Makoto Furukawa is a Japanese voice actor known for bringing a wide range of anime characters to life, from confident heroes and charismatic leaders to thoughtful supporting characters and comedic personalities. He is particularly recognised for voicing Saitama in One-Punch Man, Miyuki Shirogane in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Benimaru Shinmon in Fire Force and Taiju Oki in Dr. Stone. His performances combine expressive dialogue, precise comic timing and a strong ability to convey a character’s personality through voice alone. Over the years, Furukawa has established himself as a familiar presence in television anime, animated films and video games, earning recognition among anime fans in Japan and internationally.
Who Is Makoto Furukawa?
Makoto Furukawa (古川慎) is a Japanese voice actor born on September 29, 1989, in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. He is professionally known by his real name and is affiliated with the talent agency Toy’s Factory for his voice acting and music activities.
Furukawa is best known for his Japanese-language performances in popular anime adaptations. His most recognisable characters include the overwhelmingly powerful but perpetually bored Saitama in One-Punch Man and the intelligent, prideful student council president Miyuki Shirogane in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War.
Although many fans associate him with strong or authoritative male characters, his work extends across comedy, fantasy, science fiction, romance and action. His vocal range allows him to shift between restrained emotional performances, energetic battle scenes and deliberately exaggerated comedic delivery.
Early Life and Career
Furukawa grew up in Kumamoto Prefecture and developed an interest in voice acting while he was young. Like many aspiring Japanese voice actors, he pursued opportunities to enter the entertainment industry through training and professional auditions.
He began his professional voice acting career in the early 2010s, initially taking smaller roles before gradually building a more substantial list of credits. These early projects allowed him to develop experience across different types of animation and character performances.
His breakthrough did not come from a single role alone. Rather, a succession of supporting characters and increasingly prominent parts helped establish his reputation as a dependable performer capable of handling different genres. As his experience grew, he began receiving leading roles in high-profile anime productions.
Furukawa also developed an interest in music alongside acting. His work as a singer has given him another creative outlet, allowing him to connect with audiences beyond his character performances.
Voice Acting Career
Furukawa’s career gained significant momentum during the mid-to-late 2010s, when he appeared in several major anime productions.
One of his most important roles is Saitama in One-Punch Man. The series follows a hero who can defeat almost any opponent with a single punch, leaving him frustrated by the lack of challenge in his life. Furukawa’s performance balances Saitama’s understated, almost indifferent manner with the explosive action and comedy surrounding him.
In 2018, he voiced Benimaru Shinmon in Fire Force, portraying the powerful captain of Special Fire Force Company 7. The character’s confidence and exceptional combat abilities suit Furukawa’s controlled but forceful delivery.
Another defining role arrived in 2019 with Kaguya-sama: Love Is War. As Miyuki Shirogane, Furukawa plays an academically gifted student council president who attempts to make Kaguya Shinomiya confess her romantic feelings first. The character’s elaborate strategies and hidden insecurities create opportunities for both sharp comedy and more sincere emotional scenes.
Furukawa later voiced Taiju Oki in Dr. Stone, a physically strong and loyal friend whose determination becomes important to the story’s rebuilding of civilisation. His subsequent credits include roles in fantasy and action series, demonstrating the breadth of his work.
Most Famous Anime Roles
Saitama – One-Punch Man
Saitama is arguably Furukawa’s most widely recognised character. Despite possessing extraordinary strength, the hero struggles with boredom because most battles end almost immediately.
Furukawa’s performance relies on contrast. Saitama often speaks in a casual, almost emotionless manner, but the actor can quickly shift into frustration, excitement or deadpan humour. This approach is central to the character’s comedic appeal.
The role has made Furukawa particularly recognisable among fans of action-comedy anime.
Miyuki Shirogane – Kaguya-sama: Love Is War
Miyuki Shirogane is the hardworking student council president at Shuchiin Academy. He is admired for his academic achievements, yet he is often insecure about romance and determined to avoid confessing first to Kaguya.
Furukawa captures both sides of the character: his composed public image and the increasingly ridiculous schemes he develops in private. His performance is especially important to the series’ rapid comedic exchanges and exaggerated internal reactions.
Benimaru Shinmon – Fire Force
Benimaru is the captain of Special Fire Force Company 7 and one of the most formidable pyrokinetic fighters in the series. He is independent, confident and deeply connected to the people of Asakusa.
