2004 continued a trend we like to see: dubs just keep on getting better and better. It's a good time to be a dub fan, what with dubs such as Wolf's Rain, Last Exile, Azumanga Daioh and R.O.D. the TV being produced. Dub Review staff members Mark Abersold, Dale Abersold, Nathan Thorell, Gareth Basset, Ben Phillips and Redmond Abutin have compiled their thoughts on the best of 2004: the best studio, voice actors, performances by voice actors, and the best dub. Thanks for reading, and we look forward to what 2005 has to offer!

	Studio of the Year	Voice Actor of the Year	Voice Actress of the Year	Performance of the Year by a Voice Actor	Performance of the Year by a Voice Actress	Dub of the Year
Mark Abersold	New Generation Pictures	Johnny Yong Bosch	Kari Wahlgren	Tom Wyner, Wolf's Rain	Kari Wahlgren, Last Exile	Last Exile
Dale Abersold	New Generation Pictures	Patrick Seitz	Kira Vincent-Davis	Tom Wyner, Wolf's Rain	Rachael Lillis, Comic Party	R.O.D. the TV
Nathan Thorell	New Generation Pictures	Joshua Seth	Kira Vincent-Davis	JB Blanc, Licensed by Royalty	Cynthia Martinez, Kaleido Star	Last Exile
Gareth Basset	Animaze	N/A	N/A	Johnny Yong Bosch, Wolf's Rain	Jocelyne Loewen, Nurse Witch Komugi	Wolf's Rain, Nurse Witch Komugi (tie)
Ben Phillips	Industrial Smoke and Mirrors	Greg Ayres	Luci Christian	Mike MacRae, The Super Milk-chan Show	Nicole Gibson, Miami Guns	Azumanga Daioh
Redmond Abutin	New Generation Pictures	Johnny Yong Bosch	Carrie Savage	Jay Hickman, Kaleido Star	Luci Christian, Super GALS!	Haibane Renmei

Studio of the Year

Mark Abersold: New Generation Pictures

New Generation lead the way among dub studios in 2004. Nobody quite matched the amount of care that New Gen put into their dubs. The year began with the conclusion of Haibane Renmei - quite possibly New Gen's best work - which dovetailed into several other high quality dubs that set a standard of excellence among studios.

New Gen's biggest title for 2004 was R.O.D. the TV, the sequel to the popular OVA series Read or Die. The cast included some familiar voices, like Hunter Austin and Patrick Seitz, as well as some relatively new ones, including Sarah Lahti and Rachel Hirschfeld. It's difficult to think of any weakness to this dub. On top of that, however, New Gen also recorded dubs for such titles as L/R, Ikki-tousen and the somewhat overlooked Angel Tales - each one of these titles received first-class treatment from New Gen. For example, L/R - a show set in a fictional nation reminiscent of Great Britain - featured authentic British accents for each of the characters. New Gen took great care in creating quality dubs for every title they received, regardless of the quality of the show itself.

Dale Abersold: New Generation Pictures

My first New Gen dub (as it was for many other people) was NieA under 7. There were two things that stood out about that dub: the fact that it admirably handled both aspects of the show (the zany and the mundane, everyday life), and the fact that it featured so many new, fresh voices. In the many dubs they've produced since then, whether for Geneon, Bandai, or Right Stuf, those two things remain constant: the tone of the dub is always tailor made to the tone of the show, and their voice casts are nigh-unpredictable, because Jonathan Klein and company are constantly finding new talent.

2004 began with New Gen finishing up the release of their great Haibane Renmei dub. The final volume had devastating performances by Carrie Savage and Erika Weinstein: actresses who had previously won VA of the Month awards in earlier volumes. Another series that began in 2003 for New Gen was L/R: Licensed by Royalty, which was handled with aplomb (and authentic British accents) by actor/voice director JB Blanc and company.

Ikki-Tousen and Angel Tales were two more challenging titles: they were shows that have been derided by fansub watchers for being dramatically ridiculous. New Gen proved that a strong dub can overcome a problematic plot, leading people to consider shows they might normally have ignored.

Any studio, however, does its best work on the best shows, and New Gen was assigned three of Geneon's best new series: R.O.D. the TV, Texhnolyze, and Paranoia Agent. R.O.D. the TV brought some of the great British voices from Hellsing and L/R to this globetrotting series, but to the three vital roles of the paper sisters, voice director Taliesin Jaffe characterstically cast a veteran (Hunter Austin), a newcomer (Sara Lahti), and a child (Rachel Hirschfeld) to great effect. This dub has been very well received: three-time winner of Dub of the Month (out of three months eligible), and winner of Dub of the Year. Texhnolyze is a dark and violent cross between film noir and science fiction: in it, actors such as William Markham, Sam Regal, and Patrick Seitz bring danger, drama, and unexpected humanity to a frightening and confusing world. Finally, Paranoia Agent, with only one volume released in 2004, may prove to be one of the best dubs of next year. It has a huge cast, with many actors getting a chance to shine: in volume one, it was Erica Shaffer, with a dual-personality role reminiscent of Ruby Marlowe's performance in Perfect Blue.

