If you didn't know, World Voice Day is a real thing celebrated on April 16th. I didn't hear about it until last year and decided to spend the day praising voice actors and singers on Twitter and Facebook. I will likely do the same this year, but I am making/have made a voice actor playlist on YouTube that was intended to fight insomnia. It doesn't quite work in that regard, but it is easy access to some of my favorite voice acting and video game/anime memories. I also made a favorite singers playlist I'll cover in a separate post.
1-I distinctly remember that the second I heard Tara Platt say as Edelgard "Welcome to the Officer's Academy" I either thought or shouted "Mitsuru!" That and Petra's Starfire way of speaking sealed the Black Eagle house as the house I wanted to play with in the game. It would be a great decision as I could provide healing through same-gender relationships to ordinary people and feel like I was doing something positive while my country went insane, giving kindness to the hurting and making a statement at the same time. If only I could do this all the time and make a difference in the craziness.
2-My brother called Annette a "cinnamon roll" and here she is at her most cinnamon roll, singing cute songs. I look forward to the possibility of meeting Abby Trott at Washington State Summer Con, she seems like a nice and fun lady. I honestly played a second Black Eagles campaign when the Kickstarter project "New Wave" was announced since Tara Platt and Abby Trott were both in it, Annette was popular online and I wanted to see where she fit in with Black Eagle house (since I had brought Leonie, Lysithea, Manuela and Shamir in the first time).
3-A calming vacation video that if you close your eyes, you can imagine Edelgard and Yosuke on a trip through the British Isles. It's nice to see Tara Platt and Yuri Lowenthal so candidly, reminding us they're human, too.
4-I love this rap love song where Tara and Yuri drop rhymes about loving each other with Naruto references. It's once of those ones where I hear the opening chords and I get excited.
5-Rise Kujikawa made me love Laura Bailey so much I watch Critical Role over a decade after watching the Persona 4 Let's Play. I think this is the song in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, which was fun to listen to. I also heard it before I heard of Stray Gods, so it holds a special place in my heart, plus I've really liked Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato and Rise's story helped me understand them better.
6-I find this video inspirational for my issues with anxiety and depression. It helps to put things in perspective and realize that you do have to fail to succeed and every crisis is a journey.
7-This is probably the video in the aforementioned Let's Play that made me love Rise Kujikawa and by extension, Laura Bailey. I am amazed she received a piece of paper that said "Rise cries" or "Rise (cries)" and "Senpai, thank you" and turned it into the most heart-melting part of the whole game.
8-My favorite role of Lisa Ortiz's is Sabrina in Pokemon Kanto, because she was able to do two voices and in the games, the creepiest thing about Sabrina is she tells you she knew you were coming 3 years ago. I keep this video to remind me there is another side to the bog of chaos, fear and horrible people celebrating. There will be a day when I won't feel scared, unable to sleep and feeling like I have to work constantly because the world feels like it's about to end.
9-Tara Platt gives insight to her career and Edelgard. I wish the B-roll was more from the Black Eagles route, I don't like that it shows her stomping the Flame Emperor mask before Dimitri. The appeal of her story isn't conquering a continent, it is healing her mental scars and your own from people who didn't understand you and told you how you felt was sinful, when you want to be a better Christian and show more compassion than they ever will. Right-Wing Homophobes are a personal pet peeve of mine and I attend reconciling congregations that marry lesbians and gay men.
10-Yuri Lowenthal and Erin Fitzgerald have so much fun here. I love the ending scene where they do a bit in-character as Yosuke and Chie.
11-More of Yuri Lowenthal as Yosuke, showing the Behind The Scenes workings of a Persona game, namely, their fighting game. Yosuke is one of, if not my absolute, favorite of Yuri's characters, due to him capturing the awkwardness we all felt in High School.
12-Just Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt having fun with their Spider-Man careers, talking about their favorite Spider-Man costumes and incarnations. It's just a regular conversation I wish I could find more people to have this type of talk with.
