Sakurai Takahiro leaves management office after 8 1/2 years

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Sakurai Takahiro’s contract with his management office, INTENTION, ended on March 31st.  The voice actor has been with the office for 8 1/2 years.

On the agency’s website, the following statement was made, “We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused by the series of reports on Sakurai Takahiro. As of March 31, 2023, we have decided to terminate my contract with Sakurai Takahiro. In response to the series of reports, our company also takes the situation seriously, and while continuing to discuss future activities, Sakurai offered to leave, and as a result of repeated consideration, we respected the person’s feelings and came to this conclusion. We would like to apologize to everyone who has supported us over the years for making such a sudden announcement, and we would like to express our deepest gratitude for your support. Although he will be leaving our company in the future, we sincerely hope that Sakurai Takahiro  will face the people around him and his work more sincerely. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to many people”.

Sakurai also commented, “I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by my inappropriate behavior. I sincerely apologize for betraying the trust of everyone who supported me, and for causing a great deal of trouble and burden to everyone who has been involved in my work. I, Sakurai Takahiro, have decided to leave Intention Co., Ltd. on March 31, 2023. The reason I requested my resignation was solely for my own sake. I thought that leaving the office was one of the ways I could take responsibility, and that expressing my thoughts in action and building the future was my own way of making decisions about my work. I will be alone, and I will do my best to move forward with my own strength as an individual, Sakurai Takahiro. Since July 2014, I have been working with Intention for about eight and a half years, and have been blessed with many wonderful works. Always received voices of support and encouragement. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the fans who supported me and all the people involved. Once again, I would like to express my deepest gratitude and deep apologies to all those who have been involved with me. From now on, while facing my work with sincerity, I will reconsider myself once again, and I will walk to repay the kindness I have received from everyone so that I can regain the trust that I have lost. March 31, 2023 Sakurai Takahiro”.

Regarding Sakurai, in October last year, “Bunshun Online” reported an affair between Sakurai and a woman, which he apologized on the official website of his agency. Furthermore, in January of this year, a follow-up report from another woman who accused Sakurai of having an affair with her for 15 years and even shared pictures and e-mail exchanges.

The voice actor is known for his voice of Cloud Strife character originally from the “Final Fantasy VII” series, Lan Di from the “Shenmue” series, Dragon Shiryu from the “Saint Seiya” series and many more video game series. While voicing many popular characters in anime such as Kururugi Suzaku (Code Geass), Osomatsu (Osomatsu-san), Kishibe Rohan (Jojo series) and Tomioka Giyu (Kimetsu no Yaiba).

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