New Generation dubs are never run-of-the-mill, and actors in New Gen dubs never turn in mediocre performances, and for that, they are the top dub studio of 2004. I look forward to what 2005 brings: the remainders of series mentioned above, plus new series such as Daphne in the Brilliant Blue, Koi Kaze, and Rumiko Takahashi Anthology.

Nathan Thorell: New Generation Pictures

New Generation Pictures made a huge splash last year in the dubbing scene, but it was with their productions this year that really solidified them as one of the best studios. In the beginning of the year, they finished releasing what has been one of their flagship titles, Haibane Renmei, which boasts an all-around wonderful female cast. As the year went on, they showed a variety of shows they were capable of dubbing.

L/R brought out the bang-bang shoot-'em up (and yes, I did use that choice of words) style, complete with authentic British accents that add more to the shows overall style. It made shows enjoyable to fans who once brushed them off as not worth watching, such as Angel Tales and Ikki Tousen, both which are about as different as night and day. Ikki Tousen is also the show that made me realize just how natural of a delivery their directors get out of their actors for some of the most unnatural things. Both of these shows content has been slammed by fans since their release, but say that the dub made them likeable and enjoyable. I think that says a lot.

The one dub that has made heads turn most and add to their powerful portfolio is R.O.D the TV. There really is nothing bad you can say about this title. Every lead nails their role, and bringing in an actual twelve-year old to play a twelve-year old, was not only brilliant, but has turned out to be one of the best performances all year. One dub starting up at the end of 2004 was Paranoia Agent, a show that focuses on a different character each episode and really being able to bring out solid performances from the large cast involved.

Gareth Basset: Animaze

Industrial Smoke & Mirrors and New Generation Pictures have certainly created some fantastic dubs this year, and Ocean Studios and Funimation have also churned out some worthy contenders, but sadly my exposure to these studios has been somewhat limited, which is a pity because of all the positive buzz I hear about some of their projects. The only studio I’ve really listened to enough to make a creditable judgment is, ironically, a studio that I feel isn’t been used enough these days: Animaze.

Known for excellent dubs with polished voice-acting, Animaze doesn’t disappoint this year with the handful of dubs they worked on. Things started out with a bang when they dubbed the sequel to Big O, conveniently titled Big O II. With almost all of the cast returning for the sequel, the dub to Big O II sounded just as fantastic as the dub to the first series, if not more – thanks to its airing on Adult Swim, the uncut dub didn’t have to be “cleaned up” like the first one was.

Later Animaze grouped together again to dub one of the biggest series of the year, Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex, a solid piece of work with some strong performances, particularly Richard Epcar’s wonderful take as Batou. However, Animaze truly topped itself this year with Wolf’s Rain, one of the most sublime dubs I’ve had the fortune of hearing and arguably one of the best examples of voice work available. Once considered to have created the “best” anime dub ever known, Cowboy Bebop, Animaze somehow managed to surpass even that wonderful dub with an overall work that has very few equals.

Ben Phillips: Industrial Smoke and Mirrors

2004 was a banner year for Industrial Smoke & Mirrors in Houston, Texas. The first part of the year marked the conclusion of the studio’s superlative dub of the first season of Super Gals, which successfully took a show steeped in a highly specific Japanese subculture and made it universal. The studio then took Azumanga Daioh, a show which had been branded "undubbable" in many circles, and managed to give it not only a good dub, but one of the year’s finest. Another outstanding dub the studio released in 2004 was Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, an outrageous comedy from Gainax that featured a very funny script and terrific performances by Luci Christian and Jessica Boone. Meanwhile, lower-profile dubs such as Legend of the Mystical Ninja and Aquarian Age featured noteworthy performances from such IS&M regulars as Monica Rial, Chris Patton, Tiffany Grant, Vic Mignogna, and Greg Ayres. Unfortunately, the release of the comedy-drama Kaleido Star was marred by controversy surrounding certain contractually obligated dialogue changes. While alteration of a show’s content is something that should be avoided at all costs, the studio deserves some measure of commendation for handling the minor changes as responsibly as possible and producing an otherwise enjoyable dub that left many fans clamoring for the release of the show’s second season. IS&M concluded the year by introducing several quite promising new dubs – among them Chrono Crusade, Peacemaker, and DN Angel – that gave us plenty to look forward to in the year to come. Kudos to the impressive collection of creative and technical talent in Houston; as far as I’m concerned, their consistently excellent work makes Industrial Smoke & Mirrors the Studio of the Year.

Redmond Abutin: New Generation Pictures

New Generation Pictures started the year strong with the excellent dubs for the last volume of Haibane Renmei and for the remaining volumes of L/R. And NGP continued producing quality dubs with their 2004 series. In particular R.O.D the TV, a highly anticipated show by most anime fans, received a superb cast for the lead characters. With excellent acting and great direction, R.O.D the TV has become one of the best dubs for 2004.

Voice Actor of the Year

Mark Abersold: Johnny Yong Bosch

After Gatekeepers finished recording in 2002, Johnny Yong Bosch became absent from the world of voice acting for some time. He then returned in Heat Guy J, and suddenly began appearing in many different series. In 2004, two titles highlighted Johnny's talent: Last Exile and Wolf's Rain. He played vastly different characters in each: In Last Exile, Claus was a naive and enthusiastic young man - Johnny conveyed this perfectly, but also was able to capture his character's loneliness and longing to fulfill the job his father could not. In Wolf's Rain, Kiba was calm and brooding, but determined in his quest to find Paradise.

