On October 1, 2026, an article titled 'Japanese Anime Boy Characters: Why Are Fewer Female Voice Actors Playing Them?' was published on the Chinese portal site Sohu.

The article stated, 'In Japanese anime, boy characters, especially those whose voices haven't changed yet, have often been voiced by female voice actors since ancient times. Son Goku is voiced by Masako Nozawa, Naruto Uzumaki by Junko Takeuchi, and Conan Edogawa by Minami Takayama, and their voices are so completely intertwined with the characters that it's fair to say they are the characters themselves. If one day, the voice actor for Conan in 'Detective Conan' were suddenly to change to an adult male, wouldn't viewers likely feel a sense of discomfort first?'

It then mentioned, 'Recently, among netizens, the observation has emerged that in new anime, there seems to be an increasing number of cases where boy characters are voiced by male voice actors. The biggest advantage of female voice actors playing boys is that their voices naturally possess a boyish quality that hasn't fully matured yet. Especially for characters in their teens whose voices haven't changed, it would be difficult for an adult male to simply raise their voice to reproduce this feeling.'

Furthermore, it explained, 'For this reason, in long-running anime of the past, female voice actors often continued to play boy characters. Even if the character grew within the story, their voice eventually became established among viewers as an integral part of the character. On the other hand, in the current anime market, the situation is changing somewhat. There's nothing inherently wrong with male voice actors playing boy characters. Especially in works aimed at women, the male characters themselves become important commercial resources, and after the work is broadcast, character songs, radio shows, events, stage productions, and various merchandise developments are carried out, with the voice actor themselves sometimes becoming part of the work's promotion.'

It also argued, 'In such business models, it is easier to create a commercially natural flow if male voice actors directly take on boy characters. This likely makes it easier to connect to idol-like developments in subsequent voice acting activities, integrating the character and the actor themselves. Looking at the current market, the cases where male voice actors stand before the microphone for boy characters may increasingly grow.'

On the other hand, it concluded, 'Ultimately, what determines whether viewers accept a performance is how well the voice and character match. For viewers, whether a voice becomes memorable ultimately depends on the character itself. After all, the gender of the voice actor is merely one condition, and what remains in people's memories for decades is whether that voice has become an integral part of the character.' (Translation/Editing: Iwata)