Kappei Yamaguchi is a Japanese voice actor. Having been part of the dubbing industry since 1985, he is married and has two children: a son and a daughter who happen to be voice actors in their own right.
Raised by his carpenter father, Yamaguchi first experienced acting in kindergarten where he played the role of Momotaro. During his formative years, the young man attended Chikuzen High School before moving to Tokyo at the age of 19. There, he enrolled in Tokyo Announce Gakuin Performing Arts College to hone his performing skills. After graduating, he joined a theater company owned by 21st Century Fox. His experience in stage acting would prove beneficial in his rise to fame within the field of voice overs.
Yamaguchi later established his own agency Gokū and currently serves as its president. 2019 saw him win the Kei Tomiyama Award at the 13th Seiyu Awards, a testament to his steadfast popularity alongside fellow voice actors such as Megumi Hayashibara and Shin-ichiro Miki. He also has the distinction of providing the official voice of Nagahama City's mascot Hideyoshi-kun. One of the people he looks up to from a professional standpoint is singing comedian Kenichi Enomoto.
Much to the surprise of his fans, Yamaguchi has proven himself to be rather multi-talented. A few of his listed hobbies include climbing and computers. He sometimes creates illustrations for certain publications involving anime and voice acting. Recently, he and his daughter Akane have been dabbling in rakugo under the guidance of a master rakugoka.
Yamaguchi's high-pitched performances are usually lent to young male characters who exhibit passionate, eccentric, or even sensual personalities. However, he is just as capable of taking on more serious roles by lowering his vocal register. A few of the more notable roles he has done throughout his career are Shinichi Kudo in Detective Conan, Jabbathe in Vinland Saga, and Taka in Ghost of Tsushima.
Works
The following roles listed below come from titles associated with Koei Tecmo and third party works distributed as part of a deal with other companies.
| Title | Roles | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica | Batz Trulyworth | 2007 |
| Neo Angelique | René | 2006 |
| Neo Angelique Tenshi no Namida | René | 2017 |
| One Piece: Pirate Warriors | Usopp | 2012 |
| One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 | Usopp | 2013 |
| One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 | Usopp | 2017 |
| One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 | Usopp | 2020 |
| Touken Ranbu Warriors | Konnosuke | 2022 |