Johnny also made his mark in other series, such as Witch Hunter Robin and the aforementioned Heat Guy J, among other series. He continues to get leading roles, such as in Please Twins. I look forward to hearing much more work from one of the best voice actors in the business.

Dale Abersold: Patrick Seitz

(Note: the following piece may contain spoilers for R.O.D. the TV volumes 3 and 4. If you haven't watched those disks yet... what are you waiting for?)

For many of us, the first time we heard Patrick Seitz's voice was in NieA under 7, where he played struggling restauranteur Shuei Karita. He provided a kindly, goofily irresponsible performance for the character in that unmistakable voice of his. I say unmistakable because sometime later, while watching Hellsing, I had to ask myself: when did Shuei become a vampire? And if he's a vampire, who's taking care of Chie now? Of course, it only took a few moments of listening to his terrific acting to adjust myself to the new role from his familiar voice. This was no longer the nice-guy shlub Shuei Karita, but the arrogant and ambitious freak-vampire Luc Valentine.

In 2004, Patrick became an ubiquitous part of the California dubbing scene. Virtually every New Generation dub featured Patrick in a prominent role, whether benevolent or sinister... or often, both. His Lee Linho in R.O.D the TV, for instance started off as a harried but avuncular book editor (possibly with a crush on Nenene Sumiregawa), is then transformed into the most despicable of traitors, and is finally redeemed. This in a brief span of episodes in which his character was rarely prominent. That is fine acting.

He made impressions even in series where his role was miniscule: Rei in Angel Tales, and various unnamed parts in Paranoia Agent (I especially enjoy his brief turn as a comic-book hero opposite the heroine of Michelle Ruff).

His performance as Keigo Onishi in Texhnolyze deserves perhaps the most attention, as it is possibly the biggest role he has had in anime to date. I'd like to talk about his character and how he fits in to the plot, but unfortunately, I am working from a handicap: like many others, I can not figure what the heck the plot of the series is supposed to be. I can tell you something about Keigo, however: he runs the gamut of emotions. At times, he is ruthless and violent. At other times, he is tragic, even pathetic.

I look forward to hearing what Patrick has to offer in 2005. Already he's appeared in (and written scripts for) Rumiko Takahashi Anthology. Koi Kaze, a series about a topic that may disturb many people, should offer him many great acting opportunities. And there are many other series that New Gen is working on. In any case, in 2005 as in 2004, he will be unlike any other vampire we've faced before.

Nathan Thorell: Joshua Seth

After what seemed to be a break from voice-over, Joshua Seth came back and stronger than ever with three power roles: Souichi Sagano (eX-Driver the Movie), Hige (Wolf's Rain), and Lord Dio Eraclea (Last Exile)

Seth's easily recognizable child voice made him the perfect fit for eX-driver, Souichi Sagano, who struggles to show the world he is not just some little kid. Seth brings through the competitive spirit that gets Souichi in the situations he's in perfectly. Another character that's just as curious is the wolf looking for Paradise, Hige. Hige's a lone wolf and his excitement is show when he's able to meet up with his new pack or even when he feels tingly inside over Cheza, the flower maiden.

But if anything, the role that should always be identified with him is Lord Dio Eraclea of Last Exile. Simply put, his work is one of the best performances I've ever heard. When you first see this character, you get the impression he's just the creepy enemy, but as he befriends the "good guys" in the show, you can't help but root for him in every situation. His curiosity, his intense hatred at the thought of his sister, right to his downright sense of being brainwashed are all wonderfully delivered by Seth in a performance everyone should listen to if given the chance.

Ben Phillips: Greg Ayres

Greg Ayres bookended 2004 with a pair of outstanding performances. At the top of the year, Ayres was doing some of his best work to date as Ran Kotobuki’s “second place” suitor Yuya Asou in Super Gals. Ayres brought the part the perfect blend of emotion and energy, and his performance never struck a false note. Late in the year, Ayres took on the role of the well-intentioned devil Chrono in Chrono Crusade, and gave a performance that displayed so much range that it caused many to wonder whether the role was in fact being played by more than one actor. Elsewhere in the year, Ayres alternated between playing easygoing, good-natured characters (Junichi Kojima in Aquarian Age, Shinpachi Nagakura in Peacemaker) and creepy, mysterious adversaries (Satoshi Hiwatari in DN Angel, Kosuke Asazuki in Spiral) and showed himself to be equally adept at both types of roles. He even went up against himself in Legend of the Mystical Ninja, playing both the loyal robot Sasuke and the villainous, egg-shaped Hatarino. Quite simply, Greg Ayres has outdone himself, and he is worthy of being called the Actor of the Year.

