A Tribute to Anime Voice Actors – My Top 30 Part 1
Oftentimes, we find ourselves watching anime without really paying much attention to the characters’ voices – “Yeah sure, as long as it’s Japanese dubbed with English subs I really don’t care. So let’s watch the damn anime and get it over with!” Among all the great and proud series I have watched, I never knew of the goldmine of humble talents behind the characters we all so adore and hate. And so I dedicate this post as tribute to their uber-greatness.
After watching series after series that all had a somewhat familiar voice in it, I started to wonder and tried to verify my speculations online. And thanks to MyAnimeList, I was able to do just that! And my, how it surprised me how little the world was for anime voice actors. I was practically watching different kinds of anime that had the same voice actors in it!
What’s more awesome is how they can bend and change their voices at will. It’s 100% raw talent! One excellent example would be Ayako Kawasumi’s roles as the brave, stubborn and serious-voiced Saber (Arturia Pendragon) in Fate/Stay Night, the clumsy and childlike Noda Megumi in Nodame Cantabile and the very shy and reserved Yoshida Kazumi in Shakugan No Shana. You wouldn’t know they’re voiced by the same person if you just watched them.
Below are 15 of my top 30 anime voice actors, the characters they played as well as memorable lines. Please note that the roles I included along with the voice actors are just the series I have watched or am currently watching. If you look them up individually online, each of them would have roles in at least 40 anime series. From what I remember, most of the people here also voiced in Clannad, Claymore, Bleach, Naruto, Evangelion, Detective Conan, Seikon no Qwaser, etc.
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TOMOKAZU SUGITA “Do you have any idea how stupid we are? Don’t underestimate us!”Arakawa Under the Bridge – Hoshi Ayashino Ceres – Kagami Mikage Beelzebub - Hajime Kanzaki Bleach – Kensei Muguruma, Nova Chobits – Hideki Motosuwa Time of Eve – Setoro Gintama – Gintoki Sakata Gundam Seed Destiny – Yolan Kent Kodomo no Jikan – Reiji Kokonoe Honey & Clover – Takumi Mayama Lucky ☆ Star – Sugita Macross Frontier – Leon Mishima Maria†Holic – Touichirou Kanae Panty & Stocking – Oscar Genius Persona 4 – Daisuke Nagase Sket Dance – Kazuyoshi Usui Switch - Akito Kagura The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya – Kyon Umineko No Naku Koro Ni – Ronove The Wallflower – Takenaga Oda |
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AOI YUUKI “The wellspring of wisdom has spoken to me. I’ll reconstruct the pieces of chaos for you.”Ah! My Goddess! Itsumo Futari de - Saga Beelzebub – Chiaki Tanimura Durarara!! – Shinra Kishitani Gosick – Victorique de Blois Ikoku Meiro no Croisee – Alice Blanche Kure-nai - Murasaki Kuhouin Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica – Madoka Kaname Persona 4 – Aika Nakamura Pokemon! Best Wishes – Iris Shiki – Sunako Kirishiki The World God Only Knows – Mio Aoyama |
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MAAYA SAKAMOTO “Even if it’s God, if it lives, I can kill it!“Appleseed XIII – Deunan Knute Blade – Makoto Canaan - Alphard Alshaya D.Gray-man – Lou Fa Death Note – Kiyomi Takada El Hazard – Qawoor Towles Escaflowne – Hitomi Kanzaki Evangelion – Mari Makinami Illustrious FF7: Advent Children – Aerith Gainsborough Gundam Seed Destiny - Lunamaria Hawke Kara No Kyoukai - Ryougi Shiki Kuroshitsuji – Ciel Phantomhive Macross Frontier – Ranshe Mei Mushishi – Amane Naruto – Matsuri Nisemonogatari - Shinobu Oshino Ouran High School - Haruhi Fujioka Tekken: Blood Vengeance – Ling Xiaoyu Usagi Drop – Masako Yoshii |
