The Romantic Killer cast is full of great Japanese voice actors, and we'll be taking a look at them now the series has officially launched.
Romantic Killer is set to be your latest Netflix anime obsession. Hilariously satirizing shojo manga tropes, it is a series packed with comedy, romance, and unforgettable characters. It focuses predominantly on Anzu Hoshino — a gamer girl who has her comfortable world transformed when the impish wizard, Riri, shows up.
Forced into participating in a real-life dating sim, Anzu has to swap games, chocolate, and her cat for a number of encounters with “hot boys” in classic shojo situations. Trying to trick the trickster, Anzu treats it like one of her games — playing along with Riri’s antics so that she can try and return to her normal life.
While the Romantic Killer manga that the anime is based on has only recently had the rights acquired to be translated into English, there is already a passionate fanbase in Japan and it looks set to be another strong anime offering from Netflix.
Let’s explore who the main characters are in the Romantic Killer cast.
Mikako Komatsu as Riri
While the teddy bear-like Riri may appear to be cute and cuddly, this pocket-sized wizard is not to be messed with. From the moment he arrives in Anzu’s life, Riri uses his magic to conjure up a variety of romantic scenarios for Anzu to endure. For anyone else, this might be a dream but for Anzu, it is a nightmare — but that doesn’t stop Riri’s matchmaking mission.
Where else have you seen Mikako Komatsu? Voicing the adorably annoying magical creature is Mikako Komatsu, a prolific Japanese voice actress who has worked across TV, video games, and film. She is best known for lending her voice to The Garden of Words (from Your Name director, Makoto Shinkai), as Izumi Shimomura in the anime series Ajin, and as Rebecca Bluegarden in Edens Zero.
Rie Takahashi as Anzu Hoshino
The main protagonist in Romantic Killer, Anzu Hoshino is an instantly likable and relatable character. At her most content when she is playing games, eating chocolate, or spending time with her cat, Anzu is horrified when she is catapulted into a nightmarish world of endless romantic meet-cutes, orchestrated by the wizard, Riri. Mourning the loss of all the things she loves most, Anzu tries to play her new life like one of her games, but with no instruction manual on how to navigate love, that could be easier said than done.
Where else have you seen Rie Takahashi? Since 2009, Rie Takahashi has over 100 voice credits to her name. Notable ones include voicing the character of Y'jhimei in the video game Final Fantasy XV, as Futaba Ichinose in the musical series Seiyu's Life, and as Emilia in Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World.
Yuichiro Umehara as Tsukasa Kazuki
Tsukasa Kazuki is the archetypal “ikemen” (“good looking man”) that is so frequently seen in shojo anime. Constantly bothered by the gang of girls who obsessively follow him around, Tsukasa bumps into Anzu outside a grocery store and Riri’s magic continues to bring them together in increasingly ridiculous ways.
Where else have you seen Yuichiro Umehara? Playing the heart-throb in Romantic Killer, Yuichiro Umehara is no stranger to anime voice acting with appearances in shojo and shonen series. He has voiced characters in Captain Tsubasa, Tiger Mask W, and Fruits Basket, and voiced Ira in some of the Kingdom Hearts video games.
Gakuto Kajiwara as Junta Hayami
Things go from the sublime to the ridiculous in Romantic Killer when Junta Hayami arrives on the scene. While Tsukasa is a real boy who goes to Anzu’s school, Junta is completely invented by the scheming Riri. Junta is a high school baseball player, and supposedly Anzu’s childhood friend who she has no recollection of. With a backstory that could have been taken straight from a stereotypical shojo character generator, Junta’s arrival signifies the competitive element of dating as Anzu now has multiple guys to manage.
Where else have you seen Gakuto Kajiwara? While Gakuto Kajiwara may have fewer credits than some of the other cast members, he has appeared in a number of high-profile anime series since his career began in 2017. These include small roles in the popular series Fruits Basket and Haikyuu!!, and bigger parts in Black Clover and Komi Can't Communicate.
Hiro Shimono as Manato
It’s a hard life being an attractive guy with hordes of girls constantly swarming around you, and you’re bound to need an escape from the chaos every once in a while. Manato is Tsukasa’s straight-talking best friend, acting as a reliable confidant with whom Tsukasa is truly able to be himself.
Where else have you seen Hiro Shimono? Anime fans will be very familiar with Hiro Shimono's previous voice credits. Best known for voicing Connie in Attack on Titan, he also plays Dabi in My Hero Academia, and Zenitsu Agatsuma in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
Manaka Iwami as Saki
While Anzu would probably argue that her best friend is her cat, Momohiki, the absence of her furry feline pal sees her leaning on her school friend Saki. When everything around her is thrown into chaos and her comforts confiscated, Saki remains the constant in Anzu’s life and the perfect person to gossip about her romantic exploits with in the school cafeteria.
Where else have you seen Manaka Iwami? Manaka Iwami has voiced many Japanese anime characters, including playing the main protagonist, Tohru Honda, in Fruits Basket. She also played the titular role in the 2018 anime film Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms.
Natsuki Hanae as Hijiri Koganei
Arriving later in the series — when Anzu is already frustrated with the endless romantic scenarios she finds herself in — wealthy Hijiri Koganei completes the trio of possible suitors. The love triangle, or multiple potential romantic partners, is a common shojo trope and Hijiri’s arrival allows Romantic Killer to lean into this with inevitably hilarious and awkward consequences.
Where else have you seen Natsuki Hanae? With an impressive number of credits to his name, you can find Natsuki Hanae voicing characters in video games, TV shows, and films. He played Kento Hinode in the Netflix film A Whisker Away, and also voices Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Falco in Attack on Titan, and Yuta Hoshitani in Starmyu to name just a few.
Kenjiro Tsuda as Tsuchiya
Tsuchiya is the personal butler to wealthy Hijiri Koganei and his family, and he is always on hand to protect the young heartthrob. In his trademark black suit and sunglasses, Tsuchiya represents one of the few authoritative and adult characters in the show that predominantly focuses on teen relationships.
Where else have you seen Kenjiro Tsuda? Kenjiro Tsuda is perhaps best known for his role as Seto Kaiba in Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, one of the most popular anime franchises. He also played Fire Emblem in Tiger & Bunny, Aoba Yamashiro in Naruto: Shippûden, and Hannes in Attack on Titan.
Romantic Killer is available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
