Did you just get into male seiyuu music and don’t know where to start? Are you a longtime fan but looking for new music to check out? Time to check these 18 essential albums by male seiyuu artists.
If you’re just experiencing the joys of listening to male seiyuu music – and following their careers – for the very first time, you may be finding yourself overwhelmed with the wide variety of music available to check.
There are many seiyuu solo artists out there. Seiyuu units – or groups – are now a rarity and bands fronted by male seiyuu are equally as rare.
But the quality of their music? In the last couple of years, it has been mindblowing how almost all seiyuu artists have been consistently improving, delivering music that mesmerizes not only seiyuu fans but even those that don’t even know – nor care – about what seiyuu are.
Because there is so much to choose from, I bring you 18 CDs by Japanese voice actors (male seiyuu) that I believe you should check, at least once in your life.
If this is your first time hearing about male seiyuu solo artists, I believe you’ll find, for sure, a CD that will pique your interest here. And if you’re a seasoned fan of male seiyuu (or seiyuu music in general), I hope you do find a couple of pearls among all the awesome CDs I suggest in this feature.
I made sure to choose at least one CD covering each of the most popular music genres and then added a couple of entries in niche genres/sub-genres that you may not be that familiar with.
I hope you enjoy these picks and, ultimately, end up falling in love with the insanely talented and versatile male seiyuu artists I’m highlighting here.
And last but not least, I hope you have fun listening to these CDs.
A note that these albums are NOT RANKED.
Soma Saito “my beautiful valentine”
Genres: Shoegaze rock/Jazz/R&B/Alternative pop
Soma Saito has been one of the most fascinating singer-songwriters and technical singers among male seiyuu since his solo debut in 2017.
His music is known for both straying away from what is mainstream, as well as for its complexity, a result of his passion for literature, linguistics as well as deep music sensibility.
This time around, and following the release of the spine-chilling 2nd album “in bloom”, Saito brought forward his 2nd EP “my beautiful valentine”, a surrealistic take on romance that takes the listener on a unique sonic journey through madness, pleasure, desire, and darkness.
“my beautiful valentine” is a masterpiece – in every sense of the word -, a display of how genius Soma Saito is as a singer-songwriter (and storyteller), and a must-listen if you’re trying to find an artist that is more than a pretty face, that goes beyond just entertaining you.
This is a CD that will take you to a really dark place so if you’re trying to cheer up, it may not be the best choice but if you’re looking for art in music format that will make you theorize to no end, taking you into the depths of his dark, twisted compositions, “my beautiful valentine” fills that gap perfectly.
Shouta Aoi “0”
Genres: Pop/EDM/Ballad
If you’re getting into male seiyuu music and don’t know where to start, Shouta Aoi is always a fantastic starting point, even more so, if you’re a fan of EDM pop.
In 2017, the talented solo artist released “0” (read: Zero), and fans were floored. There was a good reason for it.
Shouta Aoi performs a set of songs that highlight his singing skills – he is a technical, crystal clear high tenor – while delivering addictive pop tune after addictive pop tune. But there’s more to it.
When Aoi takes the reigns as a lyricist, heartwrenching songs take the stage. On top of that, one minute you’re listening to an EDM-pop tune in the likes of T.M.Revolution, in the other you’re crying as he tackles a ballad and in another, you just want to hit the dancefloor and enjoy yourself.
Putting a smile on your face while showcasing his vocal prowess, Shouta Aoi’s “0” is a must-listen for every fan of pop music.
Mamoru Miyano “Toumei”
Genres: Ballad/Pop/Space-disco
If there is a solo artist among male seiyuu that almost everyone is familiar with – and quite possibly a fan of – is Mamoru Miyano.
He’s known for being an all-rounder – a good singer, dancer, and entertainer – and always manages to catch the attention of new people that can’t help but be drawn into his charismatic performances.
The solo artist has a career spawning a decade overflowing with exciting, catchy dance tunes and plenty of slow-paced, emotional ballads.
However none come close to how powerful, heartwrenching, and impactful “Toumei” is.
