A multi-talented musician, passionate voice actor with a unique, androgynous voice and a whole lot of talent to showcase. In this Seiyuu Digest, let’s check Takuma Nagatsuka’s career.
Takuma Nagatsuka
KANJI: 永塚拓馬
BORN: October 4, 1991
OCCUPATION: seiyuu, radio host, singer
HEIGHT: 170 cm
Takuma Nagatsuka was born on October 4, 1991, in Kanagawa and is currently represented by I’m Enterprise.
Seiyuu
While most seiyuu’s path is quite linear and, should I say “expected” from the way they talk passionately about anime and games, things were slightly different for Takuma Nagatsuka.
After attending a school festival in junior high school, he aimed at becoming a theatre actor, and thus, he ended up going to a high school with a genuinely good drama club in order to hone his skills and get closer to his dream.
However, life wasn’t that easy or linear for Nagatsuka. He ended up graduating from high school and went on to be a public servant at a city hall. But his passion for acting was still there. Determined not to let his dream slip away from his hands, during weekends, Nagatsuka would perform with a theatre troupe he’d joined.
It was around that time that he decided to give a go at voice acting. He entered the Japan Narration Acting Institute, passed its audition, decided to join a seiyuu talent agency, and thus… retired as a public servant, something that, according to Nagatsuka in an interview shocked his mother.
It wasn’t until his mother watched him perform live at “THE IDOLM@STER SideM 1st STAGE ~ST@RTING!” that she’d believe what his son had chosen was the right thing (especially when coming from a job as stable as a public servant).
2014 – 2016
Slowly making a name for himself
Takuma Nagatsuka made his debut as a voice actor in 2014 with several minor roles in anime series such as Nanatsu no Taizai, Cross Ange: Tenshi to Ryuu no Rondo, Bakumatsu Rock, and The Irregular at Magic High School.
In 2015, he was cast in his very first supporting role in an anime series. He was cast as the sociable and whimsical Lacus Welt in the action/supernatural anime series, Owari no Seraph.
This was the very first role in Nagatsuka’s career to get a lot of exposure and certainly one of his best supporting roles to date in an anime series.
He voiced the character for two full seasons of the anime series.
In 2016, Nagatsuka was cast as Leo Saionji, supporting character in the KING OF PRISM movies that wants to become more manly through PRISM shows.
Given how much the show focused on the two main characters, having little to no time to cover the supporting characters, this is a role that not many will be aware of. At the same time, this was a role that put the spotlight on Nagatsuka’s singing skills (because this is a series with most of its focus on singing.
In a way you could say that this role, allied to the fact that Nagatsuka has an androgynous voice, something that enables him to voice both male and female characters (not to mention younger characters), made him stand out, even if just a little.
In a way, that started a trend of him voicing bratty type of characters as well as androgynous-looking ones.
2016 was also the year in which Nagatsuka would end up getting his first-ever main role in an anime series. He was cast as Akane Tsutsui in the slice-of-life anime series “Handa-kun“.
However, this is not your regular main role in an anime series. As a matter of fact, Nagatsuka was only here to voice the younger version of Tsutsui whereas Yoshimasa Hosoya voiced the grown-up version (that went from having an androgynous voice to sounding incredibly deep).
During this time period, Nagatsuka voiced characters in anime series such as (list not exhaustive):
- Rolling☆Girls (2015)
- Momokuri (2015)
- Starmyu (2015 – 2019)
- Shokugeki no Souma (2015)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (2015)
- Idol Memories (2016)
- Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan (2016)
- Taboo Tattoo (2016)
- GATE Part 2 (2016)
- Divine Gate (2016)
- All Out!! (2016)
- Noblesse: Awakening (2016)
- Prince of Stride: Alternative (2016); between many more.
2017 –
Starting to stand out
Things started to change – albeit slowly – for Takuma Nagatsuka. He got cast in his first-ever leading role in an anime series as Neko, cat in the kid’s anime series, Neko to Mata.
He was then cast as the cheeky and incredibly smart Akira Sonohara in the quiz anime series, Nana Maru San Batsu.
Still in the same year, Takuma Nagatsuka reprised his role as Jun Fuyumi, in the popular anime adaptation of The IDOLM@STER SideM.
