Nobunaga Shimazaki has had a stellar career as a voice actor in anime and games, being one of its brightest stars.
Nobunaga Shimazaki
KANJI: 島﨑 信長
BORN: December 6, 1988
OCCUPATION: Voice actor, narrator
HEIGHT: 174 cm
Nobunaga Shimazaki was born on December 6, 1988, in Miyagi, Japan, and is currently represented by AONI PRODUCTION.
Seiyuu
In elementary school, he began to consider voice acting as a profession after watching the rerun of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, where he was impressed by Hikaru Midorikawa‘s portrayal of the protagonist, Heero Yuy.
With that in mind, during his second year of high school, he participated in a talent audition organized by a talent agency that his mother applied for.
That audition involved singing, acting, and swimsuit assessments, among other things.
Although Shimazaki made it to the final selection, he was ultimately rejected.
At that time, he realized that while being a talent wasn’t what he wanted to do, it might still be a viable option in the entertainment industry. Subsequently, he returned to normal life and continued his studies.
His focus was on becoming a dentist and so he studied to retake his university entrance exams. He was accepted but after 6 months attending it, Nobunaga wasn’t really enjoying it and he wanted to “escape”.
Nobunaga mentioned in an interview that he thought, “Maybe voice acting is what I really want to do“.
As such, in 2007, he participated in the 81st Audition conducted by 81 Produce.
He made it to the final selection alongside Takuya Eguchi, but was ultimately not selected.
Despite not being selected, the fact that Shimazaki made it to the final two in such an important audition – for one of the big 3 seiyuu talent agencies in Japan – made him realize that with proper training and genuine effort, he might be able to achieve it himself.
And in 2008, he enrolled in the 29th class of the Aoni Juku Tokyo School, graduating in the following year, joining Aoni Production (also one of the big 3 seiyuu talent agencies in Japan).
Interestingly enough, Aoni Production is also the agency that represents Hikaru Midorikawa, Shimazaki’s idol.
2009 – 2012
Making a name for himself
2009, he made his voice acting debut as Herbert Nielsen in Valkyria Chronicles.
A year later he joined the main cast of SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors as Sonken Gundam.
2010 and 2011 were all about having a consistent stream of roles to get more experience as a voice actor, building it up to the moment he would voice a main character in an anime series.
In 2012, he joined the cast of the popular sports anime series, Kuroko no Basket.
He voiced the sensitive and apologetic Ryo Sakurai, Toou Academy’s first-year shooting guard.
He was then cast in his first ever main role in anime. He was cast as Kaito Kirishima in the romance anime series, Ano Natsu de Matteru.
This was the first time Nobunaga got the spotlight all to himself in an anime series and he certainly showed that he was a talent ready to be unleashed.
Still in the same year, he was cast as Kakeru Sengoku, one of the supporting characters in the romance OVA, Hori-san to Miyamura-kun.
A note that he was only for the OVA, in 2021, when Horimiya premiered as a full anime series, he was replaced by Nobuhiko Okamoto as Kakeru Sengoku.
More anime series in which he’s voiced characters include:
- Giant Killing (2010)
- Angel Beats! (2010)
- SKET Dance (2011)
- Nurarihyon no Mago: Sennen Makyou (2011)
- Battle Spirits: Heroes (2011)
- Shakugan no Shana III (Final) (2011)
- Medaka Box (2012)
- Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate (2012)
- Suki tte Ii na yo. (2012)
- Sakura-sou no Pet na Kanojo (2012)
2013 – 2019
The meteoric rise to fame
There have been very few seiyuu to have a rise to fame as intense and consistent as Nobunaga Shimazaki’s.
2013 would become the year to change his career for good.
He was cast as Kazuya Maeda, the male protagonist in the romance anime series, Photokano.
Still in the same season – spring – Shimazaki was cast as the male protagonist Shido Itsuka in the sci-fi/romance anime series, Date A Live.
He was then cast as Ichiro Sato in the drama/romance anime movie, Aura: Maryuuin Kouga Saigo no Tatakai.
However, the role that would change everything for Nobunaga Shimazaki and shoot him to massive popularity among anime fans was Haruka Nanase in the sports hit anime series, Free!.
Haruka Nanase is the protagonist in the series. Nanase is a quiet and determined individual. For many, his personality feels like he is cold however he is caring and protective towards his swim club team members and friends.
He’s a freestyle swimming with a beautiful form and an affinity with water that many envy.
This role and Nobunaga’s performance – going from cold to emotional as the series progressed -, alongside the addictive music of the newly formed unit STYLE FIVE, and the top tier animation made Free! a fenomenon among anime fans, being the most talked about anime in that year.
It would end up opening the doors for Nobunaga Shimazaki to shine as a voice actor in many amazing projects in the future.
He reprised his role as Haruka in a total of 3 seasons, several movies, OVAs and prequels.
Before the end of the year, Shimazaki was cast as Satoru Furuya, one of the main characters in the hit sports anime series, Diamond no Ace.
He was back to voicing a stoic, introverted character that appeared cold although he is passionate at the core.
And yet again, Shimazaki showed that he could voice these types of characters that, otherwise, would be boring and give them a unique, engaging personality.
He reprised the role as Furuya in a total of 3 seasons.
2014 kicked off with a main role as Utsutsu Hasegawa in the psychological anime series, Pupa.
He was then cast as Kouichi Madanbashi in the action/comedy anime series, Kenzen Robo Daimidaler.
Shimazaki was then cast as the quiet, aloof with no interest in power, Livius Orvinus Ifrikia in the fantasy/romance anime series, Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii.
The series was extremely well received by fans of romance anime series, seeing as the way the romance was tackled was well done and felt natural. Adding to this was the performance by the voice cast, with Shimazaki standing out for his emotional range.
