Kenjiro Tsuda is best known as the voice actor of many dark and passionate characters. He has played characters in anime, games, movies, radio, and theatre, making him an experienced and accomplished performer.
Tsuda’s signature style is his drawling, menacing tone, creating the feel of a character that poses a threat to the protagonists or their enemies. However, his range allows him to play many characters that are memorable in comedy, action, and drama series such as Seto Kaiba in Yu-Gi-Oh and Dainsleif from Genshin Impact.
Updated on May 17th, 2022 by Tanner Fox: Kenjiro Tsuda may not be the most well-known voice actor, but he’s had a hand in some of the most important anime productions of the past decade. From Fire Force and My Hero Academia to Attack on Titan and Free!, he’s becoming something of a ubiquitous figure in anime.
While his most well-recognized roles are worthy of celebration, he’s brought a lot of charm to lesser-known series, as well. The womanizing English teacher in Horiyama and the wisened ex-stray cat in My Roommate is a Cat, Kenjiro Tsuda showcases an amazing range that allows him to be as bombastic or as reserved as a role demands.
Seijuro Mikoshiba – Free
Seijuro is a supporting character in Free!, an anime about competing swimming teams. Seijuro is a strict captain of his team, the Samezuka Swimming Club, specializing in the difficult butterfly stroke. However, outside the pool, he is carefree and cheerful, hitting on Gou Matsuoka and cheering on his little brother during competitions.
Seijuro hasTsuda’s deep voice, which he can change up playfully to match Seijuro’s competitive energy. His maniacal laugh when he challenges opponents to showdowns is also very indicative of Tsuda’s trademark style.
Atomic Samurai – One Punch Man
One Punch Man follows Saitama as he attempts to live his daily life and find an opponent worthy of his power. Saitama surpasses the best heroes in the world, the S-Class heroes, but he finds himself unable to climb the hero rankings. Atomic Samurai, one of the strongest S-Class heroes, displays arrogant confidence, stating “there’s nothing I can’t cut down,” but teams up well with others to take down enemies stronger than himself.
Tsuda’s sinister, deep voice is perfect for Atomic Samurai, who beckons enemies to attack him with taunts, and shows off his incredible strength when defeating them.
Shin Yasuda – Horimiya
Though he’s not often seen in the 2021 anime adaptation of Horimiya, Kenjiro Tusda’s Shin Yasuda is nonetheless a pretty memorable character. An English teacher with a downright uncomfortable interest in his female students, his obsessions are mostly played for laughs, though Western viewers may think of him as more than a little creepy.
That said, while perhaps not one of Kenjiro Tsuda’s most prominent roles, he nevertheless gives an energetic and humorous performance, something that goes a long way in Horimiya‘s primarily character-driven story.
Fango – 91 Days
91 Days is a gangster-themed revenge story, following a young boy who seeks vengeance for his murdered family. One of the people he seeks revenge on is Fango, an erratic and unbalanced character who constantly double-crosses and makes deals with shady people. Fango enjoys pain, both inflicting it and enduring it, and isn’t above doing underhanded tricks to get what he wants.
Fango’s eccentric and over-the-top nature is a perfect fit for Tsuda, allowing him to go fully crazy and show off his powerful voice. Fango wants to be the center of attention, so this is perfect casting, as the actor’s voice certainly commands people to take notice.
Hannes – Attack On Titan
Attack on Titan is one of the most popular anime, following a group of soldiers who attempt to fight the giant Titans keeping humanity trapped inside three massive walls. Hannes starts the series as a drinker, accustomed to peacetime and unused to fighting. However, when he sees Eren’s mother being eaten by a Titan, his instincts finally kick in and he becomes more responsible, taking Eren and Mikasa to safety, despite their protests.
So much thought has been put into each Attack on Titan character, including the meanings of each character’s name, so it is no surprise that even a secondary character like Hannes is given great depth and a fascinating character arc from drunken soldier to genuine selfless hero.