13-A magical moment ending all the naysayers. Yang and Blake have been giving little hints their friendship was more than that since Season 2, here, it becomes obvious so all the people who claim they don't see it will shut up. I was verbally brutalized 3 years ago for showing this relationship on June 12th, trying to create positivity on the date of one of the worst homophobic hate crimes, by a hetero-normative imbecile who had an answer for every point and would not let go until he had the last word that I was wrong about Yang and Blake. I want to smack this scene to his face and force him to walk away from my mind.
14-Just Xanthe Huynh and people from Anime Impulse being cute and making Valentines Mini-Chocolates. I love that they do the whole thing in-character and Xanthe plays such big sweethearts in Persona and Fire Emblem.
15-The longest video in this playlist, detailing a romantic relationship with Mitsuru. I always liked how she took the threat of the shadows seriously, unlike Junpei, who was more interested in girls. Tara Platt really brings her to life and showcases a broad emotional palette; anger, sadness, relief, joy and determination to name a few. This plus her mentor role in Tartarus is why I wanted Edelgard to be the House Leader in Three Houses. It wasn't until 2023 that I heard Chris in Shin Ultraman and Zelda; Tears of the Kingdom and Joe in Trails into Reverie that I heard the other house leaders elsewhere. That is Liam O'Brien of Critical Role fame as Akihiko in this video.
16-Mitsuru and Yu Narukami discuss their reasons for fighting and how they can't simply lay down arms and let the other progress. It is just Tara Platt and Johnny Yong Bosch, who started to get recognition as Adam Park of the Season 2 Power Rangers back in the 90s. Both handle the dialogue seriously, yet sympathetically, you can tell they would rather not fight overall, but must be bound by the rules of the tournament they are currently in.
17-This is a bit funnier now, when I first heard it in 2021, I thought "doesn't almost everybody despise the police?" since police brutality had been in the news a lot and "All Cops Are Bastards" and "Defund The Police" were rallying cries after the murder of George Floyd. I hope things have improved and it doesn't just LOOK better, I feel there's an undercurrent of removing law enforcement altogether in some of the people who parade these slogans, and some police are helpful.
18-Another chance to hear Tara Platt sing, as well as Marisha Ray and Sayaka Oohara. Just a silly video about the "long-nose song" from the Persona series sung by Elizabeth and Margaret.
19-A video that features Tara Platt acting flustered as Mitsuru. I've not gotten to this part in Persona Q (I only beat the first part with the Persona 4 characters and leveling was too slow to get them ready to face the second part, which killed me with its first battle. It was also more novel before Persona 4 Arena Ultimax was available on the Switch. Still, there is a charm to RPG battles with Laura Bailey as Rise Kujikawa and Tara Platt as Mitsuru Kirijo talking right after each other)
20-Tara plays Edelgard as such a sweetheart here that I wanted Byleth to reveal some secrets, like her dead Mom, Sothis and her love for Edelgard. It's scenes like this that make me wish I could hug Edelgard as Byleth and just blot out the surrounding world with kindness.
21-I love this scene, Edelgard comes across as very human here, even offering you a chance to leave (you can't, but it's because of the game, not her). Byleth stays due to her compassion towards Edelgard, showing her love for her. Robbie Daymond also shows Hubert's willingness to do Black Ops in Edelgard's name, though Edelgard comes across more as hesitant and reliant on Byleth. Also, the name the "Black Eagle Strike Force" is one of my favorite things about this game, it suggests an elite group that fights for freedom against impossible odds. I kind of wish the editor had included the Black Eagles rallying around Edelgard after Hubert teleports them from the Immaculate One, just because of this dialogue I hear as modern Political Commentary on one of our two parties, especially after a Tea Party rally where Glenn Beck or someone like him said God placed a Bald Eagle near as a miracle sign He was on their side.
22-A last-minute addition, just thinking about Robbie Daymond. While Hubert is who he is in Fire Emblem, he is this in real life (with another super voice actress, Laura Bailey, beside him). It has been hard to enjoy the other groups in Candela Obscura due to the chemistry between Matt, Ashley, Anjali, Laura and Robbie, and this is a little taste of that. I didn't want to show too many Critical Role clips because it could go forever, but I always liked this one for Robbie's determination and how his wincing makes him nothing like his "I enjoy Black Ops too much" Fire Emblem character.
