Voice Actor Spotlight

Masako Nozawa, Voice of Goku, to be Immortalized in AI

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Well, it’s official now. The voice of Goku shall be forever immortalized.

In recent years, the use of artificial intelligence has become increasingly widespread and controversial. Many people are pointing out how programs like ChatGPT and the like can easily be used to replace the jobs of actual people. Worse, many voice actors fear that their voices could be replicated and reused without them getting any form of compensation for it. So, it’s pretty controversial in the entertainment industry.

Now it could get even more controversial. A few days ago, the management agency for Masako Nozawa, the legendary seiyuu for Goku, has teamed up with a company that specializes in AI voice technology. Nozawa will be among a group of people who will permit their voices to be used for various voice-related technology across multiple different languages. In other words, we could hear the Japanese voice of Goku being used for an Alexa in the future. More importantly, though, that would give the owners of Dragon Ball the means to keep voicing Goku even after Masako has passed on.

And you know what? I’m okay with that.

I normally do not approve of companies making AI copies of famous celebrities voices. Especially when they do it without their consent or deciding not to pay them. However, the difference here is that Nozawa has consented to this. She’s agreed to let it happen! And she’s not the only celebrity I’ve talked about on here who has done so. A few weeks ago, I talked about how the late James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, had agreed to have his voice replicated by another AI company. He agreed to it, and so has Masako Nozawa. Thus, I have no right to complain.

If I’m being perfectly honest, I’m glad that she’s agreed to this. Masako is 87 right now, and as much as we may want it, she can’t keep playing Goku forever. I think that she understands this, and so she doesn’t want to see the character of Goku die with her. By doing this, she’s making sure that Goku can continue to be voiced by her for as long people want to keep making stuff for Dragon Ball. Some voices are too powerful to let them fade away, and this is a prime example.

Rachael Lillis, the Original Voice of Misty and Jessie from ‘Pokemon’, Has Died

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Rachael Lillis, the OG Voice Actress for Pokemon’s Misty and Jessie, Has Passed Away From Breast Cancer

This might be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to write for this blog, but it needs to be done. This monday, it was publicly announced that Rachael Lillis, the legendary voice actress and original voice of Misty and Jessie, passed away on Saturday, August 10th. She was 46 years old.

A professional voice actress, people best knew Rachael for her time with the Pokémon franchise. When 4Kids started dubbing the anime in the West, Rachael was part of the original cast. For eight years, she provided the voice to both Misty, the water-type Pokémon trainer with a fiery temper, and Jessie, the lovable villainess of Team Rocket. She was also the voice behind multiple Pokemon, with Jigglypuff being the most notable. To the best of my knowledge, they still use archival recordings of her for Jigglypuff to this day.

Earlier this year, I had reported how Rachael had developed breast cancer that had since spread to other parts of her body, leaving her barely able to walk on her own. Several of her relatives and colleagues set up a GoFundMe to get the money to move her to a better facility, and many spread the word about it on social media. As hopeful as I wanted to be, I knew she wasn’t long for this world. But…I didn’t expect us to lose her this soon.

I don’t need to spend time explaining just how important Rachael, Misty, and Jessie were to me. Watching Pokemon was what got me into anime. I retroactively consider Misty to be my first anime waifu ever. Watching how she could go from being sweet and friendly with Ash and Brock to being ballistic was so much fun, and it made for a big part of the show’s appeal to me. As a 90s/2000s kid, losing her is like a massive gut punch. I’m barely able to keep myself from crying as I write this; it’s beyond devastating.

Fans and colleagues are mourning Rachael’s passing all across the Internet, and it is heartbreaking to read. She was one of those early pioneers of anime in the West, and while others went on to voice her characters, to me, she was the only Misty and Jessie that I needed.

Rest in peace, Rachael. You were a real one, and I’ll never forget you as Misty for as long as I live.

D&A Voice Actor Spotlight: J. Micheal Tatum!!

