Biography
Who is Kappei Yamaguchi?
Early life and education
Born in Fukuoka, Japan, Kappei Yamaguchi grew up with an interest in anime during his childhood. His initial fascination with animation faded during his high school years after he joined a music band. He eventually pursued professional training in Tokyo, where he enrolled at the Tokyo Announce University College in 1984. This vocational school provided him with foundational skills in performance, including voice work and stage techniques.
During his time in training, he attended acting classes led by Kaneta Kimotsuki. This connection led him to join the 21st Century Fox theater company. About a year later, he made his stage debut in a supporting role. Soon after, he secured a lead role as a young detective in the production Odoriko THE DANCER MURDER CASE.
Voice acting career
Kappei Yamaguchi launched his voice acting career in 1989. His breakout role was the male version of Ranma Saotome in the Ranma 1/2 television series. He is well-regarded for specializing in portraying energetic children and youth in various animated works. Throughout the 1990s, he accepted various projects, including roles like Eto in Record of Lodoss War and Gokujurota in Gale! Iron League.
His filmography includes several major franchises. He provides the voices for Shinichi Kudo and Kaito Kid in the long-running series Great Detective Conan. Also, he voices the character Usopp in the popular series One Piece. Interestingly, he originally auditioned for the role of Monkey D. Luffy but was offered the part of Usopp instead. He also provided voices for other famous characters, such as L in Death Note and Teddie in the Persona 4 game series.
International work and other ventures
Beyond domestic anime, he has provided Japanese dubbing for various international productions. His credits include voicing Kyle Broflovski in the animated series South Park, the character Bugs Bunny in Looney Tunes, and Crash Bandicoot in the video game series of the same name. He has also expanded his performance repertoire into rakugo, a traditional form of Japanese verbal entertainment. He began studying this craft under Shirano Tatekawa in 2017 and performs under the name of Nonoya Pepee.
Kappei Yamaguchi serves as the president of his own entertainment company, Goku Co. Ltd. He has received recognition for his contributions to the industry, including the Individual Seiyu Award at the 2003 Tokyo International Anime Fair. In 2019, he was honored with the Kei Tomiyama Award at the 13th Seiyu Awards.
Personal life and family
Kappei Yamaguchi is married and has two children, a son named Ryunosuke and a daughter named Akane. Both of his children have followed in his professional footsteps by working as voice actors. His daughter, Akane, is also trained in the art of rakugo. He continues to balance his family life with a busy schedule of voice acting, stage appearances, and management duties for his production company.
Birthday and age
Kappei Yamaguchi was born on May 23, 1965, which makes Kappei 61 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Kappei shares the date with 53 other famous people.
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