23-I sometimes cry thinking about this scene, I don't get that feeling of being this needed too often in real life, to be a light to someone else. It makes me feel good and wish I could be there for someone else like this, building them up in the face of challenge and getting them the help they need. But I sometimes barely feel I can get myself the help I myself need. I've seen the Byleth approaching a bloodied, one-eyed Dimitri in darkness and I get how that is impactful, but it hits me harder for Byleth to come to a "heartbroken for 5 years" Edelgard who hugs you on the verge of tears. It's almost like a Christian Easter morning.
24-This is one of the most special interactions in all JPRGs, I've never seen a character so enamored with the player character they made art of them, but were also so critical of it they didn't want said character to see it. I worry some internet troll is going to say to me, "see, she draws and is German, that means she's Hitler" when this really feels like a gesture of kindness.
25-I didn't do everything the same way as this guy, namely saying "That's awful" in the C rank, "That sounds like Hubert" in the A rank and "Now we walk this road together" in the S rank. Edelgard makes me want to at least say and try to do the best, even if I can't reach it, because I don't want her to go through any more than she already has. The feelings of this relationship have inspired many artworks of Byleth hugging a sad Edelgard in the dead of night and giving her her jacket as a blanket during a rough patch of sleep. That is what we should strive for amongst each other.
26-The second time I played this route, the internal tension faded when Edelgard checked on Byleth. I felt a sense of peace, that I had brought a world of rest to myself and my allies, a place where no one would take away our lives or what we've worked for and we were finally allowed to work for our achievements rather than see some system of magic birthmarks be "order." I don't like the idea of elitism or elite classes much because everyone works towards the impossible goal of becoming part of that group and usually fails. More importantly, no one was going to hurt Edelgard anymore, in my opinion, she had already been through more than enough as a kid and deserved a lifetime of rest. This helps remind me LGBTQ+ people are just like straight people and ultimately want what straight people have; to hug in public, go grocery shopping, go to baseball games, Church, conventions and play with their pets with no harassment.
27-Green Lantern here kind of sounds like Byleth, that's because she is. Jeannie Tirado plays both characters and Tara Platt played Blake's Mom, Kali, in part 1. I really like when she says the Green Lantern oath.
28-This really shows how important Bumbleby (Blake and Yang's romantic relationship) was/is to Arryn and Barbara, with Arryn weeping at the beauty and Barbara cheering on the kiss. If we're allies, we probably feel this during these big romantic moments in media. When I saw it, I felt overwhelmed with amazement, that it all culminated and finally the two were going through with admitting what they probably knew for several seasons, but never said because it was so much of a risk.
29-Just Tara Platt being silly as Elizabeth.
30-A funny moment with Koromaru (the dog) and Dawn M. Bennett as Aigis.
31-Another funny moment with Dawn M. Bennett as Aigis. I've heard variations on this saying as well. Why do we use it?
32-Dawn M. Bennett gives quite a performance as Aigis here, I felt for her when she shouted "You're not alone!" You learn here Aigis is not as much a machine as she believes herself to be, but is quite human, with empathy for people and cats and desires for closeness with the protagonist. I also think that's Tara doing the "Thou art I and I am thou" speeches, I'm used to hearing NakaTeleeli, a male, reading them in a deep voice so I was caught off-guard when I first heard what sounds like Elizabeth reading them.
33-Speaking of Elizabeth, while you don't get a full social link, here is the closest thing, with Tara just having fun with the character, who is trying to understand our world. Some players thought this was dumb, but I always liked Elizabeth's silliness and charm, trying to understand our world through her lens. She always came across like Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream to me; flighty, silly, but also with wisdom we lacked from going through ritualistic life over and over.
34-A new Tara Platt character, the Junon Commander. What I love about this is the classic Mitsuru/Edelgard voice referencing tonberries (special enemies who deliver damage based upon how much you've walked) and how your party looks from her perspective (which captures the magic of RPGs, that misfits who make an odd crowd are all that stand between the world and its destruction).