The song has lyrics by fellow voice actress and solo artist Maaya Sakamoto and Miyano’s performance is something that you have to stop to listen to. The gentleness, the rawness in his emotions, and the care with which he tackles the performance will make you weep.
As tie-ups in this single, listeners will find the bubbly “Zanshou” and the space-disco “Question”.
This single is a mature blend of old-school songs, trendy tunes catering to international fans, and tracks that highlight his singing skills.
Makoto Furukawa “from fairytale”
Genres: Bebop Jazz/Rock/Ballad
Jazz music is seldom embraced by seiyuu solo artists. Well, Makoto Furukawa made sure that ended as he fully embraced the unpredictability and flamboyance of jazz when he announced his solo debut in 2018.
And after a series of impressive singles, in 2020 he delivered the stunning 1st full-length album “from fairytale”.
The album is like a story unfolding, meaning that it is split into two acts, with cinematic intros and intermissions that will take you, the listener, to a dimly lit jazz bar soundscape, later on, diving into each of the chapters in this story. The first act is all about jazz and the 2nd act is more eclectic, with rock and ballads joining the mix.
Those songs count with lyrics by Makoto Furukawa as well as his powerful baritone, vibrato-filled vocals that will make you gasp in awe in a second and swoon in another.
Jazz enthusiasts – swing, bebop, and Latin Jazz – will find this album to be a perfect suggestion not to mention an enjoyable listen.
Toshiki Masuda “origin”
Genre: Rock/Ballad
In 2021, Toshiki Masuda revamped his sound. The talented voice actor, stage actor, and solo artist released his sophomore album “origin” under the theme of his “rock origins”.
What follows is an impressive set of performances by a singer comfortable in his own skin, doing what he loves, performing music that he actually connects with.
“origin” is all about its rock sound, showcasing strong influences of Asian Kung-Fu Generation and Porno Graffiti throughout, with Toshiki Masuda pushing the boundaries of his singing skills, putting to good use his smooth, gentle baritone voice while showing that he can also perform in head voice and deliver a reverberating vibrato time and time again.
Listeners will find in this album songs about youth, ambition, dreams, fantasies, defeat, and hope, with Toshiki Masuda painting you vivid, rich pictures with each performance.
Yuma Uchida “Equal”
Genres: R&B/Pop/Pop-Rock/Ballad
Yuma Uchida is a master of the R&B-pop music genre among male seiyuu.
And he’s, easily, one of the best singers among male seiyuu, owner of a powerful and versatile tenor range that enables him to dazzle you in a sweet R&B song, energize you in an upbeat EDM pop song or make you weep when the time comes to perform a ballad.
In 2021, Yuma Uchida released his sophomore album “Equal” and what followed was something that even fans were not expecting.
Uchida matured as an artist, leaving behind bubblegum pop tunes in favor of an addictive, retro-inspired funk sound that suits him at the same time that highlights his singing skills, demanding of him tricky, highly technical performances that will genuinely leave you in awe (do listen to “I’m not complete”, you’ll understand what I just said).
Versatile, owner of a sweet tenor voice, and with a radio-friendly sound without compromising quality, Yuma Uchida and his 2nd album “Equal” are well worth checking out.
Kashicomi “Dusk”
Genres: Rock/Pop-rock/Funk
Extremely underrated yet one of the best seiyuu units currently active, Kashicomi is that duo you can always expect good things from.
The duo comprised of Shoya Chiba (86, VISUAL PRISON) and Sho Nogami (TSUKIPRO THE ANIMATION, The IDOLM@STER SideM) has been showing their cards in the last couple of years, releasing exciting, shredding rock music that will have you screaming, shouting, jumping and headbanging along to.
Both are experienced, skilled singers with tenor vocal ranges that will blow your mind.
And “Dusk”, the duo’s 2nd mini-album far more than exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Fans of fast-paced, shredding rock music will find themselves loving every minute of this CD. But if you’re not that big of a fan of fast-paced rock, don’t worry. The duo made sure to add slow-paced ballads as well as a funky, feel-good song to put a smile on your face.
