Yoshitsugu Matsuoka is a male Japanese voice actor who first debuted in the animeEden of the Eastback in 2011. Since then, Matsuoka has played countless roles in various kinds of anime, breathing life into characters of various types.
However, since the emergence Matsuoka’s most famous role, that ofSword Art Onlineprotagonist Kazuto “Kirito” Kirigaya, it has become fairly common for the characters he plays to be overpowered in some way, or the centre of a harem. The actor’s talent is without a doubt, but in some ways, the appearance of Matsuoka on a show’s voice acting credits can tell you a lot about the character in question.
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The Overpowered Main Character
One thing that a lot of the protagonists voiced by Matsuoka have in common is the fact that they’re very popular with the female characters in their close circle, or eventually become a hot commodity amongst the various women in their lives. They become a magnet for damsels in distress, and win them over not with directed charm or flirtatious banter, but with the overwhelming power of their ability to do virtually anything. This tends to coincide with their overpowered nature, where characters voiced by this particular voice actor tend to be incredibly adept at pretty much anything, and if they’re not, they learn faster quicker than the time it takes for lightning to strike the ground.
Characters voiced by Matsuoka that fit this description includeSword Art Online’sBlack Swordsman, Kirito,Mob Psycho 100’sTeru Hanazawa, as well as theFood Wars!protagonist Soma Yukihira,Kimetsu no Yaiba: Demon Slayer’sInosuke Hashibira, as well as Sora fromNo Game No Life. These characters are known for achieving incredible feats in insurmountable circumstances or being born incredibly talented in some way.
The Perpetual Love Interest
Matsuoka often plays the main character in romance anime, but characters played by Matsuoka also have the added tendency of being the centre of several romantic situations. They are often the linchpin of a harem, like in the case of characters like the talented Soma Yukihira fromFood Wars!, the rapidly-growing Bell Cranel fromDanMachi: Is It Right to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?,the intelligent Futarō Uesugi fromThe Quintessential Quintuplets, and of course, the infamously unbeatable Kirito fromSword Art Online.
InSaekano:How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, Matsuoka plays the main character Tomoya Aki, a character who is a massive otaku looking to establish a doujin circle and create a game with a memorable heroine. InThe Pet Girl of Sakurasō, Matsuoka lends his voice to Kanda Sorata, the main character whose life changes as he gets closer to the quiet, reserved, and enigmatic Mashiro Shiina.
Less Commonly, The Crazed Antagonist
On occasion, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka will lend his talents to the depiction of a powerful antagonist rather than an overpowered protagonist. In these cases, Matsuoka plays a crazed villain whose loud and erratic manner of speech will definitely stand out as one of the character’s most memorable qualities. Characters who fit this bill areRe:Zero – Starting Life in Another Worldantagonist Betelgeuse Romaneé-Conti andHigh School DxDminor antagonist Freed Sellzen, both of whom are depraved and eccentric characters capable of incredible feats of violence. Betelgeuse speaks in an erratic sing-song-like cadence, which is accompanied by sudden repetitive jerking movements and interjections, as well as unsettling bouts of self-harm such as face scratching and head bashing. Freed has a sadistic streak and a very foul mouth, but an equally eccentric and erratic personality that can make him funny to watch but terrifying to experience.
Overall, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka is a voice actor who isn’t necessarily confined to certain types of roles, but he has definitely found his niche voicing the protagonists who are immensely talented or the inexplicably popular male protagonist of a romantic slice of life comedy. At times, these two different sets of characters intersect for the voice actor, spawning some of his most notable performances to date.
