Kazu Ikura

Description
Kazue Ikura, born on March 23, 1959, in Nagano Prefecture, is a veteran Japanese voice actress and narrator. She is currently affiliated with Aoni Production, having previously been associated with several other talent management firms, including Production Baobab. For a period between April 1991 and February 1995, she used the stage name Kazu Ikura, which is the name associated with the role of Kenta in The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird.

Ikura's career began in the late 1970s, and she gained widespread recognition for her role as Kaori Makimura in the enduringly popular City Hunter franchise, a part she has played for decades, reprising it in subsequent series like Angel Heart and recent animated films. This role showcased her ability to portray a character with a spirited and boyish energy, a quality that became a hallmark of her career. Her versatility is evident in her frequent casting as young male characters, such as Toraoh in the Mashin Hero Wataru series, Robin Hood in Robin Hood no Daibōken, and Hosuke Sharaku in The Three-Eyed One. She has also taken on a wide range of other roles, from the fierce Ryuko in Crayon Shin-chan to the enigmatic Leni Milchstrasse in the Sakura Wars franchise, a role she also performed in stage musicals. Her filmography includes major titles such as Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, Slayers, One Piece, and Detective Conan.

Throughout her long career, Ikura has demonstrated a remarkable range, voicing characters of all ages and types. This includes her temporary substitution for Ikue Otani as the voice of Tony Tony Chopper in One Piece and her later casting as the character Sentomaru in the same series. Her work extends beyond anime to video games, where she is known for roles such as Manjimaru in the Tengai Makyō series and Shizel in Tales of Eternia and Tales of Vesperia, as well as dubbing foreign films and television series. She is also recognized for her narration work. Her sustained presence in the industry and her ability to move fluidly between comedic, dramatic, and action-oriented parts mark her as a significant and respected figure in Japanese voice acting.