Summary
Female voice actresses in anime dubs deserve more praise and recognition for their profession as they can bring characters to life just like their male counterparts. Some female voice actors stand out for their ability to imitate the performance of the original Japanese voice actors, while others add originality and charm to their performances. The performances of the female voice actors, such as KT Gray as Seras Victoria in Hellsing, Cherami Leigh as Asuna in Sword Art Online and Erika Mendez as Ryuko Matoi in Kill la Kill, show great talent and are worthy of discussion.
While it’s common for male voice actors’ performances to be highly praised in anime dubs, the English dub’s performances by women deserve more praise. Just like the Japanese voice actors, the female dub actors can give performances that do an incredible job of bringing their characters to life, and there are even times when their performances seem even better than the Japanese original.
Female voice actors have given many great performances in anime dubs over the years, and there are a few that stand out among the best. Some are distinguished by their ability to imitate the performance of the original Japanese voice actors, while others are selected for how original and beautiful they add to their work, even if the character is different from the original. Japanese. Whatever the case, each performance is notable for how much it showcases the talent of the voice actor in question, and each is more than worthy of discussion.
10 Katie Gray as Seras Victoria (Healing)
Other Anime Roles: Yoshino Shinzaike (I’m Me! Strawberry Eggs), Julia (Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad)
Release year
2001 (Healing), 2006 (Healing Ultimate)
Number of episodes
13 (Hellsing), 10 (Hellsing Ultimate)
Where to release
Hulu, Crunchyroll
The first great dub performance to discuss is by female voice actress KT Gray as Seras Victoria in Hellsing. Grey’s voice acting does a great job of portraying Serra as someone who slowly grows from a nervous newcomer to a confident and powerful woman, and that’s especially the case with Hellsing Ultima, when she gets a chance to work with canon material and bring some of it to life. The best material in the story to life. Helling is the only popular anime Gray has participated in, but she still left her mark on the community with her amazing performance.
9 Cherami Leigh as Asuna (Sword Art Online)
Other Anime Roles: Lucy Heartfilia (Fairy Tail), Sailor Venus (Sailor Moon), Sarada Uchiha (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations), Makoto Niijima (Man 5: The Anime)
Release year
2012
Number of episodes
96
Where to release
Hulu, Crunchyroll
Another great dub performance from a female voice actress is Cherami Leigh as Asuna in Sword Art Online. Leigh’s work on Asuna has done a lot to make Asuna a confident and capable character and one of the best characters in the series, and the stories that put Asuna in the spotlight take that even further by giving her as Mother Rosario and Aria of Starless Night. More opportunities to showcase Leigh’s stunning surroundings. As far as the Sword Art Online series goes, most of the characters manage to be charming, and Lei’s performance as Asuna plays a big role in that.
8 Erika Mendez as Ryuko Matoi (Kill La Kill)
Other Anime Roles: Aladdin (Magi: Labyrinth of Magic), Gon Freaks (Hunter X Hunter), Emma (The Promised Neverland), Retsuko (Agretsuko).
Release year
2013
Number of episodes
24
Where to release
Hulu, Crunchyroll
When it comes to female voice actresses who are good at emulating the Japanese original, a great performance that immediately comes to mind is Erika Mendez as Ryuko Matoi in Kill la Kill. Ami Koshimizu portrays Ryuko as a mature criminal with a big chip on her shoulder and a hidden heart of gold, and Mendez does a perfect job replicating her gentle nature at the drop of a hat. . Mendez’s performance brought life to Ryuko just like Koshimizu, and helped give the Kill La Kill dub its first Japanese honor.
7 Stephanie Nadolny as Son Goku (Dragon Ball)
Other Anime Roles: Kid Gohan (Dragon Ball Z), Fei Shin Yu (Graveon Zwei)
Release year
In 1986
Number of episodes
153
Where to release
Hulu, Crunchyroll, Funimation
It’s common for female voice actors to voice male characters in animation, and a great anime performance to follow that idea is Stephanie Nadolny as Kid Goku in the Dragon Ball franchise. Nadolini did a great job capturing Goku’s childhood innocence in Dragon Ball. When Goku turns into a child in Dragon Ball GT, she succeeds even more in portraying him as a wiser and more mature character with how amazing she is as a voice actor. Nadolini hasn’t been involved in the franchise since Dragon Ball Z’s Kai, but whatever her mark on Dragon Ball is, it can’t be explained.