35-I just have this to hear Dawn M. Bennett scream as Nabbitt. After I saw him on her table, I had to play him in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. I mainly remember his immunity to fireballs and thinking "I'd have to memorize that pattern if I picked someone else."
36-This features Dawn M. Bennett as Amalia in Unicorn Overlord, probably her huskiest voice I've heard. She appears to be a 10-foot Amazon with one eye, which sounds like a fun playable character. The makers of this game made Amazons before in Dragon's Crown, beefcake, cheesecake, and little references like a sorcerer's apprentice mouse named Ricky and a pile of bones with a terrifying boss atop it; a white, fluffy bunny!
37-I call this the "Who peed in your cereal" support conversation. Dawn M. Bennett is Shez and she gets verbally eviscerated by Lysithea, who hates being implied to be a kid. I believe her canon age is 17 in this game, so I would be hesitant to call her an "adult" myself, but when she declares Shez has called her a "weak, little baby" and Shez replies "Pretty sure I didn't phrase it like that," you know Lysithea's out to make a statement more than be real. She even says "I am not yelling."
38-Sayaka Oohara, the Japanese voice of Erza Scarlet, has a lovely singing voice (if you're watching the whole thing, you've already heard her sing as Margaret). I heard her voice Erza in the Fairy Tail Switch game, it's hard to say which voice is "better," but this makes me wish Colleen Clinkenbeard sang songs in-character as Erza, too.
39-Here is the English Dub of Fairy Tail. I am impressed that Colleen Clinkenbeard has both the 19-year-old Erza voice and the child Erza voice and it was nice to hear Brittney Karbowski as Wendy after meeting her at Anime Washington.
40-Arryn Zech and Barbara Dunkelman, who I also met at Anime Washington, discuss Blake and Yang, life and being bisexual. It is nice to look back on this and hope someone will help them and Kerry make RWBY Season 10 and beyond, because I believe there is more story to be told. I want Yang to meet Tara Platt's Kali Belladonna in canon, not just my fan fiction, where Kali plays as Mitsuru and Elizabeth in Blazblue Crosstag Battle because I make in-jokes like I work for Toei.
41-This is Dawn M. Bennett at her most adorably evil. She also sounds like the villainess from the Cat Saver imagination segment of that one Arthur episode.
42-The most adorable Support Conversation in my second playthrough of Three Houses and where I found out Annette fits into Black Eagles. Interestingly enough, their VAs, Ben Diskin and Abby Trott, also played a couple in a season of the Anime Aggretsuko, about animals working in an office building and a red panda sings heavy metal, which also has Erica Mendez (Bernadetta) and Tara Platt (Edelgard). It also has the message that if you want to live, you can't be afraid of mistakes, so get an emergency contact if things go wrong, go out there and try your best. The ending card I got is different than the one in this video.
43-Another featuring Colleen Clinkenbeard and Brittney Karbowski. I had wanted this space to go to them talking to Juvia at the opening of the 413 days episode, but it wasn't on YouTube, so I got this fight where Erza discovers her birth mother, who tries destroying her and taking over Wendy's body, but can't go through with it because she still loves Erza as her daughter in the end. The character resurfaces briefly in Wendy's mind twice in 100 years Quest to help, then gets reincarnated as Mirrorverse Erza's baby.
44-One of my favorite video game clips, Tara Platt as Elizabeth and Laura Bailey as Rise Kujikawa. The two give great line reads and it genuinely comes across like a real conversation (congratulations to the director) and Elizabeth is as silly as always while Rise is incredibly determined, coming to fight for the first time to help her friends. It's little surprise they still have careers as Edelgard and Imogen these days.
45-A cute, relaxing Support Conversation series featuring Xanthe Huynh, who also plays Haru in Persona 5 and its spinoffs, as Marianne (like I said, one of the biggest sweethearts in her universes). While Bernie gets compassion from Linhardt, Edelgard and Dorothea, seeing her bond with Marianne is a joy because they both feel soft-spoken and in need of like-minded companionship. There are so darn cute together they were one-quarter of the team against the final boss in my playthrough.