Kashicomi is a seiyuu duo with a strong identity, a robust rock sound, and outstanding vocals to boot. If you can, do check “Dusk” as this is a memorable, albeit underrated, highlight reel in the form of a mini-album.
SparQlew “Daybreak”
Genres: Nu-disco/Pop/Hip-hop/Emo-rock
As you may have noticed so far, 2021 was a crazy good year for fans of male seiyuu music. And one of the biggest surprises of the year was SparQlew’s “Daybreak”.
This is the last SparQlew CD featuring all 5 original members as, later that same year, Shoya Chiba announced his graduation from the group as well as from Kiramune, with the group continuing their activities as a quartet.
The unit then consisting of Yuto Uemura, Shun Horie, Shoya Chiba, Yuya Hozumi, and Takuto Yoshinaga changed its concept and sound for the very first time since its debut.
Instead of the bubblegum, generic pop sound that had marked their first years in the industry, the unit decided to embrace a masculine, elegant and mature image and sound that suits them best. That led to them looking almost like they were a K-pop or J-pop idol group but also meant that their music would take a massive leap in quality from the vocals to its presentation.
The mini-album includes the addictive unit song “Dance in the Twilight” and solo tracks by all members, some of those with lyrics by the members in question.
From seductive nu-disco to groovy hip-hop, emotional emo-rock, and even pop tunes, this mini-album has everything to cater to your tastes.
And if you’re more the type of person that prefers groups to solo artists, SparQlew is currently the best seiyuu unit active, with the group having a sound and quality well worth exploring.
GRANRODEO “Bokutachi no Gunzou”
Genres: Rock/Funk/Ballad
This is one of those CDs I immediately suggest whenever someone asks me for “good albums that I should check”.
GRANRODEO, a rock band fronted by male seiyuu and lyricist Kisho Taniyama (under his stage name, KISHOW) and with guitar work and compositions by e-ZUKA, has been a staple in the anisong industry. However, there is much more to this band than their awesome, hyped-up anime openings or endings. Whenever GRANRODEO is off doing their own thing, creating unique music, it’s when their best and most impressive work is released.
In 2021, the band challenged itself with crafting its 2nd concept album, “Bokutachi no Gunzou”.
This is an album that will make you cry despite not sounding like it at the start. Like all concept albums, this is a CD meant to be listened to from start to finish without shuffling songs. And that’s because each song is a chapter in the story of the protagonist “Modern Strange Cowboy”.
You’ll go from the nostalgic, carefree days as a high-schooler to finding love, experiencing loss, and, ultimately dying. This is a deep, heartbreaking tale that will have you both weeping as well as praising the band for their genius songwriting skills.
I was going to write “please do check it if you like rock music” but who am I kidding?
Check it regardless of the music genre you like, this story is more than worth your attention.
Trignal “tricolore”
Genres: Tropical Pop/EDM/Rock/Ballad
One of the finest seiyuu units to grace the music industry is Trignal.
The unit consisting of Ryohei Kimura, Tsubasa Yonaga, and Takuya Eguchi went through plenty of ups and downs in quality and technique in their over 10-year career however, when “tricolore” was released, Trignal was the perfect seiyuu unit.
Their singing technique was vastly improved, they were comfortable performing together and the sound was, for a change, mature, finally matching the group’s vibe while setting the perfect stage for them to shine.
And indeed, they shone.
The trio released a memorable collection of pop tunes, featuring as well solo tracks by all members, with Ryohei Kimura and Takuya Eguchi writing lyrics to their tracks (both bangers, EDM, and rock, respectively).
“tricolore” was such a massive leap of quality for the unit that now, as the group is on hiatus for Tsubasa Yonaga to recover from Dysphonia, they leave a lot of nostalgia among their fans. Check them out if your want to have a good time with entertaining pop + rock music and engaging vocals.
Miyu Irino “Life is…”
Genres: Rock/Funk/R&B/Ballad
Miyu Irino is one of the most skilled and consistent singers among male seiyuu. Owner of a sweet tenor voice, the popular voice actor and solo artist, has been charming everyone that comes across his work.
