Summary
Every single member ofOne Piece’s Straw Hat Pirates is incredibly recognizable and unique in their own way. Needless to say,the crew’s musician, “Soul King”Brook,is one of the most distinctive ones, seeing as he’s a living skeleton with a goofy personality and beautiful singing voice. Brook’s impeccable characterization wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for his voice, which is done by the artist simply known by his stage name,Chō.
This talented Japanese voice actor has been working in the anime industry for more than three decades and, while Brook is obviously his most iconic role, he has also been involved in many other popular shows and movies. Chō has brought a surprising number of beloved characters to life, but the following are the most important ones of his career so far.
Long before he even began his tenure as Brook inOne Piece, Chō was involved in another beloved anime series from the late 90s and early 2000s, when he voicedJakeninInuYasha. This small little imp is Sesshōmaru’s most loyal servant and thus serves as one of the show’s biggest comic relief characters.
Chō’s signature high-pitched voice and proclivity for bizarre comedic characters have made his performance as Jaken one of the best and most memorable ones in his entire career. The legendary voice actor has remained loyal to one of the series that put him on the map,considering that he returned to voice him in the 2021InuYashaspin-off series,Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon.
A surreal comedy as hilarious asNichijouundoubtedly needed talented comedic performers to bring its absurd characters to life, and this philosophy is most likely why Chō was cast asPrincipal Shinonome, the bald principal of Tokisadame High School.
While the Principal has been involved in many of the show’s funny comedic skits, he was the main star of what is arguably the most well-known and most popular scene in the entire show, in which Yuuko sees him wrestling a deer in the schoolyard. This hilarious interaction is beloved by many, even by people who haven’t watchedNichijou, and it would never have gained such a prestigious reputation if it wasn’t for Chō and his flawless performance as the crazy Principal.
In another perfect showcase of his comedic talents, Chō was cast to voiceGenma Saotomein the 2024 reboot ofRanma ½, replacing Kenichi Ogata from the original 1989 anime. Despite the lighthearted nature of this anime, Genma still comes off as strict, selfish, and cowardly, meaning that this is quite an unusual role for Chō.
Nevertheless, the legendary voice actor still managed to make it work seamlessly and turned it into one of his most impressive recent performances (outside ofOne Piece). Unfortunately for his fans, however, Genma doesn’t talk for most ofRanma ½since he is later turned into a Panda who can only communicate via written signs. AfterInuyasha,this is the second time in which Chō shared the screen with hisOne Piececolleague, Kappei Yamaguchi, who voices Ranma himself.
Aside fromOne Piece, there’s another legendary action shōnen series with bizarre characters in which Chō has worked, and it’s none other thanJoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. He made his debut in the third part,Stardust Crusaders, where he voicedWilson Phillips, an American senator who is kidnapped and driven to insanity by Dio. This is a surprisingly dark scene, and Chō is able to get out of his comfort zone to give a somber performance.
Chō was later cast in the sixth part,Stone Ocean, as the voice ofDragon’s Dream, Kenzou’s sentient Feng Shui-based Stand. This performance was more akin to what one would expect from the voice actor: funny, strange, and unexpectedly charming, not to mention that his detailed explanations helped make this infamous battle a lot less confusing.
It seems that Chō’s incredible work as Brook inOne Pieceinspired many other animation studios to cast him as bizarre yet lovable characters in other action shōnen anime because he also voicedBonolenov Ndongoin the 2011 adaptation ofHunter x Hunterby Madhouse.
Curiously enough,this member of the Phantom Troupe shares some similarities with Brooksince he also looks like a classic movie monster (in his case, a mummy) and is also a musician since his main Nen ability, Battle Cantabile, relies heavily on the music he plays. Nevertheless, Chō’s portrayal of Bonolenov is strikingly similar to his famous performance as Brook, which is perfectly fine because it still works extremely well.
In keeping with tradition,Chō was cast in the animated adaptation of another action shōnen series,The Seven Deadly Sins, where he voicedGolgius, a member of the order of Holy Knights known as the Weird Fangs. When he has his armor and helmet on, Golgius looks both goofy and weird, which means that Chō’s usual voice, tone, and cadence fit him perfectly.
However, and much to the surprise of his usual fans, Golgius later takes out his armor to reveal that he’s quite a conventionally attractive man. Nevertheless, Cho’s impeccable voice work still makes him sound as cowardly and funny as he’s supposed to come off as. There’s no denying that this talented voice actor has helped what would be an otherwise forgettable side character a lot more memorable.
7Thief
Sand Land
The legendary artist was also involved inthe recent adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s underrated masterpiece,Sand Land, where he voicedThief, Beelzebub’s royal adviser and good friend. Throughout his career, Chō excelled at voicing two specific types of character: weird comic reliefs and whacky old men, so Thief is perfect for him because he actually belongs to both categories.
Despite all the comedic scenes he partakes in, Thief is the straight man of the group who is supposed to keep Beelzebub’s crazy antics and over-the-top personality in check. As a result, Chō gave a gloomier performance in which he even managed to come off as wise. It’s important to point out that he also reprised his role as Thief in theSand Landvideo game, which is no small feat since this is an extensive open-world RPG with countless hours of in-game dialogue.
The entity known asHōkois without a doubt one of the most memorable characters inHell’s Paradisefor many different reasons: his grotesque design, sad backstory, important role within the story, and unique voice, which was done by Chō in MAPPA’s anime adaptation.
As one of the many villagers in Hōjō who underwent Arborification, Hōko’s existence is quite tragic but inspiring since he still managed to care for Mei as her loving adoptive father. It’s because of this that Chō’s performance is a lot more subdued and less over-the-top than most of his usual roles, and he managed to perfectly fit all the emotional beats ofHell’s Paradise’sheartbreaking narrative.
