Seiyuu Digest #103 – Gakuto Kajiwara

With an impressive start to his career as a voice actor and solo artist, Gakuto Kajiwara is a rising star well worth your attention.

Gakuto Kajiwara

KANJI: 梶原 岳人

BORN: November 28, 1994

OCCUPATION: voice actor, singer-songwriter, YouTuber

HEIGHT: 178 cm

Gakuto Kajiwara was born on November 28, 1994, in Hirakata, Osaka, and is currently represented by Haikyo (Tokyo Actor’s Consumer’s Cooperative Society).

Seiyuu

From a young age, Kajiwara attended music lessons, learning singing and piano. He went on to learn how to play guitar, joined the light music club at his school, and was part of a band up until he was in university.

And while this may make it sound like Kajiwara was set on becoming a singer, the truth is, he has had a passion for manga and anime since elementary school.

He loved the TV anime “Dragon Ball” and often imitated Son Goku.

While doing impressions, he started thinking, “It’s interesting to give voices to characters!“.

This was his introduction to the profession of voice acting.

He enjoyed expressing himself and attracting attention through vocalization and impersonation even during elementary and middle school. In high school, he admired Yuki Kaji’s performance as Shu Ouma, the protagonist of the TV anime “Guilty Crown”, this was when he developed an interest in voice acting.

As such, when he was in Singapore, he sent a demo tape for the “Seiyuu Award” new talent audition.

After graduating high school, he returned to Japan and entered the Film Studies Department of Nihon University’s College of Art.

Around the end of his second year in 2016, he joined the 48th generation of the Pro-Fit Voice Actor’s Studio, and later became a member of Tokyo Actor’s Consumer’s Cooperative Society.

With dual passions – voice acting and music – and after graduating from Pro-Fit Voice Actor’s Studio, Gakuto Kajiwara was ready to debut as a voice actor.

2017 – 2019

An impressive debut, Attracting a lot of attention

Gakuto Kajiwara made his debut as a voice actor in 2017.

Not even 6 months into this career and he was already being cast as the leading voice actor in the action/adventure anime series, Black Clover.

He was cast as Asta, the cheerful and energetic protagonist in the series with a heart of gold.

In the early stages of the anime series, and due to the character’s overenthusiastic personality that led to him shouting most of the time, Gakuto Kajiwara was criticized for his acting.

However, as the story progressed and the character matured, Kajiwara’s acting started to get gradually more natural, quieting those critical voices of his acting.

And it is as this character matures that you notice Kajiwara also growing as a voice actor. It is worth remembering that very few seiyuu can safely say that their first main role in an anime series was right off the bat a popular shounen anime series with a massive following in Japan.

In a way, there was no one else as perfect for the role as Kajiwara. Both Asta and himself were newcomers to what they were doing, they were enthusiastic about learning more and being successful. In hindsight, this was a fantastic casting decision.

This is, even with his roles in several otome games and on Paradox Live, Kajiwara’s most famous role to date.

The rest of the year was filled with minor characters in other anime series, which seemed strange considering how much of a big role he was tackling in Black Clover.

In 2018, he was cast as Nori Kamitsuki, the protagonist in the short comedy anime series Omae wa Mada Gunma wo Shiranai.

This was a role in which Kajiwara was unrecognizable in comparison to his ongoing work on Black Clover. The change in tone for the anime series and the different voice direction enabled Kajiwara to show a different side to his acting. Still, the anime series went under the radar for most people.

2018 kicked off with a big role in the action anime series, Fire Force.

Kajiwara was cast as the series’ protagonist Shinra Kusakabe, a brave and confident individual that is always willing to help others in need.

Despite the hype surrounding this series and its star-studded voice cast, the anime series ended up getting a really lukewarm response from Japanese fans. Still, it was yet another opportunity for Kajiwara to showcase how much he was improving as a voice actor.

And this was the role that earned him the Best New Actor award at the Seiyuu Awards.

In 2019, Kajiwara would voice a character in a music anime series for the very first time.

And while this was not necessarily the first time that Kajiwara’s fans listened to him singing, it was a massive opportunity to showcase his talents to others.

He reprised his role as Saku Otonomiya in the anime adaptation of the drama CD series ACTORS -Songs Connection –. And he left a mark due to how emotionally charged, clear, and clean Kajiwara’s singing is.

Other anime series in which he voiced characters include (this list is not extensive):

• The IDOLM@STER SideM (2017)
• Eromanga Sensei (2017)
• Youkai Apartment no Yuuga na Nichijou (2017)
• Inuyashiki (2017)
• Gakuen Babysitters (2018)
• Dame x Prince Anime Caravan (2018)
• Hataraku Saibou (2018)
• Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken (2018)
• Butlers (2018)
• Gundam Build Divers (2018)
• K SEVEN STORIES Episode1「R:B ～BLAZE～」 (2018)
• The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (2018)
• Bloom into You (2018)
• Tsurune (2018)
• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind (2018)
• Fruits Basket (2019)
• Star-Myu (2019)
• Domestic na Kanojo (2019)
• Diamond no Ace: Act II (2019)
• Mairimashita! Iruma-kun (2019)

2020 –

Slowly building up his repertoire

Consistently, Kajiwara has been building up his repertoire, especially by guaranteeing he voices one main/leading character per year.