6 Maile Flanagan as Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
Other Anime Roles: Matthew (Astro Boy)
Release year
2002
Number of episodes
720
Where to release
Hulu, Crunchyroll
Another great example of a female voice actress voicing a male character is May Flanagan as Naruto Uzumaki in Naruto. Flanagan’s voice performance at the beginning of the series was perfect for capturing how brash Naruto is with an indomitable spirit, and she does a great job of capturing that growing maturity as Naruto matures in Naruto: Shippuden and beyond. And he emphasized how much of a heroic personality he created. Flanagan’s Naruto is one of the most recognizable characters in all of anime, and it’s easy to see why she has defined her character for so many people around the world.
5 Carrie Wahlgren as Haruko Haruhara (FLL)
Other Anime Roles: Saber (Fate), Fu Kasumi (Samurai Champloo), Celty Sturluson (Durarara!!), Tsuruya (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Release year
2000
Number of episodes
6
Where to release
Hulu, Funimation
When it comes to great female performances in old anime dubs, one of the best is undoubtedly Carrie Wahlgren as Haruko Haruhara in FLCL. Wahlgren’s chaotic and badass performance helped define Haruko’s character and make FLCL such a cult classic, and she continues that work every time she returns to one of FLCL’s many spin-off roles. The spinoff has been widely divided among fans and critics, but Wahlgren’s Haruko has always been a highlight, and it’s hard to think of anything else when you think about FLCL and its lasting legacy on the anime community.
4 Wendee Lee As Haruhi Suzumiya
Other Anime Roles: Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop), TK Takaishi (Digimon), Konata Izumi (Lucky Star), Lisa Lisa (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)
Release year
In 2006
Number of episodes
28
Where to release
Crunchyroll
Another older performance by a female voice actress that gets a lot of praise is Wendee Lee as Haruhi Suzumiya in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Similar to FLCL’s Haruko Haruhara, Haruhi is a messy, over-the-top brat with a dash of arrogance, and every line from Lee portrays that perfectly, making her impossible to hate. Lee is an experienced voice actress with previous episodes of Bleach, Digimon, and Cowboy Bebop under her belt, and it’s clear that she brought all of her experience to voicing Haruhi to make her one of the most popular anime characters of the past 20 years.
3 Tiffany Grant as Asuka Langley Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
Other Anime Roles: Altena (Noir), Kaori (Azumanga Daioh), Nojiko (One Piece)
Release year
In 1995
Number of episodes
26
Where to release
Not available in the original dub
When it comes to great female performances in old anime dubs, it’s hard not to mention Tiffany Grant as Asuka Langley Soryu in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Grant does a wonderful job of making Asuka’s moments of arrogance and genuine sincerity shine through for an English-speaking audience, and unlike the Japanese voice actress, being able to speak German fluently allows Yuko Miyamura to add more layers to the character. Grant’s performance was always one of the best parts of the original dub, and of all people, it was truly amazing to see her return for the final Evangelion remake.
2 Daveigh Chase as Chihiro Ogino (Ghostly)
Other Anime Roles: None
Release year
2001
Running time
125 minutes
Where to release
High
Studio Ghibli is known for producing some of the best English dubs in anime, and to top it off, a great female performance from Daveigh Chase as Chihiro Ogino in Holy Spirit. Chase does an amazing job of selling Chihiro as a scared girl who gradually grows into a strong and independent person, and in many ways, she does a better job of conveying that character in Japanese than Rumi Hiragi. Speeded Away remains one of the most popular films for both anime and animation in general, and Chase’s prominent portrayal of Chihiro no doubt played a big part in that.
1 Brittany Snow as Shizuku Tsukishima (Heart Whisperer)
Other Anime Roles: None
Release year
In 1995
Running time
111 minutes
Where to release
High
Another great female performance in the Studio Ghibli dub, and the last great female dub performance to discuss, is Brittany Snow as Shizuku Tsukishima in Whisper of the Heart. Befitting the down-to-earth nature of the film, Snow always gives Shizuku a real human voice, and whether she’s acting in her happy moments or in her depression, she always stands out as one of the most impressively grounded performances in . A Studio Ghibli movie. Whisper of the Heart may be one of the more underrated films from Studio Ghibli, but it still has a lot to praise, and Snow Shizuku’s performance is definitely one of its strongest points. Brittany Snow’s portrayal of Shizuku will go down as the best dub performance by a woman in anime history.
As much as a male audience tends to create anime, the various female voice actors involved with them are often overlooked, but this is nothing but nonsense. Female voice actors always have just as much to their performances as male characters, sometimes more, and this is especially the case with English dubs, as many British female voice actors give stellar performances that more than live up to the original. Japanese. There are many anime dub shows by women, they are incredibly deserving of praise, and with any luck, they will gain more recognition in the years to come.