He voiced the cool and nice Yukinari Imi, one of the main characters in the anime series Glasslip.
After that he was cast as Tatsumi in the short anime series, Orenchi no Furo Jijou.
He was then cast as Souji Mitsuka, the main protagonist in the anime series, Ore, Twintail ni Narimasu.
The fall season arrived with one of the most iconic roles in Shimazaki’s repertoire.
He was cast as the thoughful and kind Shinichi Izumi, the protagonist in horror/suspense anime series, Parasyte: The Maxim.
Although Shimazaki had been showing his skills as a leading man for many anime series – most of those in the sports genre -, he had never gone as dark and emotional as in Parasyte.
The anime series was wildly praised as well as Shimazaki’s performance as Shinichi. At the moment, this continues to be one of the most iconic performances in his repertoire.
2015 kicked off with a role as Shigure Ninomiya, one of the supporting characters in the anime series, Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku.
He then joined the cast of the romantic comedy, Ore Monogatari as the calm and charismatic Makoto Sunakawa, childhood friend of Takeo, the series’ protagonist.
In the summer season, he was cast as Akira Kaibuki, the protagonist in the sci-fi/action anime series, Aquarion Logos.
2016 arrived with another set of leading roles for Shimazaki Nobunaga.
He was cast as Takeru Kuroki, the laidback protagonist in the sci-fi anime series, Active Raid: Kidou Kyoushuushitsu Dai Hachi Gakari.
Keiichi Katakura, one of the main characters in comedy/romance anime series, Nijiiro Days, was the following role in his career.
Also in the same vein, Shimazaki voiced Manato, a caring and responsible leader as well as one of the main characters in Hai to Gensou no Grimgar.
He was then cast as the eccentric Madoka Takatori, one of the main characters in the slice-of-life anime series, Shounen Maid.
He was back to voicing main characters in anime with his role as seemingly cold yet with a heart of gold, Tsuguhito Yuta in the sci-fi/romance anime series, Kiznaiver.
He then joined the main cast of the popular anime series, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. as the confident and conceited, Shun Kaidou.
He is rather clingy to the series’ protagonist Kusuo Saiki and a bit delusional when it comes to his backstory, leading to hilarious shenanigans.
Adding to the main roles that Shimazaki got in 2016 was the calligrapher Sei Handa in the comedy/slice-of-life anime spin-off, Handa-Kun.
And he added another main role in a comedy anime series by voicing the gentle and kind hearted Asuma Mutsumi in Kiss Him, Not Me!.
He was then cast as Mugi Awaya, the cold and distant male protagonist in the romance anime series, Kuzu no Honkai.
Wrapping up the year, Nobunaga Shimazaki was cast as Yuno, a talented wizard and one of the two protagonists in the adventure/fantasy anime series, BLACK CLOVER.
2018 was another strong year for Shimazaki. He was cast as Gaius Levina Sorel, the protagonist in Dances with the Dragons. The series wasn’t well received due to its weak storytelling and character development.
He was then cast as Baki Hanma, the protagonist in the violent fighting anime series, Baki.
Following it was his role as Chang Gai Steiner, one of the main characters in the original sci-fi anime series, REVISIONS.
The biggest role in 2019 was as Yuki Soma in the remake of the classic romance/drama anime series, Fruits Basket.
This role was perfect for Shimazaki due to how dramatic and emotional things would get down the line. His ability to make his characters believable and the feelings as delicate and relatable as possible, elevated Yuki’s presence in the series (in comparison to the original).
(A kind note: Be ready to cry – a lot – if you watch this series).
Still in the same year, Nobunaga Shimazaki returned to the cast of the popular Sword Art Online series but with a new character.
He voiced Eugeo, one of the protagonists in the Sword Art Online: Alicization specials. Now, I’m not going to spoil you anything here but I’ll give you some “crumbs”: Eugeo starts as a kind, considerate and compliant individual but something happens that turns things around.
And it is at that time that you get to hear Shimazaki’s range and versatility as a voice actor.
More anime series in which he’s voiced characters include:
- Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge (2013)
- Gin no Saji (2013)
- Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito 2 – Hikisakareshi Yokuryuu (2013)
- Nobunagun (2014)
- Buddy Complex (2014)
- Nobunaga the Fool (2014)
- Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (2014)
- World Trigger (2014)
- Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor – Exodus (2015)
- Ima, Futari no Michi (2015)
- Vampire Holmes (2015)
- Makura no Danshi (2015)
- Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor – Exodus Part 2 (2015)
- HaruChika: Haruta to Chika wa Seishun suru (2016)
- Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation (2016)
- Servamp (2016)
- Kimi no Na wa. (2016)
- All Out!! (2016)
- Fate/Grand Order: First Order (2016)
- Trinity Seven Movie 1: Eternity Library to Alchemic Girl (2017)
- Starmyu 2nd Season (2017)
- Blame! Movie (2017)
- Shoukoku no Altair (2017)
- Garo: Vanishing Line (2017)
- ClassicaLoid (2017)
- Kabuki-bu! (2017)
- 18if (2017)
- Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau (2017)
- Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens (2018)
- Lupin III: Part 5 (2018)
- Mo Dao Zu Shi (2018)
- Sword Gai The Animation Part II (2018)
- Shoumetsu Toshi (2019)
- Starmyu 3rd Season (2019)
- Joshikousei no Mudazukai (2019)
- Zenonzard The Animation Episode 0 (2019)
- Levius (2019)
- Kanata no Astra (2019)
2020 –
Established as one of the best seiyuu
2020 was a quieter year in general for seiyuu – let’s say, the world – due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many anime series had their production halted, some projects were canceled, which ended up messing up seiyuu’s presence and income.
