Kappei Yamaguchi
Japanese actor (born 1965)
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Mitsuo Yamaguchi (山口 光雄, Yamaguchi Mitsuo; born May 23, 1965), known professionally as Kappei Yamaguchi (山口 勝平, Yamaguchi Kappei), is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and rakugoka affiliated with Gokū[1] and 21st Century Fox.[2] After making his voice acting debut in 1989 as the male version of Ranma Saotome in Ranma ½,[3] Yamaguchi went on to other notable roles, including Inuyasha in Inuyasha and its sequel Yashahime, and L in Death Note. He currently voices Shinichi Kudo and Kaito Kid in Case Closed, Usopp in One Piece and Teddie in Persona 4. He is married and has a son, Ryunosuke, and a daughter, Akane.[4] Ryunosuke and Akane are also voice actors, while the latter is also a rakugoka.[3][5]
May 23, 1965
- Kyōya Ushihisa (牛久 京也)
- Nonoya Pepepee (のゝ乃家ぺぺぺぇ)
- Actor
- voice actor
- Rakugoka
Kappei Yamaguchi | |
|---|---|
山口 勝平 | |
Yamaguchi in 2016 | |
| Born | Mitsuo Yamaguchi May 23, 1965 Fukuoka, Japan |
| Other names |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
| Notable work |
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| Children | 2 |
Biography
Early life and education
Yamaguchi was born in Fukuoka. He graduated from Fukuoka's prefectural Chikuzen High School. In 1984, Yamaguchi moved to Tokyo and entered the Tokyo Announce University College, a vocational school training various performers from voice actors to singers to announcers or even reporters and dancers.[citation needed]
Background
Yamaguchi is the son of a carpenter father. He had been into anime as a child, but his interest lapsed in high school after joining a band.
He attended acting classes taught by Kaneta Kimotsuki, and soon joined his 21st Century Fox theater company. About a year after joining, he took the stage for the first time in a supporting role, and played the lead role of the boy detective in So Kitamura's "Odoriko ~THE DANCER MURDER CASE~". [citation needed]
Yamaguchi began working as a voice actor, voicing Ranma Saotome in Ranma ½.
Activities as a voice actor
He has appeared in numerous works in the fields of live-action dramas, animation, games, and foreign film dubbing. In anime, he specializes in playing lively children and young people. In the early 1990s, he also played low-key roles such as Eto in Record of Lodoss War and Gokujurota in Gale! Iron League.
In Case Closed, he plays Shinichi Kudo and Kaito Kid. His favorite "Conan" episode is "Flying Locked Room Shinichi Kudo's First Incident".[citation needed]
In One Piece, he originally wanted to play the role of Monkey D. Luffy, the main character, and went to audition, but was unsuccessful. He decided to play the role of Usopp after receiving an offer. Yamaguchi has been reading the original manga since the beginning of the serialization, and couldn't imagine what kind of voice the character would have prior to getting the role.[citation needed]
Other ventures
In Japanese dubs of international works, Yamaguchi is the voice of Kyle Broflovski, Bugs Bunny, and Crash Bandicoot. He appeared in hentai and eroge as Kyōya Ushihisa (牛久 京也, Ushihisa Kyōya).[6] After performing rakugo at an event in 2017, Yamaguchi started studying under Shirano Tatekawa.[7][8] He uses the name のゝ乃家ぺぺぺぇ as a rakugoka.[8]
Yamaguchi made his first public appearance in North America at Otakon 2008[9] and in Sakura-Con 2009.[10][11] His third appearance to date has been at Animazement in 2010. He also made a fourth appearance in Hawaii at Kawaii Kon in 2011.
Yamaguchi won the individual seiyu award at the 2003 Tokyo International Anime Fair.
He established his own entertainment production company called Goku Co. Ltd., of which he is president.
