Every Popular Anime You’ve Heard Nanami Kento’s Voice In

Some anime voice actors are almost immediately recognizable the moment their character speaks in an anime, known for their iconic voice. However, other anime voice actors play off their versatility and always manage to sneak past fans when making a cameo or even voicing a main character. Jujutsu Kaisen has a star-studded cast of voice actors who fit both ends of this spectrum. The voice cast of Jujutsu Kaisen has more than a handful of great titles under their belt—including former salaryman, Nanami Kento.

For any fans of JJK‘s original Japanese dub or North American English dub who are curious if they’ve heard Nanami’s voice in other series, here are some popular animes where Nanami Kento’s Japanese voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda and English voice actor David Vincent have made an appearance.

Updated on January 2, 2024, by Christine Mendoza: Nanami Kento has always been (and always will be) a beloved character by Jujutsu Kaisen fans. While Nanami was already popular during the manga days, it was his iconic voice the animated series brought that truly brought him to life and made him the cherished character he is today. Now more than ever, fans are racing to see more of both Tsuda and Vincent’s work, aching to hear Nanami’s sweet voice once again (hopefully in a kinder universe). To help ease the pain of missing JJK’s Salaryman’s soothing voice, a few new anime roles Tsuda and Vincent have on their impressive resumes have been added.

12 Claude Lucci (English VA)

Mashle: Magic and Muscles

In the world of Mashle, magic is everything. One’s magical abilities dictate the path one takes for the rest of their life; only those with powerful skills and a mastery of magic will hold the most prestigious positions in society.

Claude Lucci is a professor at protagonist Mash Burnedead’s school, Easton Magic Academy. Since Mash himself doesn’t have an ounce of magic ability in him, he resorts to raw strength to prove that magic isn’t everything. This, of course, irritates Claude, being the highly decorated professor of magic that he is. Mash often plays the straight man to Professor Lucci’s dramatic, over-the-top antics, making Vincent’s Lucci very different from the tone he uses when playing the cold, no-nonsense Nanami.

11 Bunzo (Japanese VA)

Red Cat Ramen (Upcoming)

Red Cat Ramen is an upcoming anime that tells the story of a unique little ramen shop that just so happens to be run by an adorable feline staff. The original manga series focuses on Tamako Yashiro, a young woman (and the only human employee) who works at the ramen shop, behind the scenes.

The adorable staff of cats includes Sabu the head chef, Sasaki the finance expert, and, of course, the famous Bunzo, the general manager of the shop. Bunzo, despite his cute and cuddly appearance, is played by Tsuda. Instead of asking Tsuda to give Bunzo a high-pitched, overly cute voice, Tsuda uses a rather stern, deep tone (similar to his voice for Nanami) when playing Bunzo, making sure audiences take Bunzo’s business seriously!

10 Hikaru Tokugawa (English VA)

Mob Psycho 100

Hikaru Tokugawa is rather similar to Nanami when he was in his younger days as a student. Hikaru is a student at Salt Middle School along with the timid protagonist, Mob. Hikaru is the strict and “no-nonsense” vice president of the school’s student council.

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From the rigid and cold demeanor, right down to the hairstyle, young Nanami and Hikaru are eerily similar to one another. It’s no wonder why Vincent plays Nanami and Hikaru both so comfortably! The two are so alike, that they would either get along perfectly or hate one another because of how identical their personalities are.

9 Seijuro Mikoshiba (Japanese VA)

Free!

Despite his track record of voicing more mature men, Tsuda also took the role of one of the many talented young swimmers in Free!. Tsuda played the role of Seijuro Mikoshiba, the older brother of Momotaro Mikoshiba, and also captain of the Samezuka Swim Club.

Seijuro is a stark contrast to Tsuda’s tone when voicing Nanami. Seijuro is bright, cheery, and hopelessly in love with Rin’s younger sister, Gou. His little crush even gets Seijuro to break his serious captain role in favor of a softer tone, forcing him to speak in a cutesy voice!

8 Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (English VA)

Bleach

Bleach‘s fearsome Grimmjow is an Arrancar, a Hollow that has removed its mask. Grimmjow is a former member of the Espada and hides a rather bloodthirsty side behind his usual aloof personality. Vincent’s rendition of Bleach‘s Grimmjow is aggressive, blunt, and snarky; and although he may have hints of Nanami in his voice, his overall demeanor is likely the thing that throws off fans from being able to point out any similarities.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez sounds like JJK‘s Nanami with only three hours of sleep and four hours of overtime!