Still, Shimazaki barely noticed the difference that many seiyuu felt. He was still a big presence in 2020, with plenty of main roles and surprisingly popular supporting roles under his belt.
He was cast as the quiet middle blocker Rintaro Suna, one of the most popular supporting characters in the hit sports anime series, Haikyuu!! To the Top.
After that, he reprised his roles as Yuki Soma in the 2nd season of Fruits Basket and Baki Hanma in Baki: Dai Raitaisai-hen.
Shimazaki was then cast as Rio Yamamoto, the main male protagonist in the romance movie, Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare.
But the role that made the biggest buzz in 2020 was actually a supporting one. He was cast as Mahito, a sadistic spirit whose past-time is all about messing up with humans’ emotions.
This was a perfect role for Shimazaki who excels at these types of twisted yet playful characters. And his performance made Mahito stand out quite a lot in the series as a result.
He was then cast as Ritsuka Fujimaru, one of the main characters in the movie, Fate/Grand Order: Shinsei Entaku Ryouiki Camelot 1 – Wandering; Agateram.
Before the end of the year, Shimazaki reprised his role as LIPxLIP‘s Aizo Shibasaki in the anime movie, Kono Sekai no Tanoshimikata: Secret Story Film.
2021 welcomed a new crop of main and supporting characters in Shimazaki’s repertoire.
By this time it was already well defined that he was considered a reference in the voice acting industry, being the go-to voice actor for quiet and calm-and-collected characters with a dark twist or straight-up messed up characters.
He nails those two ends of the spectrum, making him a truly valuable cast member for any series he joins.
Shimazaki was cast as the calm and collected Hyuse, one of the supporting characters in the action anime series, World Trigger 2nd Season.
Still in the same year, he reprised his role in the 3rd season.
He was then cast as Setsu Sawamura, a student and shamisen player, the main character in the music and drama anime series, Mashiro no Oto.
After that, he was cast as Naoya Kirihara, one of the main protagonists in the mystery/psychological anime series, Night Head 2041.
He was then cast as Kosuke Mikado, one of the protagonists in the BL/horror anime series, Sankaku Mado no Sotogawa wa Yoru.
Before the end of the year, he reprised his role as LOST EDEN‘s stoic and calm Mist Flaiv in the music/drama anime series, VISUAL PRISON.
The anime presented a mix of visual-kei rock music performances and drama, something that was the first time for Shimazaki.
The anime series ended up having mixed reviews generally due to its plot being quite hazy for the majority of the series, having an odd pacing, and putting too much focus on the music as opposed to the story itself.
Still, it got a big and loyal following that carried over from the music to the anime series and into the live performances in the franchise.
Wrapping up the year, Shimazaki was cast as Ryo Kobayashi in the supernatural short animated movie, Summer Ghost.
The movie was extremely well received due to its intriguing story – told in close to 30 minutes – and ended up being more emotional than what most expected it’d be.
Still in 2021, he reprised his roles as Yuki Soma in the final season of Fruits Basket, Baki in Hanma Baki: Son of Ogre and Haruka Nanase in Free! Movie 4: The Final Stroke – Zenpen.
Say hello to 2022 and to another batch of relevant supporting characters and main roles in an anime series.
One of his most popular supporting roles of the year was as the straightforward and passionate Akira Kagiura, a student and basketball player in the world of the BL/romance anime series, Sasaki to Miyano.
He was then cast as Jun Kuramochi, the main male protagonist in the drama series, Blue Thermal.
That role was followed by Nagomu Irino, the main character in the slice-of-life anime series, Deaimon.
Closing the year, Nobunaga Shimazaki was cast as the lazy genius Seishiro Nagi in the wildly popular sports anime, Blue Lock.
Shimazaki kicked off 2023 quite strongly with a main supporting role as Izana Kurokawa in the action/drama hit anime series, Tokyo Revengers.
Before the end of the year, he reprised his roles as Akira Kagiura in the movie Hirano to Kagiura, Ritsuka Fujimaru in Fate/Grand Order: Fujimaru Ritsuka wa Wakaranai, Yuno in Black Clover: Mahou Tei no Ken, and Mahito in Jujutsu Kaisen 2nd Season.
In 2024, Shimazaki was cast as the stoic and manipulative Arnold Hein, the male lead in the anime series, 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!.
He was then cast as Tsubasa Shiki, the main character in the comedy anime series, Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!.
This was an unexpected return to an anime genre Shimazaki hadn’t been cast in years.
So far, his biggest role in 2024 is that of the calm and analytic Hayato Suo, one of the main characters in the action anime series, Wind Breaker.
He was then cast as Fay Theo Philus in the fantasy anime series, Kami wa Game ni Ueteiru.
Later in the year, he will be voicing Chroma in Acro Trip and Hitotose in Murai no Koi.
More anime series in which he’s voiced characters include:
- Zenonzard The Animation (2020)
- HoneyWorks 10th Anniversary “LIP×LIP FILM×LIVE” Mini Anime (2020)
- Osomatsu-san 3rd Season (2020)
- Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor – The Beyond Part 3 (2020)
- Fate/Grand Carnival (2020)
- Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun (2021)
- Kai Byoui Ramune (2021)
- Osananajimi ga Zettai ni Makenai Love Comedy (2021)
- Mo Dao Zu Shi: Wanjie Pian (2021)
- Lupin III: Part 6 (2021)
- Date A Live IV (2022)
- Tiger & Bunny 2 (2022)
- Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Ultra Romantic (2022)
- Shadows House 2nd Season (2022)
- Koukyuu no Karasu (2022)
- Mushikaburi-hime (2022)
- Legend of Mana -The Teardrop Crystal- (2022)
- Kyuuketsuki Sugu Shinu 2 (2023)
- High Card (2023)
- Uchi no Kaisha no Chiisai Senpai no Hanashi (2023)
- Tian Guan Cifu Er (2023)
- Good Night World (2023)
- Mashle: Shinkakusha Kouho Senbatsu Shiken-hen (2024)
- Urusei Yatsura (2022) 2nd Season (2024)
- Boukyaku Battery (2024)
Awards
In 2013, at the 7th Seiyuu Awards, Nobunaga Shimazaki won the Best Supporting Actor award.