This was a role that properly put Nagatsuka in the spotlight in music anime. He voiced the calm, collected, and passionate pianist for the pop-rock band High x Joker.
In 2018, he was then cast as Koji Koda in the popular shounen/fighting anime series, Boku no Hero Academia.
Koda has an aggressive, almost brutish vibe to himself however… he is incredibly shy and quiet, rarely speaking throughout the anime series. He ended up voicing this character in the 3rd season and since then he has been part of the
Still in the same year, Nagatsuka reprised his role as Leo in the anime movie, King of Prism: Pride the Hero.
In 2018, Nagatsuka reprised his role as Jun Fuyumi in The iDOLM@STER SideM: Wake Atte Mini!, short anime with chibi art in the IDOLM@STER SideM universe.
2019 and 2020 were quiet years with very few roles in anime. 2020 was to be expected as a global pandemic ended up disrupting every industry in Japan, including the anime and music industries in Japan. As a result, most, if not all seiyuu, found themselves with no work during the lockdowns while anime productions came to a complete halt.
2021 was a return to normalcy in the seiyuu and anime industries and as such, Takuma Nagatsuka was back with supporting and leading roles in anime series.
He was cast as the arrogant and carefree Miya Chinen in the popular skate anime series, SK∞.
This is a role that almost instantly turned into one of Nagatsuka’s most popular to date as well as it is one of the most beloved characters in the anime series.
He was then cast as Kuro in the psychological anime series, Kai Byoui Ramune. Kuro is Ramune’s assistant (the main character in the series) and is known for being rational and having good judgment.
And to wrap up 2021, he was cast in VISUAL PRISON, ambitious anime series with visual-kei and vampires as its main themes. He voiced Elizabeth Veuve, member of LOS†EDEN.
Yet again, Nagatsuka was with the spotlight on himself as this project ended up hitting it quite big with fans of 2D music in that same year.
2022 was rather quiet for him, with supporting and minor roles in anime series such as Deaimon, Kakegurui Twin and Boku no Hero Academia 6th Season.
During this time period, Nagatsuka voiced characters in anime series such as (list not exhaustive):
- Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu (2017)
- Fukumenkei Noise (2017)
- Youkai Apartment no Yuuga na Nichijou (2017)
- Blend S (2017)
- Butlers: Chitose Momotose Monogatari (2018)
- Yi Ren Zhi Xia 3: Rushi Pian (2018)
- High Score Girl (2018)
- Double Decker! DouElizabeth Veuveg & Kirill (2018)
- Nakanohito Genome (2019)
- number24 (2020)
- The God of High School (2020)
- Black Clover (2020)
- Hakumei no Tsubasa: Expansion – Hoshi no Matsuri (2020)
- Wave!! Surfing Yappe!! (2021)
- Back Arrow (2021)
- D_CIDE TRAUMEREI THE ANIMATION (2021)
- Yu☆Gi☆Oh! Go Rush!! (2022)
- Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 3 (2022)
Radio
When it comes to radio shows, Takuma Nagatsuka is surprisingly outgoing with the perfect dashes of professionalism on top.
He can carry a radio show along with no problems, leading the way and actually having fun by himself. But he can as well share the microphone with other hosts and create a cool and friendly dynamic in the studio.
Some of the radio shows he’s been a part of include:
IDOLMASTER SideM Radio 315Night! (2016)
In 2016, Takuma Nagatsuka guested alongside fellow High x Joker member Hiroshi Watanabe on IDOLMASTER SideM Radio 315Night!, radio show hosted by DRAMATIC STARS’ members Shugo Nakamura, Yuma Uchida, and Taku Yashiro.
As per usual with this radio show, it was entertaining and filled with a great, warm vibe, fun corners, and a lot of crazy shenanigans.
RADIO M4!!!! (2017 -)
This is Nagatsuka’s longest-running radio show. RADIO M4!!!! kicked off in 2017 and counts with the entertaining quartet – Daiki Hamano, Kouhei Amasaki, Takuma Nagatsuka, and Taichi Ichikawa – hosting the show.
The radio show ended up leading to the quartet’s debut as M4!!!!, a dance-pop group with some sprinkles of rock on top.
