Kotarō Katsura from Gintama is the favorite Akira Ishida role for the ninth year in a row, according to an Anime! Anime! reader poll published on Ishida's birthday, November 2, 2026. Katsura received about 46% of the vote.
Akaza from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba placed second with about 6%, the same position he held last year. Kaworu Nagisa from Neon Genesis Evangelion finished third, one vote behind Akaza.
The outlet ran the survey from October 20 to 27, 2026, and received 1,197 responses. About 90% of respondents were women and about 10% were men. Roughly half were 19 or younger, and about 15% were in their 20s.
Katsura's voters praised both his straight-faced comedy and the moments when he turns serious. Akaza's supporters singled out the intensity of his fight scenes. One praised how Ishida separates the demon from his human self and voices him at different ages, from boyhood to young adulthood. A Kaworu voter pointed out that the character appears in almost only one episode of the TV series but remains widely loved.
Anime! Anime! said characters from works spanning the 1990s to the 2020s placed in this year's poll. The outlet also noted that Ishida was named MVS (Most Valuable Seiyu), an honor chosen by fan vote, at the 20th Seiyu Awards in 2026. Its full rankings run through 20th place.