Keiji Fujiwara was a renowned Japanese actor and voice actor, born on October 5, 1964, in Tokyo, and he passed away on April 12, 2020. He spent most of his childhood in Iwate Prefecture and, around the age of 18, returned to Tokyo to join the Bungakuza acting school. Throughout the 1980s, he performed with various theater troupes before being introduced to his first voice acting agency, Ken Production, in the early 1990s. In November 2006, he founded his own talent management and production company, Air Agency.

His first regular role in a television anime was in Yokoyama Mitsuteru Sangokushi, but his career breakthrough came with the role of Hiroshi Nohara, the father in the long-running series Crayon Shin-chan. This part, which he played from 1992 until 2016, became one of his most iconic and beloved performances. Over his decades-long career, Fujiwara portrayed a wide array of characters, demonstrating his versatility across many major anime series. Some of his most notable roles include the affectionate Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes in Fullmetal Alchemist, the passionate Holland Novak in Eureka Seven, and the determined Leorio Paradinight in Hunter × Hunter (2011). He also lent his voice to memorable characters such as Shuichi Aizawa in Death Note, Zenzō Hattori in Gintama, Axel in the Kingdom Hearts video game series, and Esidisi in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency. His filmography includes a vast range of other roles, such as Hannes in Attack on Titan, Sven Vollfied in Black Cat, Ladd Russo in Baccano!, and Ali Al-Saachez in Mobile Suit Gundam 00. In the field of live-action dubbing, he was best known as the consistent Japanese voice of actor Robert Downey Jr., particularly for his portrayal of Tony Stark / Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Beyond performing, Fujiwara also contributed to the industry as a sound director, making his debut in that role in 2010 for the anime Kakkokawaii Sengen!. He was also a regular lecturer at the Japan Newart College starting in 2008, sharing his expertise with aspiring voice actors. In recognition of his work, he won the award for Best Supporting Voice Actor at the Newtype x Machi Asobi Anime Awards in 2011. In August 2016, he took a hiatus from work to undergo medical treatment for an undisclosed illness, officially resuming his activities in June 2017. He continued to work until his death from cancer on April 12, 2020, at the age of 55.