Other radio shows in which Nagatsuka has either guested or hosted include:
- Star Revo☆彡 Radio 88 (2017)
- Shin Otokomae Tsushin neo natsu no jin Nagatsuka Takuma no Sumikkotoku (2019)
- Radio On Air!〜 Houseki ga oka gakuen housoubu 〜 (2019)
- ComicFesta Radio Oretachi no koe de Midarero. (2020)
Games
Starting off on the right foot. That’s how Nagatsuka kicked off his career voicing characters in games.
His first role was as Jun Fuyumi in THE IDOLM@STER SideM franchise in 2015 and since then, he’s lent his voice to characters in otome, action, RPG, and music games.
He’s lent voice to a couple of iconic characters such as:
Jun Fuyumi in THE IDOLM@STER SideM (2015 -) and SideM LIVE ON ST@GE! (2017 -)
In 2015, Takuma Nagatsuka joined the cast of the popular idol franchise, THE IDOLM@STER SideM.
The game, of the same name, was released in 2017 and mixed elements of music, story (incredibly toned down), and idol nurturing/farming.
He voices Jun Fuyumi, the calm and collected pianist for High x Joker.
Although Fuyumi mentions he doesn’t want to become an idol, he is incredibly passionate about music, focusing his attention all on it and getting quite excited sharing his love for music with others.
[CHARACTER 4 – GAME NAME]
He also voiced characters in the following games (list is not exhaustive):
- Quiz RPG Wizard and Black Cat Wiz (2015)
- Magical Days the Brats’s Parade (2016)
- KING OF PRISM Prism Rush! LIVE (2017)
- Granblue Fantasy (2017 – 2021)
- Usotsuki Shangri-La (2017)
- A3! (2018)
- 100 Sleeping Princes and the Kingdom of Dreams (2018)
- On Air! (2018)
- Engage Souls (2020)
- Jack Jeanne (2021)
- Pokemon Masters EX (2022)
- Ensemble Stars!! Basic / Music (2022)
Acting
Despite being incredibly passionate about theatre/stage acting, truth is, there are very few documented and confirmed roles by Nagatsuka on this side of the acting industry.
Some of his acting credits include:
Bokukoe 2 (2019)
In 2018, Bokukoe announced its return with the 2nd season kicking off in January 2019, bringing a new cast, as well as some old faces from the first season plus a whole new skit selection for fans to enjoy.
Takuma Nagatsuka joined the cast of the 2nd season however not with a secondary role but as the main character in a skit about embracing your embarrassing self.
恥ずかしがり隊 -「僕たちと一緒にもっと恥ずかしいことしようよ！」(Shy party – “Let’s be more embarrassed with us!”) features Kent Ito, Yoshiki Nakajima, and Takuma Nagatsuka.
Seikowa 3rd act (2022)
In 2022, Nagatsuka was announced as part of the cast for the 3rd act of Seikowa (声優が語る怖い話 – Seiyuu ga kataru kowai hanashi).
This show revolves around scary ghost stories – written by professionals – told by seiyuu in an immersive experience for fans of the genre.
The show is produced by MBS and features a total of 12 episodes (each seiyuu is featured in only 1 episode). Episodes will be released every Friday until January 27, 2023.
Narration / Dubbing
With not that big of a spotlight over him, Takuma Nagatsuka has barely set his feet into narration and dubbing, having credits dubbing foreign series “Stuck in the Middle”, “Duck Tales” and “Summer of 84” and only 1 credit in narration for a TV Tokyo show.
Drama CDs
When it comes to drama CDs, Nagatsuka is not as active as other seiyuu from his generation. He has very few credits to his name, with most of those roles being reprisals from anime series.
Some of those drama CDs include:
- THE IDOLM@STER SideM ST@RTING LINE -03/04
- Cat and Spica 2
- Yoruto Asa no Uta Ec
- Koe wa shite namida wa mienu nure tori
- Gouka rensha arudebaran 〜 7-paku 8-nichi no koibito 〜
- Dear Vocalist
- Oyasuminasai, mata ashita
- Drama CD Momokuri; between many more.
