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Since the 1960’s, anime has been one of several Japanese cultural imports to make a splash in the Americas. In the following decades, anime has grown in popularity, to now becoming a significant cultural touchstone and even formative piece of media in may of our lives. However, one of the most contentious points has been the quality of anime dubs, which is just shorthand for saying anime with English voice acting. While not all performances have hit their mark, we’ve made a list of some of the best English dubs for anime below.
Cowboy Bebop
Steve Blum’s iconic voicing of Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop was heard by many in 2001. Blum, similar to Koichi Yamadera, exemplifies the space cowboy’s oblique emotional tendencies while giving iconic lines that many reminisce about.
Naruto
Starring Maile Flanagan as the hot blooded ninja, Naruto has an English dub worthy of praise. Yuri Lowenthal, known as Spider-Man to some, plays the aloof Sasuke Uchiha, giving viewers an unforgettable performance. While the quality drops in some episodes, this series still competes with some of the best English dubs.
Dragon Ball
Plagued with high pitched yells, Dragon Ball’s English dub is on par with the Japanese counterpart. Sean Schemmal’s portrayal of Goku rivals that of the legendary Masako Nozawa when it comes to the emotion shown throughout the franchise. Similar can be said for most English voice actors that have played the roles of these iconic characters.
One Piece
Similar to Dragon Ball, One Piece has had different voice actors involved in the English dub since 2004. The original 2004 4Kids Tv English Dub featured censorship from the Japanese version that were modified for American audiences. However, the One Piece English dub by Funimation (now Crunchyroll) adapts the Japanese version with an allstar English voice cast of Colleen Clinkenbeard, Christopher Sabat, and Eric Vale.
Bleach
Johnny Yong Bosch has voiced iconic characters from Lelouch Vi Britannia in Code Geass to Yu Narukami in Persona 4. He, along with Michelle Ruff, Stephanie Sheh, and other voice talent, match the characterization of each character they play in Bleach. Bosch portrays the short tempered Ichigo Kurosaki while Michelle Ruff gives Rukia Kuchiki a stern, but compassionate tone that switches between the two when called for. Stephanie Sheh’s acting portrays Orihime as a caring girl that blends well with other voices in the English Dub of Bleach.
Samurai Champloo
Shinichiro Watanabe of Cowboy Bebop fame combines hip-hop with feudal Japan in Samurai Champloo. Steve Blum gives Mugen, the laid back protagonist, a voice performance to remember. As every voice blends together and fits each character so well, some believe the English dub is better than the Japanese counterpart.
Trigun
Trigun exudes the post-apocalyptic western aura from the opening to the plot setting. This is especially true for the main character, Vash the Stampede voiced by Johnny Yung Bosch. Bosch brings out the playful facade of Vash in most instances while portraying his depressive episodes masterfully.
Mob Psycho 100
Mob Psycho 100 features many characters with a wide variety of unique personalities. The English voice cast shows these eccentric characters in the best light. Kyle McCarley portrays the socially awkward Shigeo Kageyama with a soft nervous tone that gives watchers pause. Christopher Niosi’s Reigen Arataka highlights the character’s confident and conniving attitude. Mob Psycho 100 has one of the better English dubs to release in the late 2010’s.
Konosuba -God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World
The English cast of Konosuba deserves praise for matching the cadence of the Japanese voice cast. While Arnie Pantoja (Kazuma Sato), Cristina Vee (Darkness), and Erica Mendez (Megumin) do an amazing job as the main cast members, Faye Mata stands out as the ditzy Goddess of Water, Aqua. Her voice cracks in scenes where Aqua cries. Mata is able to play the dignified Goddess when needed as well. Faya Mata, along with the rest of the voice actors make Konosuba a pleasant watch in English.
Heaven’s Lost Property
While the anime might not be everyone’s preference, the English dub cast for Heaven’s Lost Property does a superb job of portraying the character’s comedic nature. Greg Ayres is able to bring out the many facets of Tomoki Sakurai to Brittney Karbowski’s monotonous Ikoros portrayal. Unlike other anime that feature musical performances, the English dub cast of Heaven’s Lost Property sings a translated version of the Japanese songs in the anime. That alone makes Heaven’s lost Property one of the greatest English dubs.
Watch all of the titles, save for Bleach, in English with a Crunchyroll subscription. If you want to stream Bleach in English, subscribe to Hulu to not only watch the original anime, but the Thousand-Year Blood War arc as well.
