The official Genshin Impact social media account announced that HoYoVerse will recast Showtaro Morikubo, who was slated to appear again in his role as the voice actor for Ifa. Though the official account did not give a specific reason, some are speculating it’s because of his appearance in the reading of Inochigake no Shougen. That is based on a book that highlights the Chinese government’s treatment of the Uyghur people.
The announcement from HoYoVerse only stated that it would recast Morikubo in Genshin Impact for “various reasons.” It apologized for all the trouble this will cause affiliated parties and players. It asked for everyone’s understanding at the end of the statement.
While there hasn’t been any confirmation as to what happened behind the scenes, a lot of the interactions on the announcement have pointed to Morikubo’s appearance in the August 2024 live reading of Inochigake no Shougen. This is based on the book of the same title by Tomomi Shimizu. It’s about the Chinese treatment of the Uyghur ethnic group in the Xinjiang region, and it includes testimonies from Uyghurs who survived the government’s persecution. Speculation online revolves around the main Chinese branch of HoYoVerse pressuring for the Japanese side to recast Morikubo due to his appearance in this reading. This is only a theory, though. Morikubo and other parties have not confirmed the reason behind his departure.
Showtaro Morikubo is a veteran voice actor and singer who first appeared in Genshin Impact as Ifa in late 2024. Some of Morikubo’s more prominent roles in other media include Yosuke in Persona 4, Makishima in Yowamushi Pedal, Shikamaru in Naruto, and Okita in the Hakuouki series. He also has a singing career separate from his work as a voice actor.
Genshin Impact is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, and mobile devices.
Published: Mar 12, 2025 03:00 pm