2025 Summer Anime Features New Voice Actors! Nakayama Yoshinori in Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku, Kimura Taihi in Onmyou Kaiten Re:Birth, and More…

The number of voice actors listed in the popular appendix “Seiyuu Meikan” (Voice Actor Directory) of the magazine Seiyuu Grandprix has been increasing year by year, with the 2025 edition setting a new record for the highest number ever. This clearly demonstrates the immense popularity of the “voice actor” profession.

While the number of people aspiring to become voice actors is growing, only a limited few actually succeed in making a career out of it. However, this summer’s anime season features a notable presence of new faces playing main characters. Below, we’ll introduce four of these promising newcomers who are making waves in the industry.

These rising stars are quickly gaining recognition for their talent and dedication. Here’s a quick look at the main voice actors featured in this article:

Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku: Nakayama Yoshinori

Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku is a heartwarming high school youth story that follows Tsumugi Rintarou, a student at Chidori Koukou, often referred to as a “low-tier” boys’ school, and Waguri Kaoruko, a student from the neighboring prestigious Kikyou Joshi. Their paths cross at Rintarou’s family cake shop, and they gradually grow closer. Rintarou, despite his tall stature, blond hair, and intimidating appearance, along with his quiet demeanor, is often mistaken by others as a “delinquent” or a “scary person.”

You can also follow Nakayama Yoshinori-san on X (formerly Twitter) here: @nakayamayo_shi

Nakayama Yoshinori-san, who portrays the complex character of Rintarou, is an apprentice talent affiliated with Ancheri, an agency that also represents well-known voice actors such as Taketatsu Ayana-san, Oonishi Aguri-san, and Takao Kanon-san. While he has previously appeared in popular works like Zenshuu. and Enen no Shouboutai San no Shou, most of his roles were minor, uncredited parts. This role marks his first time playing a main character in an anime.

In his personal life, Nakayama-san is an outdoor enthusiast whose hobbies include touring, road cycling, photography, and survival games. His special skills include drumming and filleting fish (sanmai-oroshi), suggesting that in an era where voice acting encompasses more than just lending voices to anime, we might see these unique talents showcased somewhere down the line.

Onmyou Kaiten Re:Birth: Kimura Taihi

Onmyou Kaiten Re:Birth tells the story of Takeru, a hot-blooded yankee high school student. After an unexpected accident, he is transported to “Denji Heiankyou.” To save Tsukimiya, the heroine he meets there, he repeatedly time-leaps to confront threats assailing the city. Takeru is a character with a strong sense of justice, charging headfirst into situations and seeing things through once he’s decided.

Kimura Taihi-san, who plays Takeru, is affiliated with Ken Production, home to esteemed voice actors like Taniyama Kishou-san and Konishi Katsuyuki-san. Kimura-san boasts an impressive background, almost as if he was destined for a career in voice work. During his high school years, he received an Excellence Award in the recitation division of the “64th NHK Cup National High School Broadcasting Contest” and served as the emcee for the Spring Koshien closing ceremony.

On his agency profile, Kimura-san shares, “My hobbies are rap and cooking, and I even write my own lyrics! Since I’m from Tsugaru, I can hit apples [with an arrow or thrown object]! Also, you can count on Kimura for Tsugaru dialect interpretation!” With these distinct and potentially anime-applicable talents, expectations for Kimura-san’s future activities are soaring.

Nukitashi THE ANIMATION: Yanagi Kouhei

Nukitashi THE ANIMATION centers on Tachibana Junnosuke, who returns to the perpetually summer island of Seiran Island after the death of his parents. This island is a bizarre place where, to combat population decline, the “Dosukebe Ordinance” has been enacted, permitting and encouraging lewd sexual acts anywhere on the island. Furthermore, refusing “sexual productive acts” is treated as a crime.

Junnosuke, a proud virgin and “pure-girl enthusiast,” questions this ordinance. To protect his own purity and that of his beloved younger sister, he establishes the anti-cohabitation force “NLNS (No Love No Sex)” and aims to dismantle the “Dosukebe Ordinance.”

You can also follow Yanagi Kouhei-san on X (formerly Twitter) here: @kohey_yan

Yanagi Kouhei-san, who voices Junnosuke, is an apprentice talent affiliated with Racoon Dog, an agency headed by Okamoto Nobuhiko-san. While Nukitashi THE ANIMATION marks his debut as an anime lead, he has previously voiced main characters in games such as Shin Megami Tensei V Vengeance and Layered Stories Zero.
Notably, he made headlines in June of this year when he announced his marriage to fellow voice actor Ishigami Shizuka-san, as well as her first pregnancy.

Ginga Tokkyuu Milky☆Subway: Terasawa Momoka

Ginga Tokkyuu Milky☆Subway tells the story of Chiharu, a cyborg, and Makina, a genetically enhanced human, who are arrested for violating galactic road traffic laws. As community service, they are assigned to clean the interstellar train known as the “Milky☆Subway.” However, the train suddenly goes out of control, dragging its passengers into a major incident. Terasawa Momoka-san plays one of the dual protagonists, Chiharu. Her languid and realistic portrayal of a young person’s voice performance creates the illusion that you are conversing with the character through the screen.

Affiliated with Sigma Seven e, the agency where Chisuga Haruka-san is also a talent, Terasawa Momoka-san made her television anime debut and first regular role in 2023 with Yuzuki-san Chi no Yon Kyoudai. Since then, she has voiced characters such as Komari Chika in Make Heroine ga Oosugiru! and Pocha Kirin in Pochazu.

While the number of voice actors continues to grow, the anime market itself is also expanding. We can surely expect to see many new voice actors shine in numerous upcoming productions. Beyond the talented individuals highlighted above, there are undoubtedly many more voice actors poised for their next big break. Let’s keep a keen eye on them and their future endeavors!

《Yoneda Kaori》

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