki Nakajima, and she is an enthusiastic fan. Her image seems quiet and reserved, but in reality she says what she thinks and is a strong woman.
Susumu Kodai/Yuki Mori: Number 1 Voice Actor Dialogue
The story of the “Yamato duo” of Mr. Tomiyama and Ms. Asagami, the No. 1 most popular voice actors in Japan.
Interviewer: I heard that the TV show Yamato 2 will finish at the end of March. It’s becoming more and more popular.
Tomiyama: It may sound a bit quirky, but “putting one’s life on the line for love” is always moving, isn’t it?
Interviewer: In the case of the movie, Kodai rushes toward the White Comet in the last scene. Some people seem to see that as a “suicide mission” or a glorification of war…
Tomiyama: I’m sure there are some people who think that way. There are many ways to look at it. There’s no such thing as “you have to look at it this way…”
Asagami: But I think that view is overthinking it. This work is an imaginary SF anime, after all. I just hope it’s interesting.
Interviewer: By the way, what do you think of your collaboration with Mr. Tomiyama?
Asagami: It’s very easy to work together. After all, Mr. Tomiyama is a veteran in this world.
Interviewer: You two seem to be quite a different. Do you actually feel like lovers?
Asagami: I don’t think about that when I’m working. It comes naturally to me.
Interviewer: From your point of view, Mr. Tomiyama, is Ms. Asagami a Yuki Mori type of woman?
Tomiyama: (Laughs) Well, I don’t know…
Asagami: I think my way of life and Yuki Mori’s way of life are very different. She’s the type who holds herself back and follows the person she likes. I think about myself first. What do I want to do now, and what should I do? I am not so influenced by men!
Interviewer: But I think Yuki Mori types are popular with men…
Tomiyama: That’s good, isn’t it? But in reality, they’re hard to find. Women like them… (laughs)
Interviewer: When you’re doing the voice of a someone popular like Susumu Kodai or Yuki Mori, do you ever see yourself in the same image as the character?
Tomiyama: When I look at fan letters, everyone seems to think that. They seem to think of me as “Susumu Kodai” himself. That makes me happy, but when I show my face in magazines like this, I think everyone will be disappointed.
Asagami: It’s the same for me. I’m not as girly as Yuki Mori. (Laughs)
Tomiyama: But Yoko-chan is beautiful. I think she’ll sell a lot of magazines for you.
Interviewer: Finally, what are your ambitions for the future?
Tomiyama: I love singing. I’m not a very good at it, but I’d like to do dreamy and fun musical performances. That’s my dream for this year.
Asagami: I’d like to be in a “masterpiece” anime. Thank you for your continued support.
Shima Daisuke, Hideo Nakamura
Born on March 9, 1935 in Nagasaki Prefecture. Height 165cm, weight 65kg.
He has appeared in Laura on the Prairie and Tomorrow’s Joe as a voice actor in anime. His main work as a voice actor is narration for commercials. He has appeared in many commercials such as Del Monte Tomato Juice and Nescafe Ota D Tablets. His soft and crisp pronunciation is very appealing.
His hobbies are fishing and swimming. He loves summer.
(See his full credit list at Anime News Network here.)
Shiro Sanada, Takeshi Aono
Born on June 19, 1936 in Hokkaido, Japan. He is 170cm tall and weighs 61kg.
He is the voice of Roboleon in Space Majin Daikengou and Faisel in Devil Man. He has also appeared in many radio dramas. He is a veteran voice actor who can play a wide range of roles. He has a reputation for being strict to work with, but he is usually a very gentle person.
(See his full credit list at Anime News Network here.)