He shared the award with fellow seiyuu Yuki Ono.
In 2021, at the 15th Seiyuu Awards, Nobunaga Shimazaki won the Best Supporting Actor Award. He shared the award with the veteran seiyuu, Koyasu Takehito.
Radio
When it comes to radio work, Shimazaki has been quite active since his debut.
His first big adventure in radio was with Animarus, radio show in which Hideo Ishikawa was nurturing and teaching some of the rising stars at that time.
Since then, he has hosted or guested in various radio shows, most of those tying up with anime series in which he was voicing the main character.
Shimazaki is quite a fun individual, especially on radio shows. He does have an analytical side that makes him rant about the things he loves but he also can quickly shift to an almost chaotic style of hosting/guesting.
Hosts love to have him around because he’s a “nice guy” and he is an entertaining host on his own shows (Solo or co-presented with other seiyuu).
Below take a look at some of the most important radio shows in his career.
Animarus (2011 – 2013)
In 2011, Shimazaki joined Animarus, radio show that spawned even a debut of the group as a unit.
Animarus was a short-lived radio show that counted with Nobunaga Shimazaki, Leona Irie, Koutaro Nishiyama, and Yuto Suzuki.
Veteran seiyuu Hideo Ishikawa was in charge of guiding the rookie actors to grow as entertainers.
The radio show would end up being shelved in 2013.
Nobunaga Shimazaki and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka’s Majimeka!!! (2012 – 2013)
From 2012 until 2013, Nobunaga Shimazaki teamed up with Yoshitsugu Matsuoka to co-host the radio show, Nobunaga Shimazaki and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka no Majimeka!!!.
This would be the first time this friendly duo would work together on a radio show.
Ace of Diamond ~Net Koshien~ (2013 – 2016)
From 2013 to 2016, Nobunaga Shimazaki hosted the radio show, Ace of Diamond ~Net Koshien~. The radio show stemmed from the popular anime series “Ace of Diamond” and featured some of the cast members as guests.
As far as chaotic radio shows go, this was really top-tier. The guests were really friendly with each other – some of them even friends outside of work – which led to crazy shenanigans during some of the episodes.
Miwaku Tours (2014)
2014 proved to be a year in which he raked in the most radio work, although most radio shows ended up being short-lived.
He co-hosted the radio show Miwaku Tours with Toshiki Masuda. The show released 1 DVD + DJ CD before it ended its first run in the same year.
Tokai On Air Magnifying Glass Shimazaki Nobunaga Koe You Radio Z (2020 – )
Since 2020, Nobunaga Shimazaki has been co-hosting the radio show, Tokai On Air Magnifying Glass Shimazaki Nobunaga Koe You Radio Z with the Japanese YouTuber, Mushimegane.
In this radio show, the worlds of voice acting and YouTube get together to create an interesting show in which both hosts explore the unique things in their fields and learn more from each other’s.
Shimazaki Nobunaga no Pakedori (2022 -)
In 2022, Nobunaga kicked off another solo radio program, Shimazaki Nobunaga’s Pakedori.
This radio show was approached with a unique twist, being delivered/recorded in the same style as a live broadcast.
The show airs on Nico Nico Douga.
Other radio shows he has hosted/guest in over the years include:
- Hana to Yume Boys Party!? Radio (2012)
- Radio Zettai Star (2012)
- DATE A RADIO (2013-2014)
- Iwatobi Channel (2013)
- Iwatobi Channel S (2013-2014)
- Ore Monogatari!! Reliable Radio!! (2015)
- Active Raid RADIO (2016)
- Radio18if~Kimito Tsunagaru Radio~ (2017)
- Iwatobi Channel DF (2018)
- Sword Art On Air Alicization (2018-2019)
Games
Since his debut in 2009, Nobunaga Shimazaki has been actively lending his voice to characters in various games.
Fans will best know him as a big presence in the Fate games (Fate/Grand Order, Fate/EXTELLA LINK, etc.) but for those following closely the otome games scene, Shimazaki isn’t a stranger.
His first big role was the player’s voice and Federico Caruso in the action RPG game, Gods Eater Burst.
After that he’s been a strong presence in action, RPG, fighting, and otome games.
Over the years, he’s lent voice to characters such as (list is not exhaustive):
Naoto Kurogane in BLAZBLUE CENTRAL FICTION (2015)
In 2015, he lent his voice to Naoto Kurogane in the 2D fighting game BLAZBLUE CENTRAL FICTION.
He dives head-first into situations, and has a sort of rough personality – shaped by his tragic background – and yet he has a heart of gold and a sense of righteousness that stands out.
Silver in Disney: Twisted-Wonderland (2020 -)
In 2020, Shimazaki was cast as a second-year student at Diasomnia dormitory, Silver in Disney: Twisted-Wonderland.
According to the game’s website, he’s a cool and collected individual who guards Malleus like a knight. He is so low-key that his calm demeanor often crosses over into a state of visible drowsiness.
Riku in Olympia Soirée (2020)
Still in the same year, Shimazaki joined the cast of the otome game, Olympia Soirée. He voices Riku, one of the romanceable characters in the game.
Riku is an extremely straightforward and serious individual, coming across as abrasive to most of the characters of the series. However, his behavior has an important reason behind it (play the game to know what, I won’t spoil it).
