|
Describe Takahiro Sakurai here, Troper-han!
Not interested... Guess I have to, though. Where do we start?
Think of him as a slightly older version of Mamoru Miyano: handsome guy (just check out his shots taken at the 62nd Venice International Film Festival) who also receives handsome guy roles by the truckload. Said handsome guy can be angsty (Cloud), mean (Kanda), closed-off (Tomioka) or smooth-talking (Kagami). Most of all, a guy dedicated for his angsty Anti-Hero roles. He has made one notable exception of playing Suzaku, a guy who usually plays the hero, but this is later subverted. Big time.
In Relationship Voice Actor terms, Sakurai is often partnered with Kenichi Suzumura; the two are good friends in real life, formed a singing duo named R16, and host a radio show together. Both men also work with Suzumura's wife Maaya Sakamoto somewhat often. Thanks in large part to Code Geass, he's starting to form a few connections with Jun Fukuyama. Chris Patton is something of an English equivalent of his--they share a few of the same roles (Fakir in Princess Tutu and Sasame in Prétear) and both are known for the Bishounen they play. Some of his roles has also crossed paths with Yuri Lowenthal (Yuuri Shibuya from Kyo Kara Maoh, Suzaku Kururugi from Code Geass, and Haseo from .hack series).
Junichi Sato seems to really enjoy Sakurai's work--he appears in several of the shows Sato has directed, normally as the (take a guess) Troubled but Cute Bishonen. Sakurai also does a lot of roles with vampires, in fact he may even be a vampire fan himself...
He's probably not related to Harumi Sakurai or Masahiro Sakurai.
From 2022 onwards, however, Sakurai's career is in quite the risk. First, he told the magazine Weekly Bunshun late in 2022 that he had been secretly married for almost 20 years to a lady who used to be a seiyuu as well - so far, so good. Then, it dropped a massive bomb amost at the end of the year: that Sakurai had also been cheating for years on said wife, with the script writer from his (terminated) radio show and with another lady who sued him when she found out she was "the other woman". As of late 2024, it looks like Sakurai is into a semi-hiatus (mostly keeping main roles like Giyu from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Suguru Geto from Jujutsu Kaisen and Cloud from Final Fantasy VII) and terminated his contract with his VA agency. (and said agency was handled by Kenichi Suzumura, even!).
Notable roles by Takahiro Sakurai:[]
- Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy VII's Compliation (which made him sort of Promoted Fanboy, at least according to this interview), Dissidia Final Fantasy, the Kingdom Hearts series and the Remake / Rebirth games.
- X of Mega Man X8, Mega Man X Command Mission and Mega Man Maverick Hunter X
- Suzaku Kururugi in Code Geass
- Izuru Kira in Bleach
- Jonathan Morris in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
- Guntz in the Klonoa series
- Faldio Lanzaat in Valkyria Chronicles
- Yuuri Shibuya in Kyo Kara Maoh
- Dragon Shiryuu in Saint Seiya (the next generation ones, replacing the deceased Hirotaka Suzuoki)
- Griffin Minos in Saint Seiya the Lost Canvas
- Shun Ukiya in Gate Keepers
- Haseo in .hack//G.U.
- Asbel Lhant in Tales of Graces
- Kagami Kyouji in GetBackers
- Tentomon in Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02 and Digimon Xros Wars the Young Hunters Leaping Through Time
- Dorulumon and Dondokomon in Digimon Xros Wars
- Psychemon in Digimon Xros Wars the Young Hunters Leaping Through Time
- Leon Oswald in Kaleido Star.
- Sasori in Naruto
- Ray Lundgren in Gun X Sword
- Kiyomaro Takamine in Zatch Bell
- Ryukou in Jushin Enbu.
- Misaki in Junjou Romantica
- Kanda Yu in D Gray Man
- The Medicine Seller in Mononoke
- Heine in the DOGS Bullets and Carnage OVA
- Susumu Yamazaki in Peacemaker Kurogane
- Oshino Meme in Bakemonogatari
- Fakir in Princess Tutu
- Sasame in Prétear
- Walter in Tales of Legendia
- Gou Ichimounji in Shin Getter Robo vs Neo Getter Robo
- Takashi Kamiyama in Sakigake Cromartie Koukou
- Arihiko Inui in the Tsukihime anime.
- Loki (in his adult form) in Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok
- Oo no Suefumi in Harukanaru Toki no Naka de - Maihitoyo movie.
- CR-S01 in Trauma Team.
- Claude Faustus in the second season of Black Butler.
- Luka Crosszeria/Zess in Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru
- Kei Agemaki in Otome Youkai Zakuro
- Uki Isohata in Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru
- Hiroyuki Sogabe in Hatsukoi Limited
- Shin in Saint Beast
- Kurasame in Final Fantasy Type-0
- Kaizo Katsu in Katteni Kaizo
- Atsumu "Yukiatsu" Matsuyuki in Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai
- Masakaki in C the Money And Soul of Possibility
- MOTW Jealoushitto in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger episodes 14 and 24 and a cameo in the Gokaiger vs Gavan movie.
- The original Saber (King Arthur) in Fate/Prototype
- Repirses the role and takes up Merlin in Fate: Grand Order.
- Guiche de Gramont in Zero no Tsukaima
- Hanzo Hattori in Brave 10
- Griffith in the 2016 Berserk media, replacing Toshiyuki Morikawa
- Doubleface (Sideways) in Transformers Armada
- Blurr in the Japanese dub of Transformers Animated
- Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) in the Japanese dub of Twilight
- Giyu Tomioka/Water Hashira in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
- Fire Emblem franchise:
- Lukas in the Fire Emblem Gaiden remake, FE Echoes
- The aforementioned Lukas, plus Prince Yurius of Velthomer and Lord Eliwood of Pherae in Fire Emblem: Heroes.
- Suguru Geto and Kenjaku in Jujutsu Kaisen
- Arataka Reigen in Mob Psycho 100.