October 19 is Enoki Junya-san’s birthday.
He debuted in the 2010s. In 2021, he is playing the main characters in many titles, including “Cells at Work! Code Black”, “SSSS.Dynazenon”, and “Girlfriend, Girlfriend”.
For the dubbed versions of Western films, he continues to play the role of Peter Parker in “Spider‑Man: No Way Home”. He is also active in various media such as stage plays and radio.
To celebrate his birthday, we conducted an annual readers’ survey, “Who is your favorite character played by Enoki Junya-san?”. There were 320 votes during the survey period from October 6 to 13.
For the gender ratio, the females were the majority with about 85% while the males were about 15%. For the age distribution, we received the majority of responses from readers of young ages: about 45% were teens, and about 25% were in their 20s.
■The ranking has changed from last year! The latest titles are standing out.
1st Place
1st place went to Itadori Yuji from “Jujutsu Kaisen”. The support rating was about 38%, and he has moved up from 2nd place that he had won last year.
The readers said that they were able to empathize with the characters thanks to Enoki-san’s acting. The received comments include, “An ordinary high school student gets involved in battles as a sorcerer. Enoki-san skillfully expresses the subtleties, delicacy, and audacity of the character’s heart. Enoki-san doesn’t try too hard to put emotions into his acting, which ended up expressing the real sorrow and struggles in a straightforward manner”, “Even though Enoki-san sometimes passionately plays the character just like other protagonists, he also plays in a calmer way, which makes the character look more genuine. I could feel Yuji’s humanity and got drawn into the story.”
The prequel titled “Jujutsu Kaisen 0” is scheduled to premiere on December 24. The series is currently bubbling with excitement.
2nd Place
2nd place went to Maita Rui from “The Idolmaster: SideM”. The support rating was about 9%, and he has dropped from the top that he had won last year.
He is an idol that used to be an English teacher. The received comments include, “He is one of the characters that Enoki-san has been playing for years. He is so bright and positive that he makes everyone around him happy. I don’t know how many times I got energized by his cheerful voice and songs. The latest application game ‘GROWING STARS’ has been launched in October. I want to continue supporting Maita Rui-kun played by Enoki-san from now on” and “He is a fun idol to watch as he sometimes speaks in English and shows rich expressions and reactions. Enoki-san is usually calm, but when he is singing and dancing with a shiny smile as Maita Rui is ‘315*’!”. Many readers said that they were introduced by this title to Enoki-san.
*”315″ literally means “wonderful” and “fantastic”.
3rd Place
3rd place went to Yuzaki Nasa from “Fly Me to the Moon”. The support rating was about 5%, and he has moved up from the 4th place that he had won last year.
Nasa is the protagonist of this work. He fell in love with Tsukasa, a girl who suddenly appeared, at first sight, and began their married life. The received comments include, “Enoki-san’s voice perfectly matched Nasa, who is smart, gentle yet still not perfect. I like how natural it is”, “His name NASA is a burden on him, and he puts in maximum effort on studying. I like his honesty and how he works hard on everything”, and “The newly-married life with Tsukasa-chan was so naive and cute”. The depiction of his sweet everyday life and efforts attracted a lot of fans.
■Let’s introduce other comments!!
Kiba Shion “Cardfight!! Vanguard G”
“Shion-kun has experienced his harsh life through a long broadcast period. His feelings are brought out by Enoki-san’s voice even more, which was impressive.”
Red Blood Cell (AA2153) “Cells at Work! Code Black”
“Even though he is a vulnerable existence in that he only carries oxygen without being able to fight against, he shows his strong spirit to face hardship. Especially the painful expression of the scene where he despairs and cries out was amazing!”
Asanaka Yomogi “SSSS.Dynazenon”
“Enoki-san played, with realistic breathing, the ordinary high school student, who was passively living his life without any purpose but was gradually growing up through experiencing extraordinary occurrences. I am always impressed by Enoki-san’s realistic acting.”
Mukai Naoya “Girlfriend, Girlfriend”
“Among the titles released in 2021, he is the one! Except for battles, I have never heard such tense and ridiculous voice acting of Enoki-san. The dialogue with voice actresses was also pleasant, and I enjoyed it every week. I am looking forward to the 2nd season!”
The titles released this year are also popular.
In the survey 2021, Itadori Yuji from the blockbuster “Jujutsu Kaisen” is topping the list by a huge margin. The titles released in 2020 and 2021 are standing out at the top, which makes us smell a drastic change coming next year.
■Ranking Top 20
－Who is your favorite character played by Enoki Junya-san? 2021 Edition－
1. Itadori Yuji “Jujutsu Kaisen”
2. Maita Rui “The Idolmaster: SideM”
3. Yuzaki Nasa “Fly Me to the Moon”
4. Pannacotta Fugo “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind”
5. Red Blood Cell (AA2153) “Cells at Work! Code Black”
6. Asanaka Yomogi “SSSS.Dynazenon”
6. Hoshino Ryo “The Millionaire Detective Balance: UNLIMITED”
8. Spider-Man / Peter Parker “Spider-Man: Homecomin”, etc.
8. Horikawa Kunihiro “Touken Ranbu -ONLINE-”
10. Kiba Shion “Cardfight!! Vanguard G”
11. Inui Seishu “Tokyo Revengers”
12. Kurata Takezo “Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life”
12. Shimoda “Heaven’s Design Team”
12. Jack “Beasters”
12. Tsukumo Rei “Young Disease Outburst Boy”
12. Higurashi Sota “Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon”
12. Mukai Naoya “Girlfriend, Girlfriend”
12. Rengoku Senjuro “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train”
19. Keisaiin F Ryuki “Cupid Parasite”
19. Kojo Arata “On Air!”
19. Sakishima Kagami “Scar on the Praeter”
19. Takaishi Takeru “Digimon Adventure tri.”
19. Tamaru Kai “Koi to Yobu ni wa Kimochi Warui”
19. Miki Nozomu “Dankira!!! – Boys, be DANCING! -”
19. Yuito Sumeragi “SCARLET NEXUS”
19. Jona Basta “Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative”
(Survey Period: October 6 – 13, 2021)
*This survey is intended to research the readers’ “interest in anime and characters today”. It is not intended to discuss the relative merits of each character nor work. I would be glad if this article can help you develop an understanding and interest in anime and characters.
