Summary
While the character may be polarizing at times,Zenitsu Agatsumais one of the most distinctive and iconic characters inDemon Slayer. His massive popularity is in part thanks to the excellent performance of his Japanese voice actor,Hiro Shimono, who can seamlessly transition from a loud and annoying tone in comedic scenes to a more serious and subdued tone in action scenes.
It should be no surprise that Hiro Shimono is so talented, seeing as he has been working in the anime industry for over twenty-three years. As a result, he has been involved in the production of some of the most popular shows out there. That’s right, Zenitsu fromDemon Slayershares a voice actor with many other beloved anime characters. The following are the most remarkable examples of Shimono’s career.
While Hiro Shimono had been actively working in the industry for almost ten years beforeAttack on Titanbegan airing,there’s no denying thatConnie Springerwas his breakout role. As one of the most lighthearted members of the Survey Corps, Shimono’s signature voice made Connie stand out as a comic relief, especially during the show’s few comedic scenes.
However,Attack on Titanis a very dark anime, so Connie inevitably starred in some of its most heartbreaking and emotional scenes, mainly during the final season. During these moments, Shimono got to display his incredible dramatic acting chops. The scenes involving Connie’s Titan mother are particularly remarkable, and they proved that he’s an amazing voice actor.
Since Hiro Shimono is such a well-known voice actor andOne Pieceis such a popular anime, many anime viewers were wondering when he was going to land a role in Toei Animation’s adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s original manga. This finally happened in 2023,when he was hired to voice the adult version ofKouzuki Momonosukeduring the climax of the Wano Country Arc.
Since this character is technically a child in an adult body, Shimono’s performance needed to convey a certain childlike wonder, and he didn’t disappoint in that regard. His voice fits Momonosuke perfectly, which is especially impressive considering that he spent many episodes as a giant dragon that didn’t move his mouth when talking. However, when adult Momonosuke’s human form was revealed at the end of the arc, Shimono’s more serious performance made him seem like the heroic and respected leader that he was supposed to be. Yet, he portrayed this without taking away the more innocent side of this character that made him so endearing in the first place.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventureis yet another legendary action shōnen series in which Hiro Shimono got to voice a unique character, even if it was a smaller role. In Part 6,Stone Ocean,he voicedGuccio, the user of Survivor that Jolyne, Anasui and FF had to findin order to deactivate the Stand’s dangerous violence-inducing ability.
Guccio is a weird, feeble, and meek criminal that the audience is not supposed to feel empathy for, and the shaky voice Shimono gave him conveyed that flawlessly. This performance is admittedly quite similar to his work as Zenitsu, only without the more serious and cooler parts that make him a legitimately likable character.
It’s clear that Hiro Shimono has a knack for voicing popular characters in major action shōnen franchises,which is why he was eventually cast to voiceNacht FaustinBlack Clover.Once again, he got to showcase his versatility as a performer. Nacht is a calm, intelligent and logical person, meaning that he’s quite different from some of Shimono’s other roles, like Zenitsu or Connie.
Shimono has great chemistry with the voice actor of Gimodelo, the character’s small demon companion. Thanks to his design, personality and magical abilities, Nacht Faust has become a fan favorite, and Shimono’s impressive performance has likely contributed to his popularity amongBlack Cloverfans.
Paldean Gym LeaderPiersis one of the most popular characters in the Eighth Generation of thePokemonfranchise, and fans were delighted to find out that Hiro Shimono was chosen to voice him in the anime adaptation. Unlike some of his more popular characters, Piers is a calm, collected and pessimistic character, and Shimono did an excellent job at conveying those attributes with his performance.
His comedic scenes involving his strict and slow motorcycle driving were hilarious, and his relationship with Marnie was quite adorable, all elements that were elevated by Shimono’s acting. Piers may have appeared in just a couple of episodes ofPokemon Journeys, but he was one of the biggest highlights of the series.
Pretty much the entire marketing forScott Pilgrim Takes Offwas centered on the original actors of the 2010 live-action film returning to their iconic roles.And while Michael Cera did a good job voicingScott Pilgrimhimself, it’s evident that he’s more comfortable doing live-action roles, since it could be argued that Hiro Shimono did a better job in the show’s Japanese dub.
Casting the voice actor of Zenitsu Agatsuma to voice yet another pathetic womanizer who has to overcome his personal shortcomings was a brilliant decision on Science SARU’s part. Naturally, Shimono ended up being a perfect fit for this iconic, but polarizing, protagonist, seeing as his cadence and tone were excellent for both his dramatic and comedic scenes. In a full-circle moment, Shimono also voiced Michael Cera’s character in the Japanese dub of theBarbiemovie, just a few months beforeScott Pilgrim Takes Offwas released on Netflix.
Hiro Shimono has showcased his incredible versatility at many points throughout his career,but this talent was more evident than ever when he was chosen to voiceDabiinMy Hero Academia. Anime fans still can’t believe that this bloodthirsty and ruthless supervillan shares a voice actor with characters like Zenitsu and Connie Springer, and for very good reason. The vast difference in his performances is unbelievable.
Dabi is a violent, cruel antagonist who holds a personal grudge against his father and the #1 Pro Hero, Endeavor. As a result, he has starred in some of the darkest and most dramatic scenes in the entire series. While Hiro Shimono has been doing an excellent job at Dabi throughout most of the show’s run, the scene in which he reveals that he’s actually Toya Todoroki while simultaneously exposing Endeavor’s abusive past is a major highlight and further cemented this as one of the best roles of his entire, long-running, career. So, whenDemon Slayerfans are watching the firstInfinity Castlefilm in the near future, they should remember that Zenitsu and Dabi fromMy Hero Academiahave the same talented Japanese voice actor.