He’s got one of the sweetest and most natural romances in the game, turning into a fan favorite.
Kaedehara Kazuha in Genshin Impact (2021 -)
In 2021, Shimazaki joined the cast of the popular online RPG game, Genshin Impact.
He voices the easygoing Kaedehara Kazuha, a wandering samurai of the once-famed Kaedehara Clan able to read the sounds of nature.
He also voiced characters in the following games (list is not exhaustive):
- VitaminZ (2009)
- VitaminZ Revolution (2010)
- Fist of the North Star: Ken’s Rage (2010)
- SD Gundam GGENERATION (2011)
- STORM LOVER 2nd (2013)
- Super Robot Wars UX (2013)
- Fire Emblem Fates (2015)
- PsychicEmotion6 (2016)
- Shadowverse (2016)
- Fate/Grand Order (2016)
- Sengoku Night Blood (2017)
- DREAM!ing (2018)
- Warriors Orochi 4 (2018)
- ASTRAL CHAIN (2019)
- HoneyWorks Premium Live (2020)
- BAKI KING OF SOULS (2022)
- Dragon Quest Treasures (2022)
- Fate/Samurai Remnant (2023)
- Sword Art Online: Last Recollection (2023)
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R (2023)
- Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash (2024)
Acting
While it may not look like it, Nobunaga Shimazaki has some acting under his belt.
In 2017, he acted for the very first time in a TV commercial for the game Sword Art Online Memory Defrag alongside Yoshitsugu Matsuoka.
Years later, he had a go at improv acting when he joined the lineup for AD-LIVE 2022. He shared the stage with fellow seiyuu Junya Enoki and Yoshihiko Aramaki.
AD-LIVE is a yearly stand-up/unscripted theater show created in 2008 by Kenichi Suzumura. It counts on a creative executive team led by Kenichi Suzumura and Showtaro Morikubo.
In 2023, he participated in Natsuichi presents “Yomanya Channel” to read aloud and on camera the first chapter of a book published by that publisher. Check it out in the video below!
Narration / Dubbing
When it comes to narration, Shimazaki has a couple of credits under his name.
He done narration for several NHK, TBS and BS Nippon Television shows and documentaries. At the same time, he’s lent his voice to commercials for some games. At the moment, this is one of the fields in which Shimazaki has the least credits in.
And in comparison with some of his peers, he doesn’t have many credits in dubbing of foreign movies and TV series, still, he’s got some big names under his belt.
Those include (the list is not exhaustive):
- 100 Things to Do Before High School
- Alita: Battle Angel
- Death Note
- Frazier
- The Vampire Diaries Season 7
- Game of Thrones
- Blue Blood ~NYPD Family Ties~
- The Kill Team
- Maurice
- Mortal Engines
Drama CDs
Nobunaga Shimazaki has done a little bit of everything when it comes to drama CDs.
Fans will find him reprising roles from popular anime series, lending his voice to characters in an adaptation of a manga to a short drama CD or even in otome or boys love (BL) drama CDs.
He has more than 60 credits in drama CDs.
Some of the CDs he has lent his talents include (list is not exhaustive):
- Einsatz
- VANQUISH BROTHERS
- The Fallen Dragon King and the Ruined Witch Country
- KISS×KISS Collections Vol.24
- Dear Girl ~Stories~ Hibiki Drama CD THE Final
- Kuroko’s Basketball DRAMA THEATER 3rd GAMES
- PsychicEmotion6 vol.6
- STORM LOVER 2nd drama CD series
- TAP TRAP LOVE
- Fate/Grand Order series
- Free!-Eternal Summer
- MANSHIN series
- Castle Mango
- Sasaki and Miyano
- Light and sweet honey cake
- Love Cafe Mocha
Music
Shimazaki is one of the most reliable singers among seiyuu yet extremely underrated.
He’s a hybrid of a tenor and baritone.
While Shimazaki is far from sounding like a pure tenor, whenever he is in front of the mic ready to sing, he shines with his warm twist to the tenor range.
He can go insanely high in his vocal range, belting those crystal-clear high notes that will give you goosebumps. His long notes and legato are absolutely beautiful, his natural singing tone has a crispiness to it that, with the right amount of emotion can make you cry with ease.
Shimazaki excels at adding emotion to his performances. In a way, that’s a skill he brings from voice acting in anime and narration. That’s what usually makes him stand out in both fields and when it comes to music, it isn’t an exception.
He’s consistent both on record and in a live setting. He’s energetic, emotional, clear, and straightforward in his performances.
He’s best known for being part of the following groups:
Animarus (2012)
Animarus, group consisting of Nobunaga Shimazaki, Koutaro Nishiyama, Reona Irie, and Yuto Suzuki – radio hosts for the radio show Animarus – made their debut in 2012 with the single, Stride!.
Due to the short-lived radio show and how the group’s debut was a complement to it, the group disbanded in the same year.
Style Five (2013 – 2023)
One of the most popular units Shimazaki joined was Style Five.
The group stemmed from the anime series FREE! and it featured its main cast – Nobunaga Shimazaki, Mamoru Miyano, Tatsuhisa Suzuki, Tsubasa Yonaga, and Daisuke Hirakawa – on the vocal end.
The group was created mainly to promote the anime FREE! (which was a hit back in 2013).
The unit released Splash Free, Future Fish, Rising Free, FREE-STYLE SPIRIT, and Gold Evolution.
In 2023 and to celebrate the group’s + FREE!’s 10th anniversary, “Free! STYLE FIVE BEST ALBUM ～Timeless Blue～”, the series’ best off album.
Epicurean (2016)
Rejet created the project Forbidden Star in 2016.
Several units were announced to be part of this project – now dropped – including Epicurean, group that counted with Yuto Suzuki, Toshiki Masuda, Nobunaga Shimazaki, and Takuya Eguchi.