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There are so many words that can describe the next voice actor that we have for you on this special filler post series. Smooth, charming, witty, charismatic, creative, and sophisticated. When you look at this particular voice actor, you’d think that he looks more like a writer or a novelist than an actual voice actor for anime. Although he gives off that kind of aura when you see him at anime conventions, this anime voice actor can do it all! Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the most handsome man in the world…J. Micheal Tatum.

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Taken Otakon 2012 before we became D&A Anime Blog! 🙂

Straight outta McKinney, Texas and born on May 25, 1976, J. Micheal Tatum is an ADR director, voice actor, and script writer for FUNimation/Okratron 5000. During a panel at Florida Supercon in 2015, Tatum was asked by a fan what his inspiration was that got him into the world of voice acting. When he was a young lad he had a speech impediment which would cause him to stutter upon speaking, so his speech coach had him get involved into theater.

While reciting and memorizing his lines, Tatum’s stuttering would disappear, and soon he would find himself doing theater and drama. In 2005 Tatum was discovered by FUNimation’s ADR Director Christopher Bevins, who cast Tatum as Rikichi in Samurai 7. Since then he would voice characters like Kyoya Ootori in Ouran High School Host Club, Sebastian Michealis in Black Butler, France in Hetalia: Axis Powers, and Erwin Smith in Attack on Titan.

You can also hear Tatum in Corpse Princess, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Stein’s Gate, One Piece, Dragon Ball Z Kai, Free! – Eternal Summer and so much more! Upon numerous occasions J. Micheal Tatum has expressed his love for anime, Doctor Who, and William Shakespeare. He’s a great fellow with a lot of great stories to tell, so if you want to see him at your con, tell the convention staff to book him on the double!

You can find/follow J. Micheal Tatum on Twitter @JMichealTatum and on Facebook @jmtvoiceactor! Be sure to support him and all that he does for FUNimation and Okratron 5000.

D&A Voice Actor Spotlight: Felecia Angelle!!

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If you’re an anime fan, then you’ve probably heard this voice actor’s voice in a few of your favorite titles. If titles like The Devil is a Part-Timer! or Danganronpa sound familiar to you, then you’ve probably heard her voice before. She is one of the rising stars on the Funimation scene, as she has done various voice work on various anime titles that we all know and love. We at D&A Anime Blog would love to give a special welcome to the one and only…Felecia Angelle! 🙂

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Coming to you from Lafayette, Louisiana (born July 27, 1986) Felecia Angelle is not only a voice actress for FUNimation, but an ADR director as well! She is best known for her role in the anime title known as Ben-To playing Hana Oshiroi, and has done various other voice work from television commercials to video games. You can hear her in titles like Danganronpa: The Animation/Danganronpa 3 (Aoi Asahina), High School DxD (Raynare/Yuma Amano), Heavy Object (Charlotte Zoom), Dimension W (Atsuko Hirose), Gangsta. (Alex Benedetto), and so much more! Felecia’s hobbies (when she’s not behind the mic) include reading and playing video games at a fair skill level, and looking for someone to write her bio. (Hopefully we’re doing a good job.) She’s awesome to talk to at anime conventions so if you want her to be a guest at your con, tell the convention staff to book her ASAP!

You can follow Felecia Angelle on Twitter @FeleciaAngelle and like her on Facebook @FeleciaAngelleVoice! We hope to hear more character voices from this awesome voice actress down the road, so keep your eyes out for her anime fans! 😉

D&A Voice Actor Spotlight: Chuck Huber!!

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If you’re familiar with the 90’s anime classic known as Yu Yu Hakusho, then you already know who this next voice actor is. They say that in order to become voice actor, one must not neglect to learn the basics of acting on stage! This awesome voice actor has been acting on TV, on film, and on stage for over 20 years. (Which might explain the grey hair, but what most people call old we call experienced!) That’s right anime fans! Tonight we bring you the one and only, Chuck Huber! 🙂

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Born May 8, 1971 from the “Windy City” of Illinois, Chuck has been a TV/film/stage actor for over two decades. He was the Director/Writer for Arbor Day – The Musical, and was a producer, co-writer, and co-star for the bi-lingual feature Fragility of Seconds. He also had guest starring roles on NBC, CBS, and FOX for a lot of their dramas, which you might wanna check out if you get the chance. He’s also on Star Trek Continues as Leonard McCoy. Chuck is also a former workshop leader, principal, and a teacher for 20 years; ranging from places like Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business, to communities in Owerri, Nigeria. Needless to say, he’s done a lot!