2020 was an odd year due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequential quarantine that closed anime and games studios for almost half a year.

Still, Kajiwara had already been cast and recorded his lines as the friendly and upbeat Hiiro Ryuugasaki for the fantasy anime series, Shadowverse.

In 2021, he voiced Liu Bei Unicorn Gundam, one of the main characters in the mecha anime series, SD Gundam World Heroes.

Still in the same year, Kajiwara was cast as Hitohito Tadano in the comedy anime series, Komi Can’t Communicate.

In 2022, he was cast as Katsumi Amako, one of the supporting characters in the action/fantasy anime series, Orient.

Before the end of the year, Kajiwara was cast as Junta Hayami, one of the male leads in the romance anime series, Romantic Killer.

2023 kicked off with several roles in anime series and movies. He reprised his role as Night Kitanomaru, member of STAND-ALONE, in the music/sci-fi anime series, Technoroid: Overmind.

In October 2023, Kajiwara will reprise his role as Allen Sugasano in the anime adaptation of the popular hip-hop mixed-media project, Paradox Live THE ANIMATION.

Other anime series in which he voiced characters include (this list is not extensive):

• Argonavis from BanG Dream! (2020)
• Kanojo, Okarishimasu (2020)
• 2.43: Seiin Koukou Danshi Volley-bu (2020)
• number24 (2020)
• Haikyu!! To The Top (2020)
• Rent-A-Girlfriend (2020)
• SSSS.Dynazenon (2021)
• Kyuukyoku Shinka shita Full Dive RPG ga Genjitsu yori mo Kusoge Dattara (2021)
• Deatte 5-byou de Battle (2021)
• Waccha PriMagi! (2021)
• Ensemble Stars!! Road to Show!! (2022)
• Tribe Nine (2022)
• THE FIRST SLAM DUNK (2022)
• Saikyou Onmyouji no Isekai Tenseiki (2023)
• AYAKA (2023)
• Jujutsu Kaisen (2023)

Awards

In 2020, at the 14th Seiyuu Awards, Gakuto Kajiwara shared the Best New Actor award with Takeo Otsuka, Katsumi Fukuhara, Koutaro Daigo and Shogo Yano.

Radio

When it comes to radio shows, Gakuto Kajiwara has had the opportunity of hosting or co-hosting several.

And in all radio shows, he is really calm and is usually unaffected by his co-hosts no matter how crazy they are or how much they’ve decided to tease him. As a result, Kajiwara brings chill vibes to whichever radio show he hosts.

Expect him to be really friendly and ask lots of questions to his guests, with his curiosity easily standing out.

Some of the radio shows he has hosted or co-hosted include:

MAN TWO MONTH RADIO Gakumon’s Recommendation (2020)

In 2020, Kajiwara was invited to be the host of MAN TWO MONTH RADIO, show in which seiyuu can handle their own radio show for two months before switching to the next seiyuu.

Gakuto Kajiwara was a personality from April to May 2023.

In MAN TWO MONTH RADIO Gakumon’s Recommendation, Kajiwara challenged various things, learns, and allows listeners to get to know him better.

Jun Kasama and Gakuto Kajiwara no furatto kikou! (2020 -)

Since 2020, Gakuto Kajiwara is co-hosting “Jun Kasama and Gakuto Kajiwara no furatto kikou! ~… Eh? Studio kara wa de rarenain desu ka?~” with Jun Kasama.

This is a talk and travel show without a set destination, presented by Jun Kasama and Gakuto Kajiwara. Even though the theme is travel, they won’t be leaving the studio for any of the episodes.

To capture the feeling of traveling, they read letters and emails from their listeners, no matter how far they live from the hosts.

Other radio shows include (list is not extensive):

• Jun Kasama・Gakuto Kajiwara no「Radio Cruw(z)」 〜Voice Voyage〜
• Ensemble Stars! ! “ALKALOID” & “Crazy: B” Radio Square!!
• ACTORS- Radio haishin shite mita!
• Neu Tensai Gunshi
• Black Clover Mobile Black Cromo Radio Team
• Yoshiki Nakajima and Gakuto Kajiwara no Soniradio

Games

Since his debut as a voice actor, Kajiwara has lent his talents to various games. His first roles in games were in I-Chu and Black Clover: Quartet Knights in 2018.

He’s most active voicing characters in action games but he has been slowly adding credits in otome, RPGs, mecha, strategy, and more.

Below are some of the most important characters he has voiced so far:

Swin Abel in The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie (2020)

In 2020, Kajiwara was cast as the cold and level-headed Swin Abel, the protagonist in the J-RPG The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie.

