Kiyoshi Kobayashi (小林 清志, Kobayashi Kiyoshi, January 11, 1933 – July 30, 2022) was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo. He was attached to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. He was a graduate of the arts department of Nihon University.
Since junior high school, Kobayashi had excelled in English and had vague aspirations of becoming a writer in the future. After graduating from high school, he took the entrance examination for the University of Tokyo, but failed because he took the French literature course instead of the English literature course due to the trend at the time, and also failed in his re-take the following year. Therefore, he was still open for admission after that notice and thought, "If I am going to be a writer, I might as well learn how others live," and with a light heart he entered the theater department of Nihon University's College of Art. After entering the school, Kobayashi was captivated by the theater and naturally began his career as an actor.
After graduating from college, Kobayashi joined the theater company Izumi-za and worked as a stage actor. His translation of the stage play "The Caine Mutiny" was well received, and he began working part-time as a translator for Japanese Dubbing. Later, Kobayashi was invited by Banjiro Uemura, president of the dubbing production company Tohokushinsha Film, who said, "You are an actor, aren't you?", which led him to start his own dubbing business, and he began working as a voice actor.
Kobayashi was initially busy translating at the rate of two translations a month along with his voice acting work, and he was so busy that in the 1962 TV series "This Man Dawson," he took on the role of a translator at the same time he played the lead role in the series for the first time. After that, his translation work gradually declined, and when Izumiza dissolved spontaneously around 1971, he concentrated on his voice acting career.
Kobayashi's distinctive low-baritone voice made him active in the voice acting industry in Japan from its earliest days. In dubbing, he was the exclusive voice of James Coburn and Lee Marvin, and also dubbed Tommy Lee Jones, Jack Palance, and Franco Nero in many films. He also appeared in many animation and narrated many TV shows.
Kobayashi had his own particular preoccupations and aesthetics regarding his work, such as "not using a microphone pop filter" and "eating a piece of caramel before recording". Kobayashi was also known as a heavy smoker, and an anecdote has it that the studio where he recorded was so full of smoke that he could not be seen (Since the 2010s, he has refrained from smoking in public to keep up with the changing times, but his popularity has led some studios to give him special permission to smoke.).
He dubbed James Coburn in most of his films for about 40 years after he was hired because of "His mouth looks like Coburn's.". Kobayashi said that dubbing Coburn was "the first role I ever held" and "a role I could do naturally". When Coburn died, he commented, "He had gained a new charm in his old age and thought he would be even more successful as an actor...., I have a strange, unsettled feeling, as if a member of my immediate family had passed away.".[1]
In 2021, he retired from his role as the voice of Daisuke Jigen, after over 50 years of service.[2] However, he continued to appear in other productions and narrations, and he remained active for the rest of his life.
His talent management agency Haikyo announced that he died on July 30, 2022, due to pneumonia.[3]
According to the author, Monkey Punch, the model for Jigen's character was James Coburn, who appeared in the movie The Magnificent Seven. Based on this image, Kobayashi, who dubbed Coburn, was chosen to play the role of Jigen. Therefore, unlike the other four central characters, Kobayashi was the only candidate for the role of Jigen.[4]
When several members of the main cast were replaced in 2011, including Koichi Zenigata, the role of Jigen was initially scheduled to be replaced as well, but Kobayashi was retained because "we just couldn't find anyone suitable for the role". At the same time as this changeover, he became known as "the only original cast member".
Since the 1990s, he has often played roles that pay homage to Jigen in other works. He has also been told by those around him that he "looks like Jigen himself," even when he is not consciously aware of it, to which he expressed his delight, saying, "It's a gratifying story for an actor to hear".
Kobayashi described Jigen as "the culmination of himself and synonymous with himself," and often said in interviews that "he is like an alter ego". Also, Kobayashi said, "It's a bit presumptuous of me." but he also said, "Because I play the role, he becomes Daisuke Jigen." and that he played the role with a strong sense of pride. [5]
In the fall of 2021, Kobayashi decided to leave his beloved Jigen, citing the 50th anniversary of the anime series broadcast and his advanced age. He was replaced by Akio Otsuka, known for dubbing Denzel Washington and acting Solid Snake in the Metal Gear series, and whose father is Chikao Ohtsuka, who once played Goemon. "Episode 0", the first episode of the TV series Lupin the 3rd Part 6, was Kobayashi's last performance as Jigen.
Kobayashi left the Lupin series with the following message.
(Translation) Lupin has been a life-long job for me. I've put my life on the line. Selfishly, I would have liked to have done it until I was 90, but alas. I wanted to hang on to it somehow, but I couldn't. As I get older, I should have a certain "depth" to it. However, I wonder if there will be a gap between voice and the images.
On a different note, Akio-chan once asked me. "Why did dad quit as Goemon?" And. The "dad" is Chikao Ohtsuka Senpai. I was at a loss for an answer. Perhaps Chikao Senpai must have been disappointed.
Recently, some people have said to me, "Jigen is getting old.", "His voice is hard to hear.". Duh, I am 88 years old. The result of my own efforts. ……From now on, I don't have to worry about being told so. I am relieved.
I will leave the rest to Akio-chan. Good luck. But Jigen is not your average villain. He has "Attitude of Edo". It may sound strange, but Jigen is an "Edokko". Akio-chan, this is a tough one. Also, his feeling is similar to "Jazz".
In closing I would like to thank all those who have supported me so far. Thank you very much.
