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.
He was best known for his role as Daisuke Jigen in the Lupin the Third series, voicing the character for over 50 years. He also voiced roles in Humanoid Monster Bem (as Bem), the Droopy cartoons (as the Wolf) and Shazzan (as Shazzan); Kobayashi was the official dub-over voice of James Coburn and Lee Marvin for Japan.
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History
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.).
Daisuke Jigen
Kobayashi played the role of Daisuke Jigen in the anime series Lupin the Third for more than 50 years, from the pilot version in 1969 to the first episode of Part 6 in 2021.
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.
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.
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 voicing Solid Snake in the Metal Gear series, and whose father Chikao Ohtsuka voiced Goemon in Lupin the 3rd Part I. "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.
Filmography
Television animation
Basilisk (2005) (Kouga Danjo)
Case Closed/Detective Conan (1996) (Suwa Yuji (Ep. 16))
Dirty Pair (1985) (Blues) (ep 20)
Humanoid Monster Bem (1968) (Bem)
La Seine no Hoshi (1975) (Zarar)
Star of the Giants (1968) (Armstrong Ozuma)
Space Cobra (1982) (Crystal Bowie)
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar (1997) (Narrator)
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Final -Grand Glorious Gathering- (2005) (Narrator, Ryōsuke Takanohashi)
Death Note (2006) (Watari/Quillsh Wammy)
Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine (2012) (Daisuke Jigen)
Lupin the 3rd Part I (1971) (Daisuke Jigen)
Lupin the 3rd Part II (1977) (Daisuke Jigen)
Lupin the 3rd Part III (1984) (Daisuke Jigen)
Lupin the 3rd Part IV (2015) (Daisuke Jigen)
Lupin the 3rd Part V (2018) (Daisuke Jigen)
Lupin the 3rd Part 6 (2021) (Daisuke Jigen) (episode 0 only)
OVA
Megazone 23 (1985) (Eigen Yumekanou)
Violence Jack: Hell Town (1988) (Jack)
Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1988) (Adrian Rubinsky)
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (1991) (Aiguille Delaz)
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (1993) (Muhammad Avdol)
Queen Emeraldas (1998) (Captain)
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Final (2000) (Narrator, Ryōsuke Takanohashi)
Lupin III: Return of the Magician (2002) (Daisuke Jigen)
Amuri in Star Ocean (2008) (Deus Allen, Ukatan)
Lupin III: Green Vs. Red (2008) (Daisuke Jigen)
Animated films
Mazinger Z vs. Devilman (1973) (Mashogun Zannin)
Lupin III: The Mystery of Mamo (1978) (Daisuke Jigen)
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979) (Daisuke Jigen)
Twelve Months (1980) (January)
Crusher Joe (1983) (Talos)
Golgo 13: The Professional (1983) (T. Jefferson)
Lupin III: Legend of the Gold of Babylon (1985) (Daisuke Jigen)
Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991) (Gillet Krueger)
Doraemon: Nobita and the Kingdom of Clouds (1992) (Earthling A)
Lupin III: Farewell to Nostradamus (1995) (Daisuke Jigen)
Lupin III: Dead or Alive (1996) (Daisuke Jigen)
Case Closed: The Phantom of Baker Street (2002) (James Moriarty)
Doraemon: Nobita and the Windmasters (2003) (Uranda)
Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called: The Kasukabe Boys of the Evening Sun (2004) (Justice Love)
Space Pirate Captain Harlock (2013) (Old man)
Lupin the 3rd vs. Detective Conan: The Movie (2013) (Daisuke Jigen)
Lupin the IIIrd: Jigen's Gravestone (2014) (Daisuke Jigen)
Tokusatsu
Kousoku Esper (1967) (Alien Giron)
Spectreman (1971) (Dr. Gori)
Kaiketsu Lion-Maru (1972) (Daimaou Gohsun)
Zone Fighter (1973) (Narrator)
Enban Senso Bankid (1976) (Guzale Commander)
UFO Daisensou: Tatakae Red Tiger (1978) (Fuller Commander)
Kamen Rider Black (1987) (Narrator (1 - 39))
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) (Narrator)
Chōriki Sentai Ohranger (1995) (Bara Darts)
Gekisou Sentai Carranger (1996) (VRV Master)
Seijuu Sentai Gingaman (1998) (Degius)
Kamen Rider OOO (2010) (Story within a story Narrator)
Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie (2012) (Narrator)
Video games
Blood Will Tell (xxxx) (Narrator, Jukai)
BS Zelda no Densetsu (MAP1 and MAP2) (xxxx) (Narrator)
Samurai Shodown series (II, IV-V) (Jubei Yagyu)
Tenchu: Kurenai (xxxx) (Narrator)
Lupin III video games (1997-2010) (Daisuke Jigen)
Lupin the 3rd: Treasure of the Sorcerer King (2002) (Daisuke Jigen)
Valis: The Fantasm Soldier (1992 PC Engine port) (Rogles)
World of Final Fantasy (2016) (Odin)
Dubbing roles
James Coburn
The Magnificent Seven (1974 NET Dub) (Britt)
The Great Escape (1971 Fuji TV Dub) (Louis Sedgwick)
Charade (1972 Fuji TV, 1985 TV Asahi, and 1994 NTV Dubs) (Tex Panthollow)
Major Dundee (1976 Fuji TV Dub) (Samuel Potts)
Our Man Flint (1978 Fuji TV Dub) (Derek Flint)
Dead Heat on a Merry-Go-Round (Eli Kotch)
In Like Flint (1973 Tokyo Channel 12 Dub) (Derek Flint)
Duck, You Sucker! (1977 TBS and DVD Dubs) (John H. Mallory)
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (Sheriff Pat Garrett)
Bite the Bullet (1981 TV Asahi Dub) (Luke Matthews)
Hard Times (1981 TV Asahi Dub)(Speed)
The Last Hard Men (1981 Fuji TV Dub) (Zach Provo)
Midway (1979 TBS edition) (Capt. Vinton Maddox)
Young Guns II (VHS Dub) (John Chisum)
Hudson Hawk (DVD Dub)(George Kaplan)
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (Mr. Crisp)
Maverick (Commodore Duvall)
Eraser (Arthur Beller)
Other roles
Battle of Okinawa (1971, Film) (Narrator)
Daitokai Series (1976–79, Tv drama)
Dragon Zakura (2005, TV drama) (Narrator)
Hikari Ota's If I Were Prime Minister... Secretary Tanaka (2006, Variety show) (Narrator)
Pro Sportsman No.1 (1995-2010, Sports entertainment television special) (Narrator)
Sasuke (2006, Sports entertainment television special) (Narrator)
Shukan Oriraji Keizaihakusho (2007, Variety show) (Narrator)
Yōkai Ningen Bem (2011, TV drama) (Narrator)
Seiyū Tantei (2021, TV drama) (Narrator)
