Summary
Katsuki BakugofromMy Hero Academiahas quickly become one of the biggest and most iconic anime characters in the world, but he’s such a polarizing figure that this can be seen as either a positive or a negative. Regardless of his reputation, there’s no denying that Bakugo’s explosive and arrogant personality was perfectly portrayed by his voice actor in the Japanese dub,Nobuhiko Okamoto.
While this is certainly the role that put him on the map, Okamoto is a legendary performer who has been working in the anime industry for almost two decades. As a result, he has a multitude of impressive voice roles to his name. Some are as over-the-top as Bakugo, while others are completely different, but they are all perfect showcases of Okamoto’s incredible talents. The following characters are good examples, but they are just the tip of the iceberg in his extensive career.
It seems that hot-headed, aggressive rivals in shōnen anime are Nobuhiko Okamoto’s bread and butter. Just a few years after debuting as Katsuki Bakugo,he was cast asGenya Shinazugawain the animated adaptation ofDemon Slayer. While his initial appearance in Season 1 was brief but memorable, he was brought back for Season 3, since Genya played a key role in the Swordsmith Village Arc.
Okamoto’s performance inDemon Slayeris similar to his previous work inMy Hero Academia, while also having enough differences to set it apart. Unlike Bakugo, Genya has a much more apparent soft and heroic side that didn’t take Tanjiro much effort to unveil and, as a result, both characters have an endearing dynamic. Fortunately, Okamoto will get a chance to shine as Genya once again in the upcomingInfinity Castlefilm trilogy.
With Bakugo, Nobuhiko Okamoto proved that he was fantastic at portraying angry characters that scream a lot, so it was no surprise thathe was chosen to voiceGhiaccioin the animated adaptation ofJoJo’s Bizarre AdventurePart 5. This character had existed since 1997, many years before Okamoto debuted as a voice actor, and yet this felt like a match made in heaven.
Ghiacciois an unhinged, hot-headed, aggressive Mafioso who often screams loudly for literally no reason. Okamoto did such an amazing job with this role that at times it feels like he’s about to lose his voice. The entire performance was flawless, but his rendition of Ghiaccio’s infamous “Venice rant” was a major highlight.
Undead Unluck
Of course, not every single character that Nobuhiko Okamoto has voiced is aggressive and temperamental.He was also chosen to portrayTop Bull Sparxin David Production’s recent adaptation ofUndead Unluck. This young Brazilian boy has a Negator ability called Unstoppable, meaning that he can move at incredible speeds without being able to stop.
Because of his unfortunate powers, Top is a childish and confident kid, similar to Sonic the Hedgehog in many ways. Okamoto’s performance was surprisingly solid, as he brought a lot of youthful energy to what has become one of his most distinctive roles so far. Fortunately, he’ll get even more chances to shine in future seasons ofUndead Unluck, where Top will become one of the most important characters in the story.
While Nobuhiko Okamoto clearly specializes in voicing edgy rivals, he has also been chosen to portray a few main characters.One of the most famous examples isRin Okumura, the protagonist ofBlue Exorcist.This was quite different from his usual roles (like Bakugo or Genya). Rin is a lot kinder and more passionate, although he’s also a bit dumb and immature.
Okamoto did such a good job at voicing him that a lot of anime fans are not even aware that he’s the voice actor who brought the protagonist ofBlue Exorcistto life. He has some impeccable chemistry with Jun Fukuyama, who voiced Rin’s brother, Yukio, which is especially important because their relationship is a major part of this series’ narrative.
Khun Aguero AgnesfromTower of Godis, without a doubt, one of the most shocking and distinctive performancesin Nobuhiko Okamoto’s extensive career. Unlike most of his usual characters, Khun is calm, collected, prideful and highly intelligent. Okamoto was able to make his voice sound surprisingly subdued and quiet to properly bring him to life.
This was a really impressive role on his part, and it helped cement Khun as a fan favorite amongTower of Godfans. It also proved that, to the surprise of many anime and manga fans, Nobuhiko Okamoto could easily voice Griffith in a hypotheticalBerserkadaptation in the near future.
The sudden rise in popularity ofHaikyu!!should never be underestimated, as the members of Karasuno High’s Volleyball Club have made anime fans around the world fall in love with this exciting sports series. Of course, this is due in part to the excellent performances that brought this entire team to life,with Nobuhiko Okamoto’s work asYu Nishinoyabeing one of the most memorable in the show.
Nishinoya is a talented, competitive, overconfident volleyball player who specializes in the Libero position, so it should be no surprise that Okamoto used all of his talents to properly portray him as the legendary character he is. Since this is a sports anime, it’s important for the voice actors to always bring a lot of energy to the action scenes in order to keep the audience engaged. Okamoto always succeeded on that front.
Fans were already very fond ofGladionfromPokemon Sun And Moon,just based off of his appearance in the original video game, but his animated incarnation in the famousPokemonanime made him even more popular. Since he initially comes off as an arrogant and edgy rival to Ash Ketchum and Lillie, Nobuhiko Okamoto’s deep and intimidating voice fit him perfectly.
In reality, Gladion is a kind and considerate rival who actually cares a lot about his Pokemon and his sister. Okamoto was able to bring this complex character to life with his surprisingly versatile voice, in both his serious and his comedic scenes. If voice acting is ever properly implemented in the mainlinePokemongames, Okamoto should definitely be chosen to voice Gladion once again.
Most anime fans are truly shocked when they learn that Katsuki Bakugo fromMy Hero AcademiaandHimmel the HerofromFrieren: Beyond Journey’s Endshare a Japanese voice actor, because these two characters couldn’t be more different from one another. Unlike Bakugo, Himmel is everything a hero should aspire to be: calm, kind, patient, selfless, and wise.
Nobuhiko Okamoto has already used a softer voice for some of his previous roles, but this is on another level. Himmel always sounds so gentle and kind that it’s no surprise so many people (in both the show and the real world) have fallen in love with him and keep getting inspired by his heroic actions. Curiously enough, Himmel literally dies in the first episode ofFrieren,but he remained a prominent presence throughout the rest of the series. Okamoto’s beautiful performance contributed a lot to that brilliant narrative device. This is undoubtedly one of the best and most impressive roles in his career.