46-I always love this part for Edelgard saying "But whatever happens, I hope you know you're special to me." I imagine a lot of people who played the game needed that said, I know I did.
47-My favorite song in Tokyo Mirage Sessions, a game entirely in Japanese (the Honest Trailer jokes that it is so nerdy there is no way it'd have an English dub). This is something you get for completing the Kiria Kurono stories, which are about accepting your whole self; Kiria loves both cute and cool things and has difficulty accepting that you can love both at the same time.
48-Good old Sora, I mean Colleen O'Shaughnessey. Honestly, it is hard to think someone who's been working as a voice actor at least since I was 9 plays the lesbian love interest of Edelgard in Three Hopes, unashamed of her crush on her Emperor. These two were adorable enough together they were another quarter of the team against the final boss. They also played the blonde kunoichi Ino and Temari in Naruto.
49-Citrinne is also voiced by Brittney Karbowski, and she creates a great support conversation with Laura Post as Yunaka. Laura Post joked once in a Streamily signing that she plays characters with other identities so much Catherine from Three Houses' real name is Cassandra. This shows the altruistic side of Yunaka and Citrinne ultimately wants to help Yunaka with that, she is just suspicious at first.
50-Panette may be focused on being prim and proper, but here, she reveals her old, rough nature to Yunaka, who also reveals her own old nature. Yunaka's catchphrase "Zappy!" also gets dropped.
51-This is mostly about Yunaka's line "Look at you, enjoying your chores, is that even allowed?" But I listened to it and Laura Post is almost dead-on imitating Goldmary. Goldmary's chest makes her a fan favorite in less well-mannered circles, but she's popular is more well-mannered ones for being conceited.
52-Edelgard praises Yunaka and compares her to Dorothea. I also like that since Laura Post last played Catherine, who wanted Edelgard dead, this is a nice change.
53-Madeline is voiced by Sarah Anne Williams, some may remember her as Susamaru in Demon Slayer (she reprises that role in the game), and this is a much less harsh voice. This is also an adorable bond and I managed to screen capture Edelgard's last line with her eyes closed, making her look exceptionally happy.
54-My favorite attack in Engage, Byleth and the House Leaders take out one opponent with dialogue. I had Yunaka typically use this on bosses, especially Sombron, the Final Boss.
55-The voice actresses in this are Brittney Karbowski and Cristina Vee (yes, Miraculous Ladybug/Shantae/Sailor Mars Cristina Vee). I really like that Merrin likes "critters" and at one point shouts out "where do you think you're going? Please, take me with you!" to critters while Citrinne walks up. It's cute and sweet and tells you to be unafraid to be yourself.
56-I really liked Jack Black's portrayal of Bowser in the Super Mario Bros. Movie and him singing "Peaches," which was described by critics as being like late singer Meat Loaf. Bowser is one of my favorite Nintendo characters and this was the right decision to give him comedic elements in the movie rather than be an out-and-out villain. I look forward to his actions in the sequel and hope this film series has legs under it for several more movies.
57-I wanted to put in more Abby Trott. I'm not sure this is the right clip, when I saw it on her Twitter, Nezuko sounded younger and more pleading. I had tried to find a clip of this line below to use first, but I couldn't find it on YouTube, much like Tara Platt as Usagi's Mom saying, "I hope you're not thinking of making my curtains into something else...like a wedding dress?"
58-This is Tara Platt and Veronica Taylor, who a lot of people remember as Ash Ketchum from Pokemon, nowadays, she plays Manuela here and Micaiah in the Fire Emblem franchise as well. More importantly, Edelgard learns how I feel religion is supposed to work, not conquering the people of a land married to the state, but bolstering people in hard times and times of darkness. I only got to all the ranks in my second playthrough and liked this, it made me think better of Edelgard, better of Manuela, and hopeful that Fodlan could be a better place with the Freedom of Religion as part of its rules, so no one makes decisions for you based on how they interpret God, but you may interpret God and scripture as you choose, hopefully for the betterment of everyone you can in your life.