This was his first ever main role in a big RPG game considered one of the best within its games franchise.

Hiiro Amagi in Ensemble Stars!! Basic / Music (2020 -)

Ensemble Stars!! is a story-driven game – also with a rhythm game component since 2020 with the launch of the dual game Ensemble Stars!! Basic / Music – that easily shot to popularity with its solid story and rich music released outside of the game.

In the game, Gakuto Kajiwara voices ALKALOID‘s Hiiro Amagi, a straightforward and passionate idol who is regarded as a genius by those around him.

He also voiced characters in the following games (list is not exhaustive):

• I-chu (2018)
• DANKIRA!!! – Boys, be DANCING! (2019)
• JUMP FORCE (2019)
• Bungo to Alchemist (2019)
• SD Gundam G GENERATION CROSSRAYS (2019)
• Cafe Enchante (2019)
• CARAVAN STORIES (2020)
• Fire Emblem Heroes (2020)
• REALIVE!～Teito Kagurabutai～ (2020)
• Jack Jeanne (2021)
• Monark (2021)
• ARGONAVIS from BanG Dream! AAside (2021)
• Touken Ranbu (2022)
• Star Ocean: The Divine Force (2022)
• Loop8: Summer of Gods (2023)
• Honkai Star Rail (2023)

between many more games.

Acting

As far as live acting and live reading plays go, Kajiwara has very few credits under his belt.

Still, it is worth noting that he has joined a stand-up live reading play and even was a cameo in a movie.

Get Up! Get Live! (2020 -)

In 2020, Gakuto Kajiwara joined the cast of “Get Up! Get Live!”, a Japanese media mix project developed by MBS focused on comedy.

The cast features as well Natsuki Hanae, Koutaro Nishiyama, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Kaito Ishikawa, Yohei Azakami, Kentaro Kumagai, and Kouhei Amasaki.

K4 Company (2021)

In 2021, Kajiwara made his acting debut. He joined the supporting cast alongside fellow male seiyuu Tsubasa Yonaga, Kentaro Kumagai, Jun Kasama, Sho Karino, Takuya Masumoto, Shohei Komatsu, Yuuki Shin, and Yuya Hozumi in the movie K4 Company THE MOVIE.

Narration / Dubbing

Being relatively new to voice acting, it is no wonder that Kajiwara has very few credits in narration and dubbing.

His credits so far include:

• Batwheels
• Fuller House
• PETE THE CAT
• Call Star

As he grows older and gets more renowned for his voice acting work, more opportunities for dubbing and narration will arise.

Drama CDs

Similarly, when it comes to his work in drama CDs, Kajiwara has very few credits to his name.

Fans will know him best for voicing Allen, the leader of the hip-hop team BAE in the Paradox Live franchise. Since its launch, the project has released various drama + music CDs.

It is in those CDs that fans get to listen to a more pondered, colder, and overall different acting style and tone coming from Kajiwara.

At the same time, since 2021 he has been the voice of TOWA in the TOKYO COLOR SONIC!! franchise. Each CD includes songs and drama parts in which TOWA’s story is developed.

Other drama CDs he has lent his talents to include:

• Nanatsuhana
• Uma Musume Pretty Derby STARTING GATE 03

Music

Since early on in his career, Gakuto Kajiwara has been involved with music, especially by joining 2D music projects.

From a young age, he attended music lessons, learning singing and piano. Around his second year of junior high school, he bought an acoustic guitar and tutorial book for self-accompanied performances.

This would end up quickly setting in on a path in which music was his primary focus. Towards the end of his first year in high school, due to his father’s job transfer, he moved to Singapore. While attending a Japanese school in Singapore, he became a guitarist in a band with his classmates.

Not only did he perform in cultural festivals but he also continued his activities while in university. That has led to Kajiwara’s normal “calm” while on stage to perform, having plenty of experience.

Kajiwara is a certified high baritone, being able to both have the warmth of a baritone and the clarity of a tenor within his range.

This confers his performances with a unique tonality that no other seiyuu has. I often say, when reviewing his music, that Kajiwara does have a unique voice that you really need to experience to fully grasp how amazing it is.

Now that you and I are on the topic of his music, Gakuto Kajiwara made a solo debut under Avex in 2020 with “A walk“.

This debut arrived a bit out of nowhere knowing that Kajiwara only had just made 3 years as a professional voice actor and was already jumping into a solo career – breaking away from the unspoken rule of seiyuu only making solo debuts after 7 years in the industry.

At the time I reviewed this single, I wrote:

“Gakuto Kajiwara embraced rock and delivered an exciting and powerful debut single in “A Walk”. The young seiyuu and rookie solo artist shows promise in his singing, counting with a lot of consistency and control over his vocals. At the same time, he exudes a confidence that few seiyuu have managed to exude in their rookie days as solo artists, which is impressive. Although both songs in this release are good, “Daidai” stands out for its emotional side and how good the instrumental and vocals sound“.

