- For the company named Seiyu, see Seiyu Group.
Seiyū (声優, also written seiyuu or simply seiyu) is a Japanese term that roughly equates to a voice actor/actress for radio, television and video games. On television, they are mostly used in anime and commercial advertisements, and are somewhat more famous than voice actors traditionally are in America.
When speaking of a character in a series translated into English, conventional usage among American fans is to use seiyū to refer to the Japanese actor and voice actor for the English one.
American fandom is sometimes divided over the opinion that some prominent seiyū will "perfect" certain voice types (e.g. the ditsy schoolgirl, the deep-voiced loner) sometimes resulting in these seiyū becoming typecast.
Notable seiyū and their major roles (Japanese version unless noted):
- Megumi Hayashibara - Rei Ayanami, Faye Valentine, Haruka Urashima, Ranma (female), Lina Inverse, Ai Amano, Musashi (Jessie)
- Yu Asakawa - Motoko Aoyama, Sakaki
- Yui Horie - Naru Narusegawa, Mitsuko, Tohru Honda
- Kotono Mitsuishi - Sailor Moon, Misato Katsuragi, Excel, Ebichu
- Houko Kuwashima - Yurika Misumaru, Minoru Kokubunji, Sango
- Kappei Yamaguchi - InuYasha, Ranma (male), Artemis (live action), Usopp, Shin'ichi Kudo (Jimmy Kudo)
- Yuriko Yamaguchi - Ritsuko Akagi, Nico Robin
- Kikuko Inoue - Belldandy, Mizuho Kazami, Kasumi Tendo, Kyoko Otonashi
- Minami Takayama - Kiki, Conan Edogawa
- Junko Noda - Maho Izawa, Konno 'Kitsune' Mitsune
- Ryou Horikawa - Vegeta, Takuma
- Satsuki Yukino - Kagome Higurashi, Mutsumi Otohime, Milly Thompson
- Rie Tanaka - Chi, Lacus Clyne, Saki
- Yuji Ueda - Keitaro Urashima, Hiroyasu Ueda, Sagara Sanosuke
- Toshihiko Seki - Genjyo Sanzo, Mousse, Duo Maxwell
- Takeshi Kusao - Hanamichi Sakuragi, Trunks, Yota Moteuchi, Kyoichi Saionji, Parn, Kougaiji
- Shoutarou Morikubo - Ginji Amano
- Chisa Yokoyama - Shinguuji Sakura, Ryoko Subaru, Sasami, Lucrezia Noin
- Akira Ishida - Xelloss, Kaworu Nagisa
- Aya Hisakawa - Sailor Mercury, Skuld, Miki Kaoru, Yuki Sohma, Kero-chan
- Koichi Yamadera - Ryoga Hibiki, Ryoji Kaji, Spike Spiegel
- Ai Orikasa - Ryoko, Quatre
- Emi Shinohara - Sailor Jupiter, B-Ko
- Junko Iwao - Tomoyo Daidouji, Akane Aikawa
- Megumi Ogata - Sailor Uranus, Shinji Ikari, Yukito Tsukishiro
- Tomizawa Michie - Sailor Mars, C-Ko, Sumire Kanzaki
- Takehito Koyasu - Touga Kiryuu, Ilpalazzo, Zechs Merquise, Hotohori, Aya Fujimiya
- Ryoutarou Okiayu - Shigure Sohma, Katsuhiko Jinnai, Trieze Kushrenada
- Yumi Touma - Urd, Yui Hongo, Sally Po, Deedlit
- Shinichirou Miki - Keisuke Yuki, Sephiroth, Kojiro (James)
- Yoshiko Sakakibara - Haman Karn, Integra Hellsing, Sylia Stingray
- You Inoue - Sayla Mass, Ryo Bakura, Haro