Japan’s amazing voice actors are the people who make our favorite 2D anime characters truly become real for us, and the amazing performances by these dedicated professional seiyu make anime all the more enjoyable for us. I find I often become fans of certain voice actors, actively seeking out shows which feature them, like Satomi Arai, who’s done such awesome roles as Kuroko from Index/Railgun and the photograph-happy Ranko from Seitokai Yakuindomo (along with many, many others). So I asked J-List’s Twitter followers, which anime voice actors do you obsess over? Let’s look at their responses!
What voice actors do you obsess over? I’m compelled to watch any anime that features Satomi Arai, who has done many great voices over the years. I just love her weird, scratchy voice.
Sources are Lelouche of the Rebellion, Seitokai Yakuindomo, Sidonia, and Re:Zero pic.twitter.com/HILNJ3qtox
— J-LIST 🎃 (@jlist) October 29, 2019
Saori Hayami exploded in popularity with the role of the yandere Ayase from Oreimo, and her star has been rising ever since.
When discussing roles by Hanazawa Kana, you might save some time by discussing what roles she hasn’t done. The “Queen of Voice Actors” is universally hailed as one of Japan’s top seiyu, with so many top-rank roles, it’s hard to pick five favorites let alone just one.
Of course the Goddess of Tsundere Rie Kugimiya must be on this list. Active in the industry since the late 1990s, she defined herself doing the best tsundere characters, like Shana, Taiga and Louise, as well as providing the voice of Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist.
Another beloved anime voice actress is Rie Takahashi, who’s provided the voice behind some popular waifus lately, including Megumin from Konosuba, Emily from Re:Zero and Takagi-san. Interestingly, she played Futaba in Sore ga Seiyu!, a series in which real seiyu appear in the anime as themselves and give concrete tips to budding voice actors who want to break into the industry. So Rie basically got advice from the best names inside the anime industry and went on to do great things herself.
Then there’s Yuki Aoi, who won our hearts as the unwilling magical girl Madoka, then went on to do many other great roles. I particularly like watching random anime like Aho Girl! or My Girlfriend is a Shobitch! because I like hearing “Madoka” talk dirty.
Another lovely seiyu is Kikuko Inoue. What an illustrious career!
Megumi Hayashibara was pretty much the first seiyu who started to be branded as a superstar, showing up in all kinds of non-anime media and doing live performances on television.
I love it when a voice actor is so good, I can’t tell that two characters were done by then. Imagine that the voice of the adorable Yui Hirasawa from K-On! is the same as the hated Akane from Scum’s Wish. Toyosaki Aki is amazing.
Another legendary anime voice actor is Yui Horie. Can you pick a favorite role of hers? I’m having serious trouble doing it.
Warning, if you experience actual 'burning love,' please consult a physician.
Nao Tōyama plays Kongou (and *all* the Kongou sisters plus Atago and Takao), Karen from Kinmoza, Rin from Bakuon! and Rin from Yuru Camp. She is our queen. pic.twitter.com/8EhZ0OXvex
— J-LIST (@jlist) April 4, 2018
I’ll always have a soft spot for Nao Toyama, who provides the voice of Kongo from Kancolle, as well as Karen from Kin’moza and Tomoe from Bunny Girl Senpai.
Oh, and Mamiko Noto! Her voice is so calm and serene, it just makes us feel at peace.
Akio Otsuka because he’s Solid Snake, and the narrator and grandfather from Yuru Camp.
Then there’s legendary Norio Wakamoto, who’s done countless roles over the years, including Coach from Gunbuster, the King from Lelouche of the Rebellion, and even the official dubbed voice of Lando Calrissian. If you’ve ever wished Norio Wakamoto were your father, he appears in our excellent game Family Project, on sale this week!
We could obviously go on for another few pages, but that’s enough for now. Did we miss your favorite voice actor? Which anime voice actors do you obsess over? Let us know on Twitter!
Great news! J-List is having a huge sale on physical eroge and visual novels, which are in stock in San Diego, waiting for you to add to your collection. We’ve got everything from awesome limited edition games to our 2-for-1 combo game packs to legendary titles like Steins;Gate, ready for you to buy. Don’t jave a CD-ROM drive? Most games come with the download code inside the box, or else we’ll gladly send you one for free with proof of purchase.