In 2021, he was back for more, releasing his first mini-album “Dokoka no kimi ni”.

This was a mini-album that showed just how quickly Kajiwara was maturing as a solo artist, encompassing all the best parts of his singing style and technique bundled in a collection of sweet semi-acoustic songs.

At the time I reviewed this mini-album, I said “Dokoka no Kimi ni” is a surprising entry in Kajiwara’s repertoire, fully embracing acoustic music while delivering some of the sweetest performances he has delivered as a solo artist. This is an incredibly consistent album in tone, sound, and performances, showing that Gakuto Kajiwara is an exciting talent among the newest generation of solo artists coming from the seiyuu industry. Acoustic guitar in hand and with a lot of love to give, Gakuto Kajiwara’s “Dokoka no Kimi Ni” is a beautiful mini-album to listen to again and again (and absolutely perfect for a rainy day)“.

2022 arrived and with it came the announcement that Kajiwara was going to perform the ending theme for the 2nd cour of the adventure anime “Orient”,

He released “Irochigai no Itotaba“, ambitious single that put his unique blend of acoustic rock with fast-paced intense rock.

At the time I reviewed this CD, I said “Irochigai no Itotaba” arrives with Gakuto Kajiwara’s trademark semi-acoustic sound however it leaves you with a sweet, ambitious, and uplifting sound that you will want to hear more and more. This single shows Gakuto Kajiwara slowly but surely growing as a solo artist while keeping a consistent image, sound, and vibe in his music, making me quite excited for what little new details Kajiwara will bring to his music next. All in all, if you haven’t checked this single, I thoroughly recommend you do so. Sweet tunes and a steady, clean voice are the greeting cards. And you’ll stay for the good vibes and effortless performances“.

And still in the same year, Kajiwara was back for more.

He released the mini-album “Road Movie” and what followed was something impressive.

It is rare for a seiyuu artist to mature this quickly. I was genuinely impressed with Gakuto Kajiwara’s growth as a solo artist, showing a lot of composure as a singer, easily settling for a sound that suits his voice, and creating a whole unique vibe and energy about himself. And all his growth up until this point had been in only 2 years, which was impressive.

At the time I reviewed this mini-album, I said “Gakuto Kajiwara is maturing at an insanely fast rate, showing the maturity, control, and consistency of a veteran in “Road Movie”. “Road Movie” ends up being a trip down memory lane, exploring nostalgia, love, and care through a set of semi-acoustic songs with tasteful funk and citypop influences. On top of those are Gakuto Kajiwara’s smooth and always steady vocals. His clarity and consistency across tracks and with each continue to impress me and, by the end of it all, there’s no way I won’t be wanting more and more from his performances. This is a movie that I don’t want to end.“.

It was announced in 2023 that Kajiwara is going to release a new mini-album titled “Jinsei na Life” in October 2023.

Aside from his solo career, he’s best known for being part of the following 2D music groups:

MG9 (2018 – )

In 2018, Gakuto Kajiwara joined the cast of the rhythm game, I-Chu. He voices Mashiro Kisaragi, Twinkle Bell‘s manager and a member of MG9 (Manager 9).

MG9 comprise Tasuku Hatanaka, Taishi Murata, Tomohito Takatsuka, Atsushi Abe, Fujii Kohei, Masatomo Nakazawa, Takato Nagata and Junta Terashima.

The group released their debut single in 2018 titled Nice to Meet You! ~ We are MG9! ~.

Nana Tosei (2019 – 2021)

In 2019, Kajiwara joined the cast of Nana Tosei, group part of the REALIVE!～Teito Kagurabutai～, smartphone (android and iOS) rhythm produced by GMO LIVE GAMES

Nana Tosei‘s cast includes Gakuto Kajiwara, Hiroaki Taniguchi, Atsushi Taniguchi, Mizuki Chiba, Kaishin Aida, Seiya Konishi, and Kousuke Asuma.

Before the end of the project, the group released the single “Meros yo / Boku mo Ganbaru“.

Nana Tosei’s debut single, “Melos yo / Boku mo Ganbaru,” offered an entertaining blend of pop, rock, and electronica. The focus on rock elements, like electric guitars, sets it apart from typical pop-rock idol projects.

“Melos yo” stood out as the best track, with energetic vocals and a cohesive group performance. However, “Boku mo Ganburu” felt dated and its synth work was unpleasant, detracting from its potential as a solid pop track.

ALKALOID (2019 -)

In 2019, Gakuto Kajiwara joined the cast of Ensemble Stars!!. He joined ALKALOID, one of the most popular groups within the franchise.

ALKALOID consists of Gakuto Kajiwara, Kouhei Amasaki, Chiharu Shigematsu and Masatomo Nakazawa.