In 2019, Yamaguchi won the Kei Tomiyama Award at the 13th Seiyu Awards.[12]
Filmography
Anime series
Original video animation
Anime films
Web animation
| Year | Title | Role | Note | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Ikuze! Gen-san | Genzō Tamura | [86] | |
| 2022 | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean | Yo-Yo Ma | [87] |
Live action
| Year | Title | Role | Note | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Godzilla Island | Dogora | ||
| Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack | Torabolt | |||
| 1999 | Moero!! Robocon | Robopachi | ||
| 2003 | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon | Artemis | ||
| 2004 | Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger | Thousanian Gineka | Ep. 34 | |
| 2010 | Tensou Sentai Goseiger | Marloid Ain-I of the Neutral (Coro) | Ep. 41 | |
| 2013 | Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger | Chief Clerk Blu-ray | Ep. 2 | |
| Chief Editor HVD | Ep. 3 | |||
| 2014 | Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger vs. Go-Busters: The Great Dinosaur Battle! Farewell Our Eternal Friends | ToQger Equipment Voice | ||
| Ressha Sentai ToQger | Ticket, ToQger Equipment Voice | [88] | ||
| Ressha Sentai ToQger Vs. Kamen Rider Gaim Spring Vacation Combining Special | ||||
| Heisei Rider vs. Shōwa Rider: Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai | ||||
| Ressha Sentai ToQger the Movie: Galaxy Line S.O.S. | ||||
| 2015 | Ressha Sentai ToQger vs. Kyoryuger: The Movie | |||
| They Went and Came Back Again Ressha Sentai ToQGer: Super ToQ 7gou of Dreams | ||||
| 2016 | Shuriken Sentai Ninninger vs. ToQger the Movie: Ninja in Wonderland | |||
| Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger | Illusion | Ep. 22 |
Video games
Drama CD
| Year | Title | Role | Note | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Devil May Cry Volume 2 | Peter Pan | Episode 1: "Devil's Neverland - Peter Pan | |
| 2015 | Dear Vocalist | Panda-shachou | [92] |
Dubbing roles
Live-action
| Year | Title | Role | Original actor | Note | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Agent Cody Banks | Cody Banks | Frankie Muniz | [93] | |
| 2004 | Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London | [94] | |||
| 2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Mike Teavee | Jordan Fry | 2008 NTV edition | [95] |
| 2008 | 10,000 BC | Baku | Nathanael Baring | 2011 TV Asahi edition | [96] |
| 2009 | Dragonball Evolution | Goku | Justin Chatwin | [97] | |
| 2012-13 | Smash | Tom Levitt | Christian Borle | [98] | |
| 2017 | Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back | The King | Bao Bei'er | [99] | |
| 2019 | Vivarium | Tom | Jesse Eisenberg | [100] | |
| 2023 | Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania | Veb | David Dastmalchian | [101] | |
| 2023-present | One Piece | Usopp | Jacob Romero Gibson | [102] |
Animation
Commercials
| Year | Company | Role | Note | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burger King | Narrator | Japanese | ||
| M&M's | Red M&M | Japanese; original voice by Billy West |
Discography
Audio dramas
- 20 Mensou Ni Onegai! (1990), Victor VICL-3001[114]
- Aa Megami-sama Music and Short Story (1991), Keiichi Morisato[13]
- Rockman Kiki Ippatsu Drama (1995), Robo 1[13]
- Princess Quest (1996), Gateau[13]
Singles
- "Rollin'" (1990), Futureland/Youmex – TYDY-5147[114]
- "Kon'ya ha April Fool" (1991), Pony Canyon – Ranma ½ character single as Ranma Saotome (male)[115]
- "Otousan" (1991), Pony Canyon – Ranma ½ as Ranma Saotome (male), sings "China kara no Tegami" with Megumi Hayashibara[116]
- "Characters Christmas" (1991), Pony Canyon – Ranma ½ as Ranma Saotome (male)[117]
- "Ranma to Akane no Ballad" (1993), Pony Canyon – Ranma ½ as Ranma Saotome (male)[118]
- "Unbalance City" (1996), Nippon Columbia – COCC-13586[114]
Albums
- Everybody's Christmas (1990) – TYCY-5148[119]
- Twinbeee Paradise Nesshou! Vocal Battle Hen (1994) – Twinbeee Paradise[120]
- Fancy Lala Final Best Selection (1998) – Fancy Lala album[121]
- Shouwa Hit Studio (2011), Enma-kun – Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera[122]
- Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash Star 2nd ED (2006)[123]
Radio shows
- Pure Pure Island (aired for a month in 1998 as a tie-in with the anime series Fancy Lala and was co-hosted with J-pop singer Reiko Ōmori who was also the voice actress who voiced Miho Shinohara)
- Hiroi Ouji's Maruten Cha Cha Cha! (ongoing, co-hosted with voice actress Chisa Yokoyama and Sakura Taisen creator Ohji Hiroi)
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 13th Seiyu Awards | Kei Tomiyama Memorial Award | Won |
