People attach great importance to dubbing in anime. Japanese voice actors are as famous as Hollywood music icons. Of course, dubbing comprises many jobs, such as animation dubbing, Hollywood movies, commercials, drama, and even video game storytelling. Here are ten famous female voice actors anime fans should know about:
1. Rie Kugimiya
Casual anime fans can easily recognize Rie Kugimiya's voice; we can see her dubbing a female Tsundere character. She has played many famous tsundere roles and won the nickname of ‘Queen of Tsundere’ in the Japanese fan base. She won the Best Actress Award in the 3rd Seiyu Award.
2. Akari Kitou
Akari Kitou made her anime debut in 2014, and her first protagonist was the Time Bokan 24 anime in 2016. She is increasingly playing major/important roles in anime. Fans recognize Kitou as Nezuko's voice in the Demon Slayer series. Kitou’s other famous works include Kana Yajima’s Wolf Girl and Black Prince, Momo Chiyoda’s The Demon Girl Next Door, Yashiro Nene’s Toilet-Bound Hanakokun, and Kaho Hinata’s Blend S.
3. Ikue Otani
Most people know that she is the voice of Pikachu, a beloved anime character in the Pokémon series. She also speaks for some of the largest animation franchises in history. Otani is known for dubbing male and female characters.
4. Mayumi Tanaka
Mayumi Tanaka is the second senior actress on the list, making her debut in 1978. Fans of One Piece heard her voice and fell in love with her. No, she did not voice any female characters, but Monkey D. Luffy herself! Yes, it is hard to believe fact that a woman can utter his voice, this shows her excellent range. Tanaka's other famous roles include Gao Yuanma in "White Book Tour,” Klin in Dragon Ball, and Pazu in Studio Ghibli's "Lapta: City in the Sky.”
5. Maaya Uchida
Like most other actresses on this list, Uchida has won the prestigious SeiyuAward for Best New Actress. When she is not dubbing for animation, she will sing professionally. She debuted as a singer with her song “Soushou no Innocence”, under her agency Pony Canyon. Uchida’s famous works include Ikki Hiwa by Noragami, Aluka Zodek in Hunter × Hunter (2011), and Katarina Claesas a My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!And Rikka Takanashi in Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions.
6. Maaya Sakamoto
Sakamoto has a degree in sociology, but her passion is dubbing. Besides anime dubbing, she is also popular with Japanese fans for her fantastic singing voice and collaborations with Japanese pop musicians like Yoko Kanno. She is better known as voice of Hitomi Kanzaki in “The Vision of Escaflowne”. Sakamoto was part of the Japanese drama "Les Misérables." Herfamous roles include Shire Phantom in "Kuroshitsuji," Fujioka Haruhi from Ouran High School Host Club, Shinobu Oshino in Monogatari, and Ghost in the Shell as Motoko Kusanagi.
7. Takeuchi Junko
Takeuchi Junko is a senior voice actor who has been in the animation industry for decades. She is popular because of the dubbing of young male characters that are insensitive and often make their way. She has voiced some of the most popular teenage characters in anime. One of her most well-known role was Naruto Uzumaki from the popular anime series, Naruto.
8. Inori Minase
Minase is a singer and a voice actor, relatively new to the dubbing world. She officially debuted in 2015 and won the Best Lead Actress Award in the 2016 SeiyuAwards. Because her voice can convey a variety of emotions, she is very popular with fans
9. Romi Park
Romi Park is of Japanese and Korean descent and is popular in Japan as an evil woman. She has also voiced aggressive but also intelligent young male characters. Edward Elric is the best example of her work. Shee has also dubbed Western shows broadcast in Japan. Park’s famous roles include Temari in "Naruto," Zoe Hanji in Attacking Giant, Kiryuin in "City of Killing," and many more.
10. Hanazawa Kana
Hanazawa is a multi-faceted person. She has not only dubbed anime but has also performed live performances and has sung as a professional singer. Her career began as early as when she was in college. At the 2015 SeiyuAwards, she won the Best Supporting Actress Award for her work. Hanazawa's famous roles include Akane TsuneMori in "Psycho-Pass,” RizeKamishiro in "Tokyo Ghoul,” Shirase Obuchi in "Beyond the Universe,” and Kanade Tachibana in "Angel Beats!"
