Which Voice Actor Do You Want to Hear Roudoku From? Ishida Akira, Tsuda Kenjirou, Nakamura Yuuichi... Voice actors with abundant Roudoku experience rank in! [Roudoku Day]

June 19th is “Reading Day”.

Coined from the Japanese pronunciation “rou (6) doku (19)”, this day was established in 2002 by the NPO Japan Reading Culture Association. Its purpose is to spread reading as an art and culture, with reading volunteer events and reading competitions held annually in mid-June.

For voice actors, who breathe life into characters, reading aloud is one of their familiar forms of expression. Beyond stage productions like reading plays, audiobooks, where books are read aloud, have also gained attention in recent years, increasing opportunities to experience the charm of reading. Many fans are likely drawn to reading performances, which offer a different approach than anime.

To celebrate this, Anime! Anime! conducted its annual reader survey titled “Which Voice Actor Do You Want to Hear Read Aloud?”. Responses were collected from 665 people between June 5th and June 12th.
The gender ratio was approximately 20 percent male and 80 percent female, with a higher proportion of female respondents. Regarding age groups, those 19 and under accounted for about 35 percent, while those in their 40s and 50s each made up approximately 20 percent. This article presents the results for the male voice actor ranking.

・1st Place
・2nd Place
・3rd Place
・Ranking Top 10
・2024 Results: https://animeanime.jp/article/2024/06/20/84986.html

■Voice actors with reading experience rank high!

1st Place

1st place goes to Ishida Akira-san. His support rate was approximately 7 percent.

Ishida Akira

Comments praising his pleasant voice and ability to switch roles included: “In addition to his calm voice, his beautiful nasal consonants add depth to his narration. In readings that include narrative text as well as lines, a voice you can listen to for a long time is incredibly valuable,” and “He can play a wide range of roles, from young boys to adults, protagonists to villains, and even female characters. I think Ishida-san’s reading would suit any kind of story.”

“In the music reading play ‘TAIL to TALE ～Story from Yoshitsune Senbonzakura～’, besides his main role as Kanefuri Kichiji, he also played Minamoto no Yoritomo concurrently, and his performance differentiation was amazing,” and “I’ve seen various reading plays like the ‘Saiyuuki Reading Play’. He’s scheduled to appear in ‘Mikikura no Kai’ this month, which I’m really looking forward to,” were comments from fans who have actually enjoyed his reading performances.

2nd Place

2nd place is Tsuda Kenjirou-san. His support rate was approximately 6 percent.

Tsuda Kenjirou

Fans commented on how his voice helps them relax, saying: “His narration in news and dramas is very easy to understand, and his low voice resonates in my chest,” and “Listening to Tsudaken-san’s voice soothes my heart. I’m a third-year junior high student studying for exams right now, and it really helps ease my stress, motivating me in my daily studies.”

“His reading project for the Shueisha Bunko fair ‘Natsuichi’ was wonderful. It’s been announced that he’s participating again this year, so I’m already looking forward to the start of the fair,” “I was deeply moved watching the program he read aloud on NHK E Tele,” and “I want him to read fairy tales and picture books! But if he played a scary role, some children might cry because his expressive power is amazing!!” were also among the comments.

3rd Place

3rd place is Nakamura Yuuichi-san. His support rate was approximately 5 percent.

Nakamura Yuuichi

Voices of praise for his rich expressiveness were abundant: “He can use any voice, but his characters like Gojou Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen, Captain America, Ultraman X, and other heroic figures are particularly memorable. Listening to reading in such a reassuring voice would allow me to fully immerse myself in the story’s world,” and “His clear and easy-to-hear beautiful voice is simply irresistible! It matches anything, whether it’s a heartwarming story or a terrifying ghost story,” and “With Nakamura-san’s voice, my imagination could soar even without visuals.” The top 3 results featured voice actors with extensive experience in reading aloud.

In the male voice actor ranking, seasoned performers in their 40s and 50s dominated the upper ranks. Their polished expressive power, backed by depth and a sense of reassurance in their narration, seems to have captured the hearts of many fans.

■Ranking Top 10

[“Which Voice Actor Do You Want to Hear Read Aloud? Male Voice Actor Edition 2025”]

Rank	Name
1	Ishida Akira-san
2	Tsuda Kenjirou-san
3	Nakamura Yuuichi-san
4	Miyano Mamoru-san
5	Kamiya Hiroshi-san
6	Uchiyama Kouki-san
6	Suwabe Junichi-san
8	Sakurai Takahiro-san
9	Umehara Yuuichirou-san
9	Hayami Shou-san

(Response Period: June 5th – June 12th)

Next Page: Ranking up to 20th Place Revealed

*This survey is part of a consciousness survey regarding readers’ current interest and attention towards anime works and characters. The results are not intended to rank any character or work in terms of superiority. We hope this article serves as an opportunity to discover new works or characters, or to deepen understanding and interest further.