Since their debut, ALKALOID has released 3 CDs:

• Ensemble Stars!! Unit song CD ALKALOID (2020)
• Ensemble Stars!! ES Idol Song season1 ALKALOID (2021)
• ALKALOID ✕ Valkyrie “Artistic Partisan” Ensemble Stars!! FUSION UNIT SERIES 03 (2021)

In 2021, ALKALOID teamed up with Crazy:B to hold their first live show Ensemble Stars! !! Unit song CD ALKALOID & Crazy: B release live ~ Kiss of Party ~.

BAE (2020 – )

The biggest and most hyped project he joined in 2020 was, undoubtedly, PARADOX LIVE.

Alongside Ayumu Murase and 96neko, Gakuto Kajiwara is part of the hip-hop-meets-pop team, BAE.

The team’s debut song, BaNG!!! was released in 2020 as part of the franchise mini-album, Paradox Live Opening Show.

The project was launched in 2020 and since then, Kajiwara has made it a trend to impress fans of the project with his perfect English pronunciation and an awesome rap flow in both English and Japanese, not to mention his singing skills when there are chorus parts that require the group to sing instead of rapping.

His rapping is incisive, confident, and quite aggressive, setting a strong tone to an, otherwise, rather pop and trendy group.

BAE then went to take part in the Stage Battle series, counting with entries in the DESIRE and PRIDE battles.

In “DESIRE”, the group released “AmBitious!!!“, song that came as a surprise. While pop plays a big part in their sound, tropical elements were the last thing I’d expect to be listening to from them.

And in “PRIDE”, BAE performed “EmBlem!!!“, easily one of the most stylish songs by the group, mixing R&B with minimalistic, dreamy electronica.

The power and charisma in this performance, not to mention the tasteful instrumental were big highlights that propelled the group to win this face-off with The Cat’s Whiskers.

Early in 2021, Gakuto Kajiwara participated in the franchise’s 1st live show “Paradox Live Dope Show“.

Despite Kajiwara’s appearance and live performance, until 2023, BAE had never performed live as a 3-piece group.

They had a weird arrangement when it came to the live performances making a lot of fans wish the group ever got a chance to be all on stage for a full-on groovy performance.

In 2023, Ayumu Murase performed live with BAE for the very first time. Actually, it was in Paradox Live Dope Show 2023 that the group performed together for the very first time.

The group later participated in “VIBES”, going against Akkan Yatsura.

The group performed “F△Bulous“, another groovy entry in which deep bass is king however with ridiculously addictive verses, the chorus to this song falls short in comparison. Still, it was a strong performance that made the battle with The Cat’s Whiskers quite interesting.

Later in the same year, he attended the special event Paradox Live 2nd anniversary Fes..

The rest of the year was reserved for the best of albums in the franchise: “TRAP” and “LIVE“. Later in the same year, BAE’s members participated in the Shuffle Team Show CDs (2 releases).

The group’s members made quite the impression in “Shuffle Team Show vol.2” packing 3 outstanding shuffle group performances with “The Sound Of Voltage”, “Why do you like me??” and “Rats & Nobles”.

As Suzaku, Kajiwara participated in the explosive rap tune “The Sound Of Voltage“.

He teamed up with cozmez’s Kanata voiced by Yusuke Kobayashi, giving way to one hell of a heavy, bouncy, and aggressive rap tune.

Welcoming new teams in the franchise, the Paradox Live franchise released a special CD titled “Paradox Live Opening Show-Road to Legend-“.

In May 2022, Gakuto Kajiwara took the stage alongside 96neko as BAE for their performances at Paradox Live 2nd LIVE DOPE SHOW.

Still in 2022, the group participated in “FATE“, the first entry in the Paradox Live -Road to Legend- CD series.

The group performed “We △re The Future“.

The team ended up beating AMPRULE, advancing to the next stage aiming at becoming the next legend in the Paradox Live franchise.

Kicking off 2023, the trio participated in “WILL“, round 2 entry in the Road to Legend CD series, with the song “G△L△XY∞“.

This time around, they went up against The Cat’s Whiskers.

εpsilonΦ (2020 -)

In 2020, he joined the cast of the – then – BanG Dream! franchise (now, FROM ARGONAVIS) as the leader and one of the vocals of the electro-rock band, εpsilonΦ.

εpsilonΦ consists of Yuki Sakakihara (on vocals), Gakuto Kajiwara (guitar and vocals), Taichi Ichikawa, Kei Minegichi (replaced in 2023 by Haruki Ishiya), and Shinnosuke Tachibana.

On live shows, Yuki Sakakihara is always a feature, and Gakuto Kajiwara – who shares vocal duties with Sakakihara – appears at times for live shows.

All other band members don’t perform live, they only lend their voices to the characters.

Since its debut in 2020, the band has shown an electrifying sound that has captured the attention of many.

The band first released the digital single “Play With You“, opening the doors for a completely different take on rock music coming from εpsilonΦ.

Gakuto Kajiwara brings his clear vocals and well-known control to εpsilonΦ, serving as the perfect complement to Yuki Sakakihara’s high voice tone and androgynous tone.