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AYAKO KAWASUMI “Mukya! Gyabon!! Muki!!!”Ah! My Goddess: The Movie – Morgan Le Fey Azumanga Daioh – Ayumu Kasuga (Osaka) Bakuman – Yuriko Aoki Carnival Phantasm - Saber Claymore - Elena Fairy Tail – Marl Fate/Stay Night - Saber Fate/Zero – Saber Gatekeepers – Ruriko Ikusawa Gintama – Gedomaru (Ketsuno Ana’s Familiar) Gosick - Anastasia Great Teacher Onizuka – Naoko Izumi Great Teacher Onizuka - Tomoko Nomura Groove Adventure Rave - Elie Hayate no Gotoku – Athena Tennos Hell Girl - Misato Tamura Initial D – Natsuki Mogi Kaicho wa Maid-sama! - Minako Ayuzawa Kuroshitsuji – Queen Victoria NieA_7 – Mayuko Chigasaki Nodame Cantabile – Noda Megumi Pandora Hearts – Alice Queen’s Blade – Reina Vance Samurai Champloo - Fuu Kasumi Seikon no Qwaser – Miyuri Tsujidou Serial Experiments Lain – Mika Iwakura Shakugan No Shana – Yoshida Kazumi Shinryaku!? Ika Musume – Ayumi Tokita The Familiar of Zero – Henrietta de Tristain |
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RIE KUGIMIYA “Urusai! Urusai! Urusai!” (Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!)Astarotte no Omocha! – Astarotte Ygvar Bleach – Nemu Kurotsuchi Fairy Tail - Happy Full Metal Alchemist - Alphonse Eric Full Metal Alchemist – Kathleen Armstrong Gintama – Kagura Hayate no Gotoku - Nagi Sanzenin Honey & Clover – Shonobu Morita Gundam 00 – Nena Trinity Persona 4 – Rise Kujikawa Shakugan no Shana – Shana The Familiar of Zero - Louise de La Vallière Toradora – Taiga Aisaka Umineko no Naku Koro Ni – Shanon |
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KENICHI SUZUMURA “Some things in this world must be protected, even if it means getting your hands dirty. Some things can only be seen through a tainted eye.”Boys Be – Kyoichi Kanzaki D.Gray-man – Lavi FF7: Advent Children – Zack Fair FF7: Last Order - Zack Fair Gintama - Okita Sougo Gundam Seed – Shinn Asuka Kaichou wa Maid-sama! – Tora Igarashi Kara No Kyoukai – Kokutou Mikiya Kuroshitsuji – Servant Trio Macross Zero – Shin Kudou Ouran High School – Hikaru Hitachiin Shingetsutan Tsukihime – Shiki Tohno Umineko no Naku Koro ni – George Ushiromiya |
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YUU KOBAYASHI (After hitting someone with a baseball bat.) “Hey, is your right arm broken properly?”B Gata H Kei – Kyoka Kanejou Baccano! – Nice Holystone Bleach – Hisagi Shuuhei Denpa Teki Na Kanojo – Miya Satsuki Fairy Tail – Daphne Gintama - Ayame Sarutobi Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni – Satoshi Houjou Level-E – Kyoko Mikihisa Maria†Holic – Mariya Shidou School Rumble – Lala Gonzalez Steins;Gate – Ruka Urushibara The World God Only Knows – Yuu Hatori Umineko No Naku Koro Ni – Kanon |
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SOUICHIROU HOSHI “Hara-hetta, kono ero kappa!” (I’m hungry, you perverted water imp!)Break Blade – Rygart Arrow Code Geass – Gino Weinberg Getbackers – Kazuki Fuuchoin Groove Adventure Rave - Lucia Raregroove Gundam Seed – Kira Yamato Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni – Keiichi Maebara Kara No Kyoukai – Lio Shirazumi Macross Frontier – Brera Sterne Mobile Suit Gundam Seed – Kira Yamato Saiyuki - Son Goku Steam Detectives – Narutaki Vampire Knight – Senri Shiki |
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ORIKASA FUMIKO “I love curry!”Bleach – Rukia Kuchiki Boys Be – Sayaka Kanzaki Code Geass – Shirley Fenette Dennou Coil - Yuuko Okonogi Devil May Cry – Lady Full Metal Alchemist – Riza Hawkeye Gintama – Kyubei Yagyu Great Teacher Onizuka – Azusa Fuyutsuki Gundam Seed Destiny - Meyrin Hawke Haibane Renmei – Hikari Hellsing – Seras Victoria Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni - Rumiko Chie Natsume Yuujinchou - Murasaki Shingetsutan Tsukihime – Ciel Super Street Fighter IV – Chun Li Vandread – Meia Gisborn Vampire Knight – Shizuka Hio You’re Under Arrest – Sena Wakabayashi |