59-This was the first Support Conversation I unlocked in Three Houses. I like the "big sister" role Edelgard sees herself in with Petra and that Petra succeeds beyond Edelgard's hopes. Faye Mata is more of a Pokemon fanatic in real life, but plays one of the stronger Fire Emblem characters in Petra. I love how Petra shows herself Edelgard's equal and Edelgard is happy she succeeds so well.
60-I didn't see this as an option in Three Hopes, so Saturday was the first time I saw it. Like a lot of Hopes compared to Houses, there is more of a visceral energy due to the nature of the game. It also makes me think that possibly, when Catholicism was a state religion, where you prayed was monitored, perhaps you couldn't pray at nighttime on the worries of the day in your bedroom as my family and I do. Edelgard and Petra continue to be strong and sisterly for each other and it makes me wish more characters in this universe openly hugged to show solidarity and strength.
61-I often use Lysithea commenting on the heaviness of books as a picture for her on social media when talking about her. That is because this Support Conversation is a very kind one about the shortness of life and how the enhanced power of 2 crests may shorten your lifespan (in my fan fiction, I wrote that Edelgard will reach 70 with Byleth, I do not want her to die young after Byleth does all she does for her). Edelgard telling Lysithea to never stop fighting for her life always reminds me of the NCIS episode where Torres tells a cancer patient "you keep fighting for the next day, and the next day, and the next." That was one of my favorite NCIS episodes in the span between Tony and Abby leaving and the same is true of this support conversation.
62-I like this because I have an anxiety disorder, which makes me relate to Bernadetta a lot. I got to admit, I felt a little starstruck and "I can't believe this is happening" when I met Tara Platt at Anime Washington. I really like the "A" rank, where the two bond over gardening, and that was my only tweet on Twitter to be liked by Erica Mendez, the voice of Bernadetta.
63-More Dawn M. Bennett as Amalia. Her acting style reminds me a little of Allegra Clark as Shamir, who was one of my more favorite characters in Three Houses/Hopes for her cunning and ultimate care hidden behind a rough exterior. I also liked that they digitally modified Dawn's voice for the possession.
64-I really like both Makoto and Haru (I will get excited if they are both the background characters for the Mementos stage in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) and this scene shows off both Cherami Leigh and Xanthe Huynh at their best with those characters. I even posted screenshots of this once on Twitter when Haru and Makoto were both trending and Xanthe liked it. The only thing that feels missing from this clip is Morgana saying "You have an...interesting way of driving, Haru." And yes, that's Matthew Mercer as Yusuke.
65-I'm actually writing this on April 14th, time is winding down to finish the playlist. I felt it needed some Jim Cummings, because he was the first voice actor I knew the name of. He sang "Be Prepared" in The Lion King and they mixed in Jeremy Irons' voice so it'd sound like he was singing. I always liked the dark intensity of this song.
66-Jim Cummings and Veronica Taylor just having fun, also if Pooh was a Pokemon Trainer. Veronica is one of Jim Cummings' favorite voice actors and I remember he tweeted about it, asking who our favorites were. I listed mostly Fire Emblem names like Tara Platt, Yuri Lowenthal, Matthew Mercer, Laura Bailey, Laura Post and Cristina Vee. Veronica liked my response, so I decided to pay to have Micaiah talk to Yunaka and Merrin in Engage.
67-Five minutes in is a great villain monologue by Jim Cummings as Dalles that NakaTeleeli and ElementalOgre just gush over. I wonder if he remembers doing this, this monologue is some of his best villain work, just the way he whispers "I do enjoy this" gives me chills. Dalles' boss in this game, Darm, is voiced by Allen Oppenheimer, who is going to be at Washington State Summer Con. He is also known for playing Skeletor in the 1980s He-Man cartoon.
If you're offended by the religious references I've made, I made them because I have been in an almost-constant state of worry for over 15 years that people outside the Church will see everyone inside the Church as a Trump or a Kirk Cameron, and I feel that's the only reason people hate us, that such people use their voice not to entertain, comfort or build up, but in favor of a single-minded world that worships them and them alone and has no choices in anything whatsoever.
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