Overhaul (Kai Chisaki) – My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is set in a world where most people have a Quirk (superpower). Some Quirks are better than others, and some people take a darker route than trying to become a hero. An extremely powerful and intimidating villain with one of the strongest Quirks in the show, Overhaul is a yakuza captain and extremely deadly, using a small child, Eri, to manufacture Quirk-erasing drugs.
Overhaul is a strategist and, at first, is level-headed, but grows more frantic as his villain arc reaches its end. He abuses the child and manipulates her into compliance, but when faced with stronger opposition, Overhaul resorts to fusing with another villain and becoming an outright monster.
Roku – My Roomate Is A Cat
My Roommate is a Cat debuted in 2019 and primarily concerns Subaru Mikazuki, a young writer who has closed himself off from the world following a tragedy that caused the deaths of his parents. However, after adopting a cat named Haru, he slowly opens up and reconnects with his friends.
Kenjiro Tsuda plays the role of Roku, an older cat who, despite his domineering first impression, is kind to Haru. Here, Kenjiro Tsuda portrays the character as gruff and wise beyond his years, effortlessly conveying Roku’s role as a protector.
Joker – Fire Force
Fire Force follows several groups of firefighters who combat the sudden epidemic of spontaneous human combustion. Humans burst into flames and are turned into Infernals, which the firefighters must literally fight to extinguish. Joker is neither a hero nor a villain, instead, providing information to those who request it, as long as it serves his own needs.
Raised as an assassin and proclaiming himself an anti-hero, Joker pulls strings behind the scenes to achieve his goals. Finding the world to be unjust and corrupted – as he was abandoned as a child – he seeks the truth of the world and will stop at nothing to get it.
Jegal Taek – The God Of High School
The God of High School is the epitome of the meme, “Well, that escalated quickly,” going from a fun tournament between teens to a literal fight against God. Jegal Taek is one of the top three fighters in the series, with an extremely violent and aggravating temperament, often picking fights with those on his own team.
Jegal mostly fights with his Charyeok, a Megaladon shark that he can summon to kill his enemies, but his endurance, strength, stamina, and speed are not to be trifled with. Tsuda is a perfect choice for this character, as his growling, intimidating voice conveys Jegal’s villainous intentions.
The Beholder – To Your Eternity
One of the best new anime of 2021, To Your Eternity is a heartbreaking but beautiful story of a supernatural being, Fushi, learning what it means to be human. The Beholder is the one that sent Fushi to Earth, and throughout the series is a mysterious figure that advises Fushi and tells him his purpose: “preserve the world.”
The mystery of the Beholder suits Tsuda’s voice well, with its mysterious yet intimidating air. The characters in this series are all brilliantly written, and each character has a profound impact on Fushi. Although the Beholder is initially emotionless, it is evident that Fushi has a profound impact on the Beholder.
Tatsu – The Way Of The House Husband
This brilliant comedy anime follows Tatsu, an ex-yakuza leader who settles down with his wife and decides to become a househusband. Previously known as The Immortal Dragon, Tatsu brings his severity and passion to everything he does, including cleaning the house, making lunch for his wife, and attending yoga classes with the other housewives.
Tsuda’s voice is perfect for both the comedic and serious situations that Tatsu finds himself in. His drawling voice juxtaposes the comedy well, and Tatsu’s ominous air makes bargain shopping a terrifying experience.
Kento Nanami – Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen follows the students of a sorcery school that fight the terrifying demons that haunt humanity. One of the most unassuming but terrifyingly powerful characters in the anime is Nanami, a mature and sharp-witted sorcerer. Nanami left school to become a businessman, having lost respect for the jujutsu sorcery profession. He returned four years later but retains some of his businessman traits, such as punctuality and a tough, no-nonsense exterior.
Nanami’s maturity is complemented by his irritation at Itadori’s antics, often treating Itadori as a child, since Nanami doesn’t want him to end up jaded by sorcery like he was.
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