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DAISUKE SAKAGUCHI “DONDAKE!!”Baccano! – Jacuzzi Splot Bleach – Hou / Ban Clannad – Youhei Sunohara Gintama – Shinpachi Shimura Guilty Crown – Souta Tamadate Hajime no Ippo – Naomichi Yamada Kamen no Maid Guy – Kousuke Fujiwara Katanagatari – Chouchou Maniwa SKET Dance - Teppei Sugihara Tokyo Majin - Ryouichi Karasu Welcome to the NHK! – Kaoru Yamazaki |
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SATSUKI YUKINO “Don’t move, it’s the penalty game.”Bleach – Yoruichi Shihouin Clannad – Misae Sagara Claymore – Rafaela Cooking Master Boy – Mei Li Full Metal Panic! – Kaname Chidori Full Metal Alchemist – Rose Tomas Gintama – Otae Shimura Gosick - Jacqueline de Signore Groove Adventure Rave – Cattleya Glory Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni - Mion Sonozaki Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni – Shion Sonozaki Lovely Complex – Ootani’s Sister Inu Yasha – Kagome Higurashi Natsume Yuujinchou – Hiiragi Planetes – Ai Tanabe Tales of the Abyss – Arietta Trigun – Milly Thompson, Kuroneko |
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KAZUYA NAKAI “Let’s party!!!”Ao no Exorcist – Ryuji Suguro Bleach – Kokuto Break Blade – Borcuse D.Gray-man – Gozu Death Note – Kanzo Mogi Fate/Prototype – Lancer Full Metal Alchemist Bro – Miles Gintama - Toshiro Hijikata Gundam Seed - Reverend Malchio Hellsing – Jan Valentine Nichijou – Narrator Nodame Cantabile – Kouzou Etou One Piece – Zoro Roronoa Samurai Champloo – Mugen Switch – Keigo Kajiyama |
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AYA HIRANO “Have you ever realized how insignificant your existence is on this planet?”Bakemonogatari – Shinobu Oshino Bleach – Homura Death Note – Misa Amane Dragon Ball Kai – Dende Fairy Tail – Lucy Heartfilia, Lucy Ashley Gintama – Nobume Imai Kuroshitsuji – Hannah Annafellows Lucky ☆ Star – Konata Izumi Macross Frontier – Nene Rora Macross Frontier – Mina Roshan Maria†Holic – Shizu Shidou Nichijou – Narrator Queen’s Blade – Nanael Saint Seiya – Sasha School Rumble – Youko Sasakura Seikon no Qwaser – Ekaterina Kurae The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya – Haruhi Suzumiya |
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SHINICHIRO MIKI (Gazing at the Earth in space.) “You people…Are you satisfied with how the world is? I’m not.”Batman: Gotham Knight - Bruce Wayne Bleach – Kisuke Uruhara Captain Tsubasa – Genzo Wakabayashi Carnival Phantasm - Assassin D.Gray-man – Bak Chang Escaflowne – Allen Schezar Fate/Stay Night – Assassin Full Metal Alchemist – Roy Mustang Full Metal Panic! – Kurz Weber Gatekeepers – Jim Skylark Gintama – Sakamoto Tatsuma Great Teacher Onizuka – Hidero Ohsawa Gundam 00 – Lockon Stratos Hakuoki – Toshizo Hijikata Initial D – Takumi Fujiwara Naruto – Mizuki Touji Nisemonogatari – Deishu Kaiki No. 6 – Youming Pokemon – Kojirou Samurai Champloo – Moronobu Hishikawa |
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CHIWA SAITO “This is my mission.”Arakawa Under The Bridge – Kou Ichinomiya Aria – Aika Granzchesta Astarotte No Omocha! – Ingrid Sorgrims Bakemonogatari – Hitagi Senjougahara Blood+ – Lulu Break Blade - Sygyn Erster Gintama – Kuriko Matsudaira Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica – Homura Akemi Murder Princess – Ana / Yuna Gundam 00 – Louise Halevy |
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