June 13th is the birthday of Sakurai Takahiro-san.
Sakurai Takahiro-san debuted as a voice actor in the 1990s. He received the Overseas Fans Award at the 6th Seiyuu Awards and the Personality Award at the 16th.
From 2024 to 2025, he took on main roles in TV anime and theatrical films such as 『Kizumonogatari -Koyomi Vamp-』, 『Harimaware! Koinu』, 『Shinran Jinsei no Mokuteki』, and 『Jujutsu Kaisen Kaigyoku・Gyokusetsu』. Upcoming highly anticipated works include 『Osomatsu-san』 Season 4 and the first chapter of 『Gekijouban “Kimetsu no Yaiba” Mugenjou-hen』.
To celebrate Sakurai Takahiro-san’s birthday, we conducted a reader survey asking “Who is your favorite character he has voiced?” for the first time in three years. We received 731 responses during the survey period from May 31st to June 5th.
The gender ratio was approximately 20% male and 80% female, showing a higher proportion of female respondents. The age distribution was centered around younger generations, with approximately 35% being 19 or younger and about 20% in their 20s.
『Osomatsu-san』 Season 4 Teaser Visual
Sakurai Takahiro-san
Table of Contents
Results are In! Popular Characters from 2025’s Noteworthy Titles Dominate!
Rank 1
Taking the top spot is Getou Suguru from 『Jujutsu Kaisen』. With a support rate of approximately 15%, he climbed up from 3rd place in the previous survey.
『Gekijouban Soushuuhen Jujutsu Kaisen Kaigyoku・Gyokusetsu』 Key Visual (C) Akutami Gege / Shueisha・Jujutsu Kaisen Production Committee
Getou Suguru is known as the worst curse user, responsible for killing many ordinary people. Readers commented with admiration for Sakurai-san’s delicate performance: “I was surprised by how he portrayed different personalities depending on the timeline, from the strong enemy Getou in 『Gekijouban Jujutsu Kaisen 0』 to his Jujutsu High school days as Gojou Satoru’s best friend, and even the current ‘Fake Getou’.”
Many also mentioned memorable scenes: “When he was a student, he felt somewhat impudent yet had the natural fluctuations of adolescence, and even as an adult, I felt like his inherent straightforwardness remained. However, after his body was taken over, it powerfully conveyed that he was a completely different person despite having the same voice – his acting skill is overwhelming.” Another respondent noted, “When Gojou saw through him and he revealed his true identity, I got chills hearing the line, ‘Gross. How did you know?'”. The ongoing release of the compilation film 『Jujutsu Kaisen Kaigyoku・Gyokusetsu』 also seems to have boosted his votes.
Rank 2
In second place is Tomioka Giyuu from 『Kimetsu no Yaiba』. With a support rate of approximately 13%, he dropped from the top spot in the previous survey.
『Gekijouban “Kimetsu no Yaiba” Mugenjou-hen』 Key Visual Poster (C) Gotouge Koyoharu / Shueisha・Aniplex・ufotable
Tomioka Giyuu is one of the Hashira, the highest-ranking members of the Demon Slayer Corps. Some voters shared how they were captured from their first encounter: “I was thrilled by the line, ‘Don’t ever let someone else hold the right to live or die over you!!’. Although he appears cold, he possesses a sternness and kindness that allows him to scold and encourage Tanjiro, and I became a fan in an instant.”
Other comments highlighted his subtle portrayal and endearing quirks: “Since he doesn’t express emotions much, Sakurai-san’s restrained performance effectively conveys his inner thoughts, which is deeply moving.” and “Even though he’s awkward and doesn’t communicate well with the other Hashira, the naive side of him that insists ‘I’m not disliked’ when he gets defensive is adorable.” 『Kimetsu no Yaiba』 is also set to release the first chapter of its theatrical film 『Mugenjou-hen』 on July 18th.