For his solo career, Miyu Irino is all about the concept of “life”. That is a driving force across several releases in his repertoire, with “Life is…” arriving as the final chapter in a journey that started with “DARE TO DREAM”, album that signaled his hiatus from the entertainment industry to go study abroad.
As he returned from his adventures living and studying in the UK, Miyu Irino brought with him a renowned sonority, embracing funk, disco, and soul, and new life experiences to share with his fans, doing so in “Freedom”, “Live your dream” and later on in “Life is…”, the final chapter in that journey in his life.
“Life is…” is a fantastic album that explores life from different prisms advising the listeners, reminiscing on the past, looking forward to the future, going through ups and downs, and living the present with no care for both. It’s, essentially, what life is all about.
Koutaro Nishiyama “Laundry”
Genres: Citypop/Nu-disco
There is only one male seiyuu that has embraced citypop, a beloved music sub-genre characteristically Japanese that mixes pop with funk and synthwave.
Koutaro Nishiyama has been impressing everyone with his dreamy, nostalgic, 80s-inspired sound as well as with his crafty approach to his singing.
“Laundry” has a collection of classy, dreamy tunes that have a loungy danceable sound that takes you to neon-lit, bustling city soundscapes. It’s a perfect CD to have blasting as you drive on the highway at night or near the seashore at sunset.
And dazzling at center stage is Koutaro Nishiyama, showing that he knows exactly what he is doing, making his unique singing tone and skillset as a singer shine.
“Laundry” is a fantastic rendition of citypop music, capturing its nostalgia, elegance, and groove, and making it cool again, especially among fans of seiyuu that may never have come across this dreamy music genre before.
Toshiyuki Toyonaga “MUSIC OF THE ENTERTAINMENT”
Genres: Rock/Pop/Enka/Ballad
When you mention the name Toshiyuki Toyonaga to a seiyuu fan, they’ll immediately say “he’s the best singer among seiyuu”.
If you could ask that same question to fellow seiyuu, rest assured that the answer would be the same taking into account how everyone reacts to his otherworldly singing skills.
Toshiyuki Toyonaga is a tenor with a massive range that goes even beyond it, tapping well deep into faux baritone and his technique is second to none.
In 2014, Toyonaga released what is, still to this day, his best album to date. “MUSIC OF THE ENTERTAINMENT” is an impressive album on all fronts.
Toyonaga wrote lyrics and composed all songs, helped produce the album, played several instruments (guitar, drums, piano), and delivered a collection of songs that find him performing pop, rock, heartwrenching ballads, enka, and R&B tunes.
No matter how many years pass, this will continue to be one of the most impressive creations by a male seiyuu artist and an album that continues to be recommended as a perfect starting point for those trying to get into male seiyuu music.
Kenichi Suzumura “BRIGHT”
Genres: Jazz/Pop-rock/Ballad
Kenichi Suzumura may be best known among fans of 2D music as a member of STARISH in the Uta no Prince-Sama franchise however, there’s more to his career, namely being an experienced solo artist with a repertoire filled with impressive performances and easy-listening pop-rock music.
In 2021, and after 7 years without releasing a full-length album, Kenichi Suzumura released “BRIGHT”.
This underrated pearl of an album includes not only previously released songs but also new tracks and it is in those new entries that fans will find the best of Suzumura as a performer and lyricist.
From the haunting jazz in “Kumo no Ito” to the 70s funk in “turn on the radio“, to the warm R&B ballad “Mata Aeru”, there is no shortage of great moments and songs that will make you go through a rollercoaster of emotions.
Shunichi Toki “True Gazer”
Genres: Classic rock/Jazz/Ballad
Rock music is not often chosen by seiyuu artists that want to become popular and when they decide to go the niche route, they are further hampering their chances of having their music becoming popular.
But with that niche approach arrives unique music with memorable performances. You get to listen to a singer performing what they love, not what is trendy.
