Yutaka Maseba, president of ZRO Limit Productions, produced the English dubbed and subtitled versions of Akira, 2001. © 1987 Akira Committee. Licensed by Kodansh

As children we all watched cartoons and fell in love with characters who, in our innocence, we assumed to be real. Later we discovered, with the same disappointment that comes with shedding our belief in Santa Claus, that they were not.

Beyond childhood, many continue to enjoy the art and fantasy that can only be achieved through animation. As we enter adulthood, a growing number of us are discovering anime. With its more mature themes, intricate story lines and varied genres, anime provides us with a whole new level of animation and its popularity is growing strongly in our own culture.

As adults, though, we are more aware of things that escaped our attention as children. Foremost is an understanding of the creativity that comes to bear when creating anime. Additionally, we know that there are careers to be had in the North American anime industry.

In bringing anime titles to an audience that predominantly lacks mastery of the Japanese language, one career stands out as a dream-job to many -- voice acting.

In this article you will discover the ins and outs of breaking into this career field as well as many insider tips that you can use to make your move. You will also find other helpful information in preparing for success as an anime voice actor. But be advised: show business is a fickle thing. There’s no guarantee that you will be a success no matter how talented they are.

When considering the potential of a career as a voice actor, it perhaps does one well to understand that voice acting is far more than just talking.

To gain an insight into this line of work and the most important assets needed to succeed in getting that first audition, we’ve gone directly to the source. We surveyed six of the most influential directors and producers casting roles in anime today, including: Joel Baral of TOKYOPOP; Peter Bavaro of Skypilot Entertainment; Amanda Winn Lee of Gaijin Productions; Yutaka Maseba of ZRO Limit Productions; Jeff Thompson of The Right Stuf International, Inc.; and Tom Wayland of Central Park Media.

Prepare To Succeed
Preparing to pursue a career as a voice actor generally involves more than being able to mimic your favorite character. You need to be prepared to succeed.

Though most successful voice actors working in anime today began their careers as voice actors without any specific training in the field, almost all of them did begin their careers with certain things in common. Among these are acting experience, vocal range and the ability to assume and maintain a character. A voice actor is first and foremost an actor.

The vast majority of voice actors working today come from the theater. It is the acting skills possessed by these folks that make them so desirable by anime studios. It is also those same skills that you should work to acquire if you want to be taken seriously and get that audition.