Epicurean had music produced by R.O.N.
The group released two singles Check it Love! (2016) and Dream on Stage! (2016).
LIPxLIP (2016 -)
This unit debuted in 2016 and is part of the Honeyworks’ idol series. The group consists of Aizo (voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki) and Yujiro (voiced by Kouki Uchiyama).
The duo debuted with the song “Romeo“. Since then, they released 7 singles and 2 full-length albums.
Out of all singles released, it is worth mentioning that LIPxLIP exists both in Honeyworks’ idol series as well as outside.
How? They release music within their universe but also provide songs to Japanese TV dramas – that have nothing to do with 2D music or even this idol series.
As such, they’ve had some of their songs serving as openings for TV dramas and even provided music for TV commercials.
“Nonfantasy”, song included in the single of the same title, was featured as the opening theme for the movie Itsudatte Bokura no Koi wa 10 cm Datta..
The single “Repaint” was featured in the live-action series Aoharu Kokou 3-nen C-gumi, “Koi wo Shiyou” was included in the Koi Tsuru Hada Kyun commercial, “Yume Fanfare” was featured in the animated series Hashiritsuzukete Yokattatte, and “Yappa Saikyou!” was used in the 2019 Commercial Food High School Grand Prix.
All of those songs – featured outside of the idol series – show a unit that has transcended its original project and has went on to provide music to TV dramas, series and anime like “regular” idols would do.
In 2019, the group released its 1st full-length album “Docchi no kiss ka, Erabe yo.“. The album included a total of 12 songs (6 previously released and 6 new).
And in 2023, the group released its 2nd full-length album “Umarete Kita Koto ni Kansha Shinasai!“.
The album included 13 songs, compiling previously released singles with a couple of new songs.
I feel this unit is perfect for fans of traditional bubbly idol groups. Even if the group has more serious songs – from time to time -, a big part of their repertoire is comprised of sweet or bubbly pop performances that will please fans of those.
When it comes to the vocals, I feel they have talent and a lot of potential. One thing that plays in their favor is how close – not similar but close – Shimazaki and Uchiyama’s voices are, to the point that their unisons are practically sounding like 1 voice only.
Shimazaki and Uchiyama have never performed live as LIPxLIP.
Brave Child (2017 -)
In 2017, Nobunaga Shimazaki joined the cast of Dear Vocalist as Joshua, the frontman for the pop-rock band, Brave Child.
Nobunaga Shimazaki is best known – when it comes to his singing skills – for his work as Joshua in the Dear Vocalist franchise. That’s where he has grown as a singer, where he’s shown his range and emotion without any prettying up done to his singing.
Brave Child consists of:
- Vocalist: Joshua (CV: Nobunaga Shimazaki)
- Bass: MATSU (CV. Chiaki Kobayashi)
- Guitar: SOTA (CV. Takuma Nagatsuka)
- Drums: YUKI (CV. Tetsuya Kakihara)
The band joined the franchise to replace CIEL (CV: KENN) who – in the story’s universe – left Japan to make it big in the US.
As such, out of all vocalists, Joshua is the one with the least drama development.
Joshua and Brave Child’s start in the Dear Vocalist franchise was in 2017 with “Dear Vocalist CD Wired Entry No. 2 Joshua“.
This was a 3rd CD season within the Dear Vocalist franchise.
In this CD, Joshua appeared with a pop-rock sound with an emotional side.
Little did the fans know that, by diving into the drama tracks, they would find a deeply wounded individual, who, for a moment within the CD, tries to kill himself (only for you, the listener, to stop him). Joshua is, right from the start, fighting to overcome depression.
“Artist Night” and “Soba ni ite” showed two different sides to Joshua. “Artist Night” open the doors with a dark, melancholic entry but soon brought a big electro-rock sound with intense vocals.
“Soba ni ite” toned things down to bring an indie-rock style of song. The vibe is more laidback and warmer in comparison to the leading track.
2018 arrived with the release of “Dear Vocalist Xtreme Entry No.2”, entry in the 4th CD series, Xtreme.
At that time, in the review I wrote, “(…) he brought to the table the carefree vibe of skate-punk in “Amazing” and showed an emotional side in “Dear…“. These two polarizing songs provided fans with two new things: a ballad and a punk-rock tune. (…)
Nobunaga Shimazaki showed what he’s capable of. He’s vastly improved as a singer in the past few years and is now a reliable singer, capable of impressing with his range and quality at any given time (his falsetto in Amazing and his emotional performance in Dear… prove it). His mid-tones are solid and he’s got a good control over his tone, leading to comfortable, natural performances.“
Still in the same year, Shimazaki performed live for the first time as Joshua on CR69Fes.2018「Dead or Alive」, Dear Vocalist‘s first-ever live show held at Akasaka Blitz in Tokyo on 30/09/2018.
In 2019, the Dear Vocalist franchise was back with another CD season. The 5th season was titled “EVOLVE”.
Joshua arrived with “Dear Vocalist Evolve Entry No.2”. At the time I reviewed this CD I wrote, “(…) Joshua’s songs are catchy, with rock instrumentals with a pop edge in the lyrics and simple choruses that go with perfectly. And it works extremely well with Shimazaki’s soft, mid-toned vocals.“.
This was a CD that started to show what Brave Child’s sound was all about – pop-rock with an emotional edge, often provided by ballads.
And it was exactly what fans found in “Aion” and “WRONG“.
In 2020, the Dear Vocalist’s bands released their 1st albums. Brave Child released “FLOWERS”. This album introduced the bands’ members for the very first time.
This was an album in the 6th season titled “Raving Beats!”.
Although some had been mentioned in the drama CDs, fans didn’t know up until this point who voiced whom or how they looked like.
