Koichi Yamadera


Koichi Yamadera is a Japanese actor, narrator and singer from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.
He is known for his roles in Cowboy Bebop, the Yakuza videogame series, Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū, Ghost in the Shell, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gintama, Ninja Scroll, Dragon Ball Super, Anpanman, Ranma ½, Space Battleship Yamato 2199, Pretty Cure All Stars DX 3 and Lupin III. He's been in every Pokémon film to date, though always in different roles, the exception being movie 22, in which he reprised his role as Mew from the first movie, of which movie 22 is a remake. He also voiced Mew in some collateral projects. For Disney Company|Disney], he is the official dubbed voice of Donald Duck, Genie and Stitch in Japanese.
In the live action field, he is the official dub-over artist of Will Smith, Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey. He is also known for voicing Chris Tucker, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Robin Williams, Mike Myers, Stephen Chow, Brad Pitt, Charlie Sheen, Michael Keaton, Michael J. Fox, Will Ferrell, Chris Pratt and Jon Hamm in the Japanese language releases of their respective films.
𝕏 yamachanoha

History

Yamadera was the manager of the Tagajō Senior High School basketball team before he made a name for himself. His voice acting debut was the OVA Megazone 23 as the motorcycle-riding Shinji Nakagawa, while his television debut was the anime Bosco Adventure as the cowardly Otter. Yamadera's break-out role as a voice actor was the anime Ranma ½, in which he played the dual role of Hibiki Ryōga and the Jusenkyō Guide. In 1991, Yamadera joined forces with Toshihiko Seki and Noriko Hidaka to form the acting unit Banana Fritters. In October 1997, Yamadera became a host on the TV Tokyo children's variety show Oha Suta. In March 2016, after almost two decades, he announced his retirement from it.
In 2011, Yamadera took over the role of Koichi Zenigata in Lupin III media from Gorō Naya.
In a 2012 article by Japan Times, it was mentioned that he didn't consider doing voice acting at first, and was interested in going into sales or being an onscreen actor.
Yamadera's also known for his versatile range, as shown in the video game Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony where he voiced all five Monokuma Kubs, including Monophanie. According to the Danganronpa V3 official blog, Yamadera is the first person who came to mind as "the same person voicing multiple characters at the same time". No one has as much "multiple characters" experience as him. He was able to take the individual quirks of each of the Monokuma Kubs and make all of them unique.
Other notable examples of multiple voice acting include the Kingdom Hearts series where he voiced Donald Duck, Genie, Sebastian, Beast, Mushu, Jaq and Stitch, and the Japan Animator Expo series of 35 short films where Yamadera and Megumi Hayashibara voiced all characters.
Yamadera is known as "the man with the seven-colored voice". During casting he is also said to be called "When in doubt, Yamadera".
In 2011 and 2017, TV Asahi conducted a poll among Japanese voice actors and actresses on "who they thought was really the most amazing person in their profession". Yamadera ranked first both times. In 2017, Niconico conducted a survey on popular anime voice actors and actresses. Yamadera ranked first overall, third among female voters and first among male voters.
In 2018, he joined the cast of the American animated web series Gen:Lock starring Michael B. Jordan. According to the series showrunner Gray Haddock, "Yamadera-san gives Kazu a fantastic balance of attitude and strength, and as anime fans we're doing our best not to geek out that he's joined the cast".
In 2019, Will Smith came to Japan for a solo interview, and at Smith's request, Yamadera performed a live voiceover, which was highly praised by Smith. This was aired on NTV's "news every" and "Oha!4 NEWS LIVE" on June 5 and June 11, respectively.

Personal life

Yamadera has been married three times; first, on May 23, 1993, to fellow voice actress Mika Kanai. They divorced in 2006, although it wasn't publicized until 2007.
His second wife was voice actress Rie Tanaka, then 33-years-old, and he was 51. They married on June 17, 2012, with a ceremony held in Hawaii on January 3, 2013.
In August 2018, they announced that they had filed for divorce.
On June 14, 2021, at age 60, he announced his marriage to radio personality Robin Shoko Okada, who is 31 years younger than him.

