So while I was at Stellar Con last weekend, I got to once
again meet one of my favorite Anime Voice Actor heroes: the man, the myth, the
Power Ranger himself, Johnny Yong Bosch.
I could gush over how huge of an honor and opportunity it was to chat
with him again after meeting him for the first time at Otakon 2011. But instead we’re gonna take a look at his extensive
Anime filmography and trust me, this is definitely not an easy one. Ever since Trigun and Akira, Johnny has had a
very long and illustrious career in Anime that’s still going strong with a
lengthy list of iconic characters in equally iconic series. So which are my favs? Well we’re gonna answer that on todays Top 5
Wednesday with my picks for the Top 5 Johnny Yong Bosch Anime Roles.
#5-Vash the Stampede (Trigun) Contrary to my knowledge, Vash is actually Johnny’s first
major Anime VA role, predating his role as Kaneda in the redub of Akira by a
year.
Johnny is a perfect choice for the
Humanoid Typhoon, being able to switch between trouble prone goofball to hero
in desperate need of redemption to the guy you don’t want to piss off under any
circumstances.
It shows JYB’s range as a
VA pretty early on and is a role he is so closely associated with he was even
brought back to reprise the role of Vash in the Trigun: Stampede reboot.
#4-Izaya Orihara (Durarara)
Oh Izaya.
In the
world of Ikebukuro, he is a wild card who loves being such.
Izaya is an Information Broker who knows more
about you than you do yourself.
He
seemingly has his fingers in every corner of Ikebukero, watching for his sick,
twisted pleasure or manipulating events to suit his own mysterious and chaotic
ends.
It’s the exact opposite of Vash
and Johnny is clearly having a blast playing the man who is always several
steps ahead and is just such a smug ass**** over all, proving Johnny is just as
adept at playing the bad guy as he is the good guy…though the bad guy is way
more fun in this case.
#3-Kiba (Wolf’s Rain)
Of all the roles I’ve seen JYB play, Kiba is one of his
most darker and more dramatic.
Kiba is a
lone wolf trying to survive in a world gone to hell and has only one goal: to
make it to paradise.
He’s pretty serious
throughout all of Wolf’s Rain but still undergoes plenty of character development,
going from Loner to Pack Leader but never losing his drive or determination.
Johnny gives a performance that tugs at the
heartstrings throughout this apocalyptic Anime classic, whether Kiba is
running, or slowly walking towards a destination that might not even exist.
#2-Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)
More than Vash the Stampede, Ichigo Kurosaki is probably
the role JYB is most known for worldwide.
It helps that Bleach is one of the most popular and recognizable Shonen
Anime of all time.
It also helps that
Ichigo is Johnny at his most constantly bad ass.
Often tested but never deterred, Ichigo is a
kid with gifts he isnt even aware of who never backs down from helping his
friends even when the odds are stacked against him.
Plus, it’s a Shonen Anime so there’s plenty
of yelling involved and damn Johnny puts his vocals through the ringer for
Ichigo and we love him all the more for it.
#1-Lelouch Vi Brittania (Code Geass: Lelouch of the
Rebellion)
Lelouch is very much the complete embodiment of all of
Johnny’s major roles in one form: ruthless tactician, bad ass manipulator,
heroic figure and the occasional goofball for the sake of appearances at
school.
Lelouch is also Johnny getting
to flex some Shakesperean line deliveries for the exiled Prince looking to get
revenge against the powers that rule the world even if he becomes that very
same evil he wants to destroy.
He’s a
Master of the Geass command and one of the most compelling and riveting Anime
leads ever made, so of course it’s a role Johnny can play with ease but he
takes Lelouch to a whole other level, the level of Legend.
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