"The Rose King" is set in medieval England and depicts the Wars of the Roses, a battle between the Houses of York and Lancaster for the throne. It's also famous for being inspired by William Shakespeare's historical drama. It's also being adapted into an anime, and many fans are curious about who the voice actors will be. This time, we'll introduce the voice actors for the main characters, along with their profiles and other appearances!
Richard: Mitsuki Saiga
Mitsuki Saiga will be playing the role of Richard. Saiga is a female voice actress from Saitama Prefecture who is affiliated with Ken Production. She often plays boys and young men, and even among female voice actors who play male roles, she is known for her deep voice, which allows her to produce a particularly masculine tone. She has also appeared in many games, most notably as Joshua in The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky series. This popular series ran for about 10 years, and in the early games, her voice acting was limited to lines in battle scenes. However, when the games were later ported to the PS Vita, it became possible to hear the entire series fully voiced. Apparently, some listeners mistake Saiga's voice for a man when they hear it on the radio, and this has become a hot topic among the voice actors she has worked with. She also occasionally plays female roles, expanding her range of acting.
What kind of character is Richard?
The protagonist, the third son of the House of York. He was born with both male and female characteristics, a "hermaphrodite." His mother, Cecily, scorned Richard, calling him the "child of the devil," and Richard became mentally ill. On the other hand, he respects his father, the Duke of York, who showered him with love, and wishes for him to ascend to the throne. Because he possesses both genders, he possesses both masculine and feminine charms, captivating many around him. While he generally dresses like a man, as shown in the image, he can only be seen as a woman when cross-dressing, and has even used this ability to overcome certain crises.
Henry VI: Hikaru Midorikawa
Hikaru Midorikawa is the voice of Henry VI. A native of Saitama Prefecture, he is affiliated with Aoni Productions. He is a popular voice actor who has appeared in numerous titles for over 20 years, often playing handsome young men. In addition to anime, he also frequently voices game characters, notable examples of which include Marth in the Fire Emblem series and Akechi Mitsuhide in the Samurai Warriors series. Many voice actors admire Midorikawa, with Nobunaga Shimazaki and Makoto Furukawa openly stating that they were inspired by him to become voice actors.
What kind of character is Henry VI?
He is a prince of the House of Lancaster, an enemy of the House of York. Because he abdicated the throne at the request of the Duke of York, he was unable to pass it on to his son, Prince Edward. His wife, Queen Margaret, despairs of her husband and feels he is a failure. Their relationship is cold, and he does not get along well with Margaret. He met Richard before he knew he was a member of the House of York, and began to notice him as a woman, falling in love with him. He sometimes becomes jealous and angry when he sees Richard embracing his father, the Duke of York.
Richard, Duke of York: Shou Hayami
The voice of Richard, Duke of York, is played by Shou Hayami. A veteran voice actor, he has been in the industry for over 40 years and has appeared in numerous productions. His captivating, deep voice is known among voice actors for its "elegance, brilliance, and mystery." Among Hayami's many appearances, many may remember his role as Akechi Mitsuhide in the "Sengoku BASARA" series. Mitsuhide's insane character left a lasting impression on players, and some may have wondered who voiced him.
What kind of character is Richard, Duke of York?
He is the father of the protagonist Richard, as well as Edward and George. He is a dignified yet kind man, and even treated Richard with love, despite his mother's scorn. He fought a fierce battle for the throne with the House of Lancaster, but was ultimately defeated by the Lancastrians and executed.
Edward: Kosuke Toriumi
Edward is played by Kosuke Toriumi. A native of Kanagawa Prefecture, he is affiliated with Arts Vision. He has been active as a voice actor for over 20 years, appearing in numerous notable works, including Kiba Inuzuka in "NARUTO," Hajime Saito in "Hakuoki," and Taro Misaki, the protagonist's ally in the legendary soccer manga "Captain Tsubasa." In "The Prince of Tennis," he played the playful yet somehow lovable character, Kiyozumi Sengoku.
What kind of character is Edward?
He is the eldest son of the House of York and the older brother of George and Richard. He has a cheerful personality, but he also has a penchant for women. Through his battles with the House of Lancaster, he becomes aware of his role as the eldest son and deepens his bond with the kingmaker, the Earl of Warwick. He was engaged to a French princess, but he fell in love with a woman named Elizabeth and secretly married her. However, Elizabeth's goal wasn't marriage; it was revenge for her late husband.
George: Yasuaki Takumi
The voice of George is played by Yasuaki Takumi. He is a native of Aichi Prefecture and is a member of the Tokyo Actors' Cooperative. He has appeared in various productions since the late 2000s. Being from Aichi Prefecture, he often showcases Nagoya voice samples and plays characters who speak in the Nagoya dialect. In the 2014 anime "Jinsei," he played the main character, Yuki Akamatsu. He also works as an actor, having co-starred with Yuji Oda in a tire commercial.
What kind of character is George?
He is Richard's older brother and Edward's younger brother. While his behavior can sometimes be seen as thoughtless, he has a cheerful personality and treats Richard with kindness, even when his mother treats him with discrimination. During the Wars of the Roses, George himself becomes embroiled in the fighting, leading to an unexpected fate.
Cecily: Aya Hisakawa
Cecily is voiced by Aya Hisakawa. Originally from Osaka Prefecture, she is affiliated with Aoni Productions. She is a female voice actress who has appeared in numerous well-known series, including "Sailor Moon" and "Heartcatch PreCure!", and has played a wide range of roles, from innocent characters to mature women. Taking advantage of her Osaka hometown, she showcased her fluent Kansai dialect when playing Cerberus (her temporary form) in "Cardcaptor Sakura" and Haruko Kamio in "AIR." Incidentally, she's said to be the person who popularized the expression "big friends," though Hisakawa herself doesn't seem to remember it very well.
What kind of character is Cecily?
Richard's mother and wife of Richard, Duke of York. She hated the fact that Richard was born a hermaphrodite, possessing both male and female characteristics, and came to despise him, calling him the "child of the devil." Cecily's words and actions deeply hurt Richard's heart.
Elizabeth: Shizuka Ito
The voice of Elizabeth is played by Shizuka Ito, a Tokyo native and affiliated with Ken Productions. She has appeared in various series, including "Hayate the Combat Butler!", "Saki", and "Beelzebub", often playing characters with titles such as student council president, committee chairman, and club president. She also aspires to appear in the "Super Robot Wars" series, and in 2009 she voiced an original character in "Super Robot Wars NEO."
What kind of character is Elizabeth?
Elizabeth is a woman who approaches Edward, the eldest son of the House of York, in an attempt to gain his favor. Edward himself is attracted to Elizabeth, and despite his already arranged marriage to another princess, he marries her. However, her goal is not to get married and start a normal family; it is to avenge her husband, who died in the war.
Summary of the Voice Actors of the Main Characters
We've introduced the voice actors for the main characters. Learning about the voice actors can be fun in many ways, such as comparing their voices with other characters voiced by the same voice actor. If you're interested, be sure to check out their other works! That's all for now. Thank you for reading.