Filmography

Television animation

;1986
;1987
;1988
;1989
;1990
;1991
;1992
;1993
;1995
;1997
  • City Hunter: Goodbye, My Sweetheart
  • Gakkyū Ō Yamazaki
;1998
;1999
;2000
  • Hidemari no Ki
;2001
;2002
;2003
;2004
;2005
;2006
;2007
;2008
;2009
;2010
;2011
;2012
;2013
;2014
;2015
;2016
;2017
;2018
;2019
;2020
;2021
;2022
;2023
;2024
;2025

Original net animation (ONA)

;2023

Original video animation (OVA)

;1985
;1986
;1987
;1988
;1989
;1990
  • The Hakkenden
  • Nineteen 19
  • Ranma ½: Hot Song Contest
  • Goddamn
  • Shiawase no Katachi
  • Mashin Eiyūden Wataru: Sōkaizan Eiyū Densetsu
;1991
;1992
;1993
;1994
;1995
;1996
;1997
;1998
;1999
;2007
;2008
  • Ranma ½: Nightmare! Incense of Spring Sleep
;2015
;2017
  • ''The Ultraman: Jackal Vs Ultraman''

Film animation

;1986
;1988
;1989
;1990
;1991
  • Gekkō no Piasu: Yumemi to Gin no Bara Kishi Dan
  • Ranma : Chūgoku Nu Kunlun Dai Kessen! Okite Yaburi no Gekitō Hen
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Tobe! Chibigon
;1992
;1993
  • Ninja Scroll
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Kyōryū Nosshī no Daibōken
;1994
  • Darkside Blues
  • Ranma : Chō Musabetsu Kessen! Ranma Team vs. Densetsu no Hō-Ō
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Ririkaru Magical Mahō no Gakkō
;1995
;1996
  • Apo Apo World: Giant Baba 90 Fun Ipponshōbu
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Kara Tobu Ehon to Glass no Kutsu
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Baikinman to 3 Baipanshi
  • X
;1997
;1998
;1999
;2000
;2001
;2002
;2003
;2004
;2005
;2006
;2007
;2008
;2009
;2010
;2011
;2012
;2013
;2014
;2015
;2016
;2017
;2018
;2019
;2020
;2021
;2022
;2025
;2026
  • ''Chimney Town: Frozen in Time''

Web animation

;2006
;2008
;2014
;2019
;2020
;2021

Video games

;1993
  • Tengai Makyō: Fūun Kabukiden
;1994
;1995
;1996
;1997
;1998
;1999
;2000
;2001
;2002
;2003
;2004
;2005
;2006
;2007
;2008
;2009
;2010
;2011
;2012
;2013
;2014
;2015
;2016
;2016–2017
;2018
;2019
;2020
;2021
;2022
;2023
;2024
;2026
;TBA

Dubbing roles

American Live-action films

Television

Animation

Puppetry

Television drama

Unknown date

Live-action films

Tokusatsu

Variety shows

Radio

  • BAY LINE 7300
  • Emerald Dragon
  • Hyper Night Monday
  • Kōichi Yamadera no Gap System
  • OHA-OHA NIGHT

CDs

Drama CDs

Singles

  • GLORY DAYS,
  • Tsukareta,
  • Jabba Jabba Morning/OHA OHA Starter,
  • Tensai Bakabon no Kuku ha Korediinoda!!,
  • Utau,
  • Hustle,
  • Ajyapā,
  • Zekkōchō,,
  • Sākuru Obu raifu

Other

"Ali Ōji no Tōri"
  • March 18, 2000 Ashita Ninattara...
  • :"Ashita Ninattara..." and Diddy )
"Banana Tengoku" and Diddy )
  • March 10, 2004 Tōkyō Disneyland: Feel the Magic
  • :"Friend Like Me"
  • :"Hitoribocchi no Bansankai"
  • March 24, 2004 Hustle
  • :Hustle
  • January 25, 2006 Kingdom Hearts II Original Soundtrack
  • :"Swim This Way"
  • :"Under the Sea"
  • :"A New Day Is Dawning"

Commercials

Other