is a Japanese singer,
voice actor
Voice acting is the art of Acting, performing a character or providing information to an audience with one's voice. Performers are often called voice actors/actresses in addition to other names. Examples of voice work include animation, animated, ...
, and actor. His birth name is Hiroshi Watanabe. His wife was voice actress
Emi Shinohara
, known professionally as , was a Japanese voice actress from Fukushima Prefecture. At the time of her death, she was affiliated with 81 Produce. She was best known for voicing Sailor Jupiter in the first anime adaptation of ''Sailor Moon'', ...
, best known as
Sailor Jupiter
, better known as , is a fictional character in the ''Sailor Moon'' manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi. Makoto is her sailor form's alternative human identity as part of the Sailor Guardians, female supernatural fighters who protect the Sol ...
from ''
Sailor Moon
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi. It was originally serialized in Kodansha's Shōjo manga, ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from 1991 to 1997; the 60 individual chapters (later reorganized into ...
''. In the past, Watari was signed to
81 Produce
is a voice talent management firm in Japan founded on 3 February 1981 (thus the year is the company's namesake). A hybrid CD-ROM featuring voice talent data for members of 81 Produce was released on 19 October 1997. The company is located in Sh ...
, Stunt Japan (
スタントジャパン), and Ayers Rock; he is currently signed with Rough. He is best known for his roles of Den Iga in the 1983 Metal Heroes Series ''
Space Sheriff Sharivan
is a Japanese Tokusatsu television show and the second installment in Toei's Metal Hero Series franchise and aired on TV Asahi from March 4, 1983 to February 24, 1984. It served as a direct sequel to its predecessor, '' Space Sheriff Gavan'' a ...
'' and Yousuke Jou in ''
Jikuu Senshi Spielban
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series, part of the Metal Hero Series franchise created by Toei Co. Ltd. and aired from to . ''Spielbans footage was used for Saban’s live-action series, ''VR Troopers''.
For distribution purposes, Toei Com ...
'', making him the only actor to play two different Heroes in two
Metal Hero Series
The is a metaseries of tokusatsu superhero TV series produced by Toei for Japanese television.
The protagonists of the ''Metal Hero Series'' are mainly space, military and police-based characters who are typically either androids, cyborgs, ...
.
Early life
Watari graduated from
Niigata Prefectural Niigata Koyo High School (
新潟県立新潟向陽高等学校). He was inspired by
Shin'ichi Chiba in
Key Hunter
is a prime-time Japanese television detective series. It aired on Saturday nights in the 9:00–9:56 p.m. time slot on the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) and its affiliates from April 6, 1968 to April 7, 1973. There were a total of 262 ep ...
. He joined JAC (Japan Action Club), now
Japan Action Enterprise (
ジャパンアクションエンタープライズ), in March 1981. At first, he used Hiroshi Watanabe as his stage name, gaining experience by taking minor roles.
In 1983, Watari was selected to play the protagonist Den Iga in ''Space Sheriff Sharivan'' and took on Hiroshi Watari as his stage name. In 1986, he played the title role in ''Jikuu Senshi Spielban''.
In 1988, he quit JAC and moved to acting on the stage. In 1990, he played
Shinkansen Hashimoto in ''
Starlight Express
'' Starlight Express'' is a 1984 musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. It tells the story of a young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, who races in a championship against modern locomotives of diesel and el ...
''. In 1992, he portrayed G1 in
Miss Saigon
''Miss Saigon'' is a sung-through musical theatre, stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madama Butterfly'', and similarly tells th ...
.
Watari is also a voice actor.
In 2014, Watari played the role of Den Iga in ''
Space Sheriff NEXT GENERATION''.
In 2015, he started his own talk show on
Niconico
, known before 2012 as , is a Japanese video sharing service based in Tokyo, Japan. "Niconico" or "nikoniko" is the Japanese sound symbolism, Japanese ideophone for smiling. As of 2021, Niconico is the 34th most-visited website in Japan, accordi ...
Channel, . He co-starred with ; the regulars from ''Sharivan'' also worked with him on the show.
Filmography (actor)
TV series
The Television Program
Film
*
Zebraman
is a 2004 Japanese tokusatsu action comedy superhero film directed by Takashi Miike, written by Kankurō Kudō and stars Shō Aikawa as the main character, a superhero named "Zebraman".
In the film, a teacher feels frustrated with the failure ...
(2004)
Video
Filmography (voice)
Anime
*
Kaikan Phrase
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Mayu Shinjo. The manga was published by Shogakukan in ''Shōjo Comic'' between 1997 and 2000, and collected in 18 tankōbon, bound volumes. It was adapted as a 44-episode anime television ...
*
Daa! Daa! Daa!
*
DNAngel - Adonis
*
Detective Conan
''Case Closed'', also known as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' since January 1994; its chapters are collected in 107 ...
- Koji Misawa
Video Game
* ''
Space Sheriff Spirits'' - Den Iga/Sharivan
Music Video
*
Ricardo Cruz - "On The Rocks"
References
:# ^ "Japan Talent Directory '92" VIP Times, Inc., 1992, 336 pages.
:# ^ "Hiroshi Watari INTERVIEW", "Toei Hero MAX" Vol.1, Tatsumi Publishing, 2002, 96 - 97 pages, .
:# ^ Than "space-time police Wecker Signa" DVD, Volume 6 extras.
:# ^ Than "space-time police Wecker Signa" DVD, Volume 6 audio commentary.
External links
*
Watari Hiroshi World*
Hiroshi Watari Site Ayers Rock*
1963 births
Japanese male television actors
Japanese male singers
Japanese male voice actors
Male voice actors from Niigata Prefecture
Actors from Niigata Prefecture
Living people
Singers from Niigata Prefecture
81 Produce voice actors
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