Hearing Voices
Today I’m looking into one of the most talked about, argued about, cheered and maligned aspects of anime. Voice acting. While I’ll be talking about dubs, this is something that even die-hard sub only anime fans might relate to. The actors and languages may be different, but I bet we’ve all run into this before.
Recognize him?
The Black Ranger in that clip is Adam Park, played by Johnny Yong Bosch. Even if you’re not a Power Rangers fan, you might recognize some other characters he’s played.
- Ichigo Kurosaki, Bleach
- Vash the Stampede, Trigun
- Kiba, Wolf’s Rain
- Renton Thurston, Eureka Seven
That’s just a few.
For some reason Johnny Yong Bosch is Ichigo Kurosaki, at least to me.
I’m pointing out some of his anime roles as an example. I’m sure we’ve all recognized someone’s voice and thought “Hey, that’s (character name)!”. When I hear Johnny Yong Bosch in an anime I think “Hey, that’s Ichigo!”. Even though I watched Mighty Morphin Power Rangers when he was on the show, and I never made the connection. Even though I’d seen all of Trigun long before I ever saw a single episode of Bleach. So why don’t I think “Hey, that’s the second Black Ranger!” or “Hey, that’s Vash!”? I think it’s about connections and association.
Who’s Who
For some reason Johnny Yong Bosch is Ichigo Kurosaki, at least to me. The same way that Steven Blum is Spike Spiegel. The same way that Vic Mignogna is Edward Elric. For one reason or another those characters just wouldn’t be the same without those voice actors. They nailed it. They were perfect.
What about you? Are there any voice actors who are, and always will be, a particular character to you? What characters cross your mind when you think “Hey, that’s (character name)!”?
Anime, Sub, Dub, Voice Actors, Johnny Yong Bosch, Steven Blum, Vic Mignogna, Ichigo Kurosaki, Bleach, Vash the Stampede, Trigun, Kiba, Wolf’s Rain, Renton Thurston, Eureka Seven, Black Ranger, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
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