TV-wise you can see him as Dean Hanson in American Crime. Movie-wise you can see him as Hugh Jamieson in Parkland. Anime-wise you know him as Garlic Jr. and Android 17 in Dragon Ball Z, Stein in Soul Eater, Konoka’s father in Negima! Magister Negi Magi, the Game Master in Sekirei, Shou Tucker in FMA, Hiro in Shin Chan, and so many others. Aside from doing these awesome anime voices for us, Chuck is also an ADR script writer for various titles like Baccano, Spice and Wolf, Sgt. Frog, and a few others. We of course had the pleasure of meeting him in Baltimore, MD during AniMore 2017. Be sure to check your local conventions around your region or area to find out where Chuck will be next!

You can follow Chuck on all of his anime voice acting adventures on Twitter @Chuck_Huber! Be sure to support him in all that he does to make you guys (the fans) happy! 🙂

D&A Voice Actor Spotlight: Monica Rial!!

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When it comes to voice acting in the world of anime, there are a handful of names that come to mind; such as J. Micheal Tatum, Crispin Freeman, Tia Ballard, Steve Blum, and many others. Tonight, we at D&A Anime Blog are doing a special Filler Post series about the very people who do the very voices we love from anime, and non-anime titles. This series is known as D&A Voice Actor Spotlight!

If you’re familiar with old school classics like Case Closed or Ghost Stories, then your already on the right track. When it comes to anime voice acting, you’ve heard and seen this name in almost (if not) every anime title that’s out here in the world, on the internet, on your anime DVD/Blu-Ray copy, and if you’re not careful…in your head! ADV Films, Bang Zoom Entertainment, and FUNimation are just a few places that echo her name. With 300+ characters to her title as well as 15+ years in the VA biz, this is one magnificent woman that you have got to meet before you die. (We’re hoping and praying we get the chance to.) Ladies and gentlemen, our voice actor for the evening…is Monica Rial.

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Straight outta H-Town, Texas this awesome lady was born October 5, 1975. Her father is from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain and as a young soon-to-be-voice-actress, her family would visit Spain often. Her voice acting inspirations came from shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and of course Beavis and Butt-head. In 1998 Monica did her first voice acting roles as Dr. Bruno and Magistrate in an anime comedy/fantasy title called Those Who Hunt Elves. Later on she would land some main character roles in anime titles like Generator Gawl, Gasaraki, Princess Nine, and Excel Saga.

Now you can hear her in titles like Negima!, Shuffle, Soul Eater, Cat Planet Cuties, Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt, High School DxD (Season 1), Shimoneta, and a whole bunch of others that would take too long for us to list. Two of the 300+ characters she voiced were Hispanic (and so is she), and was happy that her characters weren’t stereotyped. There’s rumored to be a grandma voice somewhere in one of her future characters, so we’ll just have to wait and see when that happens!

Monica has been given the title as the “Queen of the Voices” by her fans due to her vocal range, and is able to voice any female character from 8 years old, to 88 years old. She’s also an ADR script writer and director for many of the anime titles that you love, has done various TV commercials/advertisements, and we also believe she can hold a good note too. (There are a few titles where she sang in her character voice, so perhaps she might make a character mixtape CD some day.)

You can see her at various anime (and some superhero) conventions all across North America, and even a few places in the U.K. and Europe. Monica is a delight to talk to, and will answer a lot of your questions about her characters, her career, and various other things that you’d like to know about her. (As long as it’s PG-ish of course, unless she’s at an 18+ panel, then all bets are off!)

You can follow her on Twitter @Rialisms, and you can also find out where she’ll be in your area (convention-wise) on her website TheMonicaRial.com!