Hiro Shimono (born April 21, 1980) is a Japanese voice actor who seems to be set on very very meek young boys who're painfully shy, and have artistic sense. The catch, however, is that the guys he voices may have a hidden streak of cruelty or hot-bloodedness. Often (at least in anime he stars in), the characters he plays become subject to abuse... lots of abuse. Also tends to have an Unwanted Harem.
Also interesting to note: He has voiced at least three Otakus turned Ascended Fanboys.
On September 26, 2021, he revealed that he has been married for more than ten years with two children. He explains that he never shared this part of his life with the public since it isn't related to his career. But his wife had been a huge supporter of his career, offering advice on how to get his roles.
Roles voiced by Hiro Shimono:
- Afin in Phantasy Star Online 2. Playing Against Type for being The Generic Guy. For a while, anyway.
- Akihisa Yoshii in Baka and Test: Summon the Beasts
- Alba in Senyuu.
- Alear (Male) in Fire Emblem Engage
- Allegretto in Eternal Sonata
- Almaz von Almandine Adamant in Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice
- Alone in Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas
- Anubis in Oh, Suddenly Egyptian God
- Aoba Kuronuma in Durarara!!
- Ash in Phantom Brave
- Asuka Tennouji in ZX Ignition
- Ayato Kamina in RahXephon (anime debut and Star-Making Role as well as one of 3 roles shared with Chris Patton)
- Ayumu Kadowaki in Prince of Stride
- Baku (Buck) in Pokémon Generations
- Chai in Hi-Fi RUSH
- Chibi Rodan in Chibi Godzilla Raids Again
- Claude in Super Heroine Chronicle
- Connie Springer in Attack on Titan
- Dabi/Toya Todoroki in My Hero Academia (Huge Playing Against Type where he plays an aloof and derisive villain)
- Daichi Muroto in Kotoura-san
- Daimon Hanakawa in My Instant Death Ability is So Overpowered...
- Dan in Basquash!
- Dean Stark in Wild ARMs 5
- Dragon's Beard Candy and Cherry Bìluó in the Japanese dub of The Tale of Food
- Eigo Kohitsuji in Boarding School Juliet
- Elch in High School Prodigies Have It Easy Even in Another World
- Emil Castagnier (both normal and Ratatosk mode), Aster and Ratatosk himself in Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
- Erbach in Altair: A Record of Battles
- Erwin Arclight in Soul Worker
- Eva Armstrong/Bloody Master in I-Chu
- Fruys and Schnee in 100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams
- Fuji Shikimori in Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie
- Guccio in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean
- Hakusan Yoshimitsu in Touken Ranbu
- Hakutou in My New Boss Is Goofy
- Haruhiko Ichijo in Myriad Colors Phantom World
- Haruka Kasugano in Yosuga no Sora
- Hero/Hiro in Soul Eater
- Hikaru Kawai (as in "kawaii") in Stand My Heroes
- Hiro in the ef games and anime.
- Hiro Oozura in LBX: Little Battlers eXperience W (Ascended Fanboy #1)
- Hyesung Seo in Buried Stars
- Ikuto in Nagasarete Airantou
- Ishut and Ashley in Gloria Union
- Isidro in Berserk (2016) and Berserk and the Band of the Hawk
- Jaune Arc in the Japanese dub of RWBY
- Jin Mikuriya in Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens
- Julian Loki in Blue Lock
- Juro Kurabe in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
- Keiki Kiryu in Hensuki: Are You Willing to Fall in Love with a Pervert, as Long as She's a Cutie?
- Keima Katsuragi in The World God Only Knows (definitely not meek and shy, but fits in both the Bunny-Ears Lawyer and Butt-Monkey status, and has an Unwanted Harem to boot. Also one of his more well-known Ascended Fanboy roles and one of three shared with Chris Patton)
- Kenneth "Ken" Robbins in Kaleido Star
- Kenshi Masaki in Tenchi Muyo: War on Geminar and Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki
- Kiel in Rune Factory 4
- Kokichi Oma in Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
- Kentaro Yamashita in Tada Never Falls in Love
- Koji Kabuto in Grendizer U
- Kozuki Momonosuke (adult) in One Piece
- Kuroyuki in Nightshade
- Lan Jingyi in the Japanese audio drama adaptation of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi
- Leo Tolstoy in Bungo to Alchemist
- Lucas (Sterling Knight) in the Japanese dub of Hannah Montana
- Lucifer in The Devil is a Part-Timer!
