10 Best Anime Dub Performances By Women
Descriptions
Summary
- Female voice actors in anime dubs deserve more praise and recognition for their performances, as they can bring characters to life just as well as their male counterparts.
- Some female voice actors stand out for their ability to emulate the performances of the original Japanese voice actors, while others add originality and charm to their performances.
- The performances of female voice actors, such as K.T. Gray as Seras Victoria in Hellsing, Cherami Leigh as Asuna in Sword Art Online, and Erica Mendez as Ryuko Matoi in Kill la Kill, showcase their immense talent and are worthy of discussion.
While it’s common for the performances of male voice actors to get the most praise in an anime dub, English dub performances by women deserve plenty of praise, as well. Just like with Japanese voice actors, female dub actors can give performances that do an incredible job of bringing their characters to life, and there are even times that their performances are seen as being above even the original Japanese.
Female voice actors have given plenty of great performances in anime dubs over the years, and there are a few, in particular, that stand out as among the best. Some stand out for their ability to emulate the performances of the original Japanese voice actors, and others were chosen for how much originality and charm they add to their performance, even if it ends up being notably different from how the character was portrayed in the original Japanese. Whatever the case, each performance is notable for how much it shows off the talent of the voice actor in question, and each one is more than worthy of discussion.
10 Best Anime Dub Performances By Men
English anime dubs have produced a large number of high-quality performances over the years, and 10 stand out above the rest.10 K.T. Gray As Seras Victoria (Hellsing)
Other Anime Roles: Yoshino Shinzaike (I My Me! Strawberry Eggs), Julia (Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad)
| Release Year | 2001 (Hellsing), 2006 (Hellsing Ultimate) |
| Number of Episodes | 13 (Hellsing), 10 (Hellsing Ultimate) |
| Where to Stream It | Hulu, Crunchyroll |
The first great dub performance by a female voice actor to discuss is K.T. Gray as Seras Victoria in Hellsing. Gray’s voice acting did an excellent job of portraying Seras as someone who slowly grew from an anxious newcomer into a confident and powerful woman, and that’s especially the case with Hellsing Ultimate, when she had the chance to work with the canon material and bring some of the best material in the story to life. Hellsing was the only notable anime Gray was involved with, but she still left her mark on the community with a truly amazing performance.
10 Best Voice Acting Moments in Anime History
Voice acting has always been one of the most essential parts of anime, and here are 10 voice acting moments that stand out as the best.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 (Persona 5: The Animation)
| Release Year | 2012 |
| Number of Episodes | 96 |
| Where to Stream It | Hulu, Crunchyroll |
Another great dub performance from a female voice actor is Cherami Leigh as Asuna in Sword Art Online. Leigh’s work as Asuna has done a lot to define Asuna as a confident and competent character and one of the best characters in the series, and stories that put Asuna in the spotlight like Mother’s Rosario and Aria of a Starless Night take that even further by giving Leigh even more opportunities to show off her tremendous range. As divisive of a series as Sword Art Online might be, most of the characters have managed to be endearing, and Leigh’s performance as Asuna plays a big part in that.
8 Erica Mendez As Ryuko Matoi (Kill La Kill)
Other Anime Roles: Aladdin (Magi: The Labyrinth Of Magic), Gon Freecss (Hunter X Hunter), Emma (The Promised Neverland), Retsuko (Aggretsuko)
| Release Year | 2013 |
| Number of Episodes | 24 |
| Where to Stream It | Hulu, Crunchyroll |
Regarding female voice actors who are great for emulating the original Japanese, a great performance that immediately comes to mind is Erica Mendez as Ryuko Matoi in Kill la Kill. Ami Koshimizu depicted Ryuko as someone who thrived off of being a delinquent with a big chip on her shoulder and a hidden heart of gold, and Mendez does a perfect job of replicating her punkish performance that can switch to being gentle at the drop of a hat. Mendez’s performance brought just as much life to Ryuko as Koshimizu’s, and it’s helped give Kill la Kill’s dub just as much prestige as the original Japanese.
7 Stephanie Nadolny As Kid Goku (Dragon Ball)
Other Anime Roles: Kid Gohan (Dragon Ball Z), Faye Xin Yu (Gravion Zwei)
| Release Year | 1986 |
| Number of Episodes | 153 |
| Where to Stream It | 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. Nadolny did an excellent job of capturing Goku’s childlike innocence in Dragon Ball. When Goku was turned into a child in Dragon Ball GT, she more than succeeded in showing off her range as a voice actor with how wonderfully she depicted him as a wiser and more mature character. Nadolny hasn’t been involved with the franchise from Dragon Ball Z Kai onward, but her mark on Dragon Ball cannot be understated, regardless.
