Three Years, Same Top Three
Kenjiro Tsuda turned another year older on June 11, and to mark the occasion, Japanese entertainment site Anime!Anime! ran its annual reader poll asking fans to name their single favorite character from his career. The 267 respondents kept the podium identical to last year: Nanami Kento from Jujutsu Kaisen at No. 1, Kaiba Seto from Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters at No. 2, and Ogata Hyakunosuke from Golden Kamuy at No. 3. All three are battle-hardened characters, and all three have held their spots for three straight years.
Tsuda's career stretches back to 1995. He won Best Lead Actor at the 15th Seiyuu Awards and works across anime, live-action drama, film, and commercials. In March he released a 30th-anniversary photobook, Tsuda Kenjiro PHOTOBOOK since1995.
Why Nanami Won't Budge From No. 1
Nanami pulled about 25% of the vote, more than double the runner-up. The salaryman-turned-sorcerer resonates. Readers praised the way Tsuda balances Nanami's outward composure with a deep well of kindness, calling him "the adult among adults" in a cast full of teenagers.
Fans singled out specific lines. "Overtime starts now" and "Labor is garbage" came up repeatedly, along with the Shibuya Incident interrogation scene where Nanami asks "How many allies, and where are they positioned?" in a voice cold enough to freeze the frame. Tsuda's low, controlled delivery makes Nanami's rare flashes of fury land harder.
Kaiba and Ogata Hold Steady
Kaiba Seto took second at about 11%. The young CEO and rival duelist has been a Tsuda signature since 2000, and multiple respondents said Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters was the show that introduced them to him. Fans highlighted his Blue-Eyes White Dragon summon yells and the specific weight he puts on the word kisama ("you").
Ogata Hyakunosuke from Golden Kamuy followed at roughly 10%. The imperial army sniper is unreadable on the page, and readers credited Tsuda with layering emptiness and buried trauma into a character who could easily have been just "the cool marksman." One respondent pointed to Episode 35, "Tsumi Kegare" (Sin and Defilement), and the long speech Ogata delivers to Asirpa on the ice as a career-defining moment.
The Rest of the Top 10
The poll's deeper cuts show Tsuda's range. Kazama Chikage from Hakuoki (4th), the demon clan leader who names the hero "Hakuoki," drew comments about Tsuda's real-life Setsubun posts on X. Novak from Chi: Earth's Motion (5th) and Bram Stoker from Bungo Stray Dogs (6th) kept the battle-character streak going.
Then Nezumi-kun from Nezumi-kun no Chokki landed at 7th, a currently airing children's anime where Tsuda voices a small mouse. Fans said the role completely upended their mental image of his voice. A three-way tie at 8th brought in Gunji Hiromitsu from live-action drama Great Gift, Nino from ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept., and Bunzō from Ramen Akaneko. Inui Sadaharu from The Prince of Tennis, another long-running role, took 11th.
The survey ran from May 26 to June 2 and skewed heavily female (about 80%), with the largest age groups being teens and 30-somethings at roughly 30% each.
Looking Ahead
Tsuda's 2026 slate is already packed. Among his recent and current roles, Nezumi-kun no Chokki began airing in April 2026 and is still on the air. His live-action work continues across TV dramas and commercials, including a recent Suntory Premium Malt's campaign.
For international fans, Jujutsu Kaisen (produced by MAPPA) is available on Crunchyroll and Netflix in most territories. Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters streams on Crunchyroll, and Golden Kamuy's final-season run is on Crunchyroll as well. ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept. and Bungo Stray Dogs are also on Crunchyroll for anyone looking to explore the deeper cuts on this list.