Music
Perhaps one of the sides of the seiyuu industry that Takuma Nagatsuka is the most active in is the music side of it.
Not only has Nagatsuka been incredibly active in 2D groups and joined a couple of seiyuu units, but he also made his solo debut in 2021.
He is known for his androgynous high voice and he has got quite a lot of control over it, enabling him to perform a wide variety of music genres without an issue.
Let’s check a bit of his career in the music industry.
Solo career (2021 -)
After much teasing about the upcoming solo debut by “a certain male seiyuu” by Nippon Columbia and the various hint videos sent by close friends and colleagues Shun Horie, Kouhei Amasaki, and Chiaki Kobayashi, the news was finally out.
Takuma Nagatsuka was to make a solo debut signed to the major music label, Nippon Columbia.
He made his debut with the mini-album “dance with me“, bringing a sweet mix of pop with EDM to delight his fans.
Listeners could find trendy dance tunes in this release, all paired up with strong work in terms of choreography that ended up attracting some attention to his debut.
Unfortunately, the CD sold poorly, and soon after, Nagatsuka and Nippon Columbia went on a long silence until 2022, time when both announced the release of “Jewel”, Takuma Nagatsuka’s 2nd mini-album.
The mini-album was originally set to be released on his birthday in October but ended up delayed due to production issues, only being released in November 2022.
Despite Nagatsuka’s best efforts to deliver high-quality performances and exciting tunes for his fans… fans were basically nowhere, which was completely odd.
Given how the first mini-album didn’t sell well, promotions for this one were kept to a bare minimum and not even a music video was released to attract some attention to Nagatsuka’s music.
And just like the previous release, “Jewel” sold poorly, something that ended up raising some flags that, perhaps, his solo career may tank if Nippon Columbia doesn’t do something towards inverting that tendency.
HighXJoker (2015 -)
In 2015, Takuma Nagatsuka joined the cast of THE IDOLM@STER‘s male version, IDOLM@STER SideM.
He was cast as Jun Fuyumi, pianist for HighXJoker. Yusuke Shirai, Shoya Chiba, Sho Nogami, and Hiroshi Watanabe complete the lineup for this unit.
The band’s lively and upbeat pop-rock sound is addictive. Since its debut, HighxJoker has released multiple singles, collaborations, and cross-unit CDs.
Nagatsuka‘s vocals are filled with emotion, suiting both the uptempo, high-octane tunes by the band as well as the ballad-inspired solo tracks he performs as Jun.
Up until now, the quintet has released two singles, THE IDOLM@STER Sidem ST@RTING LINE-04 High×Joker (2015) and THE IDOLM@STER SideM ANIMATION PROJECT 06 “Sunset★Colors” (2018).
Aside from these singles, HighXJoker has participated in several cross-unit and solo song projects within the franchise.
The quintet has participated so far in several IDOLMASTER SideM stages:
- 1st STAGE 〜ST@RTING!〜 (2016),
- 2nd STAGE 〜ORIGIN@L STARS〜 (2017),
- 3rd STAGE 〜GLORIOUS ST@GE!〜 (2018),
- 4th LIVE STAGE 〜TRE@SURE GATE〜 (2019),
- 6thLIVE TOUR ～NEXT DESTIN@TION!～ (2021)
- THE IDOLM@STER SideM 6thLIVE TOUR ～NEXT DESTIN@TION!～ (2022).
KING OF PRISM (2017 -)
In 2017, Takuma Nagatsuka joined the cast of KING OF PRISM, spin-off anime series in the universe of Pretty Rhythm.
The group features vocals by Yuma Uchida, Taku Yashiro, Soma Saito, Junta Terashima, Tasuku Hatanaka, Masashi Igarashi, and Takuma Nagatsuka.
Since their debut, they have released several character CDs as well as best of albums and performed live on several occasions.
The franchise’s most recent live show was KING OF PRISM SUPER LIVE Shiny Seven Stars! , event held on 02/02/2020 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba.
PURA.net (2017 – 2018)
In 2017, Takuma Nagatsuka joined the cast of the ambitious idol project, Star Revo. He joined PURA.net, pop outfit consisting of Keito Okuyama, Shogo Yano, Takuma Nagatsuka, and Taichi Ichikawa.