The band then participated alongside Fantôme Iris and Fujin RIZING! in the joint album “Gin no Yuri / banzai RIZING! ! ! / Hikari no Akuma”.

εpsilonΦ added a new song “Hikari no Akuma” and a cover song titled “Loki” to this album. You can watch the live performance video of “Hikari no Akuma” in the video above.

Still in the same year, the band released the digital single “End of reason” and “Cynicaltic Fakestar/Sake it L⓪VE！” was included in the DVD/Blu-ray release of the Argonavis from BanG Dream! anime series.

As the year came to an end, the FROM ARGONAVIS franchise kicked off a cover collection series.

“ARGONAVIS Cover Collection -Marble-” was released featuring cover song performances by GYROAXIA and εpsilonΦ.

In 2022, the band released the digital single “Yumenoato“, bringing a groovier sound that shone with the performances of Yuki Sakakihara and Gakuto Kajiwara.

The band continued to release digital singles, adding “Egoistic才Φ” and “SILVER NOVA” before releasing its 1st full-length album “Friction“.

The song オルトロス (Orthros) was released as a music video, further exciting fans for the release of the album with a glitchy, darker sound than usual.

In 2023, the band participated in the special album “ARGONAVIS AAside Memorial Album“, which included all the songs featured in the game ARGONAVIS from BanG Dream! AAside.

Golden Record (2021 -)

In 2021, Gakuto Kajiwara joined the Pythagoras Production franchise (Marginal #4, LAGRANGE POINT, Unicorn Jr.) as the leader of Golden Record, a vocal, dance, and rap group.

Golden Record consists of Yuya Hirose (leader), Gakuto Kajiwara (center), and Shogo Yano.

In the same year, the group released its debut single “Love Holic” and they impressed.

At the time I reviewed this single, I said the following: Golden Record arrived with a bang, making a statement with their flawless debut single “Love Holic”. A refreshing loungy sound with a surprisingly mature vibe arrives with the trio, with the self-titled song “Love Holic” impressing in more ways than one.

“Naniiro” was still in the same tone but with a completely different intensity that shows that the group can groove but they can also go strong on you with a powerful performance. Vocals-wise, the lineup for Golden Record is perfect.

Gakuto Kajiwara showed that he is incredibly reliable and is the perfect choice for the group’s center. Yuya Hirose is a vocal powerhouse when it comes to unleashing high notes and he’s well known for harmonizing insanely well with anyone in this group, he can spread his wings and do that like crazy.

And Shogo Yano arrives to impress with low mid-tones and powerful harmonies in the chorus where his higher range shines. All in all, Golden Record’s debut CD “Love Holic” is a breath of fresh air in the Pythagoras Production franchise and a fantastic greeting card to what seems to be a group with a lot of potential to do great things in future releases.

However, since their debut in 2021, the group has yet to release new music.

Tokyo Color Sonic!! and BUMPEACE (2021 -)

Tokyo Color Sonic!! is the name of the mixed-media franchise created by sprout and featuring character designs by the popular illustrator Ryo Fujiwara.

This franchise now includes a star-studded 10 main character cast, with characters split into 5 different “buddy” units of singer + songwriter.

The units are SPHERE RISE, Reboost, BUMPEACE, ULTIMATE, and STRANGE LAD.

As such, Tokyo Color Sonic counts with a balanced mix of drama CD + music. On vocals, listeners will find Shoya Chiba, Soma Saito, Gakuto Kajiwara, Shunsuke Takeuchi, and Yuya Hirose.

But going back to its inception. The franchise kicked off with an 8-member cast in 2021, bringing a lot of excitement to the table.

At the same time, TOKYO COLOR SONIC!! arrived with a different approach to 2D music projects by bringing in a big cast, however, with only a few seiyuu performing the songs.

The songs would stem – be created, essentially – as a result of what happened in the individual CDs for each team.

TOKYO COLOR SONIC!! Prologue was released in 2021, including drama tracks that introduced each team as well as the song “begin on buddy“

When I reviewed this song, I said “The Tokyo Color Sonic!! franchise wanted to impress everyone from the get-go however ended up going overboard with the mixing of “Begin on Buddy”. Issues are found in the chorus with a weird mixing putting vocals and instrumentals with the same sound levels. That leads to a lack of clarity in the first part of the chorus, making it sound like the fast, English lyrics are being slurred when they’re not. It’s also noticeable – however, not as worrying – that the vocals’ sound levels in the verses are a bit lower than the instrumental. Thankfully, the instrumental in those sections is a bit quieter. If you can go past those mixing issues, “Begin on buddy” is an exciting song full of interesting ideas and performed by a star-studded lineup. A good yet not perfect greeting card to the Tokyo Color Sonic!! franchise.“.

The mixing issues remained in the solo songs released in the 1st CD series, only TOWA’s “VOICE“, song part of “Tokyo Color Sonic!! Unit.3 TOWA×MIRAI”

This song was the very first look and listen to TOWA and fans were interested in what he had to offer.

