Summer 2021 anime has started. Have you decided what to watch this season?
There are various reason to watch the anime, such as the original work is good, the world view is interesting, etc…, and in the survey conducted in the previous year at Anime!Anime! titled, “What is the decision maker for you when watching anime?”, the choice ranked on the top was “The appearance of the favorite voice actor”.
When we conducted a research on “highly expected anime in summer 2021”, the top anime was “Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan”. The fans had high hopes to the anime, because there were many experienced and popular actors, including Kamiya Hiroshi, Miyano Mamoru, Mizuki Nana, Sugita Tomokazu, and Nakamura Yuuichi.
Kamiya Hiroshi, who plays the protagonist in “Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan” called Omota Uramichi, played various calm characters before, including Livi in “Attack on Titan”, Trafalgar D. Water Law, sarcastic but smart characters, including Orihara Izaya from “Durarara!” and Edogawa Ranpo from “Bungo Stray Dogs”, and innocent and honest characters like Natsume Takashi from “Natsume’ Book of Friends”.
He has charmed many fans through not only with his high ability of acting, but also with the fluent talks in events and radios. He entered the hall of fame in “Seiyuu Award” due to receiving the highest number of votes for consecutive years.
Besides his career, we will introduce the reason why he is so popular.
■Kamiya Hiroshi is both the main and the supporting actor
https://animeanime.jp/imgs/zoom/415366.jpg
Kamiya-san, a 46-year old man, was born in Matsudo, Chiba Pref and raised up in Ushiku, Ibaraki Pref. By the way, his hometown became well known among the fans after visiting Ushiku in this radio program called “Kamiya Hiroshi & Ono Daisuke’s Dear Girl ~Stories~” (Bunka Broadcast, aired Saturdays from 1:00 AM)’s episode in 2010 for “Ono Daisuke Birthday Celebration”.
He made debut as a voice actor in 1994. He first played the main character Otohata Rei in “GAL!” in 2001 and Captain Gundam from “Mobile Suit Gundam SD Gudam Force” in 2004. His legendary popularity began from here.
The following is the list of the characters that the writer likes, since Kamiya-san has played so many characters that all of them cannot be listed here. (expect for the works already introduced)
Tierie Erde from “Mobile Suit Gundam 00” (2007~), Michael Blanc from “Macros Frontier” (2008~), Ichinomiya Kou (Recruit) from “Arakawa Under the Bridge” (2010~), Mephisto Pheles from “Blue Exorcist”, Beelzebub from “Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san” (2011~), Akashi Seijuurou from “Kuroko’s Basketball) (2012~), Matsuno Choromatsu from “Osomatsu-san” (2015~), Kiyoshi from “Prison School” (2015~), and Gotou Kakushi from “Kakushigoto” (2020~), etc.
By seeing only a part of his career, it is obvious that he could play the serious characters up to comical, and relaxing roles as well.
His ability to play multiple roles is his uniqueness. He also played the supporting characters, including Takeda Ittetsu from “Haikyu!!” and Kouri Koutarou from “Bakuten!!”. The reason why he appears in many works is that he can both become the star and also support others with his roles.
■The pride of an actor to use all his experience for each job
If you would ask, “will the voice actors be able to play various roles, if he is trained hard at the lessons?”, the answer is “NO”. Kamiya-san’s ability to play multiple roles comes from his own hard work.
When he appeared in “Professional: Shigoto no Ryuugi” in 2019, he showed his strong will to survive the industry, where “no payment will be made, if no offers being sent”. In the show, he revealed the reason why he tried to stick with this industry.
It was the accident in 2006, which he experienced when he was driving a motorcycle. Kamiya-san explained himself that he just waited the chance to come without his self-approach. But due to the accident, he realized, “no offer will be made, if I just sit and wait”, and began to apply for the auditions ever more than before. By introducing him with his full power, “I was thinking that I belong to nowhere, but I learned that I can belong to somewhere if I take a step forward”.
In the interview for “Aoni Juku”, the program provided by his agency Aoni Production, he looked back on his pain and hardships back at the time; he explained that any harsh experience will help you at some point, and continued that experience is mandatory to play roles with different characteristics.
His hard work toward the anime, character, and acting charmed many fans and staff.
■Reaching to the new frontier with “Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan”! Becoming “Sarcastic character”
https://animeanime.jp/imgs/zoom/415367.jpg
As already explained, he played various roles throughout his career. But with Omoteda Uramichi, the protagonist for upcoming anime “Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan”, he will show new Kamiya Hiroshi.
“Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan” is the pessimistic life lessons given to grown-up good children, provided by fresh but mentally unstable protagonist, showing the negative part of the adults. Urmamichi is the exercise personal for the educational program for kids titled “Together with Maman”, and is known for “Uramichi Oniisan”. He hides deep darkness within him, and he has strong physical balance, but his mental balance is so unstable.
Kamiya-san has played the pessimistic character like Itoshiki Nozomu from “Sayonara, Zetubou-Sensei”, and Uramichi is a lot different from what he used to play before.
As his name, he has an unstable mentality; he suddenly becomes pessimistic after showing his smile, curses people, revealing adults’ secrets, etc… The audience sometimes become pessimistic as well by watching him drastically changing negatively.
Kamiya-san has shown his ability to shock people’ heart in “Natsume’s Book of Friends” and “Attack on Titan”, and now he is presenting true unstable mentality unique to adults. He kindly reacts to the children, and acts energetically. In contrast, his tone suddenly becomes low and he starts speaking with dark voice. This gap will make you excited, in many ways.
Kamiya-san’s would not start stop developing after experiencing various characters through his career. Let’s look forward to his acting in “Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan”!
