Shinji Takeda is a Japanese actor and voice actor, born on December 18, 1972, in Hokkaido, Japan. He began his career in the entertainment industry after winning a talent competition in 1989. While Takeda is widely known for his extensive work in live-action television dramas and films, he has also contributed his voice to animated projects.

In the realm of anime, Takeda is recognized for two particular roles from the early 2000s. He voiced the character Michelangelo in the 2002 animated film "Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space". In this experimental and psychedelic film, his character is a catboy named Michelangelo Nominos who lives on Planet Q. Prior to this, in 2000, he took on the dual role of Akira Fudō and his demonic alter ego Devilman in the original video animation "Amon - Apocalypse of Devilman". This OVA is a dark and violent chapter set in the Devilman universe, focusing on the internal struggle between the human Akira and the powerful demon Amon.

Beyond these specific credits, Takeda's voice acting work is a minor facet of a larger career primarily focused on on-screen performances. His filmography shows a long-standing collaboration with the director Nagisa Ôshima, appearing in the 1999 film "Gohatto" (also known as "Taboo"), a performance for which he won the Blue Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for a Japan Academy Film Prize. His other notable film appearances include "Tokyo Eyes" (1998) and "Kairo" (2001). On television, he has had roles in numerous dramas, including the taiga dramas "Gō" (2011) and "Reach Beyond the Blue Sky" (2021). In addition to acting, Takeda is also an accomplished saxophone player.