Kôichi Yamadera

Kōichi Yamadera, often affectionately called Yama‑chan or Bazooka Yamadera, is a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator, and singer whose career has spanned more than four decades. Born on 1961‑06‑17 in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, he first gained public attention as the manager of his high‑school basketball team before transitioning to the entertainment industry. After graduating from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics department, Yamadera joined the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society and later became affiliated with Across Entertainment, where he remains a prominent talent. His voice‑acting debut came with the classic OVA Megazone 23, where he portrayed the motorcycle‑riding Shinji Nakagawa, and his television debut followed shortly after in Bosco Adventure as the timid otter. Over the years he has become renowned for his astonishing vocal range, earning the nickname "the man with the seven‑colored voice" and the industry mantra "When in doubt, Yamadera." Notable anime roles include Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop, Togusa in Ghost in the Shell, Ryoji Kaji in Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Koichi Zenigata in the Lupin III franchise since 2011; he also voices Beerus in Dragon Ball Super and Shōya Yoshida in Gintama. In the realm of video games, his performances as Shun Akiyama in the Yakuza series and multiple characters in Danganronpa V3 showcase his versatility. Yamadera’s dubbing work for Western media is equally iconic, serving as the Japanese voice for Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, and Disney icons such as Donald Duck, Genie, and Stitch. He has appeared in every Pokémon film to date, often playing different characters, and has earned top honors in several actor polls, repeatedly being voted the most admired voice talent by his peers. Beyond his professional achievements, he has been married three times—to voice actresses Mika Kanai (1993‑2006), Rie Tanaka (2012‑2018), and radio personality Robin Shoko Okada (2021‑present)—and remains a beloved figure in Japanese pop culture.