Showtaro Morikubo (森久保 祥太郎, Morikubo Shōtarō; born February 25, 1974) is a Japanese voice actor and singer who has voiced characters in anime, drama CDs, and video games. He was formerly affiliated with I'm Enterprise, Sigma Seven and VIMS. His most notable roles were Shikamaru Nara from Naruto, Souji Okita in the Hakuouki series, X in the Mega Man X series, Yuusuke Makishima from Yowamushi Pedal, and Yosuke Hanamura from Persona 4.
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Biography
Morikubo graduated from Third Junior & Senior High School of Nihon University in 1992, and dropped out of Tama Art University. Before becoming a full-fledged voice actor, he worked at a talent agency, and was recruited by people in the voice acting industry who saw a performance by the Onigiri Skippers, a theater troupe he founded with his seniors from the lab party he attended in elementary school. During his first dubbing session, he made sounds out of flipping pages on the script because he had no experience as a voice actor at that time. The script for the first episode had four pages of long dialogues from the first page, and the sound director said that he would never have let him do the role if he had known he would talk so much. He made his voice acting debut in 1996 as a Mini 4 Fighter in Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!!. The show was supposed to finish in a year, but due to its unexpected popularity, it became a long-running production, and he moved from the agency where he had worked as an actor to a voice acting agency. Since then, he has been active in a variety of fields including animation, games, radio personality, music, and stage.
After working at Sigma Seven, Morikubo moved to VIMS, an office affiliated with Arts Vision.
In 1998, he and voice actor Hideo Ishikawa started a music unit called "Anzu" (derived from the only fruit Morikubo could eat), and in 1999, they formed the band "AN's ALL STARS" with other band members. In August of the same year, he formed the band "Mosquito Milk".
In 2001, Morikubo made his solo debut under the Capcom Suleputer label, and in 2008, he debuted again under the Lantis label. In 2010, he formed "Buzzy→Bee" as a solo project, and in January 2015, he became the second DJ of the long-running bayfm program "KEIYOGINKO POWER COUNTDOWN JAPAN HOT 30".
In 2016, he received the Kei Tomiyama Memorial Award at the 10th Seiyu Awards. In 2020, he received the Personality Award at the 14th Seiyu Awards.
On August 31, 2018, Morikubo left VIMS. On September 1 of the same year, he established Add9th and assumed the position of its representative director.
Filmography
Anime television
1996
After War Gundam X – Willis Aramis
Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!! – Mini Yon Fighter
VS Knight Ramune & 40 Fire – Mito Natto
1998
Blue Submarine No. 6 (OVA) – Verg
Chosoku Spinner – Shunichi Domoto
Lodoss to Senki: Eiyū Kishi Den – Cecil
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen – Orphen
1999
Excel Saga – Norikuni Iwata
I'm Gonna Be An Angel – Raphael / Fuyuki Suzuhara
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Revenge – Orphen
2000
Dotto Koni-Chan – High
2001
Captain Tsubasa – Shingo Aoi
Cyborg 009 (2001 series) – Cyborg 002 / Jet Link
Rave Master – Hamrio Musica
Kai Doh Maru (OVA) – Raiko Minamoto
Kikaider 01: The Animation (OVA) – Kikaider 01 / Ichiro
Prétear – Gō
The Prince of Tennis – Akaya Kirihara
Anime films
Spriggan (1998) – Yu Ominae
Pokémon: The First Movie (1998) – Young Mewtwo
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (2005) – Kadaj
Fairy Tail the Movie: The Phoenix Priestess (2012) – Dyst
Hakuōki Dai-isshō Kyoto Ranbu (2013) – Okita Souji
Hakuōki Dai-nishō Shikon Sōkyū (2014) – Okita Souji
The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014) – Shikamaru Nara
Boruto: Naruto the Movie (2015) – Shikamaru Nara
Mazinger Z: Infinity (2018) – Koji Kabuto
WAVE!! Surfing Yappe!! (2020) – Sōichirō William Mori
Ensemble Stars!! Road to Show!! (2022) – Makoto Yūki
Fate/strange Fake: Whispers of Dawn (2023) – Caster
Nintama Rantarō: Invincible Master of the Dokutake Ninja (2024) – Zatto Konnamon
Chimney Town: Frozen in Time (2026)
Video games
1998
Super Adventure Rockman – Heatman, Quickman
1999
Spriggan: Lunar Verse – Yu Ominae
2000
Grandia II – Ryudo
Rockman X5 – X, Dynamo
Sorcerous Stabber Orphen – Orphen
2001
Apocripha/0 – Seles
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (Japanese dubbed version) – Jak
