Summary
Enji Todoroki – better known by his Pro Hero name, Endeavor – is undoubtedly one of themost controversial and complex characters inMy Hero Academia. He was initially an abusive father obsessed with surpassing All Might, but he eventually underwent massive character development that inspired him to become a better Pro Hero and to try and atone for all of his sins. Regardless of whether he successfully redeemed himself or not, it can’t be denied that he’s a truly fascinating character, and the excellent performance of his Japanese voice actor,Tetsu Inada, contributed a lot to that factor.
He’s a legendary artist who has been working in the anime industry for over thirty-three years, and he’s still going quite strong. Of course, this means that he has worked on a multitude of popular shows, in which he got to use his deep and gravelly voice to bring some of the most intimidating anime characters to life. Needless to say, he has a lot of impressive credits under his name, but the following are some of the most remarkable roles in his entire career.
Of course,My Hero Academiais not the only popular action shonen anime in which Tetsu Inada has worked on, seeing as he was also part of the cast ofBleach, one of the many series that influencedMy Hero Academia. In Pierot’s adaptation of Tite Kubo’s iconic manga, Inada voiced not one but two different characters:He’s the voice ofSajin Komamura, the captain of Soul Society’s 7th Division, and he was able to perfectly convey how intimidating but heroic he is, mainly due to his wolf-like appearance.
Curiously enough, Inada also voiced the former captain of the same division,Love Aikawa, who is part of the Visored alongside Shinji Hirako and Rose. Despite sharing voice actors, Love Aikawa and Sajin Komamura couldn’t be any more different, with the former being much more laid-back and dramatic than the latter. Nevertheless, Inada’s performance made it possible for him to come off as really cool and funny, making it almost impossible to believe that these two are portrayed by the same voice actor.
Due to his deep and imposing voice, Tetsu Inada has naturally been chosen to portray big and powerful brutes many times, and the 2012 adaptation ofJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’sfirst part is no exception. In this case, he was assigned the role ofTarkus, one of the two infamous English knights thatDio Brando resurrected as a zombie, which must have felt like quite an honor, considering that this is a legendary manga character that has existed since 1987.
Tarkus and his partner, Bruford, feel like the first real threats that Jonathan and his allies encounter in their adventure, like a prelude to their inevitable fight against Dio himself. Of course, Inada’s amazing voice work was so excellent that it elevated Tarkus’ imposing presence, even if most of his performance was made up of random grunts and screams. Sometimes, screaming at the top of one’s lungs in order to make an anime character seem powerful is all a talented voice actor needs to do, and Inada definitely succeeded on that front here.
Tetsu Inada has obviously been involved in the production of almost every single iconic shonen series, including MAPPA’s legendary adaptation ofJujutsu Kaisen, where he was chosen to portrayJuzo Kumiya, an evil sorcererswho attacked Gojo and Gakuganji during the invasion of the Goodwill Event. Curiously enough, this seems to be one of Inada’s most distinctive performances so far.
While Juzo is obviously supposed to be an intimidating villain, he’s also a psychopath who’s obsessed with killing people and using their corpses to build furniture. Because of this, Inada was able to let loose a little bit more than usual, and as a result, he made Juzo come off as the unhinged weakling he truly is. He’s definitely one of the most hateable antagonists inJujutsu Kaisen, which wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Tetsu Inada’s successful performance.
Gantetsusai TamiyafromHell’s Paradise: Jigokurakufeels like a character who was specifically designed for Tetsu Inada to voice in an anime adaptation (even if he most likely wasn’t), seeing ashe’s a big and strong swordsmanwho, oddly enough, looks a lot like both Endeavor and a randomBleachcharacter.
Needless to say, Inada does an impeccable job at using his deep voice to make Tamiya sound and feel very intimidating, especially during his many action sequences. He initially seemed like an unlikable antagonist, but his role in the latter half of Season 1 turned him into one of the most impressive and beloved characters inHell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku, and Inada’s excellent portrayal certainly contributed a lot to his newfound popularity.
Record of Ragnarokis a popular action anime centered on the intense war between gods and humans, meaning that at least half of its cast is made up of powerful deities from throughout history. One of the most evil members of this pantheon is the Demon Lord of the Sixth Heaven,Hajun, who took Zerofuku’s place in the battle against Buddha.
As always, Tetsu Inada used his deep and gravelly voice to make Hajun come off as intimidating and terrifying, like someone with the title of Demon Lord should be. However, Hajun is also extremely sadistic and arrogant, and he doesn’t hesitate to mock his opponent in battle, which allowed Inada to showcase his impressive range and make this high-quality performance stand out even more than usual.
WhileKill la Killis better known for its over-the-top female characters, it also features a fair share of interesting male characters, with one of the best examples beingIra Gamagoori. As part of the Student Council’s Elite Four, Gamagoori isa serious, stern, ruthless, and intimidating fighter, meaning that Inada’s deep voice fits him perfectly.
Of course, sinceKill la Killis also a bizarre comedy, Gamagoori has been the star of many hilarious comedic scenes in which Inada’s fast-paced performance did not disappoint. Furthermore, his growing relationship with Mako Mankanshoku is surprisingly endearing and a bit adorable, which was possible thanks to the impeccable chemistry between the voice actors of both characters.
Hearing a voice actor who’s famous for their work in dramatic and/or action-based anime working in a comedic show can be truly mind-blowing. Tetsu Inada is obviously no exception, seeing as he was cast to voiceManabu Takasaki, the Japanese literature teacher of Tokisadame High School inNichijou, one of themost beloved surreal comedies in the entire anime industry.
The shocking contrast of hearing Inada’s deep and loud voice coming out of a character who was designed withNichijou’s adorable and cozy art style is already hilarious on its own, but he went all out with this role and gave an excellent performance that elevates the hilarious comedy of this show. When he voices Takasaki, this legendary actor never hesitates to scream and/or do funny voices when necessary. Regardless of whether he’s voicing a cool-looking brawler from a shonen action anime or a weird but funny character from a comedy likeNichijou, Tetsu Inada always gives it his all.
Tetsu Inada may be known for his incredible voice work as famous characters from iconic shonen animelike My Hero AcademiaorBleach, but the truth is that this legendary actor has contributed toOne Piecemore than any other show in his extensive career. In Toei Animation’s adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s legendary manga, Inada has voiced not one, not two, not three, but nine different characters over its extensive 26-year-old run.
Of course, this means that Inada’s work inOne Pieceis the perfect example of his incredible vocal range, seeing as he has brought many characters to life that don’t fit his usual style. AsDaz Bones, he sounds cool, calm, and collected,asJesus Burgess, he sounds cruel, bombastic, and intimidating, asBrogyhe sounds friendly and honorable, asPattyhe sounds aggressive and volatile, and he even got to show off his excellent pantomiming skills when he voicedRichie, Mohji’s pet lion and the temporary captain of the Buggy Pirates. To top it all off, Inada was also tasked with voicing several antagonists from filler arcs, like Pudding Pudding or Lake. The best part of his extensive tenure inOne Pieceis that most of his characters (like Daz Bones, Burgess, and Brogy) will have prominent roles in future arcs, so Tetsu Inada has job security for many years to come, which he definitely deserves.
