A great anime story is nothing without the voices that give it life, and that is nowhere more apparent than in the vocal performances involved. In an animated medium, this is even more true, as the voice performance of an actor is their sole way of getting their character and emotions across to an audience.
Numerous anime have notable examples of outstanding voice acting, but even among those, there are anime that shine for having a cast with emotional depth and range that stand out in the anime medium. Unforgettable characters are often the mark of a good anime, and those characters would be nothing without these performances.
10 Kill La Kill Takes Action Dialogue To 11
When Ryuuko Matoi calls out her nemesis, Satsuki Kiryuuin, in pure anger, it never gets old. Ami Koshimizu's arrogant and confident line delivery is offset by a kinder voice towards her allies, and even convincing bashfulness when faced with her revealing attire or a newfound sibling. The gloriously loud voice of Tetsu Inada's Ira Gamagoori and the commanding presence exuded by Ryouka Yuzuki's Satsuki are also worth the price of admission. Combining these with the terror-inducing tones of Romi Park's Ragyo Kiryuuin, and Kill La Kill becomes an audio experience every anime fan must experience.
9 Zombie Land Saga Is All About Singing and Comedy Combined
The idols of Franchouchou include an all-star cast of singers and comedic excellence, such as Minami Tanaka's youthful Lily Hoshikawa, and Asami Tano embodying the biker persona of Saki Nikaidou. Rika Kinugawa provides a showa era performance as Yuugiri and the entire cast give their hearts when singing or bouncing off each other's jokes. Zombie Land Saga even hired Kotono Mitsuishi, Sailor Moon herself, to play a mindless zombie. It's all brought together by Mamoru Miyano's zany and over-the-top act as the manager Koutarou Tatsumi.
8 Jojo's Bizzare Adventure Has Iconic Line Deliveries
"Yare yare daze" is a phrase many anime recognize thanks to how iconic the vocal performances of the Joestar family are. Daisuke Ono's Jotaro Kujo is a rough teenager with a heart of gold, while the mischievous Josuke Higashikata and Joseph Joestar are vividly hilarious due to Yuki Ono and the late Unsho Ishizuka respectively.
Takehito Koyasu's glorious Dio Brando and the chilling intimidation of Toshiyuki Morikawa's Kira Yoshikage are also sublime. Voicing a Joestar is an honor the Japanese VA community takes seriously, and that comes through on-screen.
7 Attack On Titan Personifies Every Type Of Anger
Few anime have a cast with this many iconic performances. Marina Inoue brings Armin Arlet's enthusiasm and dulled anger to life, Levi Ackerman's commanding presence and sarcasm wouldn't be the same without Hiroshi Kamiya, and Daisuke Ono's speeches as Erwin Smith have enough gravitas to make viewers want to join his war effort. Above it all, it's Yuki Kaji's Eren Yeager that steals the show. From his revenge-driven teenage rage, screams of agony, and his eventual transformation into the most dangerous man in the room, few voices evolve this much.
6 Re: Zero Has A Sound For Every Pain Possible
Range is important as a voice actor as Subaru Natsuki tests that to the extreme. From an overconfident otaku to the haunting whimpers of a man broken by trauma, there's no shortage of intensity to Re: Zero's arcs. Luckily, Yusuke Kobayashi is always up to the task. Yoshitsugu Matsuoka of Sword Art Online fame also puts in a career-defining performance as the unhinged Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti. Add this to the untrustworthy sounding Roswaal Mathers (Takehito Koyasu), and Rie Takahashi's kind and sweet Emilia, and there's little the Re: Zero voice cast can do wrong.
5 Steins;Gate And The Struggles Of Its Mad Scientists
Rintaro Okabe is one of the most famous characters in anime and his voice has a large part to play in that. In one moment, Mamoru Miyano is gently discussing current events, and at others, he's the definition of a mad scientist, complete with high-pitched cackles.
When his voice cracks with fear or smoothly convinces Kurisu Makise to fall for him, it showcases how varied he can be. Asami Imai lends Kurisu a mixture of fierce determination and naivety, and she's backed up by a cast that gets to flex the depth of their acting skills.
4 KonoSuba Is A Perfect Showcase Of Misfits
In KonoSuba, It's easy to tell how much fun the voice cast is having. Sora Amamiya's pitch-perfect smugness and tantrums as Aqua work alongside the innocent glee of Rie Takahashi's Megumin. The deeper tones of Ai Kayano's Darkness contrast her squeals anytime she has the chance to act masochistic, and Jun Fukushima's voice as Satou Kazma is also outstanding, whether that's acting fed up with his companions or playing up Kazuma's more lecherous side. His "Yes, I'm Kazuma" line was even a clever bit of improvisation from the voice actor himself.
3 Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War Has A Perfectly Balanced Cast
In a rare feat, the voiceovers in Kaguya-Sama: Love is War, are sublime across the board. Aoi Koga nails her first lead anime role by providing an adorable voice at Kaguya Shinomiya's weakest moments, as well as voices for her dastardly plans and bashful idiotic ramblings. Only she can give endless meanings to the "How cute" catchphrase. Makoto Furukawa's Miyuki Shirogane is both confident and easily flustered, while Konomi Kohara's Chika Fujiwara can switch between jolly and scheming in the same scene. Ryota Suzuki turns Yu Ishigami into a straight man with emotional depth to round out the package.
2 Nichijou Never Lets Up On The Comedy
Voice actors get to go all out in comedic roles and Nichijou is the prime example. Misuzu Togashi's monotone delivery as Mai Minakami offsets her prankster behavior, while Mai Aizawa's fits of rage as Mio Naganohara are Oscar-worthy. Yuko Aioi's incredulity at the situations she finds herself in provides barrels of laughter from Mariko Honda, too.
Hiromi Konno embodies the adorable joy and pride of the Professor, and Minoru Shiraishi's Sakamoto is the perfect grouchy cat. Nichijou is consistently hilarious, and it wouldn't be the same without any of these voice actors.
1 The Monogatari Series Proves "Tell, Don't Show" Can Work
Nisio Isin's masterful writing ensures that the Monogatari series is the most dialogue-heavy plot in anime. A strong cast is essential to make it work and Monogatari is elevated by its talented voices. Koyomi Araragi's inquisitiveness and lustful tendencies are given life by Hiroshi Kamiya. Yui Horie conveys a tortured Tsubasa Hanekawa, and the unnerving sounds of Nadeko Sengoku in love are portrayed perfectly by Kana Hanazawa. Chiwa Saito even steals the show as the calculating but loving Hitagi Senjogahara, including a line that references her own skill as a voice actor.
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