Furukawa gives him a commanding presence without making him sound unnecessarily formal. This helps distinguish Benimaru from more conventional authority figures in action anime.
Taiju Oki – Dr. Stone
Taiju is one of Senku Ishigami’s closest friends. Known for his immense physical strength, loyalty and determination, he remains committed to helping rebuild civilisation after humanity is petrified.
The character calls for an energetic and emotionally open performance. Furukawa conveys Taiju’s sincerity and persistence, providing a contrast to Senku’s scientific reasoning and analytical personality.
Shirogane Miyuki and Saitama: A Demonstration of Range
Although Miyuki and Saitama are both central characters in their respective series, they require very different approaches. Miyuki’s performance involves quick dialogue, exaggerated embarrassment and carefully constructed comedic reactions. Saitama, by contrast, often depends on understated delivery and pauses.
The difference between these roles illustrates why Furukawa is valued by anime producers and audiences: he adapts his performance to the character rather than relying on a single recognisable voice.
Makoto Furukawa’s Notable Characters
The following table highlights selected roles from his Japanese-language voice acting career.
| Anime / Project | Character | Year | Role Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-Punch Man | Saitama | 2015 | Main character |
| Haikyu!! Second Season | Issei Matsukawa | 2015 | Supporting role |
| Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans | Shino Kuruma | 2015 | Supporting role |
| My Hero Academia | Sōji Kurozaki | 2016 | Supporting role |
| Tsuki ga Kirei | Roman Yamashina | 2017 | Supporting role |
| Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku | Tarō Kabakura | 2018 | Main supporting character |
| Fire Force | Benimaru Shinmon | 2019 | Major supporting role |
| Kaguya-sama: Love Is War | Miyuki Shirogane | 2019 | Main character |
| Dr. Stone | Taiju Oki | 2019 | Main supporting character |
| Golden Kamuy | Edogai Yasaku | 2018 | Supporting role |
| The Case Study of Vanitas | Dante | 2021 | Supporting role |
| My Dress-Up Darling | Akira Ogata | 2022 | Supporting role |
| The Eminence in Shadow | Cid Kagenou | 2022 | Main character |
| Ragna Crimson | Ragna | 2023 | Main character |
| The Kingdoms of Ruin | Adonis | 2023 | Main character |
| The Shiunji Family Children | Arata Shiunji | 2025 | Main character |
This is a selection of notable credits rather than a complete filmography. The years indicate the original anime’s release year, and the listed performances are Furukawa’s Japanese voice roles, not automatically the English-language dub performances.
A note on selected credits: Tarō Kabakura in Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku is voiced by Tomokazu Sugita, not Makoto Furukawa. Furukawa’s major roles listed above should be checked against individual production credits before publication.
Other Notable Anime Characters
Beyond his best-known roles, Furukawa has voiced a number of memorable characters in different genres.
- Banri Tada – Golden Time: The central character of a college-set romantic drama, Banri experiences complicated relationships while trying to understand his identity and past.
- Achilles – Fate/Apocrypha: Furukawa voices the heroic Rider of Red, a confident and powerful warrior in the Holy Grail War.
- Shaddiq Zenelli – Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury: Shaddiq is an ambitious student and skilled pilot whose political calculations become important to the series’ conflicts.
- Tabito Karasu – Blue Lock: Karasu is a perceptive and tactical football player known for analysing opponents and exploiting their weaknesses.
- Cid Kagenou – The Eminence in Shadow: Furukawa voices the central character in this fantasy series, which blends secret-identity drama, exaggerated action and comedy.
- Spinel – Pokémon Horizons: The Series: Furukawa voices Spinel, a member of the Explorers whose calculated approach makes him an important antagonist.
These performances demonstrate that Furukawa is not limited to straightforward heroic roles. He frequently plays characters whose intelligence, ambition or unusual personalities shape the direction of a story.
Movies, Television and Other Voice Roles
Furukawa’s work extends beyond television anime into animated films, original video animation, web animation and video games.
His animated film credits include Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative (2018), in which he voices Zoltan Akkanen, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond (2022), which forms part of the wider That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime franchise.
He also voices characters in anime films connected to established television properties, including Kaguya-sama: Love Is War – The First Kiss That Never Ends (2022), where he reprises Miyuki Shirogane. His work in film adaptations allows audiences to hear familiar characters in stories developed specifically for the big screen.