Redmond Abutin: Johnny Yong Bosch

I remember about 2 years ago, Johnny Yong Bosch was one of the people who was at the top of the list of dub fans' "Actors-we-want-to-hear-in-more- roles" list. (Sidenote: Searching the dubreview forum, I came upon this link...) His excellent portrayal of Vash the Stampede(Trigun) had fans wondering why we weren't hearing him in more shows. Then at Otakon 2003, Johnny Yong Bosch read a list of upcoming shows where he was cast. And it was quite a list that made fans happy! In 2004 Mr. Bosch was cast in high profile shows like Last Exile, Witch Hunter Robin and Wolf's Rain to name a few. And in hearing him in quite a few releases this year made me glad that he's currently more active in the anime biz.

Voice Actress of the Year

Mark Abersold: Kari Wahlgren

After whacking the anime world over the head with a bass guitar in FLCL, Kari Wahlgren became one of the most prolific voice actresses in the business. 2004 was perhaps her biggest year, landing major roles in quite a few different series. After hearing hir chirpy voice as Haruko in FLCL, many were surprised at just how much range Kari has - for instance, in the subdued, almost whispery role of Robin in Witch Hunter Robin, or the very mature-sounding Cher of Wolf's Rain. To be sure, she still gets a fair number of upbeat, energetic characters, but sometimes those characters can end up being tests of one's acting skills - Lavie in Last Exile is a testament to that.

Kari is still as prolific as ever - if you hear a dub that's made in Los Angeles, chances are good that you'll hear her voice in it. I fully expect that Kari's work in future titles will not disappoint.

Dale Abersold: Kira Vincent-Davis

It is a measure of good acting to be able to do a good job with bad material.

As Exhibit "A", I will mention Kira Vincent-Davis's performance in Panyo Panyo DiGiCharat. PPDGC is a gruesomely cutesy show designed to please an infantile mentality (while at the same time not forgetting the core DGC audience...scary otaku). Suffice it to say that this show is too cute for even me, and I count A Little Snow Fairy Sugar among my favorite series. As much as I hate PPDGC, I am going to buy it for Kira's performance as the not-very-good-at-being-evil Piyoko.

Kira is a remarkably versatile actress, having played adults, teens, and small children of both sexes. Versatile enough to play the almost-dual-personality Miyu Yamazki in Super GALS: she is the butch gangmember and the super-sweet dream girlfriend. In Kaleido Star, her role as Anna Heart proved that she could be very funny at being unfunny.

Her masterpiece (and my pick for runner-up performance of the year) was her Osaka in Azumanga Daioh. This was a series that, it was speculated, could not be dubbed, and Osaka was a principal reason way. How could the original spacey tone of Yuki Matsuoka be rendered in English? A soft-spoken Houston accent, it turns out. Kira inhabited the role, sounding as if she had become one with that most inexplicable character. Hearing her performance made me believe that she really does mix up escalators and elevators.

Kira won a long-overdue "VA of the Month" award for Osaka, an award that this author will note that he lobbied (shamelessly) for. Considering how many series ADV is involved with, it is likely not her last such award.

Nathan Thorell: Kira Vincent-Davis

It's been said amongst fans that Kira Vincent-Davis could voice an entire show all on her own. After this year, you will never hear me argue against that claim. While certain roles of hers are at the discussion of fans most of the time, there are two roles of hers that are never the topic of discussion and one that is that I'd like to discuss, each showing a different part of her vocal range.

Her role as Ryunosuke (Nuku Nuku TV), the boy owner of the androbot cat girl Nuku Nuku, is one of the better examples of a woman doing a little boy's voice that I've heard. That boy must live in a constant state of fear and shock, and Vincent-Davis brings that out clearly. When he's not screaming, he seems to acts the authoritarian voice of his family, since mom is always at work and his father couldn't distinguish the difference between left and right.

Piyoko (Panyo Panyo Di Gi Charat) is a role that's gone virtually ignored in the dub community from a show that has, as well. The show is cute and needed a cute-sounding cast, but how does one sound cute and extremely evil? Vincent-Davis figured it out and applied it to the role. She's loud, energetic, and of course mean, but you can't help but lover her, bad girl and all. Her chemistry with her boss, Deji-Devil (played by Andy McAvin) makes the dialogue flow much more naturally and is a treat to listen to.

A piece on Kira Vincent-Davis cannot ignore her work as Ayumu "Osaka" Kasuga in Azumanga Daioh, the role that really calmed fans' nerves about using a southern-Texan accent as a substitute for the Kansai accent. After hearing the role done once, I don't think anyone could imagine anybody else in her place. Her deadpan delivery on the most bizarre of lines is not just hysterical, but adorable too. You really never know what she will next, but as long as it's Kira Vincent-Davis' voice, I'm fine with that.