- Lyney in Genshin Impact
- Makoto Oda in Romantic Killer
- Marcos'55 in #COMPASS
- Marcus Junius Brutus in Nobunaga the Fool
- Marcus Lithos in Sword Gai
- Masaki in Shirokuma Cafe
- Misono Arisuin in Servamp
- Mizuki Shiiba in Junjou Romantica
- Miyoshi in Joker Game
- Momo'o Inugami in Good Luck Girl!
- Momota in the YataMomo Drama CD
- Nacht Faust in Black Clover
- Nai in Karneval
- Naki in Tokyo Ghoul
- Nanao Nakajima in Talentless Nana
- Nezu (Piers) in Pokémon Journeys
- Masaru (Victor) in Pokémon Masters
- Nobimaru in Kemono Jihen
- Norifumi Kawakami in Ace of the Diamond
- Orphan in Final Fantasy XIII (Playing Against Type big time!)
- Orphee Lam Tao in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom
- Perseus/Loki on Warriors Orochi 4
- Peter Grill in Peter Grill and the Philosopher's Time
- Phantom in Undead Girl Murder Farce
- Popuko in Pop Team Epic Ep 6B
- Prince Metcha Mocchimazzui in Tamako Market
- Protagonist (male) in Tower of Fantasy
- Raishin Akabane in Unbreakable Machine-Doll
- Rakucho Takeda in Laughing Under the Clouds
- Rat/Jiro Nezu in Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
- Ray Blackwell in Ikemen Revolution
- Renegade/Jules Noah in Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
- Rex in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed
- Rindo Haitani in Tokyo Revengers
- Rudeus Greyrat in the Drama CD of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
- Ryuuji Kisaragi in Dragon Crisis!
- Ryuunosuke Naruhodou in The Great Ace Attorney
- Sasuke Tsubaki in SKET Dance, (Playing Against Type as a Hot-Blooded vice-president (later president) of the Student Council who has a significant lack of artistic skills.)
- Satoshi Mochida in Corpse Party
- Satoshi Yabe and Gachiranger Red in Mitsudomoe
- Scott Pilgrim in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
- Seiichi Hiiragi in The Fruit of Evolution
- Selge Constance in Record of Grancrest War
- Senri Ichinose in Norn9
- Shimada in My Monster Secret
- Shin'ichi Handa and Fidio Aldena in Inazuma Eleven
- Shouta Akimura in Devils' Line
- Shuu Iura in the Hori-san to Miyamura-kun-Shingakki- OVA
- Sir Dawner in Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle
- Slimz in the Japanese version of Arena of Valor
- Soujirou in Log Horizon
- Subaru in Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-
- Syo Kurusu in Uta No Prince Sama
- Tadashi Karino, the resident Bunny-Ears Lawyer of Special A
- Takao Yamane in Tsurezure Children
- Takeru Amato and Onsen King in Etotama
- Taketo Aida in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
- Takuya Irei in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (Ascended Fanboy # 3)
- Taro in Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories
- Tenma Momoe in Tokyo Ravens
- Tezhilov in World War Blue (Playing Against Type in that he's The Ace instead of a Butt-Monkey)
- Todou Heisuke in Wasurenagusa
- Ki no Tsurayuki in Akanesasu Sekai de Kimi to Utau
- Yoshito Godo in My Happy Marriage
- You Satou in Ben-To
- Yun Jou and Namkiat in Live A Live (2022 remake)
- Yurick in The Last Story
- Yuto K. Steel in SoltyRei (one of three roles shared with Chris Patton.
- Yuuichiro Tajima in Big Windup!, which seems to be Playing Against Type.
- Zenitsu Agatsuma in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
- Zeno in Yona of the Dawn
- Zephyr in Resonance of Fate and Project × Zone
Tropes associated with Hiro Shimono's career:
- The Danza: Has voiced characters with his given name in Soul Eater, ef - a fairy tale of the two., and LBX: Little Battlers eXperience W.
- Man of a Thousand Voices: Over the course of his career, Shimono has displayed quite a wide vocal range, as he has proven to be comfortable both as a jovial, boyish tenor as well as a mustache-twirling Soft-Spoken Sadist with a notably lower voice.
- Playing Against Type: His performance as the composed and deadpan adult protagonist of ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. has surprised many viewers. The same goes for his role as the ruthless supervillain Dabi in My Hero Academia.
- Star-Making Role: His debut role as Ayato could be this, however he only started gaining more recognition in the 2010s when he voiced characters like Syo and Keima and gained even further recognition when he landed roles in popular Shōnen titles such as Connie, Dabi and Zenitsu.
