Japanese voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda has launched a legal battle against TikTok over videos allegedly using an AI-generated imitation of his voice. The 55-year-old actor, widely known to anime and gaming fans for major roles in franchises such as Jujutsu Kaisen and Yu-Gi-Oh!, is asking the platform to remove content narrated by a synthetic voice that he believes reproduces his distinctive deep tone. A ruling from the Tokyo District Court is expected on Wednesday.

The disputed videos were published by an anonymous account that reportedly used images associated with characters voiced by Tsuda while posting content about urban legends, occult stories and conspiracy theories. At its peak, the account had more than 200,000 followers and could have generated over 500,000 yen per month, according to the complaint. Tsuda's legal team argues that the account benefited commercially from the recognition and popularity attached to his vocal identity.

The case could become an important reference point for Japan's anime and voice acting industries, where performers have increasingly raised concerns about generative AI being used to reproduce voices without authorization. Several Japanese actors have already joined the "No More" campaign, which calls for stronger protection against unauthorized AI cloning. The debate has become particularly sensitive in Japan, where seiyuu often build large fan communities and can become as recognizable as the characters they portray.

Japanese law does not currently establish a specific legal right covering a person's voice, although recent government guidelines state that a voice may receive protection through existing publicity and personality rights. TikTok disputes Tsuda's claims and maintains that the audio resembles a generic male voice rather than an identifiable copy. The upcoming decision is therefore being closely watched beyond Japan, as entertainment industries around the world continue to debate how performers should be protected from increasingly realistic AI-generated replicas.