This album felt like an emotional rollercoaster. At that time, I wrote the following in the review about its emotional edge, “(…) If you check this album and go over JOSHUA’s songs, you’ll notice that, he’s quite the sentimental character, with the abundance of ballads illustrating that with quite some ease. “Anata e to”, “Dear…” and “Asai yoru ni fukeru.” will be certain to play around with your feelings.
And there’s a happy-go-lucky vibe in songs such as “Amazing”, “Artist Night” and “Saishu Densha” for a good balance of your emotions.(…)”.
To those who were following the drama tracks quite closely, it was easy to notice that Joshua, as an individual, was healing. His music albeit emotional, was getting warmer and warmer, sign that his storyline was afecting him positively.
The band was up on stage for another live performance in 2021 for Dear Vocalist 2nd CR69Fes.2021.
The 7th CD season – Unlimited – kicked off in 2022. Brave Child joined in the fun with “TELOMERE“, CD that strayed away from the band’s sound up until then.
At the time I reviewed this CD I wrote, “A straightforward love declaration. That’s what “TELOMERE” is all about.
This CD brings back the band’s refined and clear rock sound with jaunty piano melodies and punchy basslines, creating a sweet, addictive, and tasteful sound. Both songs have a sweet undertone, presenting themselves maturely, something that shows growth both on the band and Joshua’s side.“
“Troimerai” is the best song on this CD, going straight for your heartstrings, making a mess out of it, and leaving a trail of love and care. Even if you don’t follow the story going on in the drama CDs, this is a song that will “click” with you.
It is emotionally raw at times and pretty refined and controlled at others. As it is “TELOMERE” currently stands as Brave Child’s best release to date, including some of the best performances by Joshua (CV: Nobunaga Shimazaki).“
Listening to the songs in this CD – and tying those up with the drama tracks – showed a healing (or almost completely healed) and loved Joshua. This character development, especially if you’re a fan of the franchise, is a delight to find.
2023 was an odd year as Daisuke Iwasaki – Rejet’s CEO, creative lead to many of the 2D music projects and lyricist – was hospitalized. As such, all projects at Rejet were halted at that time.
At the same time, the Dear Vocalist franchise saw the departure of its original scenario writer – Hidekatsu Miyoshi -, something that left the franchise in an odd limbo as Rejet scrambled to find a worthy replacement to continue the stories of the 6 vocalists.
In 2023, on Christmas, the franchise announced its comeback – now that Iwasaki had recovered and a new scenario writer was added to the franchise.
And thus, Dear Vocalist HEADLINER was announced. The 8th CD series kicked off in 2024, year in which the franchise celebrates its 9th anniversary.
Brave Child’s entry is titled “Himitsu“.
At the time of writing this digest, the CD has yet to be released but you can check the previews of the two songs Himitsu (秘密) and Kazehikaru (風光る).
Swiiiiiits! (2018 -)
In 2018, Nobunaga Shimazaki was cast as a member of Swiiiiiits!.
Swiiiiiits! (read “sweets”), is a unit born of Tsukipro‘s collaboration with Licoli.
This is a co-ed (featuring male and female seiyuu) unit consisting of Inori Minase, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Daisuke Hirakawa, Hidenori Takahashi, Atsushi Tamaru, and Kaito Ishikawa.
As a group, Swiiiiiits! released the single “Swiiiiiitest Party!!” in 2018.
2 shuffle CDs were released as well:
- White Knight Orchestra (Inori Minase, Hidenori Takahashi, Atsushi Tamaru) with “Sekai no Uta“, and
- Noir Révolution (Nobunaga Shimazaki, Kaito Ishikawa, Daisuke Hirakawa) with “Rouge Noir“.
Noir Révolution (2018 – )
Alongside Kaito Ishikawa and Daisuke Hirakawa, Nobunaga Shimazaki joined Noir Révolution, unit part of the Swiiiiiits!‘s shuffle unit series. The trio released the single “Rouge Noir” in 2018.
DREAM!ing (2018 – 2022)
In 2018, Shimazaki joined the cast of DREAM!ing, a smartphone game that featured music as one of its selling points.
The game features a fantastic cast that includes:
- Natsuki Hanae,
- Makoto Furukawa,
- Nobunaga Shimazaki,
- Shouta Aoi,
- Toshiyuki Toyonaga,
- Yuma Uchida,
- Shunichi Toki,
- Toshinari Fukamachi,
- Shinnosuke Tachibana,
- Tetsuya Kakihara,
- Yusuke Kobayashi,
- Yoshiki Nakajima,
- Yoshiki Nakajima,
- Shunsuke Takeuchi,
- Naru Hamano,
- Yuto Suzuki, and
- Tomohiro Yamaguchi.
The project released an album before announcing its end in 2022. You can find previews of all the songs in the official YouTube channel.
LOS†EDEN (2021 -)
In 2021, Shimazaki joined the cast of LOS†EDEN, visual-kei band part of the Visual Prison franchise.
The group consists of Takuya Eguchi, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Takuma Nagatsuka, and Shogo Yano.
Since its debut, the group has participated in 2 CDs:
- Zankoku Shangri-La/BLOODY KISS/Gyokuza no GEMINI
- ANGELIST/SACRIFICE/ROYAL CROWN
The group ended up performing live in 2022 – VISUAL PRISON 1st GIG -RED MOON- – but since there has been only radio silence, with fans not knowing if the project is stopped or ended.
STATION IDOL LATCH (2021 -) + Aither (2021 -)
In 2021, Nobunaga Shimazaki joined the cast of STATION IDOL LATCH!.
STATION IDOL LATCH! is the name of the mixed-media franchise created by AOI Pro., Amuse, and Origamix, supervised and in collaboration with JR East.