Ben Phillips: Luci Christian

I could probably fill this space by simply providing a laundry list of the standout characterizations Luci Christian created in 2004. Instead, let me focus on the three that were the most influential in my decision. The first was Ran Kotobuki, the unstoppable gal from Shibuya in Super Gals. Ran was the kind of larger-than-life character that can rarely be found outside of anime, and Luci Christian brought her to life in fittingly grandiose fashion. As Ran, Christian imbued her line readings with a “me first” attitude that amused us to no end, but also with a sense of fair play and justice that always left us cheering. Christian also played Sasshi Imamiya, the young boy jumping from alternate universe to alternate universe with his friend Arumi in the outlandish comedy Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi. This was a difficult role that required Christian not only to create a believable young boy persona, but also to adapt that persona to fit each new world to which the character traveled. It was not an easy task, but Christian pulled it off brilliantly. Finally, I would mention Christian’s Yukari Tanizaki in Azumanga Daioh. Out of a stellar ensemble, Christian gave one of the most enjoyable performances in the show as the self-centered, irresponsible teacher Tanizaki. Christian has had a very good year, and it doesn't look like she plans on slowing down any time soon. We can count ourselves lucky for that.

Redmond Abutin: Carrie Savage

Starting the year with her excellent performance as Rakka in the last volume of Haibane Renmei, Carrie Savage surprised fans with her sultry rendition of Arimi from Marmalade Boy. She also delivered a great performance as the disturbingly creepy Maromi in Paranoia Agent. And while I am not really interested in Ikkitousen, I am really tempted to check it out for Ms. Savage's portrayal of Hakufu(a bit of which I've heard from the trailer of the show.)

Performance of the Year by a Voice Actor

Mark Abersold: Tom Wyner, Wolf's Rain

Tom Wyner, a voice actor with a very deep bass voice that tends to not play major characters, got his chance to shine in Wolf's Rain, dubbed by Animaze. As the character Quent Yaiden, Tom gives a performance that's quite unlike any other I've heard in anime dubs. His world-weary rendition of his character is one of the most true-to-life that I've ever heard. I was impressed with his work right from the start of the series, but as it proceeded, I became more and more impressed.

The scene that cemented this performance as my favorite of the year involved a conversation with another character, Hubb Lebowski (played by Bob Buchholz). As he listens to Hubb tell about his troubles, Quent empathizes with him in his own unique way. His words are almost listless, but there's just a hint of caring in them. There are plenty of good reasons to watch Wolf's Rain, but Tom Wyner's performance might just be the best reason.

Dale Abersold: Tom Wyner, Wolf's Rain

Wolf's Rain is a show that, dub-wise, is an embarrassment of riches. Four lead characters played by Johnny Yong Bosch, Crispin Freeman, Joshua Seth, and Mona Marshall doing some of their best work. Actresses like Sherry Lynn and Kari Wahlgren being cast very much against type, to brilliant effect. Veterans like Steven Jay Blum and Bob Buchholz making supporting roles into major star turns. A newcomer like Jessica Straus making tremendous impression.

And Tom Wyner with the role of his career.

Quent Yaiden is a man with a past (one which I will not discuss here), which has compelled him to hunt. With the voice of a man who has smoked many a cigar and drunk much scotch, Quent hunts down wolves with the fervor of an Ahab or a Javert.

It is a role not without humor, and Wyner handles those moments well. Mostly, Quent is a character defined by his obsession, and in that regard, Wyner is magnetic. Perhaps the best opportunity to enjoy Wyner's acting is in volume three of the series, where Quent and Buchholz's character, Hubb Lebowski, find themselves on the road trip from hell. It is a tremendous challenge to create a fully-realized character with one's voice alone, but Wyner does not fail. Wyner is a longtime voice actor, a veteran of Carl Macek's Streamline dubs, and perhaps has languished in obscurity for playing character roles. An obscurity that is absolutely not deserved.

Nathan Thorell: JB Blanc, Licensed by Royalty

One show that has sadly gone unnoticed in the anime community is L/R (Licensed by Royalty). One half of the duo that makes up the L/R team is Rowe Rickenbacker, played by series director JB Blanc.

This show just oozes style and frankly, if the characters didn't have British accents it would've taken away from it. JB Blanc's performance is the best this year and has only been praised by anyone who decided to take the venture and check out this show.

What I look for in characters and performances that would be considered worthy of performance of the year is that their delivery is convincing enough to make me sit on the edge of my seat one minute and have me laughing out loud the next. JB Blanc as Rowe did just that and very successfully too.

Of course, this work wouldn't have been what it was without great reads and chemistry to act off of from his partner Jack Hoeffner (played by Freddy Douglas), but Rowe is able to handle anything coming his way, just like JB Blanc did in this role.

Gareth Basset: Johnny Yong Bosch, Wolf's Rain

Choosing between any of the three main male voice actors in the magnificent Wolf’s Rain dub is not an easy task. How can one choose between Johnny Young Bosch, Crispin Freeman and Joshua Seth? In the end, however, I finally went with Mr. Bosch for his finely turned performance at the wolf Kiba. Before Wolf’s Rain was even created, I discovered Ms. Bosch’s voice talent in his celebrated role as Trigun’s Vash the Stampede. While that role demonstrated his ability for comedic spectacle, his later role as the obstinate Kaneda in Akira allowed him to express himself more sensationally. However, his role as the headstrong and indomitable Kiba requires a delicate balance of subtlety and flair, and Mr. Bosch manages to pull off this feat incredibly well with sincere passion in his voice throughout. It was this role that really helped me to truly appreciate Mr. Bosch’s voice, and I hope that he manages to secure lead roles like this in future dubbing projects. I will admit that Crispin Freeman’s Tsume came close to making this a really difficult decision, but in the end Mr. Bosch’s performance won me over.

