Ikue Ōtani has voiced Pikachu in the Japanese Pokémon anime since its beginning.
Ōtani provides Pikachu's distinctive vocalizations rather than a conventional spoken-language performance. Pikachu generally communicates through variations of its name, making the voice instantly recognizable across episodes, films, games, and promotional material.
She began voicing Pikachu when the television series premiered in Japan in 1997. She has also voiced other well-known characters, including Chopper in One Piece and Konohamaru in Naruto, but Pikachu is her signature role internationally.
The character's voice is not the same in every Pokémon production. Different language dubs use different voice performers, while the Japanese version retains Ōtani's performance. This distinction often causes confusion when fans compare the anime across countries.