{"id":73371,"date":"2026-10-05T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=73371"},"modified":"2026-10-05T18:07:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T09:07:35","slug":"longtime-japanese-voice-actor-of-metal-gears-snake-talks-about-bond-with-hideo-kojima-and-why-he-wont-do-a-metal-gear-without-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/longtime-japanese-voice-actor-of-metal-gears-snake-talks-about-bond-with-hideo-kojima-and-why-he-wont-do-a-metal-gear-without-him\/","title":{"rendered":"Longtime Japanese voice actor of Metal Gear&#8217;s Snake talks about bond with Hideo Kojima and why \u201che won\u2019t do a Metal Gear without him\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Akio Otsuka, a Japanese actor and the longtime voice of Snake in <strong>Metal Gear Solid<\/strong>, recently talked about his relationship with director Hideo Kojima, his deep attachment to Snake, and a desire to play him for \u201cjust one more game\u201d in an interview with <a href=\"https:\/\/bunshun.jp\/articles\/-\/92246\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bushun Online<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Otsuka has played the role of Snake and his permutations since 1998\u2019s Metal Gear Solid, with his last game as Snake being 2018\u2019s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Given his long tenure as the character, he admits to having a particularly strong attachment to Snake among the countless characters he has voiced. \u201cNo matter what happens between Director Kojima and Konami, to fans, Snake will always be Akio \u014ctsuka. When I think about the fans\u2026 Well, it really puts me in a tough spot,\u201d he commented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regarding his relationship with Kojima, Otsuka reminisced about how their close collaboration during recordings brought about iconic ad-libs like \u201cKept you waiting, huh?\u201d Kojima also directed the famous father-son reconciliation scene between Snake and Big Boss, where he unexpectedly cast Otsuka\u2019s actual father, Chikao Otsuka, as Big Boss (the two were rumored to have a strained relationship). Although he jokes about \u201cplaying right into Kojima\u2019s hands,\u201d Otsuka says he was grateful to the director for the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1456\" height=\"815\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1456px) 100vw, 1456px\" src=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/20261005-73371-001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-73374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/20261005-73371-001.jpg 1456w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/20261005-73371-001-380x213.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/20261005-73371-001-766x429.jpg 766w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Otsuka also empathized with the hardship and uncertainty Kojima endured when he left Konami in 2015. Aside from having to leave many of his unfinished projects behind, Kojima would go on to form Kojima Productions out of his own pocket. Otsuka felt like his friend was \u201cbattling the fear\u201d of what would happen if Death Stranding failed. Thankfully, Death Stranding was a hit, and Otsuka recalls how could not help but cry during the game\u2019s 2019 launch event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the topic of future Metal Gear projects, Otsuka reiterated his stance that he will not do another game without Kojima at the director\u2019s helm:\u00a0\u201cWhen it comes to the Metal Gear series, it\u2019s something director Kojima created, and I take pride in having helped build it.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That said, Otsuka wishes that Kojima would just make one more Metal Gear game, commenting that \u201cthere are fans everywhere eagerly waiting for it.\u201d When asked whether he has talked to Kojima about the possibility of a new game, though, Otsuka said he\u2019d leave it to the readers&#8217; imagination.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Related:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/hideo-kojima-says-metal-gear-and-death-stranding-wouldnt-exist-without-the-globalist-and-futuristic-outlook-he-learned-from-1970s-osaka-world-expo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Hideo Kojima says Metal Gear and Death Stranding wouldn\u2019t exist without the globalist and futuristic outlook he learned from 1970\u2019s Osaka World Expo<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/metal-gear-solid-snakes-silent-tough-guy-personality-was-influenced-by-technical-limitations-of-the-first-game-kojima-says\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Metal Gear: Solid Snake\u2019s silent, tough guy personality was influenced by technical limitations of the first game, Kojima says<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Akio Otsuka, the voice of Snake, recently talked about his relationship with Hideo Kojima.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":73373,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","autoblue_enabled":true,"autoblue_custom_message":"","autoblue_shares":[{"did":"did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2","date":"2026-10-05T14:00:09+00:00","uri":"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mx53afypqq2n","response":"{\"uri\":\"at:\/\/did:plc:uzrrhkfyjrfdsynj2voztcf2\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mx53afypqq2n\",\"cid\":\"bafyreid4sgkluyyenczu3rr535kuzeaooxjcghke3yxkqcz2ro44hovewu\",\"commit\":{\"cid\":\"bafyreiau4lshjtfo4t67dueaacm6glaizdvjhledi77qjr7ftepgse2w7i\",\"rev\":\"3mx53afysoi2n\"},\"validationStatus\":\"valid\"}"}],"autoblue_post_url":"","autoblue_publish_document":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-73371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - 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