This franchise features a 30 character cast, with characters representing the 30 stations in the Yamamote line, the iconic train line that circles central Tokyo.
Each character has its design and personality inspired by each of the 30 neighborhoods.
Later on in the same year, the franchise announced the formation of units in the series. As Mikado Aobazuku, Nobunaga Shimazaki joined the idol group, Aither.
The includes vocals by Kensho Ono, Atsushi Tamaru and Nobunaga Shimazaki.
Since their debut as a group, Aither has released 3 songs:
- LATCH! ~Sore ga Mirai no Tobira~ (2021)
- Way Up High (2021)
- Leading lights (2022)
The group performed live for the very first time at 1st LIVE “All aboard!!”, live show held in 2022.
The franchise released its 1st CD “THE FIRST TRAIN” in 2024. The CD was available in three editions and included “Leading Lights”, song released in 2022.
At the same time, the CD included “Going My LATCH!“, song performed by YAMANOTE LATCH ALL STARS.
Variety
Always with a big smile on his face and a friendly demeanor, Nobunaga Shimazaki is quite the laidback guest on variety shows.
Depending on who he’s alongside in those shows – and how close he’s with them – things can either be too professional (yet interesting) or go completely off the rails as Shimazaki lets his playful self come to full display.
When that happens, prepare yourself to roll on the floor laughing because he can be chaotic – in a fun, endearing way.
Some of the shows he’s participated include (list is not exhaustive):
Tokimeki Recipe (2014)
Nobunaga Shimazaki and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka teamed up in 2014 for an entry in the cooking/variety show, Tokimeki Recipe.
In this episode, the duo was challenged to cook a katsudon. And seeing their buddying interactions, fans started to notice just how close they were getting, solidifying one of the most endearing friendships in the seiyuu industry.
For this episode, the duo had to participate in a series of games and challenges to gain ingredients with which they then had to cook the katsudon.
Diamond no Ace All Star game II (2016)
In 2016, Shimazaki played at Diamond no Ace‘s second All Star game.
Representing Seido, he had several opportunities at bat. Between him missing and being struck out, giggling about it, or hitting but getting caught, there was no shortage of fun moments for and with Shimazaki.
Say U Play (2020 -)
Since 2020, Nobunaga Shimazaki and best friend and fellow seiyuu Matsuoka Yoshitsugu have been hosting their own gaming show on Say U Play’s official YouTube channel.
This is one of those shows in which there is no script to follow just a mention of what they will be doing, something that results in absolute chaos coming from Shimazaki, and Yoshitsugu trying to cover for him or calm things down, all leading to lots of laughs.
Expect crazy shenanigans, awesome on-camera chemistry, and an endearing friendship in full display in their videos.
Seiyuu Pajama Party in SUMMER!!!! (2021)
In September 2021, Nobunaga Shimazaki participated in Seiyuu Pajama Party in SUMMER!!!! event broadcasted via AbemaTV.
He participated in this talk show alongside Hiroki Yasumoto, Shouta Aoi, Showtaro Morikubo, Takuya Sato, KISHOW, Shintaro Asanuma, and Daisuke Namikawa.
Say you to Yoasobi (2022)
In 2022, to promote the anime series Blue Thermal, Nobunaga Shimazaki and Junya Enoki were guests on the popular AbemaTV show, Say You To Yoasobi.
The duo had to do their own intro alone as the hosts were – apparently, nowhere to be found -, slowly they had to deal with an intense director (Hiroki Yasumoto) and a questionable cameraman (Tomoaki Maeno), which prompted their intro to a halt.
During the show, the duo talked about the anime series and participated in a series of challenges and games to test their skills.
Facts
His name was chosen by his grandmother
The name “Nobunaga” is not derived from Oda Nobunaga, but rather, it was given by his great-grandmother when Shimanaga was born and named by a name specialist.
The name specialist strongly recommended the name “Nobunaga”.
Later, his grandmother told him that the name “Nobunaga” is a good name because whether you do good or bad things, people will remember you, making it difficult to do bad things.
Although his parents were initially perplexed by the naming, Shimanaga himself later realized that being in the industry, having a name that people remember quickly has often worked to his advantage.
“My best friend and rival, Matsuoka Yoshitsugu“
He is very close friends with Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, his fellow voice actor, stating that if Matsuoka wasn’t from his generation, he wouldn’t be where he is now.
He also expressed his desire to be a friend and rival to Matsuoka, saying, “If I can proudly say, ‘He’s my best friend and my rival!’ that would be great.”
The two of them have appeared together on numerous variety/talk, usually, they end up cast in the same anime series and they always mention each other, even when they are not both in the same place (which happens in some radio shows).
Their friendship runs so deep to the point that it was confirmed that Matsuoka served as the guarantor for Shimazaki’s marriage (announced in January 2023).
They have one of the most endearing and genuine friendships among seiyuu.
Miyagi ambassador
On January 1, 2016, Nobunaga Shimazaki was appointed as the Miyagi Bond Ambassador. This was a great honor for him as a Miyagi native.
Has a fanclub
On August 8, 2022, he opened the official fan club app for Shimanaga Nobunaga at Aoni Production.
The membership-only site is abbreviated as “Nobulive”, and the hashtag #Nobulive is used on Twitter and other platforms. Additionally, this served as an opportunity for him to retake and release new promotional photos.
Prince of Tennis inspired him to join the tennis club
During junior high school, he was a fan of The Prince of Tennis and joined the soft tennis club, serving as the captain of the tennis club and the student council president.
His favorite character from “The Prince of Tennis” is Keigo Atobe (CV: Junichi Suwabe), to the extent of celebrating his birthday on his own Twitter account.
His passion for tennis went on being used in some shows he’s guested in.
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.
