The List

7 Most In Demand English Voice Actors of 2014

This week we're counting down the most in demand voice actors in English dubs for the year. I sat down with ANN's Encyclopedia, went through every new North American release that included English dubs, and tallied the roles to get a comprehensive list of who starred in what, and overall which actors got the most major roles this year. If you need a refresher, we listed actresses last week, so head over there if you haven't checked it out yet.

5. Andrew Love: You might know Andrew Love best as Akainu in One Piece, but this year he went outside that role as cigar-smoking Marine fleet admiral to appear as a variety of other characters. He played the allegedly immortal Hampnie Hambart in Sunday Without God, the cool Team Doberman leader Randy Maxwell in Majestic Prince, the warrior Naotsugu in Log Horizon, and the attractive military police officer Genpachi Inukai in Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East.

5. Clint Bickham: Bickham originally worked with former manga publisher Tokyopop on its Rising Stars of Manga program and various English manga adaptations before making his way into ADR scriptwriting and voice acting. He starred as Saki's love interest and fellow psychic Shun in From the New World, Finland in Hetalia the Beautiful World, the cruel butler Rindou Shinouji in Maria Holic Alive, and the lolita-loving Yukinojo Himura in MM!

4. Greg Ayres: Ayres is pushing 15 years in the voice acting business and is already lined up to voice Nagisa in Funimation's release of Free! Eternal Summer next year. In 2014, he led the cast of Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East as Shino Inozuka. He also voiced antagonist Asakura Yoshikage in The Ambition of Oda Nobuna, the librarian Volken in The Book of Bantorra, Daichi Shijima in Devil Survivor 2, Satoru, one of the psychic kids in a dystopia in From the New World, and antagonist Myouri Unzen in Medaka Box Abnormal.

3. Patrick Seitz: Seitz is a staple voice in many long-running shonen shows like Bleach, One Piece, and Fairy Tail. He joined the English line-up for Aniplex's new fan-favorite Kill la Kill as Ira Gamagōri this year. He also showed up on Neon Alley's dub run of Blood Lad and Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet as the scientist Franken Stein and mechanic Pinion, respectively. Out of all his dub roles for Viz this year, perhaps the most high profile was his run as the villainous tow-headed Kunzite in the new dub for the classic Sailor Moon.

2. David Wald : David Wald's list of roles were many this year, ranging from androgynous aliens in Gatchaman Crowds to fighting butlers in Mayo Chiki. What most of them have in common is a love of battle. He joined the fighting ranks as Eren's savior Hannes in Attack on Titan and voiced the dapper librarian fighter Mattalast in The Book of Bantorra. He also lent his voice to the Giant Hornets' rat colony leader Kiroumaru in From the New World and you can catch his turn as one of the cruel vampires in Diabolik Lovers this month.

2. Blake Shepard: Sharing the #2 spot with David Wald is Blake Shepard, who you can also hear as Laito Sakamaki, the most dirty-minded vampire in Diabolik Lovers. He also starred as Ikki in Sentai Filmwork's other reverse-harem show, Amnesia, as well as Kaname Osaki in Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East, the bespectacled protagonist Kinjiro Sakamichi in Mayo Chiki, Medaka's older brother Maguro Kurokami in Medaka Box Abnormal, and community leader Laius Persius in Problem Children Are coming from another world, aren't they?

1. David Matranga: Matranga reprised his role as Briareos in the recent CG-animated Appleseed Alpha and Appleseed XIII: Tartaros & Ouranos films this year. He also starred in the new Captain Harlock CG film for its North American theatrical run. His career in 2014 covered a lot of ground overall. He was the handsome pink-haired doctor Akari in Karneval, Rio Satomi in Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East, the Majestic (but not very nice) Prince Jiart, cyborg builder Dr. Easter in Mardock Scramble: The Third Exhaust, and Tomoko's annoyed brother Tomoki Kuroki in WATAMOTE.

The new poll: I guess I'll be fair and make the same poll as last week for the dog-lovers. Which dog Pokemon is the best? The best is subjective to your own opinion, be it looks, strength, etc.

The old poll: Last week we asked "Which cat Pokemon is the best?" with the "best," being subjective to the voters.

1. Espeon 20.7%
2. Mew 17.9%
3. Mewtwo 14.6%
4. Meowth 14.4%
5. Luxray 8.2%
6. Skitty 5.8%
7. Espurr 5.4%
8. Persian 2.6%
9. Shinx 1.9%
10. Pyroar 1.5%
11. Liepard 1.3%
12. Meowstic 1.3%
13. Delcatty 1.1%
14. Luxio 0.9%
15. Litleo 0.8%
16. Purrloin 0.7%
17. Glameow 0.6%
18. Purugly 0.1%

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When she isn't compiling lists of tropes, topics, and characters, Lynzee works as Associate Editor for Anime News Network, blogs about women and LBGT topics in anime and manga on her blog Engendered Dilemma, and posts pictures of her son on Twitter @ANN_Lynzee.