Ōji Suzuka’s appeal is his gentleness, including a natural speaking voice that suits animation. We value that lack of fuss, though ChaO shows the limits of asking an actor to make an underwritten romance persuasive.
Fi1m perspective
In ChaO (2025), Stephan and Chao keep finding themselves in comic situations before their relationship has become persuasive. Ōji Suzuka voices Stephan opposite Anna Yamada as Chao, but the screenplay gives the pair too little time to establish what draws them together. We were frustrated because we wanted to stay with this peculiar-looking couple rather than move on to another burst of activity. The expressive, peculiar animation still gives enthusiasts a reason to watch, and the comic situations have their own appeal even when they do little to make the relationship convincing.
His film debut, as Jin Kazama in Listen to the Universe (2019), placed him at a piano and asked for an inward-looking performance. Some early commentary found his line delivery flat, a reservation worth keeping alongside the praise for his introspective presence. The contrasting roles in Dragon Sakura (2021) and Horimiya (2021), where he played Izumi Miyamura, then tested that gentle screen presence. Television brought a breakthrough as Minato Togawa in silent (2022). His first major feature-animation voice role was Kaoru Tono in The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (2022).
For ChaO, Suzuka asked for a rehearsal day to try out his prepared voice and adjust it under the director’s guidance. Recording began when the director decided he was ready, which usefully qualifies the idea that a natural-sounding voice requires little work. Yasuhiro Aoki’s film also gives Suzuka and Yamada expressive, peculiar-looking characters to inhabit. What it does not give them is enough of a courtship, and neither their voices nor the busy comedy can fill that gap. We recommend it chiefly for animation enthusiasts, with reservations about the love story.
In Legal Beat (2026), his first solo lead in a prime-time drama, Suzuka plays Sora Taichi, who raps in court. That gives his delivery a more conspicuous task than the gentle speaking voice associated with him. We would welcome more of that pressure, provided the character gets as much attention as the vocal challenge.
Biography
Ōji Suzuka is a Japanese actor and model. Born on 11 January 2000 in Okayama Prefecture, he won the grand prize at the 33rd Men's Non-No exclusive model audition in 2018 and became an exclusive model for the magazine.
Suzuka made his acting debut in the 2019 film Listen to the Universe (also known as Mitsubachi to Enrai), for which he received several newcomer awards including at the Japan Academy Awards. He has since appeared in live-action dramas and films including The Violence Action (2022), The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes (2022) and Viral Hit (2026). His voice roles include Kaoru Tono in The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes, Paru in Doraemon: Nobita's Art World Tales (2025) and Stefan in ChaO (2025).