Ben Phillips: Mike MacRae, The Super Milk-chan Show

I'm honestly not sure where to begin describing this performance. Super Milk-chan is a bizarre show filled with bizarre characters, and the befuddled, dimwitted President is certainly no exception. Nonetheless, Mike MacRae has taken this thoroughly unstatesmanlike statesman and created what I truly believe stands as one of the great comedic performances of the year, in any medium. MacRae’s characterization of the President is a masterpiece of bluster, petulance, and indignation. Whether giving an utterly ridiculous press conference, pining for a lost pet, or simply firing a missile against his own country in response to a bad dream he had while asleep at his desk, MacRae as the President always keeps the audience in stitches. Perhaps the greatest strength of his performance is that he is able to be so consistently entertaining without having to do so at the expense of the rest of the show. MacRae never takes anything away from his fellow actors; in fact, the temperamental demeanor he has established is at its most effective when played against Hilary Haag’s quick-witted, mischievous Milk. I'll be sorry to see this show -- and this performance -- come to an end, but I can't wait to see what MacRae comes up with in 2005.

Redmond Abutin: Jay Hickman, Kaleido Star

For a series plagued with script changes, Jay Hickman's portrayal of The Fool was still one the strongest parts of the dub track for the show. It didn't matter that the changes in the script mostly affected the character he was playing, but Mr. Hickman still managed to be a scene stealer with his excellent delivery of Fool's dialogue.

Performance of the Year by a Voice Actress

Mark Abersold: Kari Wahlgren, Last Exile

I knew Kari Wahlgren was going to be good when I first heard her as Lavie in Last Exile. It ended up being one of the most phenomenal performances I've heard in any anime dub. As the show begins, we're introduced to Lavie as a headstrong and energetic young girl, who doesn't appear to be afraid of anything. As we learn more and more about her, Lavie turns out to be an emotional whirlwind.

While there are many highlights I could mention, the most memorable is the episode "Etude Lavie." The whole episode is a flashback to Claus and Lavie's childhood, narrated by Lavie. Kari's heartfelt narration truly makes this sequence one of the highlights of the series. Whether Lavie was ranting about chivalry, navigating the Vanship, or reminiscing about her promise with Claus, Kari always had the perfect voice for her character.

It's a shame that Kari was never recognized with a voice actress of the month award for this performance. Her portrayal of Lavie made more of an impression on me than any other performance I heard in 2004. She was clearly the best of the year.

Dale Abersold: Rachael Lillis, Comic Party

One of the truisims of show business is that "dying is easy, comedy is hard." It is hard, perhaps, because in order to do it right, it has to look easy. In Comic Party, Rachael Lillis makes comedy look absolutely effortless.

She shouldn't have been able to make her character into such a highlight. Mizuki Takase doesn't get grandiose speeches like Taishi, nor is she constantly in the middle of over-the-top situations like Eimi, Yuu, or Chise are. Mizuki is the disapproving wet-blanket girlfriend. All she gets to do is react.

And how she reacts. Mizuki's primary attitude is one of stunned disbelief. Where a less-capable actress might have turned monotone, Ms. Lillis composes of symphony of distressed sensibilities. I have droned on and on about it before, but her "Oh no" when Mizuki discovers that kazuki is working at a cosplay cafe is a hysterical moment, plumbing heretofore unknown depths of dread in Mizuki's soul. Nearly every time Mizuki encounters elements of otakudom, Ms. Lillis finds new ways to convey a sense of being disturbed.

Comic Party is the story of two transformations: Kazuki's from a high school senior uncertain about his future to an artist committed to his craft, and Mizuki's, who must come to terms with elements in her boyfriend's personality that she finds extremely difficult to love. Jack Lingo does a fine job handling Kazuki's transformation, but Rachael Lillis's evolution is the best reason to watch Comic Party. Towards the end, when Mizuki finds herself defending anime and manga fans, she does so passionately, but at the same time with a sense of surprise: as if she never imagined that she would be saying what she was saying. It was a performance of great variety and humor: the best female performance of 2004.

Nathan Thorell: Cynthia Martinez, Kaleido Star

Fans know what Cynthia Martinez is capable of, so it was only a matter of time before she'd land another lead role to really sink her teeth into: Sora Nagaino from Kaleido Star, my choice for female performance of the year.

This performance has moved me the most of all from the shows I've listened to this year. Sora is a young, energetic girl, full of life and always waiting to learn more, traits Cynthia Martinez is able to convey with ease. Even though we see her as the underdog, whether the boss of Kaleido Stage star, Layla Hamilton, are trying to keep her down, we root for her and know she'll overcome her obstacles.

Her scenes with characters The Fool (Jay Hickman) and Ken (John Swasey) are some of the best involving Sora. We see her at her guard and ready to pounce with the Fool and always oblivious to the feelings Ken has towards her. Two qualities Martinez is able to be spot-on with.

There is nothing bad to say about this performance at all. She will make you smile, laugh, and cry, and that's not trying to be cliché at all.

