Key insights
- Ikue Ōtani has voiced iconic characters such as Pikachu and Tony Tony Chopper, showcasing her talent and vocal range.
- She has also portrayed unforgettable characters like Konohamaru in Naruto and Zatch Bell in the underrated films of the same name.
- Despite her success as a mascot voice artist, she demonstrated her versatility with roles such as Candy in Smile Pretty Cure and Cheadle Yorkshire in Hunter X Hunter.
The main characters of One piecethe Straw Hat Pirates, are all voiced by a star-studded cast of talented Japanese voice actors, and Tony Tony Chopper is no exception. For over 23 years, the crew's charming reindeer doctor has been portrayed by talented actors Ikue Ōtani.

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Needless to say, Ōtani is a legendary voice actress with an extremely recognizable voice that she has used to bring some of anime's most popular characters to life, and some of them may even be more famous than Chopper himself. There are plenty of solid ones in her extensive resume Examples to choose from, but the following eight performances are some of Ōtani's absolute best.
8 Pikachu
In Pokémon
- Release date
- April 1, 1997
- studio
- OLM
- Creator
- Satoshi Tajiri
- Streaming service(s)
- Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
For this reason, Ikue Ōtani will go down in history as one of the most famous Japanese voice actors in history. Because as incredible as her performance as Tony Tony Chopper is, nothing can top her 27-year tenure as Tony Chopper Pikachuthe famous mascot of the entire Pokemon series. Of course, she first voiced Ash's Pikachu, but her role has expanded over the years, and now she voices almost every single Pikachu in the franchise, be it in the anime or other material. Ōtani's voice was even used in the main line Pokémon games, which is an impressive achievement.
And it's not like she keeps saying the name “Pikachu” and calls it a day. The authors of the Pokémon anime have developed a special Pikachu language that Ikue Ōtani follows to the letter, allowing her to add much-needed emotional depth to her performance. After so many years, it's almost impossible to realize that there's a real person behind Pikachu's distinctive voice. That’s how good a job Ikue Ōtani did (and still does).
7 Konohamaru Sarutobi
In Naruto and Naruto Shippuden
Naruto: Shippuden
- Release date
- February 15, 2007
- studio
- Pierrot
- Creator
- Masashi Kishimoto
- Streaming service(s)
- Amazon Prime Video, Crunchyroll, Hulu
Just like her colleagues Kazuya Nakai (Zoro) and Hiroaki Hirata (Sanji), Ikue Ōtani is one of many Japanese voice actors who have played both roles One piece And Naruto. However, she stands out because she already voiced a relatively important character in the second episode of the series: Konohamaru Sarutobi.
When she's not portraying small and adorable mascots, Ōtani usually portrays young male children, and Konohamaru is one of the most prominent examples of this type of role. He is a simple and effective character as he is an enthusiastic but difficult aspiring ninja who sees Naruto as his idol and mentor. And Ōtani's performance gives him a sense of innocence that makes him really attractive to audiences, even though he can be annoying at times. And she took on this excellent performance Naruto Shippudenwhere a slightly older Konohamu began to engage in a few more action scenes.
6 Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya
Case Closed / Detective Conan
Case closed
- Release date
- January 8, 1996
- studio
- TMS Entertainment
- Creator
- Gosho Aoyama
A few years before Pikachu and Tony Tony Chopper was voiced by Ikue Ōtani Mitsuhiko Tsuburayaone of the most memorable characters in Case closed (known as Detective Conan in many countries). Although she had worked as a voice actress for a few years before this show, there is no doubt that this role made her famous, and for good reason.

