Chafurin

Chafurin is the stage name of Japanese actor Hirotaka Shimazawa, born in 1961 and affiliated with the talent agency Office Osawa. He voices Hitoshi Demegawa, the Sakura TV director, in the Death Note anime produced by Madhouse.

Chafurin voices Demegawa, the Sakura TV station director who inserts himself into the Kira case by airing broadcasts tied to Misa Amane and the shinigami-eye killings purely to boost ratings. His self-promoting, opportunistic streak becomes a recurring complication for both the police task force and Kira himself.

Chafurin is a graduate of Toyo University who went on to build a long career as an anime actor and narrator represented by Office Osawa. His narration and character work spans a wide range of Japanese animated television.

Chafurin is typically cast as gruff middle-aged or elderly figures, a niche reflected in his performance as the blustering, ratings-hungry Demegawa in Death Note. That comic, opportunistic energy is a hallmark of his supporting roles.

Demegawa's blustering, ratings-obsessed personality plays directly into the comic energy Chafurin is known for bringing to supporting roles. It's a fitting showcase for an actor typically cast as gruff, larger-than-life side characters in Japanese animation.