Gareth Basset: Jocelyne Loewen, Nurse Witch Komugi

One of the more dangerous roles a female voice actor can accept is voicing “kawaii” girls, those cute, high-pitched women whose own vocal cords scream “cute” at every opportunity. Many times a female VA has tried to voice a character of this magnitude, only to fall short because the voice ends sounding too old for the character or too annoying to be tolerable. But Jocelyne Loewen somehow makes this feat look easy with her squeaky yet loveable voice, and it’s very evident in her role as Komugi, flat-chested cosplay idol/magical girl in Nurse Witch Komugi. As Komugi in the original SoulTaker dub, Ms. Loewen sounded really comfortable as the comedy relief in a dark, often depressing series. In the much more lighthearted and zany Komugi, she takes full advantage of the more cheery atmosphere and runs wild with the role, sounding like she’s having the time of her life. An excellent demonstration of how delightful she sounds can be found in the episode during the scene that parodies Voltron - she voices multiple characters at once and the overall effect is wildly exuberant with each character brought to life in their own screwy kind of way. Voicing someone like Komugi could’ve been disastrous, but Ms. Loewen’s vocals more than provide a fitting sound for the character in a simply outstanding performance.

Ben Phillips: Nicole Gibson, Miami Guns

I have to admit to being more than a little surprised that I’m not giving this honor to Kira Vincent Davis for her work as Osaka in Azumanga Daioh, a very impressive performance that remains one of my favorites of the year. However, Nicole Gibson’s work in Miami Guns deserves to be recognized. Of course, the entire cast did dependable work throughout the series – particularly Charles Dee Rice as Chief Amano and Suzanne Willard as Lu – but the moment Yao Sakurakoji showed up on the scene and Nicole Gibson’s voice started coming out of her mouth, the actress took charge of the show and never let it go. Gibson’s performance truly captured the insanity and unpredictability that the show was all about. At every turn, Gibson was full of energy and excitement as the madcap, scene-stealing Yao, and her performance added immeasurably to every scene she was in. If there was any lingering doubt that we don’t hear enough out of North Carolina, this performance (and this dub) should put an end to it.

Redmond Abutin: Luci Christian, Super GALS!

What can I say? Luci Christian IS Ran Kotobuki! Bringing a great amount of energy to the role, Ms. Christian brings Ran to life. At one moment, Ran could be swooning over the current hot trend, and at another moment she could be talking smack to wrongdoers. Luci's excellent portrayal of Ran Kotobuki makes fans impatiently wait for the second season of SuperGALS.

Dub of the Year

Mark Abersold: Last Exile

In one of the scenes in the climax of Last Exile, Crispin Freeman's character, Alex Row, speaks only a dozen or so words - but his delivery of those words is so powerful, that one cannot help but remember them.

That's a pretty good description of how the dub of Last Exile was: most of the voice actors are familiar to frequent dub listeners, and most of them gave stunning performances that are hard to forget.

The main players are Johnny Yong Bosch and Kari Wahlgren. Johnny handles Claus's boyish naivete effortlessly, while Kari gives the performance of her career - I love how she is able to sound bold and tomboyish, then emotional and sensitive in the same episode without missing a beat.

The aforementioned Freeman, considered by many to be typecast in his role, is calm and sullen, but you can tell there's a fire burning within him when he speaks. Julie Ann Taylor gave what may be her greatest performance as Sofia Forrester. Joshua Seth was both playful and menacing as Dio, and Mona Marshall was stoic and calm in her oft-overlooked role of Lucciola. Michelle Ruff did double duty, playing the young girl Alvis, and the tough pilot Tatiana. She was equally convincing in both, and scenes in which the two characters interacted went smoothly. David Lelyveld was terrific in both the humorous and serious moments with his character, the hopeless Mullin Shetland.

With such a large cast, there are many roles that I don't have the space to talk about. Down to the most minute role, Last Exile was dubbed well, and was the best dub of 2004. Congratulations to the cast, director Eric Sherman, and the rest of the crew at Bang Zoom! for a job well done.

Dale Abersold: R.O.D. the TV

The dub as a whole has already been as well-awarded as any dub can be: all three volumes have won for their respective months, and it has won the coveted "Dub of the Year" honor. So what is there to say about it?

I like Wendy Tomson's performance as Nenene Sumiregawa. I like how she disguises her character's ennui and self-doubt with a thick layer of irritation at the Paper sisters.

I like the Paper sisters. I like Hunter Austin's overwhelming solicitousness as Michelle. I like Sara Lahti's quietness-but-not-quite-shyness as Maggie. And Rachel Hirschfeld is a perfect cheerful brat. And I like how they rise to the occasion in particularly emotional scenes: episode 5 was an early highlight of this.

I like the children who are played by children and therefore sound like children. I like the creative way of portraying an English cast in Japan: getting the English cast to speak in Japanese.

I like the villains, of which they are many. They range from ranting to inscrutable to charming. The genuine British accents for British characters (as in Hellsing and L/R) are much appreciated.

This is a dub so well-constructed and so brilliantly realized that nobody has complained about roles from the earlier (well-liked) Read Or Die dub being recast.

As much as I enjoyed the original Japanese track of Read Or Die, I cannot imagine watching R.O.D. the TV in Japanese.

