Do we like Hiroaki Hirata?
Our score: 6 out of 10. A clean search and one decent act on record, but too little reporting to push the score higher.
Hiroaki Hirata is the Japanese voice of Sanji in One Piece, a role he has played for about 25 years. He says the part made him one of the best-known voice actors in Japan, and that he wouldn't be where he is without it. Before that he was already a working actor, and he has dubbed plenty of American TV, including Joey in Friends and Dr Carter in ER.
He also voices Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, the ageing hero of Tiger & Bunny, and plays Beryl in From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman. In 2012 he left the theatre troupe he'd been part of for 27 years to start his own agency, Hirata Production Japan, thanking the instructors and fellow actors there on his way out. That's a pretty grown-up way to go.
On the harm check, the cupboard is bare in a good way. We searched his name against lawsuits, accusations and controversy in English and Japanese and found no court outcomes, no allegations from established outlets, and no sign of him pushing culture-war or conspiracy stuff. The only fan stoush that turned up was a translated magazine quote about a character, which comes from a fan-news site, so it's tabloid territory and we've left it alone.
The good stuff is small but real. After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, the One Piece cast was asked to send words of encouragement in their characters' voices, and he has said that creator Eiichiro Oda told him to follow his own judgement. He told Dexerto in 2024 he'd never forget that trust. He's also gracious about fans, thanking them for watching his shows.
He's refreshingly low-key about it all. Asked if Sanji is part of him, he said he doesn't really think so, but that he wouldn't be here without the character. He also described himself as “just an old guy”. No grievance, no hot takes, just a bloke who loves the job.
So where does that leave us? He's a pass on both tests, but the score sits in the middle because there's honestly not much reporting on his views or off-screen life. Nothing found isn't the same as a glowing reference, but there are no red flags either. If you love Sanji, you can keep loving him.