Veteran voice actor Ryūsei Nakao, widely recognized for his iconic portrayal of Frieza in the Dragon Ball franchise, has been officially cast as the character Alice in the ongoing Gachiakuta TV anime series. The announcement was made on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, revealing Nakao’s addition to the highly anticipated adaptation.
Ryūsei Nakao Takes on the Role of Alice
Ryūsei Nakao will voice Alice, a doctor residing in the “Pit” who treats the protagonist, Rudo, after he falls into the abyss. Alice is described as an old woman, despite appearing like an old man. Nakao expressed his enthusiasm for the role, particularly noting his fondness for the line where Alice exclaims, “I’m a woman!” after a furious rant. A character visual for Alice has also been released.
Nakao is a highly celebrated Japanese voice actor with a career spanning over five decades. He is renowned for his distinctive, eerie vocal style, often lending his voice to villainous and eccentric characters. Beyond Frieza, his extensive credits include Mayuri Kurotsuchi in Bleach, Caesar Clown in One Piece, and Baikinman in Anpanman. He founded the acting group “Dramatic Company” in 1992 and has been recognized with awards such as the Best Voice Actor from the 25th Japanese Film Critics Awards in 2016 and the Kei Tomiyama Memorial Award from the 11th Seiyu Award in 2017.
Gachiakuta Anime: An Overview
The Gachiakuta anime, based on Kei Urana’s manga with graffiti designs by Hideyoshi Andou, premiered in Japan on July 6, 2025. Crunchyroll is streaming the series globally, including in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, CIS (excluding Russia and Belarus), and the Indian subcontinent. An English dub for the series is also available.
The Story of Gachiakuta
The series is a battle action story centered on Rudo, an orphan living in the slums of a floating town. In this society, the impoverished residents of the slums, known as “tribesfolk,” face discrimination from those in the opulent upper town. Rudo, who possesses extraordinary physical abilities and makes a living as a “trash raider,” is falsely accused of a crime and cast into the dreaded abyss known as the “Pit.” To survive and seek vengeance, Rudo must master a new power and join the “Cleaners,” an organization that combats the monstrous “Trash Beasts” born from garbage.
Key Production Staff and Main Cast
Studio Bones Film, known for works such as My Hero Academia and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, is producing the Gachiakuta anime. Fumihiko Suganuma serves as the director, with Hiroshi Seko handling the series composition, and Satoshi Ishino as the character designer and chief animation director. Taku Iwasaki is composing the music.
The main Japanese cast for Gachiakuta includes:
- Aoi Ichikawa as Rudo
- Katsuyuki Konishi as Enjin
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Zanka
- Yumiri Hanamori as Riyo
- Toshiyuki Morikawa as Regto
- Yuki Shin as Jabber
- Miku Ito as Chiwa
The third episode of Gachiakuta, which is set to air on Sunday, July 27, 2025, at 11:30 PM JST in Japan, will introduce the characters Zanka and Riyo, alongside Ryūsei Nakao’s Alice.