Nathan Thorell: Last Exile

This is one of the greatest dubs I've ever heard.

Maybe it's because the show itself has the right blend of action, character development, struggle and a great cast of characters that leave you wanting more, but the dub for this is simply outstanding.

Claus Valca (Johnny Yong Bosch) and Lavie Head (Kari Wahlgren) are two teens that have lost their parents and must work and live together to survive. They're lonely and struggling, but bear with it and come out with a smile on their face and almost immediately become identifiable with the audience. You feel their pain when something bad happens and celebrate the good times with them. This is what should happen and Bosch and Wahlgren bring these characters to life.

Crispin Freeman is in another typecast role, Alex Row, the brooding leader with long hair and personal strife. This character in particular though feels much better suited to what we're used to hearing from Freeman and made me like him as an actor much more. The same is true for Michelle Ruff's character, Tatiana. Going into this series, I was not a self-proclaimed "Ruffian," but that all changed with Last Exile. Tatiana's stoic and never-give-up attitude is portrayed perfectly and when she eventually breaks down, you want to reach out to her.

Lord Dio Eraclea and his servant, Lucciola, are portrayed by Joshua Seth and Mona Marshall and are my favorite duo in the show. There is nobody else I could imagine in these roles by the end of the series. You want to hate these characters, they're introduced as the bad guys and are evil, creepy, and you don't want to agree with their actions and not supposed to. As their past becomes clearer and unveils itself in later episodes, the delivery of the actors and state of the characters mind will make you want to just break down and cry over this friendship that by all purposes shouldn't exist. I was so moved by an episode that clearly explained the bond between these two and how it was portrayed that I had to immediately watch it a second time, which is something I would never normally do.

Had this show been recorded with a completely different cast, I'd almost not want to hear it knowing what was capable. I cannot imagine anyone else in these roles and I don't think I would want to either.

Gareth Basset: Wolf's Rain, Nurse Witch Komugi (tie)

After quite a bit of thinking, I found myself unable to decide between two fantastic dubs, so I decided to give them the *ahem* honor of a tie. First up is Animaze’s dub for Wolf’s Rain. From beginning to end, the dub is a work of art. With flawless performances from all voice actors involved, outstanding ADR direction from Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, and a tight script by Lia Sargent, the dub paints an acoustic tapestry that brings the series’ enigmatic and mystical nature to its full potential. With a show as moody and poignant as Wolf’s Rain, a strong dub was essential, and Animaze pulled it off with flying colors. Then there’s one of the more unique dubs out there, the dub for Nurse Witch Komugi. The dub stands up well enough with fantastic performances all around and a beautifully adapted script by Mike Yantosca, but what really gives this dub its flair is its combination of two very different dubbing studios: Ocean Studios in Canada and Industrial Smoke & Mirrors in Texas. With four returning Ocean actors from the original SoulTaker, director Scott McClennen blends both pools of VAs seamlessly into a marvelous dubbing experience that sounds all the better because of it.

Ben Phillips: Azumanga Daioh

This was a dub where every element was in place. Director Don Rush assembled a powerhouse ensemble cast without a single weak link to be found. Jessica Boone was nothing short of adorable as child prodigy Chiyo Mihama, and Mandy Clark’s irrepressible energy was perfect for the role of uninhibited “wildcat” Tomo Takino. Nancy Novotny as Yomi and Allison Sumrall as Kagura gave performances that made us sit up and take notice, while Christine Auten’s work as Sakaki served as a welcome reminder of her considerable talents. Kira Vincent Davis was especially good as Ayumu Kasuga, the Osakan transfer student forever known (much to her chagrin) as “Osaka.” The teachers made an equally strong impression: Luci Christian came up with yet another first-rate characterization as Yukari Tanizaki, Andy McAvin played the disturbingly funny Mr. Kimura to the hilt, and Monica Rial managed to assert herself as the lone voice of sanity amidst the madness around her as P. E. teacher Minamo “Nyamo” Kurosawa. Further strong support came from Tiffany Grant as Kaorin, Sakaki’s not-so-secret admirer, and Jason Douglas as the show’s strange, catlike mascot and erstwhile father figure to Chiyo-chan. All these great performances were bolstered by Mike Yantosca’s fine dub script. Azumanga Daioh is a show that is frequently littered with distinctly Japanese references and jokes, and it is to Yantosca’s credit that the vast majority of them were adapted and presented so effectively in English. For these reasons, and for the immeasurable enjoyment this dub has brought me, Azumanga Daioh is my Dub of the Year.

Redmond Abutin: Haibane Renmei

I know, I know, most of Haibane Renmei was released in 2003. But the strongest volume of the series was released early 2004. A show like Haibane Renmei is quite different from most anime series out there. There are no big action scenes or laugh out loud moments. Instead it is quite a quiet and serene show, which is punctuated with dramatic moments. The strength of the series relies on the characters and the connection that the viewer has for them. It is highly important for such a series to be extremely well-acted and directed, for there is a possibility that certain scenes can fall flat and uninspired. But New Generation Pictures rose to the challenge and produced an excellent dub for this series, and I wanted to acknowledge that by giving them my vote for Dub of the Year.