Rank 3
Coming in at third is Matsuno Osomatsu from 『Osomatsu-san』. With a support rate of approximately 9%, he moved down from 2nd place but maintains a spot in the top 3.
He’s described as loving horse racing and pachinko. “Maybe he’s the sloppiest among the six brothers, but when it counts, he can also display leadership as the eldest son… Depending on the episode, he might even turn into a girl, allowing you to enjoy Sakurai-san’s incredibly versatile acting.” Readers are captivated by this lovable, slightly irresponsible eldest brother, with comments like “His bright, resonant voice perfectly suits his mischievous personality. I’m captivated by Osomatsu, who is sloppy but somehow lovable.” TV anime Season 4 is scheduled to begin airing from July 8th, and the series’ momentum shows no signs of stopping.
Other Comments Introduced!
For Itoshi Sae from 『Blue Lock』, one commenter said: “He’s a genius player active overseas. His cold attitude towards his younger brother, Rin, just froze me solid. They were so close as kids…!”
TV Anime 『Blue Lock VS. U-20 JAPAN』 U-20 Japan Representative Match Key Visual (C) Kaneshiro Muneyuki・Nomura Yuusuke・Kodansha / “Blue Lock” Production Committee
Regarding Oshino Meme from 『Monogatari Series』: “His carefree line, ‘Did something good happen?’, is truly Sakurai-san’s hallmark. Beneath the casualness, there’s an unfathomable intellect and composure.”
『Monogatari Series』 (C) NisiOisin / Kodansha・Aniplex・SHAFT
For Makishima Shougo from 『PSYCHO-PASS』: “He’s an antagonist who possesses extraordinary erudition but harbors a madness that shows absolutely no hesitation in taking human lives. Even though he’s supposed to be absolute evil, the dangerous allure that somehow fascinates you is striking.”
『Gekijouban PSYCHO-PASS Providence』 Key Visual (C) PSYCHO-PASS Production Committee
There was even a vote for a female character: Isohata Uki from 『Soredemo Machi wa Mawatte Iru』. “She’s the manager of the maid cafe where the protagonist works part-time. Just the visual of a grandma in a maid outfit has impact, but with Sakurai-san’s voice, she has an unbelievable presence!”
In this survey, characters from a wide range of decades, from the 1990s to the 2020s, were ranked. Among them, titles with new developments in 2025 dominated the top positions.
Don’t miss the Top 20 ranking on the next page!
Ranking Top 10
Celebrating Sakurai Takahiro-san’s Birthday! Favorite Character? <2025 Edition> Survey Results 1st to 5th Place
[Who is your favorite character voiced by Sakurai Takahiro-san? 2025 Edition]
1. Getou Suguru 『Jujutsu Kaisen』
2. Tomioka Giyuu 『Kimetsu no Yaiba』
3. Matsuno Osomatsu 『Osomatsu-san』
4. Itoshi Sae 『Blue Lock』
5. Miyuki Kazuya 『Diamond no Ace』
6. Cloud Strife 『Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children』 and others
7. Diablo 『Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken』
8. Reigen Arataka 『Mob Psycho 100』
9. Suzaku Kururugi 『Code Geass Hangyaku no Lelouch』
10. Kusuriuri 『Ayakashi ~ayakashi~』, 『Mononoke』
(Response period: May 31, 2025 – June 5, 2025)
『Diamond no Ace actII』 Key Visual (C) Terajima Yuuji・Kodansha / “Diamond no Ace actII” Production Committee・TV Tokyo
『Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken Season 3』 Key Visual (C) Kawakami Yasuki・Fuse・Kodansha / TenSura Production Committee
『Mob Psycho 100 III』 Visual (C) ONE・Shogakukan / “Mob Psycho 100 III” Production Committee
『Code Geass Hangyaku no Lelouch』 Key Visual (C) SUNRISE／PROJECT GEASS Character Design (C) 2006 CLAMP・ST
『Mononoke』 TV Series Key Visual (C) Mononoke Production Committee
Next Page: Ranking Top 20 Revealed