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Mitsuhiko is one of Conan Edogawa's closest friends, along with Genta and Ayumi. Although he is one of the smartest and most methodical members of the group, he is also quite innocent and clueless, since he is still a 6-year-old boy. Ōtani's flawless performance has made Mitsuhiko one of the most endearing characters in the series. The new episodes of are particularly impressive Case closed are still in production today, meaning Ikue Ōtani has been voicing Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya for much longer than most of her other roles.
5 Zach Bell
Zatch Bell!
Zatch Bell!
- Release date
- April 6, 2003
- studio
- Toei animation
- Creator
- Makoto Raiku
As already mentioned, Ikue Ōtani specializes in voicing cute mascots or little boys. So what happens when these two character archetypes are combined? Well, that's exactly what happened when she was cast as the voice Zach Bellthe title character of one of the action shōnen genre's most underrated gems: Zatch Bell!. However, this shouldn't be a big surprise since this anime was produced by Toei Animation, the studio behind it One piece.
Similar to Konohamu, this powerful Mamodo is an optimistic boy with a strong fighting spirit, but can also be immature and innocent at times. Ōtani's ever-recognizable voice really helps Zatch stand out from other similar characters and makes him much more likeable to the viewer. Not to mention that this was a lead role for her, which meant she had to put a lot of effort into her acting, which she definitely succeeded in doing.
4 sweets
In Smile Pretty Cure!
Pretty healing
- Release date
- February 1, 2004
- studio
- Toei Animation, Bandai
- Number of episodes
- 850+
All of the characters mentioned so far are male, but as an adult woman, Ikue Ōtani had the chance to voice a fair number of female characters as well (although it didn't happen very often). One of the most memorable examples is sweetsone of the two main mascots of the classic Magic Girl series, Smile Pretty Cure!.
After voicing so many male characters, hearing Ōtani's voice come from a female character feels both unusual and refreshing. Luckily, she's a natural at it and was able to use all of her talents to make Candy sound as charming, feminine and stylish as possible. This is undoubtedly one of Ikue Ōtani's most distinctive roles to date.
3 Morgana
In Persona 5: The Animation
Persona 5: The Animation
- Release date
- April 8, 2018
- studio
- Clover Works
- Related to
- Persona 5 by P-Studio
Ikue Ōtani has had a huge impact on the world of gaming because she doesn't just voice Pikachu Pokémonbut she also lent her voice Morganaone of the most important playable characters in Persona 5. And she didn't just stick with the games, as she continued to voice this lovable feline in the animated adaptation. Persona 5: The Animation.

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Once again, Ōtani was chosen to portray an adorable and charming mascot character with lots of personality, and as always, she aced the role. Unlike Pikachu or Chopper, Morgana is much more arrogant and annoying, but Ōtani's entertaining performance goes a long way toward making him much more likeable, especially in comedic scenes.
2 Mannish Boy / Death Thirteen
In Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders
JoJo Bizarre Adventure
- Release date
- October 6, 2012
- studio
- David Production
- Creator
- Hirohiko Araki
At first glance, Manly boy out of Jojo's bizarre adventure For Ikue Ōtani, it may seem like another young and innocent boy speaking, but in the end, this was one of her most distinctive characters. In reality, this literal baby is an evil and murderous Stand user who tried to kill the main cast of Stardust Crusaders with his deadly stance, Death Thirteen.
There are two sides to this performance: Mannish Boy himself, who speaks primarily through an inner monologue that lets the viewer know how truly cruel and intelligent he is. And the disturbing posture he holds: Death Thirteen, in which he shows off the more playful part of his personality. Because who can forget his signature slogan “Lali-Ho!” Surprisingly, Ōtani's signature high-pitched voice managed to perfectly convey how despicable Mannish Boy is, further proving that she has a lot more vocal range than most people might think.
1 Cheadle Yorkshire
In Hunter X Hunter (2011)
Hunter x Hunter
- Release date
- October 2, 2011
- studio
- Madhouse
- Creator
- Yoshihiro Togashi
After many years of voicing so many mascots and boys, Cheadle Yorkshirefrom the 2011 animated adaptation Hunter x Hunteris undoubtedly one of Ikue Ōtani's most notable and important vocal performances. This is because, unlike most of her usual roles, Cheadle is a quiet and intelligent adult woman.
She was introduced during Hunter's 13th presidential election arc, which is less about action and more about politics and bureaucracy. As a result, there are a lot of long and complex conversations in this arc, and fortunately Ōtani has used all of her talents to make Cheadle as likeable as possible. This was a particularly important task as she was ultimately elected as the new president of the Hunter Association at the end of the arc. Anime fans will always remember her for her legendary performances as Pikachu and Tony Tony Chopper, but Ikue Ōtani's excellent portrayal of Cheadle Yorkshire should never be forgotten.

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