At the time I reviewed this song I said “For fans of pop music and soft voices, this song will be an absolute treat to listen to. At the same time, Team 3 shows their focus on both halves in their dynamic, with “VOICE” having a striking duality in its sound. Towa’s “VOICE” is a gentle song with a carefree vibe, a good focus on sounding unique in its composition (everything worked at the end, which is impressive), beautiful vocals, and a balanced mixing.“.

2022 welcomed the 2nd CD series for the franchise, “Growing”.

As part of the main vocals of TOKYO COLOR SONIC!!, and to kick off this new season, Kajiwara performed the new song “Grow up!!“.

TOWA performed “Wonderland“, song that brought chill, acoustic vibes to the spotlight.

In the review, I wrote “TOWA (CV: Gakuto Kajiwara) arrives with “Wonderland,” song that emanates gentle and enchanting dreamlike vibes. The soundscape creates a cozy ambiance, with a laid-back bassline, mellow guitar riffs, and simple drums blending harmoniously in the chorus. There are some issues going on with the mixing in the chorus, burying the vocals but aside from that, “Wonderland” is a chill, laidback song that you can enjoy in a carefree way. In “Wonderland,” Kajiwara seems to be in his element, and the song’s sound aligns well with his style as a solo artist. All in all, “Wonderland” is a sweet and carefree song that you must check if you want to experience something different in the TOKYO COLOR SONIC!! franchise“.

The 2nd season of CDs wrapped up with “IF“, song that completely strayed away from the group’s usual sound. The rock ballad impressed with its cohesive sound edition and emotional performances.

In the review, I mentioned “The song starts as a ballad with a delicate piano melody and emotional vocals. The chorus transforms into a powerful rock ballad with acoustic and electric guitars, bassy drums, and a well-balanced mix that stands out for its quality and clarity. The vocals shine, with duets and harmonies adding to the emotional performance. Overall, “IF” is a fantastic wrap-up to the 2nd season of CDs, showcasing growth in vocals and instrumentals for this franchise.“.

In June 2023, and before the kick off of its 3rd CD series, the TOKYO COLOR SONIC!! franchise released “TOKYO COLOR SONIC!! solo songs album -Recall-”.

The album featured all the solo songs released up until its release (including the digital solo singles).

As the 3rd CD season was announced, so were the lineups for each team that, up until now, had been operating with the members’ names.

BUMPEACE (once called TEAM 3) counts with Towa Sebumi (CV: Gakuto Kajiwara) and Mirai Zaizen (CV: Ryohei Kimura).

Towa is the vocalist and Mirai is the songwriter.

Part of the 3rd CD series Kajiwara was back to performing with TOKYO COLOR SONIC!!. The group is going to release “TRUE CROWN” in August 2023.

“TOKYO COLOR SONIC!! Ep.5 BUMPEACE” is going to be released in January 2024.

STAND-ALONE (2021 -)

In 2021, Kajiwara joined the cast of Technoroid, new generation mixed media project created by Noriyasu Agematsu (Uta no Prince-Sama, GHOST CONCERT, and VISUAL PRISON) in collaboration with RUCCA and Elements Garden.

As Night, Kajiwara is part of STAND-ALONE, group that consists of Kite (CV: Makoto Furukawa), Night (CV: Gakuto Kajiwara) and Light (CV: Keigo Hagiya).

Since its debut, the group has released various snippets of their songs. All will be released as part of “UNIZON MIND“, the 1st album of the franchise.

Photobooks

In 2021, on his birthday, Kajiwara released the photobook Kajiwara Gakuto 1st PHOTO BOOK “Gaku”.

The photobook has 112 pages and includes photos following three themes: voice actor, artist, and private.

Fans got to see Kajiwara wearing casual clothes, suits, futsal wear, room wear, and more.

Adding to the photos there is a talk about the past and future, 100 questions + 100 answers section as well as an up-close and personal part following him to recordings as well as the usual contents of his bag.

The TOKYO COLOR SONIC!! franchise celebrates its 2nd anniversary with the release of the visual book “arrival” in 2023.

“Tokyo Color Sonic!!” is a mixed media franchise that started in 2021, featuring students from the Vocal and Songwriting Departments of the “Ironoha Music Academy” forming buddy pairs to create music for participation in a music battle festival.

The series has been gaining attention for its rich drama and high-quality music. Above all, the star-studded voice cast stands out among various music releases.

To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the series, a special official book focused on the visuals of the voice cast will be released on June 30th, produced by the male seiyuu magazine TV Guide Voice Stars.

The title, “arrival,” signifies reaching a milestone and undoubtedly represents the culmination of the past two years.

The main highlight is the visuals of the voice cast, which can be enjoyed in a B4-size super large format.

Ten popular actors, Shoya Chiba, Yuto Uemura, Soma Saito, Yoshiki Nakajima, Gakuto Kajiwara, Ryohei Kimura, Shunsuke Takeuchi, Takuya Eguchi, Yuya Hirose, and Yuichiro Umehara, appear in formal outfits in a refined shooting.

