Evangelion's Shinji voice actor calls AI voice cloning 'heartbreaking,' urges Japan to act

Megumi Ogata — the veteran Japanese voice actor behind Shinji Ikari in Neon Genesis Evangelion, as well as roles in Danganronpa and Persona — has spoken out against AI voice cloning, calling it heartbreaking and urging the Japanese government to establish legal protections. Her comments were made to TBS News Dig and first reported in English by Automaton, and they arrive as Japan is actively considering a legal framework similar to likeness rights to address the issue.

Ogata specifically called out AI voice imitators spreading across video platforms like TikTok. "My voice is a part of my identity," she said. "I really don't understand why somebody would want to make me say things that I don't want to say as they please and then sell it as my own voice. It's heartbreaking." She also challenged Japan's self-image as a content superpower, asking why the country hasn't established clear rules or communicated a firm policy to the world on voice and content use.

Ogata's stance puts her alongside a growing chorus of voice actors pushing back on AI cloning. Wes Johnson, a frequent Bethesda collaborator, has previously stated that anyone creating mods using an actor's voice via AI without consent knows they're in the wrong. Jennifer Hale has pushed for studios to take responsibility for their AI use, and at the 2024 BAFTAs, several members of the Baldur's Gate 3 cast — including narrator Amelia Tyler — publicly condemned the practice. What's notable across all these cases is that the criticism isn't aimed solely at corporations automating creative roles: Ogata, Johnson, and Tyler have each specifically named modders and independent content creators as part of the problem, not just big studios.

The broader debate is unlikely to cool down soon. Japan's potential legal framework could set a meaningful precedent in a country whose anime, game, and voice acting industries carry enormous global cultural weight. For now, Ogata's message is clear — having your voice stolen and used to say whatever someone else wants, even for a throwaway internet post, is a violation regardless of intent or profit motive.