6 Maile Flanagan As Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
Other Anime Roles: Matthew (Astro Boy)
| Release Year | 2002 |
| Number of Episodes | 720 |
| Where to Stream It | Hulu, Crunchyroll |
Another great example of a female voice actor voicing a male character is Maile Flanagan as Naruto Uzumaki in Naruto. At the beginning of the series, Flanagan’s vocal performance was perfect at capturing how much of a brat with an indomitable spirit Naruto was, and as Naruto matured in Naruto: Shippuden and beyond, she always managed to do a great job of capturing that growing maturity and emphasizing how much of a heroic figure he had evolved into. Flanagan’s Naruto is easily one of the most iconic characters in all of anime, and it’s easy to see why she’s defined the character for so many people around the world.
10 Most Recognizable English-Speaking Anime Voice Actors, Ranked
As anime shows travel the globe, they are often dubbed so new audiences can understand them. Here are some of the best English-speaking voice actors.5 Kari Wahlgren As Haruko Haruhara (FLCL)
Other Anime Roles: Saber (Fate), Fuu Kasumi (Samurai Champloo), Celty Sturluson (Durarara!!), Tsuruya (The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya)
| Release Year | 2000 |
| Number of Episodes | 6 |
| Where to Stream It | Hulu, Funimation |
When it comes to great female performances in older anime dubs, one of the best is undoubtedly Kari Wahlgren as Haruko Haruhara in FLCL. Wahlgren’s chaotic and goofy performance as Haruko helped define the character and make FLCL such a cult classic, and she’s more than kept that work going every time she’s returned to the role in one of FLCL’s many spinoffs. Said spinoffs have been plenty divisive among fans and critics alike, but Wahlgren’s Haruko has always been a highlight, and it’s hard to think of anything else when thinking about FLCL and its lasting legacy on the anime community.
4 Wendee Lee As Haruhi Suzumiya (The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Other Anime Roles: Faye Valentine (Cowboy Bebop), T.K. Takaishi (Digimon), Konata Izumi (Lucky Star), Lisa Lisa (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
| Release Year | 2006 |
| Number of Episodes | 28 |
| Where to Stream It | Crunchyroll |
Another older performance by a female voice actor that warrants plenty of praise is Wendee Lee as Haruhi Suzumiya in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. In a similar vein to FLCL’s Haruko Haruhara, Haruhi is a chaotic, over-the-top character with a dash of arrogance, and every line read from Lee perfectly encapsulated that and made her someone impossible to hate. Lee was already a seasoned voice actor with shows like Bleach, Digimon, and Cowboy Bebop under her belt, and it’s clear that she brought all of her experience into voicing Haruhi to make her one of the most iconic 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 | 1995 |
| Number of Episodes | 26 |
| Where to Stream It | Unavailable In Original Dub |
Regarding outstanding female performances in older anime dubs, it's difficult not to mention Tiffany Grant as Asuka Langley Soryu in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Grant did an amazing job of making Asuka’s haughtiness and moments of genuine sincerity shine for an English-speaking audience, and the fact that she spoke fluent German unlike the Japanese voice actor, Yuko Miyamura also allowed her to add even more layers to the character. Grant’s performance was always one of the best parts of the original dub, and out of everyone else, seeing her return for the final Rebuild of Evangelion film was truly incredible.
Evangelion: Why You Won't Find Evangelion's Original Dub on Streaming
Long-time fans remember Neon Genesis Evangelion a little differently, thanks to its original dub nearly being pushed out of existence.2 Daveigh Chase As Chihiro Ogino (Spirited Away)
Other Anime Roles: None
| Release Year | 2001 |
| Runtime | 125 Minutes |
| Where to Stream It | Max |
Studio Ghibli is known for producing some of the best English dubs in anime, and a great female performance to come out of that is Daveigh Chase as Chihiro Ogino in Spirited Away. Chase did a fantastic job of selling Chihiro as a frightened child who gradually grew into a strong and independent person, and in many ways, she does an even better job of conveying that character arc than Rumi Hiiragi in the original Japanese. Spirited Away has long since been one of the most famous movies for both anime and animation, in general, and Chase’s standout portrayal of Chihiro has undoubtedly played a big part in that.
1 Brittany Snow As Shizuku Tsukishima (Whisper Of The Heart)
Other Anime Roles: None
| Release Year | 1995 |
| Runtime | 111 Minutes |
| Where to Stream It | Max |
Another great female performance in a 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 a genuine human voice to Shizuku, and whether it’s through moments of her being joyful or working through her anxieties, it always stands out as one of the most wonderfully grounded performances in a Studio Ghibli film. Whisper of the Heart might be one of Studio Ghibli’s more underrated films, but there’s still plenty to praise about it, and Snow’s performance as Shizuku is definitely one of its stronger points. Brittany Snow's portrayal as Shizuku will go down as the best dub performance by a woman in anime history.
With how large of a male audience anime tends to generate, the various female voice actors involved with them often end up being ignored, but that’s nothing but a travesty. Female voice actors have always had just as much to offer with their performances as male characters, sometimes even more, and that’s especially the case with English dubs, as many English female voice actors have turned in stellar performances that more than live up to the original Japanese. There are plenty of anime dub performances by women that are incredibly deserving of praise, and with any luck, that will gain far more recognition in the years to come.
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