Ikue Otani

Otani is also closely identified with Tony Tony Chopper in One Piece, the reindeer doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates. Chopper requires a different emotional register from Pikachu: he is comic and cute, but also insecure, loyal, medically skilled, and central to several dramatic storylines. Otani's performance helped define the character's mixture of innocence and seriousness, and she has continued in the part across the long-running television anime and feature films such as One Piece Film: Z, One Piece Film: Gold, One Piece: Stampede, and One Piece Film Red.

Her other major recurring work includes Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya in Detective Conan, also known internationally as Case Closed. That role has extended across television episodes and theatrical films, making her a steady presence in another of Japan's long-running animation franchises. She has also voiced Morgana in Persona 5 and its related animation and stage projects, Konohamaru Sarutobi in Naruto, Gash/Zatch in Zatch Bell!, Candy in Smile PreCure!, Merle in The Vision of Escaflowne, and characters in series such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Sailor Moon, Ojamajo Doremi, Inuyasha, Hunter x Hunter, and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

Otani's career illustrates how voice actors can shape character recognition as powerfully as visual design. Many of her best-known roles are non-human or childlike figures whose appeal depends on sound, timing, and repeatable emotional cues. She has also remained active across changing eras of anime distribution: from broadcast television and theatrical releases to streaming, games, and franchise events. Her filmography is large, but its center is consistent: she brings clarity and warmth to characters that audiences often meet young and continue to follow for decades.

References:

[1] Wikipedia, “Ikue Ōtani” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikue_%C5%8Ctani

[2] Mausu Promotion, “大谷 育江” — https://mausu.net/talent/otani-ikue.html

[3] Anime News Network, “Ikue ŌTANI” — https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=86227

[4] The Movie Database, “Ikue Otani” — https://www.themoviedb.org/person/73044

[5] Bulbapedia, “Ikue Ohtani” — https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Ikue_Ohtani

[6] Wikipedia, “Pikachu” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikachu

[7] Wikipedia, “Pokémon (TV series)” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_(TV_series)

[8] Wikipedia, “Tony Tony Chopper” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Tony_Chopper

[9] Wikipedia, “One Piece (1999 TV series)” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Piece_(1999_TV_series)

[10] Wikipedia, “Morgana (Persona)” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgana_(Persona)

One Piece Film Red

as Tony Tony Chopper (voice) · 2022 · Not rated yet