Variety

Keeping up with the laidback, “my pace” vibes, Gakuto Kajiwara has, since the start of his career, been active in variety and talk shows.

While most seiyuu, early on in their careers, don’t even imagine having their own variety/talk show, Kajiwara has, since 2018, his own YouTube channel.

At the same time, he has had the opportunity to participate in some variety shows alongside seiyuu from his generation such as Seiyuu Undokai.

Some of the variety or talk shows he has participated in include (this is not an exhaustive list):

Gakutomo Channel (2018 -)

In July 2018, Kajiwara established his own YouTube channel, “Gakutomo Channel” and began video streaming, marking his debut as a YouTuber.

Over the years, the channel has evolved from being a solo talk one to featuring seiyuu guests – visiting him to cook and hanging out with him -, to even featuring variety show content and music covers.

Kajiwara Gakuto, Kasama Jun ga iku, Gumma Prefecture Tour! (2018)

In 2018, Gakuto Kajiwara teamed up with Jun Kasama for Kajiwara Gakuto, Kasama Jun ga iku, Gumma Prefecture Tour!.

This variety show stemmed from the anime series Omae wa Mada Gunma wo Shiranai in which Kajiwara and Kasama are voicing main characters.

The duo visited Gunma prefecture, checked sightseeing tours, tasted exquisite gourmet food, and enjoyed the calm of the beautiful prefecture located just west of Tochigi.

Seiyuu Undokai (2021)

In 2021, Gakuto Kajiwara joined the cast of the sports variety show Seiyuu Undokai.

Seiyuu Undokai is an athletic meeting TV variety show where rookie, up-and-coming and popular seiyuu aim to become the “Number 1 athlete” among seiyuu.

The cast is split into 2 teams: red and blue. The teams were the following.

RED team

• Kouhei Amasaki,
• Tatsumaru Tachibana,
• Masahiro Ito,
• Naoyuki Shimoduru

BLUE team

• Yuya Hirose,
• Gakuto Kajiwara,
• Seiji Maeda,
• Noda Tetsuro.

Great Gaku Gohan (2021 -)

Since 2021, Kajiwara hosts his own cooking show – Great Gaku Gohan – on Cookpad Live.

In this live show, he cooks meals that are perfect for special occasions and events, all while the public participates.

Facts

Always on the move as a child

Born in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, Kajiwara currently resides in Tokyo. He has also lived in Toyama Prefecture and Singapore at different times due to his father’s job.

During high school, he initially attended a school in Toyama Prefecture for his first year and then transferred to a Japanese school in Singapore for his second year.

He was part of the light music club during his time there. He spent almost three years in Singapore and returned to Japan after graduating from high school.

Understands and has a solid English pronunciation

While living and studying in Singapore, Gakuto Kajiwara further developed his English skills, speaking, writing, and understanding the language on a really comfortable level.

As a result, whenever there are lyrics in English, the seiyuu in the same project as him come asking for tips on pronouncing the words or their meaning.

A good example of that is how Shoya Chiba, for TOKYO COLOR SONIC!!’s debut song “Begin on Buddy” came to Kajiwara for tips on how to perfectly pronounce the words in the lyrics in order to match the English level of pronunciation of fellow group members Shunsuke Takeuchi, Soma Saito and, of course, Gakuto Kajiwara.

And for BAE’s songs in Paradox Live, Kajiwara instantly impressed everyone with his flawless English pronunciation.

Athletic since he was a kid

Kajiwara has mentioned that he has done swimming, volleyball, and football.

During his elementary and middle school years, he was a member of the soccer club. He loves both playing and watching soccer and is a fan of Chelsea FC in the English Premier League.

He joined the volleyball club at Nihon University’s College of Art during university.

Not only a fan but also a scholar of film

Since he was a child, he had a passion for manga and anime, as well as movies (especially romance comedies). He went on to dive deeper into his passions, enrolling at Nihon University’s College of Art and majoring in film studies.

Fan of all things romance

He’s fond of romantic stories and love-related discussions. He mentioned preferring unconventional outcomes over predictable romance scenarios.

His favorite romance variety shows are “Terrace House” and “Ainori” (あいのり).

He enjoys romantic comedies like “My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute”, “Rent-A-Girlfriend”, and “Toradora!”.

Kajiwara often features corners for love-related stories and advice-seeking in the radio shows he hosts.

Admires some seiyuu, looks for feedback all the time

In an interview for the online news website Anime! Anime!, following the Seiyuu Awards’ New Actor Award, Kajiwara mentioned that he looks up to voice actor Yuki Kaji and also admires the work of Yusuke Kobayashi, Ayumu Murase, and Daiki Yamashita.

He frequently seeks advice from other voice actors about his acting skills.

With this, THTFHQ wraps up another Seiyuu Digest. In the meantime, don’t forget to check past Seiyuu Digests (some of those recently updated) – HERE.