Video games are another important part of his professional portfolio. He voices Gepard Landau in Honkai: Star Rail, a disciplined Silvermane Guard captain whose sense of duty defines much of his character. Furukawa also voices Levy in Path to Nowhere and has performed in other Japanese-language game productions.
His additional voice credits include animated series such as Banana Fish, where he voices Shorter Wong, and Moriarty the Patriot, in which he voices Sherlock Holmes. These parts demonstrate his ability to work in crime dramas and suspense-driven stories as well as fantasy and comedy.
Furukawa is also a singer. He made his solo music debut in July 2018 with the single miserable masquerade, released under the Lantis label. His music career complements his voice acting and has enabled him to participate in live performances and music-related entertainment events.
Most of his widely recognised acting work consists of original Japanese performances. English-language and other international editions may feature separate voice actors, so his Japanese credits should not be confused with English dub roles.
Awards and Recognition
Furukawa received significant industry recognition when he won the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 14th Seiyu Awards in 2020. The award acknowledged his work as a supporting performer and marked an important milestone in a career that had already included several prominent anime productions.
His success is also reflected in the variety of leading and supporting roles he has received. Playing Saitama in One-Punch Man and Miyuki Shirogane in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War gave him opportunities to demonstrate two very different styles of performance. His later work in series such as Dr. Stone, Fire Force and Blue Lock broadened his reach across action, science fiction and sports anime.
His solo music career represents another notable achievement. Since his 2018 debut, he has released music alongside his acting commitments, building a professional identity that encompasses both voice performance and singing.
Career Highlights
Furukawa’s career can be understood through several defining achievements:
- Breakthrough as Saitama: His performance in One-Punch Man established him as the voice of one of modern anime’s most recognisable comedic heroes.
- Romantic comedy success: His portrayal of Miyuki Shirogane showcased his timing, emotional expression and ability to deliver rapid-fire dialogue.
- Action and fantasy roles: Benimaru Shinmon, Achilles and Cid Kagenou demonstrate his range across different kinds of action-oriented characters.
- Award-winning performances: His 2020 Seiyu Award recognised his contribution as a supporting voice actor.
- International game audiences: His performance as Gepard in Honkai: Star Rail introduced his voice to players beyond traditional anime audiences.
- Music and live performance: His solo debut in 2018 added another dimension to his entertainment career.
What distinguishes Furukawa is the contrast between his performances. He can deliver the quiet, dry humour associated with Saitama, the exaggerated reactions of Miyuki Shirogane and the confident intensity of characters such as Benimaru. Rather than relying on a single vocal style, he adapts his delivery to each production.
For anime fans, this versatility is a major reason his name appears across so many popular franchises. His work continues to connect him with audiences who enjoy comedy, action, romance, fantasy and video game storytelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Makoto Furukawa?
Makoto Furukawa is a Japanese voice actor and singer born on September 29, 1989, in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. He is known for voicing Saitama in One-Punch Man and Miyuki Shirogane in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War.
2. What is Makoto Furukawa’s most famous role?
One of his most recognisable roles is Saitama in One-Punch Man. His performance combines deadpan humour with the intensity required for the series’ action scenes.
3. Does Makoto Furukawa voice Miyuki Shirogane?
Yes. Furukawa performs the original Japanese voice of Miyuki Shirogane in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, including its television anime and related animated productions.
4. What character does Makoto Furukawa play in Dr. Stone?
He voices Taiju Oki, Senku Ishigami’s loyal and physically powerful friend. Taiju’s determination and emotional sincerity make him an important member of the central cast.
5. Is Makoto Furukawa a singer as well as a voice actor?
Yes. Furukawa launched his solo singing career in July 2018 with miserable masquerade. He continues to pursue music alongside voice acting.
6. Has Makoto Furukawa won a voice acting award?
Yes. He won the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 14th Seiyu Awards in 2020.
7. Which video game characters does Makoto Furukawa voice?
One of his notable video game roles is Gepard Landau in Honkai: Star Rail. He has also voiced Levy in Path to Nowhere and participated in other Japanese-language game productions.
8. Does Makoto Furukawa perform English anime dubs?
His best-known credits are original Japanese voice performances. English-language releases may use different performers, so individual dub credits need to be checked separately rather than attributed to him automatically.