PURA.net got to perform live at Rejet Fes. 2017 with the song “Kirameki Prologue”.
The group never got to release their CDs but contributed songs for the several Best Off albums that wrapped up the franchise as distribution of the game was announced back in 2018.
M4!!!! (2018 – )
In 2018, and stemming from RADIO M4!!!!, M4!!!! made their debut as a group under Marine Entertainment.
M4!!!! consists of Daiki Hamano, Kouhei Amasaki, Takuma Nagatsuka, and Taichi Ichikawa and, since their debut, their sound and image have changed quite a bit.
Takuma Nagatsuka is known for his high notes yet he can dabble quite comfortably in comfortable mid-tones and, if need be, he can even showcase his talents in rapping for the group.
The group used to have a generic pop-rock sound but slowly has been evolving towards a more mature sound and vibe.
They made their debut in 2018 with the single, ONLY LOVE / 4 Me!!!!.
This single was marked by its fast tempo – with the usage of breakbeats and drum and bass being king.
Soon after, in 2019, the group released a follow-up to it, the mini-album, Gravity.
This release was marked with a change of sound for the group, with electronica taking the spotlight, leading to a high-tension release made for the dancefloor.
A couple of months later, in 2020, M4!!!! released their 2nd single, Dear my friend / My Sweet Shine.
Their sound changed yet again, going the dramatic route with some Latin influences creating a danceable, ear-catching, and refreshing sound for the group.
This sound winked at the group’s previous experiences with pop, rock, and electronica and toned it down while keeping it classy.
A couple of months later, in April 2020, the group released the single, Advance. This release marked the return of the group to high-tension electronica however being bigger and bolder than their debut release.
There were noticeable improvements on the vocal end, with the group sounding more concise and, individual, many of the members going for an upgrade on their consistency and technique – mainly when it came to flourishes such as falsetto and vibrato.
It is a well-conceived single, filled with emotional and funky moments plus a whole lot of vocal highlights.
6carats (2018 – 2020)
6carats consists of Junya Enoki (MAISY), Takuya Sato (Prid’s), Takuma Nagatsuka (Hot-Blood), Haruki Ishiya (Re:Fly), Makoto Furukawa (Eme☆Kare) and Tsubasa Yonaga (drop), cast members in the smartphone game “On Air!”.
The group released its debut single “Now on air!” in 2018, not releasing more music before disbanding in 2020 with the game’s end of the distribution.
Guitar Seiyuu (2019 -)
In 2019, Guitar Seiyuu was born. The group consists of seiyuu Toshinari Fukamachi, Takuma Nagatsuka and Taichi Ichikawa and focuses on rock music played by all three guitarists.
Since its inception, the group has held 2 fan meeting events in which they showcased their talents with both acoustic and electric guitars.
Getsumeiseiki (2021 -)
- Xiahou Dun (CV: Yuichi Jose)
- Cao Ren (CV: Takuma Nagatsuka)
- Cao Chun (CV: Kouhei Amasaki)
In 2021, Takuma Nagatsuka joined the cast of Dragon’s Bite, a unique 2D project that mixes seiyuu × cooking × music × Romance of the Three Kingdoms, all in the same place.
The story is set at Ryugu, a public casino facility built in Japan in the near future.
Cooking battles among three-member teams have taken place at an illegal casino set up deep beneath the facility. The battles are fought by the descendants of the heroes of the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” Their battle will change the fate of the world!
Amasaki is part of the cast in Getsumeiseiki alongside fellow seiyuu Yuichi Jose and Kouhei Amasaki.
As a member of Getsumeiseiki, Nagatsuka participated in two CDs so far:
- “Dragon’s Bite～Ryuuou no utage～ Songs Collection Vol.1 – EP” (2021), and
- “Dragon’s Bite～Ryuuou no utage～ Songs Collection Vol.2 – EP” (2022).
LOS†EDEN (2021 -)
In 2021, Nagatsuka 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
Photobooks
In 2020, Takuma Nagatsuka released his first photobook 永塚拓馬 in シンガポール photograph journey (Nagatsuka Takuma in Singapore photograph journey).