Rockman X6 – X, Dynamo
2002
Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side – Chiharu Aoki
2003
Rockman X7 – X
2004
Jak II (Japanese dubbed version) – Jak
2005
Memories Off 5 The Unfinished Film – Haruto Kawai
Shining Force Neo – Max
2006
Mermaid Prism
2007
Odin Sphere – Ingway
2008
11 Eyes – Takahisa Tajima
Drama CDs
... Virgin Love – Kazuki
Ao no Kiseki series 5: Persona Non Grata – Majera
Be My Princess – Prince Keith
Code:Realize ~Sousei no Himegimi~ as Impey Barbicane
Gaki no Ryoubun series 2–5, Kaoru Nitta
Hana-Kimi – Shuichi Nakatsu
Junjou Boy series 1–2, Ritsu Asaka
Kageki series 1–5, Shikyuriru/Shiki
Mars – Rei Kashino
Sakurazawa vs Hakuhou series 2: Houkengo no Nayameru Kankei – Katsumi Hirose
SEVENTH HEAVEN – Kanade
Superior – Exa
WRITERZ – Hyoma Kiritani
Tokusatsu
Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger Returns: Hundred Years After (2014) – Remorseful Knight Arslevan
Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger (2024-2025) - Disrace
Dubbing
Eddie Peng
Tai Chi 0 – Fang Zi Jing
Tai Chi Hero – Fang Zi Jing
The Bodyguard – Cop #2
Call of Heroes – Ma Fung
Wu Kong – Sun Wukong
The Rescue – Gao Qian
American Assassin – Mitch Rapp (Dylan O'Brien)
The Batman – Thomas Wayne (Luke Roberts)
Bones – James Aubrey (John Boyd)
Cinderella – Romesh (Romesh Ranganathan)
Criminal Activities – Noah (Dan Stevens)
Criminal Minds – Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler)
Deadpool & Wolverine – Gambit (Channing Tatum)
Final Destination 3 – Ian McKinley (Kris Lemche)
The Gilded Age – Oscar van Rhijn (Blake Ritson)
His Dark Materials – Pantalaimon (Kit Connor)
Houdini & Doyle – Harry Houdini (Michael Weston)
A Lot like Love – Oliver Martin (Ashton Kutcher)
Martial Arts of Shaolin – Lin Zhi-ming (Jet Li)
A Minecraft Movie – Daryl (Jemaine Clement)
Solo discography
Albums
zui (髄; lit. "marrow) is the first solo album by Showtaro Morikubo, released in 2001. "The Answer" and "Moon Light" were the album's promotional tracks, being used in the video game series Rockman X as the opening themes to Rockman X6. "The Answer" appeared as the album's only single, paired with the B-side "Happy Monday Man". The concert for this album – later released on DVD and included the promotional video for "The Answer" – is entitled "Showtaro Morikubo Live House Tour '01 ~Okubyō Mono no G Kōi~" (臆病者のG行為 lit. "G Conduct of a Coward").
Build Up!!! [鍛]
Power
G Kōi (G行為 lit. "G Conduct")
Karada Kensa (身体検査 lit. "Physical Examination")
Rainy Day
The Answer
Hedgehog Peter
Okubyō Mono (臆病者 lit. "Coward")
Moon Light
End of the Sky
kyo (叫〜kyo〜 lit. "exclaim")
叫〜kyo〜
Key
dizzy candy
DoPaMiNe
My Destination
Crazy night
Never surrender
Home sweet home
Parallel World
Catharsis-Dinner
Whenever I go
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Solo singles
The Answer
being the TRY
Lazy Mind
Ride Free
Parallel World
Stand down
Mr.CLOWN
CHAIN REACTION
TRIBALISM ～sunrise side～
TRIBALISM ～sunset side～
Focus
PHANTOM PAIN
TRUTH
Other discography
Albums
Hard Spirit is an album released from one of Morikubo's most popular voice actor units, Heart-beat, in which he paired up with fellow voice actor Hiroki Takahashi. The album spawned two singles, "Shootin' Stars" and "Continued". This album was also featured in a three part live action series, "Cross Chord", a drama starring both voice actors as the lead characters. In addition to the main album, both Morikubo and Takahashi released separate albums (titled Show and Hero for each artist, respectively) containing solo versions of the Hard Spirit songs, along with two exclusively solo tracks, each (both of which are also included on "Hard Spirit"). Morikubo sings alone in "Hurry Up Drive" and "Change or Never change", and Takahashi's solos are "Thanks for..." and "Believe me".
Cross Chord
Shootin' Stars (Movie Version)
Continued (Movie Version)
Hurry Up Drive
Change or Never Change
Thanks for...
Believe Me
Shootin' Stars (Single Version)
Continued (Single Version)
Singles
CONTINUED
Shootin' stars
Notable songs
"Moon Light", used in Rockman X6 as the main opening theme.
"The Answer", used as a second opening theme for the aforementioned game.
"Lazy Mind", used as the ending theme for Rockman X7. It is still heard in the English release of the game, but is instrumental only.
"Begin the Try" (begin the TRY), used as the second ending theme to the anime Rockman.EXE.
DVD
Showtaro Morikubo Okubyō Mono no G Kōi Live House Tour '01
Cross Chord (Volumes 1–3)