Kōichi Yamadera


Kōichi Yamadera is a Japanese actor, voice actor, singer and narrator 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.
His nickname is Yama-chan. As a radio personality, he is known as Bazooka Yamadera among other things. He is best known for his roles in Ninja Scroll, Cowboy Bebop, Dragon Ball Super, Ghost in the Shell, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Anpanman, Ranma ½ and the current voice of Koichi Zenigata. He is also known for voicing Jim Carrey and Eddie Murphy in the Japanese language releases of their respective films, as well as being the official dubbed voice of Donald Duck in Japanese. He also voiced Batman in the Japanese version of the film Batman Ninja.

History

He 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, which disbanded in 1995. In October 1997, Yamadera became a host on the TV Tokyo children's variety show Oha Suta.
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 to do voice acting at first and he was interested to be in sales or as a live-action actor.
Yamadera's also known for his versatile range, as shown in the video game where he voiced all five Monokubs, including Monophanie, marking her as Yamadera's first and only female role. According to Danganronpa V3 official blog, Yamadera is the first person it comes to mind when you think of “the same person voicing multiple characters at the same time”. No one has as much “multiple characters” experience as him and no one has that same high quality in making themselves sound like completely different people. He took the individual quirks of each Monokuma Kubs and made all of them unique.

Personal life

Yamadera married fellow voice actress Mika Kanai on May 23, 1993. They divorced in 2006, although it wasn't publicized until 2007. He married Japanese voice actress Rie Tanaka on June 17, 2012, with a ceremony held in Hawaii on January 3, 2013. In August 2018, they announced they filed for divorce.

Filmography

Television animation

;1986
;1987
;1988
;1989
  • Mobile Police Patlabor
  • Madō King Granzort
  • The Adventures of Peter Pan
  • Ranma ½/Ranma ½: Nettōhen
  • Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato
  • Time Trouble Tondekeman!
;1990
;1991
;1992
;1993
;1995
;1997
;1998
;1999
;2000
;2001
;2002
;2003
  • Astro Boy: Mighty Atom
  • Di Gi Charat Nyo!
  • Galaxy Angel
  • Fighting Spirit: Champion Road TV Special
  • Lupin III: Otakara Henkyaku Dai-sakusen!!
  • Mermaid Saga
  • Harlock Saga
;2004
;2005
;2006
;2007
  • Detective Conan
  • Oh! Edo Rocket
;2008
  • Allison & Lillia
  • Inazuma Eleven
  • Michiko to Hatchin
  • Stitch!
  • Yatterman
;2009
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
  • Gin Tama
  • Inazuma Eleven
  • Kawa no Hikari
  • Pokémon Fushigi no Dungeon: Sora no Tankentai Toki no Yami wo Meguro Saigo no Bōken
  • Stitch! ~Itazura Alien no Daibōken~
;2010
  • Stitch! ~Zutto Saikō no Tomodachi~
;2011
  • Appleseed XIII
  • Lupin III: Chi no Kokuin ~Eien no Mermaid~
;2012
;2013
;2014
;2015
;2016
;2017
;2018
;2019
  • Carole & Tuesday
;2020
  • My Hero Academia 4
  • Motto! Majime ni Fumajime Kaiketsu Zorori
  • Hakushon Daimaō 2020
  • Listeners
Sources:'

Original video animation (OVA)

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Film animation

;1986
;1988
;1989
  • The Five Star Stories
  • Kiki's Delivery Service
  • SD Sengokuden Chapter of Abaowakuu
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Kira Kira Boshi no Namida
  • Utsunomiko
  • Venus Wars
;1990
  • Sonic Soldier Borgman: Lover's Rain
  • MAROKO
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Baikinman no Gyakushū
;1991
  • Gekkō no Piasu: Yumemi to Gin no Bara Kishi Dan
  • Ranma ½: Chūgoku Nu Kunlun Dai Kessen! Okite Yaburi no Gekitō Hen
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Tobe! Chibigon
;1992
  • Hashire Melos!
  • Ranma ½: Kessen Momo Maboroshi Kyō! Hanayome wo Datsu Rimodose!!
  • Silent Möbius: The Motion Picture 2
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Tsumiki Jō no Himitsu
;1993
  • Ninja Scroll
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Kyōryū Nosshī no Daibōken
;1994
  • Darkside Blues
  • Ranma ½: Chō Musabetsu Kessen! Ranma Team vs. Densetsu no Hō-Ō
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Ririkaru Magical Mahō no Gakkō
;1995
  • Ghost in the Shell/Kōkaku Kidōtai
  • Memories
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Yūrei Sen wo Yattsukero
;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
  • Pokémon Heroes
  • Millennium Actress
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Rōru to Rōra: Ukigumo Jō no Himitsu
;2003
;2004
;2005
;2006
  • Atagōru ha Neko no Mori
  • Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea
  • Majime ni Fumajime Kaiketsu Zorori: Nazo no Ohōdaiji Sakusen
  • Keroro Gunsō the Super Movie
  • Paprika
  • Soreike! Anpanman: Inochi no Hoshi no Dōrī
;2007
;2008
;2009
;2010
;2011
;2012
;2013
;2014
;2015
;2016
;2017
;2018
;2019
;2020
  • A Whisker Away
  • BEM: Become Human
;TBA
  • Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop
Sources:'''

Web animation

;1993
;1994
;1995
;1996
;1997
;1998
;1999
  • Counter-Strike
  • Neon Genesis Evangelion
  • SD Gundam G Generation Zero
  • Tron and Henchmen
;2000
;2001
;2002
;2003
;2004
;2005
;2006
;2007
;2008
  • Super Smash Bros. Brawl
;2009
;2010
;2011
;2012
;2013
;2014
;2015
;2016
;2016–2017
;2018
;2019
Sources:

Dubbing roles

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Live-action films

Sources:'''

Tokusatsu

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Variety shows

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Radio

"Ali Ōji no Tōri"
"Banana Tengoku" and Diddy )
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Commercials

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Other