So color me surprised when Shunichi Toki announced that he was not only releasing a concept mini-album but that the concept was to be all about the sounds of 60s and 70s rock, with all songs in that CD being a wink at the sonorities, lyrics, and singing styles of “old”.
With Shunichi Toki’s technical and sweet high baritone vocals on top, “True Gazer” is a concept mini-album that features quite the balanced and easy-listening batch of songs that even in their complexity, are easy listening and fun.
Tetsuya Kakihara “I for U”
Genres: Rock/Funk/R&B/Ballad
Tetsuya Kakihara has grown into one of the most consistent and versatile singers among male seiyuu artists.
“I for U” arrives as the magnum opus in Kakihara’s career, an album that perfectly encompasses not only his growth as a singer – now having total control over his low tenor vocals – but also of his maturity as a solo artist performing songs across a tasteful set of songs in the most varied music genres.
“Samidare” and “Last Lady“ are my picks when it comes to highlighting just how impressive of a singer Kakihara can be. “Samidare” is a ballad with traditional Japanese influences in which listeners find Kakihara performing in falsetto, making this a hauntingly beautiful experience.
And “Last Lady” is a song perfect for fans of R&B and downtempo funk/soul.
Everything about that song is groovy, the mood quite mature, and with Kakihara leading the way with one of the most technical performances in his repertoire.
“I for U” is one of the most complete CDs ever released by a male seiyuu artist.
Tasuku Hatanaka “FIGHTER”
Genres: EDM, dance-pop, R&B, ballad
While I could write about how awesome “TWISTED HEARTS” (Moriarty the Patriot 2nd cour’s opening theme) is as a single, I decided to bring a CD that better reflects who Tasuku Hatanaka is as solo artist and why you should check his music out.
The 1st full-length album “FIGHTER” presents him as a mature pop artist.
All songs have a “hit song” vibe to them, making it a treat to listen to as you go through high tension EDM-pop tunes to addictive pop-rock, groovy R&B, beautiful ballads, and even get a taste of hip-hop.
Hatanaka’s versatility is put on full display in “FIGHTER” and if that wasn’t enough to catch your attention, do know that he has a unique singing voice well worth checking out.
He’s a raspy tenor, something rare among voice actors and even more so among singers. His technique is second to none, with Hatanaka standing out for his consistency, technicality, and wide vocal range, tacking the trickiest of vocal parts and making those sound like it’s easy.
If you’re looking for an all-rounded CD performed by one of the most energetic and technical singers among male seiyuu, Tasuku Hatanaka’s “FIGHTER” is an awesome pick-up.
Wataru Hatano “Breakers”
Genres: Minimalistic Pop / Funk-pop
In 2021, Wataru Hatano released a single that would stand tall as one of the best releases of the year. And why was that?
“Breakers” – the song – is a massive surprise even by Wataru Hatano’s standards. While Hatano’s repertoire is ever-evolving in terms of sound and approaches to his singing style, at the core of his identity as a solo artist is pop-rock music.
Now, “Breakers” is nothing like what Hatano has in his repertoire. And while that could have been a disastrous change in tone and sound, what happened was jaw-droppingly good.
With Evan Call as the composer for “Breakers”, the listener can expect a song of an insanely high level of composition, creating a soundscape that is as empty as it is bright and crystal-clear.
There is something eerie about this song that is gripping. It makes you want to listen to it more and more.
Simplicity was key in creating the unique soundscape you’ll be diving into and when you arrive at the funky “Heart To Heart”, you’ll still be shaken to your core.
While Hatano does have awesome CDs to his name “Futuristic” and “Never End! Summer!“, “Breakers” effortlessly stands out in its simplicity and eerie delivery.
And with this, I wrap up this feature about the 18 CDs by male seiyuu artists that you must check, at least once.
There are plenty more awesome CDs that could have been included but if you’re just starting out, these are essentials in your journey as a fan of seiyuu music.
Now tell me, are you a fan of any of these CDs? Which would you recommend? Hop in the comments section and leave your suggestions there!
Thanks for the recommendations ✨