During an anime conference in San Antonio, Texas, I had the opportunity to meet Eric Vale, the dub voice actor for Sanji in One Piece, Shigaraki in My Hero Academia, and Trunks in Dragon Ball. At this particular San Japan , he shared tidbits of invaluable information suitable for any anime fan hoping to break into the wonderful world of voice acting. Not only was it a dream come true to meet such an iconic actor in real life, but hearing about his experiences, hardships, and lessons he had endured during his career gave me a newfound appreciation for the craft.

I’ve been in the entertainment industry for years but I only got into voice acting a few years back. I started auditioning for commercials, audiobooks, and evening e-learning narrators. However, character acting was where my true ion lied. As someone who also dabbles in character design and screenwriting, I found that bringing original characters to life fits perfectly into my set of ions. However, like the rest of the entertainment industry, voice acting is no easy profession to break into, which is why hearing the wise words of a professional brought me so much comfort.

Vinsmoke Sanji’s Guide to Voice Acting

Eric Vale Has Cooked Up the Perfect How-To for Any Beginner (and Veteran) Voice Actor

Eric Vale appeared during a at the 15th gathering of the San Japan anime convention in San Antonio, the largest anime and gaming convention in South Texas. This consisted of a few other voice actors, along with Eric Vale, including the dub actress for Demon Slayer, Kira Buckland, sharing their experiences as professional voice actors. While both actors shared some amazing advice, Vale’s in particular hit home for me and seemed to provide comfort to a lot of “struggling artists” in the room.

Vale’s discussion circled around auditioning, which may seem like the most uninteresting part of their job. After all, who needs to audition when you’re the voice actor for Sanji? But Vale stated time and time again that if you don’t love auditioning, find a new profession. Auditioning comprises about 90% of an actor’s time; the other 10% is the actual projects. At this point in the , Vale and Buckland listed just a handful of the websites available to voice actors for finding open roles. These platforms included: Backstage, CastingCallClub, Voices.com, Actors Access, and more.

At this point in the , some of the audience seemed to feel a bit overwhelmed. Being an actor is no easy feat; auditioning in and of itself is a full-time job if done correctly. What happened next has stuck with me to this very day. Vale stopped the and asked the audience to raise their hand only if they audition for at least one project every single day. Timidly, I raised my hand and was shocked to find that only one other person in the room had raised theirs. Vale stopped, referencing our raised hands, and told the rest of the audience, “They are your competition." My life was complete; I had been acknowledged by the head chef of the Straw Hat Crew.

Being in the entertainment industry for 13 years takes its toll. Denial after denial is simply a part of my daily routine. However, Vale’s proved to me that I was on the right path; I was the competition. Not only that, but his example provides a clear “how-to” for those new to the voice acting industry: audition, audition, audition. By proving that there are those who put themselves out into the world of casting every single day, he not only provided encouragement to us veterans, but pushed the aspiring actors to do their best, to be brave, and to show the world what they have to offer.

How to Find Your Voice (According to Eric Vale)

FAQ in Voice Acting with Sanji

One of the key elements of being a voice actor is (not surprisingly) finding your voice. Eric Vale discussed the importance of defining your voice and then growing from there to break out outside the box. He mentioned that while some newer voice actors try to go for the weirdest sounding voices they can and then stick those on a demo reel, he suggests a different method. Instead, Vale encouraged us to include our normal voice on our demo reel and then add slight adjustments, working up to “weird sounding” voices when needed. After all, Sanji’s voice isn’t too far off from Eric’s.

In addition to a demo reel (which is a compilation of 5-10-second voice clips), Vale recommended coming up with a cover letter in which you can help describe your vocal style to a casting director. While it is often viewed as a bad thing to be “type-casted,” Vale stated that having actors you can “compare” your own voice to may help land your first few jobs. For example, if a famous voice actor’s tone, selected roles, and overall style seem to reflect your own, Vale recommends utilizing this to describe your voice to casting directors.

Of course, Vale included that voice actors should not try to copy-cat someone, but sometimes it can help casting directors to place you based on what your “voice twin” is also typically cast in. For example, I mention Ben Schwartz because there have been a ton of Sonic voice actors over the years. While not the same, they all have a very similar tone and pitch to their voice. The voice actors need to sound like the Sonic we all know and love, which is why finding your “voice twin” can be helpful in landing you larger roles.

Why Voice Actors Will Never Be Replaced by AI

I Have Never Felt More Confident in the Voice Acting Community

As a voice actress, I have felt the effects of AI on the entertainment industry. While not yet in full effect, the utilization of AI has already infiltrated many film and TV studios, including anime. While far from completely replacing their artists, Toei Animation, one of the most iconic names in anime, has already begun implementing the use of AI in their projects to help speed up the production process.

I currently serve as a freelance illustrator and voice actor for various projects. However, even though I do not work full-time in either of these roles, I have already been impacted by the use of AI in recent projects. For example, I was thrilled to book a long-term project with multiple seasons in which I would play two roles: lead and ing. After I recorded the first two seasons, I received an email containing every voice actor’s worst nightmare. I was notified that the project’s directors were planning to replace all the voice actors with AI-generated voices to cut costs and speed up the production process.

Yet, I am comforted by industry giants like Hayao Miyazaki, who has spearheaded another artistic movement. While studios are underpaying their staff and resorting to using Artificial Intelligence to replace human creativity, the director of Studio Ghibli has remained a beacon of hope for artists who are fearful of the future of anime. When pitched the idea of utilizing AI at Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki stated:

“I am utterly disgusted. If you really want to make creepy stuff, you can go ahead and do it. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.” – Hayao Miyazaki

As an artist, Miyazaki’s bold statement brings me hope. To combat the AI movement, it is going to take artists banding together to stand up against the replacement of human creativity with artificial artistry. Audiences have already given their open and honest opinions surrounding AI-heavy projects, such as Corridor Digital’s 7-minute short film, Rock, Paper, Scissors.

While the creators have referred to the short as an “anime,” it was shot as a live-action production. The creative team then used AI to make the images look “cartoon,” resembling anime’s iconic style. However, what resulted was an emotionless, uncanny valley animation that appeared to be a parody of anime rather than a tribute. The LA-based production company has received harsh backlash and criticism on the project. While I can't encourage any sort of harassment of an artist’s work, I cannot help but appreciate audiences standing up for the jobs of animators, voice actors, and illustrators who keep the anime industry afloat.

After I discovered that my multi-season voice-over project was replacing artists with AI, they offered to compensate me with a small stipend to use my voice to train the AI indefinitely. After careful consideration, I declined. By using artists' voices, companies can use these recordings indefinitely without having to pay the voice actors more than once. Not only did I decline the offer for my own sake but in protest for my fellow artists.

Even though my meeting with the voice actor for Sanji was over a year ago, I it like it was yesterday. The iconic voice actor not only gave fantastic industry advice, but comfort to a group of artists whose work seems to be threatened by the fast-moving world of AI. Thanks to voice-acting legends like Eric Vale from One Piece and Kira Buckland from Demon Slayer, I have more hope in the voice-acting community and more confidence in myself than ever before.