Natsuki Hanae, one of Japan’s most celebrated anime voice actors known for his roles in Demon Slayer and Dandadan, has opened up about his grief that shaped his early life and how it continues to influence his work.
Best known for voicing Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Hanae has also starred in Dandadan as Okarun and voiced standout characters in Tokyo Ghoul (Ken Kaneki), Your Name (Taki Tachibana), and Aldnoah.Zero (Inaho Kaizuka). His emotionally charged performances have earned him widespread praise across the anime industry.
Speaking on Fuji TV’s Let Me Tell Your Fortune (as reported by Sponichi Annex), Hanae revealed that he lost his mother when he was around 18 or 19.
His father passed away a few years later, just as he was starting his voice acting career. He also lost his grandmother shortly after, describing that time as “pretty much rock bottom.”
Demon Slay VA opens up about tragic loss
However, Hanae has channeled these emotions into his work. “But because I had that feeling, there are many parts of my work that I can use. I think to myself, ‘I wonder if that was the last gift I got from my parents,’ while I’m working as a voice actor,” he said via machine translation.
Hanae went on to explain how easily emotional scenes hit. “When I act out sad scenes, I start crying right away. The moment I remember it, I start bawling my eyes out. I see it in a very positive way now, but I haven’t overcome it yet.”
Hanae has become especially known for voicing characters who carry deep emotional scars, often shaped by loss and personal tragedy. Whether it’s Tanjiro in Demon Slayer, who fights on after the brutal death of his family, or Kaneki in Tokyo Ghoul, who’s forced to abandon his humanity after a traumatic transformation, Hanae brings heaps of emotion to each role.
Even in quieter performances like Taki in Your Name, he successfully captures the ache of distance and memory, which helps make Makoto Shinkai’s emotive epic feel so special.
Several of Hanae’s latest projects have already hit screens this year. He recently voiced Ponstin in Apocalypse Hotel, Juji Yusurube in Tougen Anki, and reprised his role as Okarun in Dandadan: Evil Eye and the highly-rated Season 2 release.
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