7 Overhaul (Kai Chisaki) (Japanese VA)

My Hero Academia

Antagonist Overhaul from My Hero Academia may have been many anime fans’ first encounter with Tsuda’s prolific work, as Overhaul made his anime debut back in 2018 (two years prior to his work as Nanami in JJK).

Overhaul (real name: Kai Chisaki), has a low, yet commanding voice, similar to Nanami’s in tone, but with a touch of raspiness and a whole lot of maliciousness. Outside the MHA villain’s threatening growl, Overhaul’s voice is easily recognizable as JJK‘s former salaryman, Nanami Kento.

6 Senketsu (English VA)

Kill La Kill

Senketsu is a Kamui (powerful clothing made of Life Fiber) Kill La Kill‘s protagonist Ryuko’s best bud and weapon/armor of choice. Senketsu is a sentient piece of clothing and is a rather calm and level-headed individual, making him a great partner on the battlefield for the hotheaded Ryuko when she finds herself in a tricky situation.

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Vincent’s work in Kill La Kill as Senketsu differs quite a bit from when he is voicing Nanami. Vincent sounds much younger when voicing Senketsu (as Nanami is supposed to be an older salaryman-type) and speaks in a smart, “matter-of-fact” way that makes him both irritating and hilarious.

5 Kishibe (Japanese VA)

Chainsaw Man

Even before Chainsaw Man‘s Kishibe was animated, fans were already drawing comparisons between him and JJK‘s Nanami. The two definitely have the same energy and while they still have their differences, they still feel like two characters that may just get along.

Kishibe is a Devil Hunter in the world of Chainsaw Man, handling the dirty (and dangerous) work to make the world a safer place, just like sorcerer Nanami. The pair have the same tough guy exterior, seeming cold and aloof at first; but deep down, they would put their lives on the line to save their friends and co-workers. Considering how similar these two are as the older, slightly jaded teachers, it’s only fitting they share Tsuda’s iconic voice.

4 Narrator (English VA)

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure

Many fans may be surprised to hear that the voice of JJK‘s Nanami is present in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. Vincent doesn’t voice a physical character in the series but instead lends his voice as the narrator of JJBA—always there to explain finer details of someone’s Stand or provide any missing backstory viewers need to be caught up on for the current arc.

Vincent’s work in JJBA is drastically different from the voice and attitude he channels for Nanami. While Nanami is rather monotone, cold, and often disinterested, narrators (in general) are meant to have a more dramatic, almost theatrical voice.

3 Tatsu (Japanese VA)

The Way of the Househusband

Following the story of a former Yakuza member turned tame male wife is the series The Way Of The Househusband. The main character, Tatsu, is a retired Yakuza legend; being so incredibly powerful and notorious that he even earned the fierce nickname “The Immortal Dragon”.

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As a committed husband, Tatsu has tried his best to put his old ways behind him but more often than not, his gruff, unintentionally intimidating demeanor is not easy to get rid of. Although Tsuda’s presence is clear in the anime adaptation of The Way Of The Househusband, Tatsu doesn’t sound like a carbon copy of Nanami but rather a Nanami after a few drinks and a long workday filled with nagging coworkers.

2 Duval (English VA)

One Piece

Duval is the leader of the Rosy Life Riders in the world of One Piece. Although he was once an enemy of the Straw Hats (especially Sanji), they eventually put the feud behind them and Duval became their ally. Duval once had an appearance deemed ugly by almost everyone (even his parents), one that looked like a bizarre version of the handsome Sanji. However, after a confrontation with Sanji (before they became allies) and many kicks to the face, Duval’s face undergoes the most drastic makeovers, resulting in one of the best glow-ups of all time.

Vincent uses a rather strong Southern accent when playing Duval and uses a much wider vocal range as opposed to the rather monotone Nanami; making his work in One Piece almost near undetectable as the JJK salaryman.

1 Seto Kaiba (Japanese VA)

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Yu-Gi-Oh!‘s Seto Kaiba is likely one of Tsuda’s more dynamic roles as his rendition of Kaiba may slip by some JJK fans as the same voice behind Nanami Kento. While many remember Yu-Gi-Oh! from their childhood, many fans from North America were likely watching the English dub instead of the Japanese original where Tsuda voices protagonist Yugi’s famous rival.

Tsuda uses a much less husky and gravelly tone (like Nanami) and channels a more crisp and clear tone, giving him a threatening, booming voice when in the heat of a duel.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Release Date

October 3, 2020

Creator

Gege Akutami

Studio

MAPPA