Kappei Yamaguchi at Taiyou Con 2016 photo
by Gage Skidmore used under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED
by Gage Skidmore used under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEEDKappei Yamaguchi (born Mitsuo Yamaguchi, May 23, 1965) is one of Japan's leading voice actors. His real name is Mitsuo Yamaguchi, but he's better known by his stage name Kappei.
Quite a versatile voice actor, though he tends to do well in hot-blooded roles such as the title characters of Inuyasha and Ranma ½ (which coincidentally enough, both series are written by Rumiko Takahashi). However, he has shown that he is capable of doing roles far different from these, such as L from Death Note and Daisaku from the OVA version of Giant Robo.
He also seems to like monkeys, and some of his characters have even been compared to one. And cats, too.
His son, Ryunosuke Yamaguchi, is a voice actor in his own right.
As of 2020, he has been increasingly pigeonholed into roles Popular with Furries — Red XIII and Moritaka come to mind, but this started all the way with Inuyasha and Ranma ½. However, Tropes Are Tools.
Notable roles by Kappei Yamaguchi:
- Artemis in the live-action Sailor Moon
- Current Japanese voice actor for Bugs Bunny
- Cheshire Cat from PandoraHearts
- Crash Bandicoot in the Crash Bandicoot series (darrin'd by Makoto Ishii)
- Daisaku Kusama in the Giant Robo OVA.
- Daitokuji/Amnael in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
- Digimon:
- Chuumon in Digimon Adventure (initially, darrin'd by Takahiro Sakurai in episode 27, Atori Shigematsu in episode 40 and by Rumi Ōkubo in the PSP game)
- Ekakimon in Digimon Xros Wars: The Young Hunters Who Leapt Through Time
- Junkmon in Digimon Adventure: (2020)
- Publimon in Digimon Ghost Game
- Eiji Kakihana in Odd Taxi
- Enma-kun in Ghastly Prince Enma: Burning Up
- Feitan in Hunter × Hunter (2011 version)
- Flappy in Futari wa Pretty Cure Splash★Star
- Fu in Dragon Ball Xenoverse and Dragon Ball Heroes
- Fuuta (Blathers) in Animal Crossing: The Movie
- Gineka in Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger
- Gundam
- Sai Saici from G Gundam and Super Robot Wars
- Tobia Arronax from the Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam series of manga in his many video game appearances
- Haruhiko in Please Save My Earth
- Held in 100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams
- Hideyoshi Soya from The Law of Ueki
- Hifumi Yamada in Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
- Hisaki Yodobashi and Procyon Floud in Live A Hero
- Illusion in Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger
- Inuyasha in Inuyasha and its sequel Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon
- Jetfire, one half of Safeguard, and Rattletrap in the Japanese dub of Transformers: Animated
- Jin Chonrei & Jin Chonshu from Fatal Fury
- Jiromaru (adult) in The Boy and the Beast
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
- Forever in Stardust Crusaders
- Shigekiyo "Shigechi" Yangu in Diamond is Unbreakable
- Yo-Yo Ma in Stone Ocean
- Kabuki Danjuro in Tengai Makyou
- Kechizu in Jujutsu Kaisen
- Keita Aono in Betterman
- Ken Kurenai in Red Baron (the Animated Adaptation of Super Robot Red Baron)
- Kerokichi in Yaiba
- Komao in Bucchigiri?!
- Konnosuke in Touken Ranbu Musou
- Kuma/Teddie from Persona 4
- Kyle, Jimmy, Craig and some other roles in the Japanese dub of South Park
- Kyle Moon in Chouja Reideen
- L from Death Note
- Light in TwinBee
- Lil Salomon, Moritaka, Shino, Gyobu, Hanuman and one of the Protagonists in Tokyo Afterschool Summoners. Has become one of the franchise's signature seiyuu!
- Liv Tyler and Matt Damon in the Japanese dub of Team America: World Police
- Mizuki Akabayashi in Durarara!!
- Mort in the Japanese dub of Madagascar
- Nagakura Shinpachi in Peacemaker Kurogane
- Nirengeki Shoda in My Hero Academia
- Noin Claude from Phantom Thief Jeanne
- Oberon in The Ancient Magus' Bride
- Older Heart in You Are Umasou
- Phillip in Ni no Kuni
- Pokémon
- Todd Snap (Toru) in Pokémon: The Series, Pokémon Snap, and New Pokémon Snap
- Chimchar (Hikozaru) in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon
- Rai Utsumi from Brave Command Dagwon
- Ranma Saotome from Ranma ½ (debut role)
- Rattrap in the Japanese dub of Beast Wars and Beast Machines
- Rapp in Grandia
- Red XIII/Nanaki in Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Ryu in Breath of Fire III, IV, Dragon Quarter and 6
- Ryu-ou in RG Veda
- Ryuichi Sakuma in Gravitation
- Sena Izumi in Weiß Kreuz Gluhen
- Shinichi Kudo and Kaito Kid from Case Closed
- Sabato Rokudo in RIN-NE
- Shin in Bofuri: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense.
- Snips in the Japanese dub of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
- Son Goku in the Japanese dub of Dragonball Evolution
- Sonic the Hedgehog:
- Sonic the Hedgehog in the Japanese dub of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)
- Q-N-C from Sonic Boom (AKA Sonic Toon in Japanese)
- Taka in Ghost of Tsushima
- Takuma in Jungle de Ikou!
- Taro Yoshida from Fancy Lala
- Tarou "Monta" Raimon from Eyeshield 21
- Tasuku Shinhuji from the Super Robot Wars: Original Generation series
- Tetsuya Naito in Tiger Mask W
- Tick Jefferson from Baccano!
- Ticket from Ressha Sentai ToQger, as well as the voice of the ToQgers' gear.
- Tombo from Kiki's Delivery Service
- Tsutomu Yamaguchi in Neighborhood Story and Paradise Kiss
- Tytree Crowe from Tales of Rebirth
- Usopp from One Piece
- Walder from Granblue Fantasy
- Wanda from Miracle Wanda
- Yattarou (AKA: "Speedy Cerviche") from Kyattou Ninden Teyandee (better known to North American viewers through its Gag Dub Samurai Pizza Cats)
- Zenki (child mode) in Kishin Douji Zenki
If I were to encounter such tropers, I would likely be referenced by them... because in truth, I am that troper.
Crush them, Go Giant Troper!!
Crush them, Go Giant Troper!!
