Anime Expo 2022

SPY x FAMILY English Dub Cast Panel

Arguably one of the most anticipated panels, SPY x FAMILY was stuffed to the brim at the Los Angeles Convention Center's Petree Hall. Fans clamored outside the glass doors, asking to be let in to see a glimpse of any special announcements for the next season. According to the LACC site, the hall can hold roughly 1,100 people. Crunchyroll staff members handed out cards of the three main characters to those lucky attendees in the room.

The panel featured a panel-only video from the three Japanese voice actors, followed by a Q&A session with the members of the English dub cast—Alex Organ (Loid Forger), Megan Shipman (Anya Forger), Natalie Van Sistine (Yor Forger), and Anthony Bowling (Franky). Although the panel was live-streamed, the video of the Japanese voice actors was exclusively viewable only to Anime Expo attendees.

Opening the panel, a pre-recorded video of the Japanese voice cast—featuring Takuya Eguchi (Loid), Atsumi Tanezaki (Anya), and Saori Hayami (Yoru)— commented on clips from the English dub. The trio expressed how excited they were to be part of the panel and how they wish they could be at Anime Expo in person. Once introductions were done, they watched and reacted to fan favorite scenes.

First was the scene where Loid has just adopted Anya and she is having a hard time adjusting as she has abandonment issues. Hayami and Eguchi were taken aback by Organ's “cool” delivery as Loid and how cute Shipman's Anya is. All three were impressed by how Organ and Shipman adlibbed the scene where Anya tries to pay for a Spy Wars poster. In particular, Eguchi liked how Organ “sounded like the perfect spy.”

The next section focused on the Japanese voice actors' methods to acting in character. After watching Anya's emotional interview at Eden Academy, Tanezaki was asked what it was like recording that scene. She revealed that Tatsuya Endō came to the studio to talk to her about the scene—where Anya tearfully says, “Mama”—and Tanezaki asked him how much feeling she should put into saying it. The moment is tense as Loid had to kill his emotions as a spy, but despite what he says, he couldn't help but act. As for Eguchi and Hayami, they were glad Loid was there because Yor “would've gone crazy” if she was there alone. Thankfully Loid was the one who took action first.

Closing their section, each voice actor said their goodbyes and thanked the audience for supporting their hard work. Hayami felt the three main voice actors were able to bond over recording SPY x FAMILY, and she hopes to one day meet fans around the world one day. Eguchi simply thanked the audience for gathering at the panel and shared how just having this opportunity to interact makes him happy. All three wished to one day meet the dub actors too.

The final minutes of the panel turned to the English voice actors as they answered pre- prepared Q&A questions for fans. Unfortunately, since there were no new announcements, they actors talked amongst each other and expressed how grateful they were to be part of SPY x FAMILY.