Jun-ichi Kanemaru is a Japanese voice actor and singer born on October 27, 1962, in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. He is affiliated with the talent management firm 81 Produce. Kanemaru began his career in 1985, with his debut role being a minor character in the anime series Urusei Yatsura. In the early years of his career, he appeared in several of Fuji Television's Saturday evening programs, including High School! Kimengumi and Tsuide ni Tonchinkan.

His first leading role came in 1991 when he was cast as Hayato Kazami in the television series Future GPX Cyber Formula. He would go on to reprise this role in the OVA sequels Cyber Formula 11, Cyber Formula Zero, Cyber Formula Saga, and Cyber Formula Sin, establishing a long-term association with the character. A significant turning point in his career occurred during the dubbing of an American television sitcom. A SEGA official, who was at the studio to find a voice for the character Sonic the Hedgehog, heard Kanemaru's performance in the waiting room and subsequently cast him for the role in the 1998 video game Sonic Adventure. This marked the beginning of his most iconic and enduring role as the modern incarnation of Sonic the Hedgehog.

As the official Japanese voice of Sonic, Kanemaru has voiced the character in the vast majority of the franchise's video game releases since 1998, including the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, and the Super Smash Bros. series. He also voiced Sonic in the anime television series Sonic X and the short film Sonic: Night of the Werehog. His fluency in English, a skill he developed while working part-time at the Far East Network as a college student, became a notable aspect of his portrayal, allowing Sonic to switch between Japanese and English lines within the games.

In addition to his signature roles, Kanemaru has built an extensive and varied filmography across anime, OVA, and video games. Some of his other notable anime roles include Ginta Suou in Marmalade Boy, Shuichi Shirato in Hell Teacher Nūbē, Raizo Fuwa in Nintama Rantarō, Ryo Akiyama in Digimon Tamers, Harley in Pokémon: Advanced Generation, and Ik-Su in Yona of the Dawn. His work in original video animations includes roles such as Ken Takai in Sonic Soldier Borgman 2 - A New Century 2058, Natsuhiko in Hōkago no Shokuinshitsu, and Sakura Ichitarou in Lesson XX. In television anime, he is also recognized for roles like Masaru Kondou in Tsurupika Hagemaru-kun and Gurin, also known as Chinpei Hatsuyama, in Tsuide ni Tonchinkan, as well as Fuumin in Sexy Commando Gaiden: Sugoi yo!! Masaru-san.

Beyond acting, Kanemaru is also a singer and composer. His work on the Cyber Formula series, which involved monthly album releases, helped him develop his singing skills. He has released albums, including Inspired Colors in 1993, for which he wrote and composed the song 12-Gatsu no Fairy Tale and recorded English-language covers. He has also performed jazz music, incorporating both English and Japanese lyrics. In 1994, he placed eighth in the Seiyū Grand Prix, a popularity poll for voice actors.