{"rewrite":{"id":"r_9aa0ceddc006467b8d50d433","clusterId":"c_2e06499399fd443381eb5a61","slug":"hochu-otsuka-birthday-poll-sakonji-urokodaki-takes-first-place-for-fourth","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Hochu Otsuka Birthday Poll: Sakonji Urokodaki Takes First Place for Fourth Straight Year","summary":"Nijimen published a reader poll ranking the top 10 characters voiced by Hochu Otsuka, with Sakonji Urokodaki from Demon Slayer taking first place for the fourth consecutive year. Abuto from Gintama and Jiraiya from Naruto swapped second and third places, while Yazan Gable from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam entered the top 10 for the first time.","whyItMatters":"The poll shows that Otsuka's most iconic role remains stable at the top, but the shifting positions of other characters and the entry of a classic Gundam antagonist reflect how audience familiarity with his range continues to evolve.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eVoice actor Hochu Otsuka turned 73 on May 19. To mark the occasion, Nijimen asked readers to vote for their favorite character he has voiced and published the top 10 results. The list draws from a broad career spanning nearly five decades, from 1970s mecha anime to current shonen hits. Sakonji Urokodaki, the retired Water Hashira who mentors Tanjiro in Demon Slayer, has held first place every year since the poll began. The biggest shift this year is the reversal of second and third place: Abuto from Gintama overtook Jiraiya from Naruto, who had been runner-up in 2025. The only new entry in the top 10 is Yazan Gable, the brutal Titans pilot from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, who landed at eighth place. Last year's ninth-place finisher, the dual role of Takamura and Narration from Sakamoto Days, dropped to 11th.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSakonji Urokodaki (Demon Slayer)\u003c/strong\u003e: 1st place, 401 votes\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbuto (Gintama)\u003c/strong\u003e: 2nd place, 275 votes\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJiraiya (Naruto)\u003c/strong\u003e: 3rd place, 260 votes\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLieutenant Tsurumi (Golden Kamuy)\u003c/strong\u003e: 4th place, 219 votes\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVoice of Deneb (Kamen Rider Den-O)\u003c/strong\u003e: 5th place, 189 votes\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAkira Sendoh (Slam Dunk)\u003c/strong\u003e: 6th place, 164 votes\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHakuro (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime)\u003c/strong\u003e: 7th place, 149 votes\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYazan Gable (Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam)\u003c/strong\u003e: 8th place, 137 votes\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoseki Natsume (Bungo Stray Dogs)\u003c/strong\u003e: 9th place, 116 votes\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMontblanc Norland, Z (One Piece)\u003c/strong\u003e: 10th place, 106 votes\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e","blueskyPost":"Hochu Otsuka birthday poll: Sakonji Urokodaki #1 for 4th straight year. Abuto overtakes Jiraiya for #2. Yazan Gable enters top 10.","twitterPost":"Hochu Otsuka birthday poll: Sakonji Urokodaki #1 for 4th straight year. Abuto overtakes Jiraiya for #2. Yazan Gable enters top 10.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Nijimen's annual reader poll for Hochu Otsuka's birthday puts Demon Slayer's Sakonji Urokodaki at number one for the fourth year in a row. Abuto from Gintama and Jiraiya from Naruto swapped second and third places, and Yazan Gable from Zeta Gundam is the only new top-10 entry.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Nijimen\",\"url\":\"https://nijimen.kusuguru.co.jp/topics/616468\",\"title\":\"Everyone's Choice: \\\"Which Character Voiced by Hochu Otsuka?\\\" Ranking TOP 10! 1st Place is 'Demon Slayer' Sakonji Urokodaki [2026 Edition]\"}]","lintFlagsJson":"[]","lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4521,"outputTokens":965,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1779826622,"createdAt":"2026-05-20T02:19:45.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-05-20T02:31:02.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-20T02:31:02.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_2e06499399fd443381eb5a61","canonicalTitle":"みんなが選ぶ「大塚芳忠さんが演じるキャラといえば？」ランキングTOP10！1位は『鬼滅の刃』鱗滝左近次【2026年版】 - 女性向けアニメ情報サイトにじめん","representativeArticleId":"a_1266672139c3fb88662917cb","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"鬼滅の刃\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"大塚芳忠\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":true}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-05-18T15:00:07.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-05-18T15:00:07.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-05-20T02:32:24.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Nijimen","url":"https://nijimen.kusuguru.co.jp/topics/616468","title":"みんなが選ぶ「大塚芳忠さんが演じるキャラといえば？」ランキングTOP10！1位は『鬼滅の刃』鱗滝左近次【2026年版】 - 女性向けアニメ情報サイトにじめん"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["鬼滅の刃"],"manga_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["大塚芳忠"],"type":"news","domain":"anime","is_roundup":true},"keyFacts":["Sakonji Urokodaki from Demon Slayer ranked first in Nijimen's Hochu Otsuka birthday poll for the fourth straight year, receiving 401 votes.","Abuto from Gintama took second place with 275 votes, overtaking Jiraiya from Naruto, which fell to third with 260 votes.","Yazan Gable from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam entered the top 10 for the first time, landing at eighth place with 137 votes.","The dual role of Takamura and Narration from Sakamoto Days dropped from ninth place in 2025 to 11th place in 2026.","Hochu Otsuka turned 73 on May 19, and the poll covered characters from his nearly five-decade career, from 1970s mecha anime to current shonen hits."]}