Variety
When it comes to variety shows, Takuma Nagatsuka always gives his best. If it is a physical type of variety show, you can be sure he’ll be running more than everyone, if it is an intellectual type of show, he tends to be quite cunning and attentive, surprising most seiyuu participating in the same events as him.
He is also quite the variety-oriented person, being naturally fun without being overtly loud or trying to hog all the camera’s attention.
Fans can find him in most of Marine Entertainment’s variety shows and quite often participating in the same events as most of the cast of THE IDOLM@STER SideM franchise.
Some of the variety shows in which he participated include:
Nana maru san batsu variety (2017)
To promote the premiere of the quiz anime Nana Maru San Batsu in which Horie voiced one of the main characters, all cast of the anime got together to play against each other in a special three-part quiz.
Nagatsuka teamed up with Tasuku Hatanaka however, the duo didn’t manage to beat the Horie – Sato combo that nailed every question thrown their way.
Tomohito Takatsuka, Takuma Nagatsuka, Shun Horie Ramen Boys (2018 -)
Takuma Nagatsuka no Koko dake! (2018 -)
In 2018, Nagatsuka got the opportunity to helm his own talk show, Takuma Nagatsuka no Koko dake! (永塚拓馬のココだけ！).
The talk show is broadcast on Nico Nico and YouTube and has the concept of “a backstage talk that can only be heard here with popular male voice actor Takuma Nagatsuka”.
At the time of writing this feature, this talk show is still running on Seigura’s official YouTube channel and Nico Nico.
Seiyuu Bowling Grandprix 2 (2018)
In 2018, Takuma Nagatsuka participated in the 2nd edition of the bowling variety DVD series, Seiyuu Bowling Grandprix.
He was featured alongside Sho Nogami and Shun Horie.
Seiyuu Bowling Grandprix was created by Seiyuu Grandprix, a well-known seiyuu magazine, and it counts with a pretty unique concept: a bowling tournament with punishments, skill challenges, and free talk corners.
Steal Treasure Run!! (2019)
Marine Entertainment’s treasure hunt variety returned in 2019 under a new format, with a different lineup and dynamic.
Takuma Nagatsuka participated in Steal Treasure Run!! along with fellow Marine Supernova members: Kouhei Amasaki, Taichi Ichikawa, Takeru Kikuchi, Tatsuya Tokutake, Daiki Hamano, Sho Nogami, Shoya Chiba, and Taku Yashiro.
During the whole event, Nagatsuka was one of the most active participants, running all the time in order to get the cape (the special item in this game), ended up part of great chases, however, ended up losing the event to a member that, cunningly, stole the cape just a couple of seconds before the end of the timer.
Takuma Nagatsuka and Shun Horie Ponkotsu GA Mile (2019 – )
Still in the same year, alongside fellow seiyuu Shun Horie, Takuma Nagatsuka started hosting “Takuma Nagatsuka and Shun Horie Ponkotsu GA Mile” (永塚拓馬・堀江瞬 ぽんこつGAマイル) location variety show that airs on Nico Nico and YouTube.
For this variety show, both seiyuu explore locations in Japan, trying all things clothing, food, and housing.
Facts
Multi-talented instrumentalist
It is well known among his fans that, besides playing piano and guitar, Takuma Nagatsuka also plays the ocarina. So that’s keys, strings, and wind instruments that he absolutely nails, which is quite impressive.
Tea connoisseur
Takuma Nagatsuka is quite fond of tea but his passion goes beyond appreciating its taste.
Nagatsuka is knowledgeable about a wide variety of teas and even got to create his own tea blend for his show 永塚拓馬のココだけ！(Nagatsuka Takuma koko dake!) titled “WONDERLAND”.
Always active
If you’ve watched Nagatsuka on variety shows that require him to be physical, you’ll easily notice how comfortable he is with running and exercising as a whole. He has mentioned he loves running in his free time and he also loves dancing, being quite passionate about it.
With this, THTFHQ wraps up another Seiyuu Digest. This is a December 2022 + January 2023 digest. With that being said, Seiyuu Digest returns in February 2023.
In the meantime, don’t forget to check past Seiyuu Digests (some of those recently updated) – HERE.
