Being an anime voice actor is undoubtedly challenging. Extended recording sessions, hundreds of episodes, and numerous scenes requiring intense vocal exertion are all integral to the job. The more popular the series, the higher the demands placed on the actors by the studios.
And since we are talking about voice actors, do you know who gave the voice to Naruto Uzumaki, protagonist of one of the most popular anime Naruto? Her name is Maile Flanagan.
Naruto and its sequel Naruto: Shippuden achieved exceptional success in the industry, elevating voice actress Maile Flanagan to legendary status. Her portrayal of Naruto became a defining role in her career. Remarkably, she has voiced the character for nearly two decades, amassing over 600 episodes.
Flanagan certainly had her work cut out for her while voicing Naruto on his epic journey from a brat to Hokage. Throughout this time, the shinobi engaged in numerous battles that pushed him to his limits, and it was Flanagan’s task to convey those intense struggles.
During her career as Naruto’s voice actor, Flanagan has voiced numerous episodes, but there is this one episode that nearly drove her mad.
It’s a Filler Arc that Emerged as The Most Challenging for The Voice Actor
While many fans might assume that moments like Naruto’s battles against Pain or the emotional clashes with Sasuke would be the most challenging to voice. But, according to Maile Flanagan, it’s actually a filler arc that stood out as the most challenging.
In response to a question from Madman Anime about the most challenging episode to record, Flanagan humorously remarked, “All of them.” She went on to describe a specific episode that stood out as exceptionally demanding.
It was a filler episode where she was on a ship, and in that episode, she had to portray five or seven different versions of Naruto, each with different emotions.
Flanagan described it as a bit schizophrenic and noted that it probably had the most lines in an episode she had ever done. In this particular episode, it was just her voicing the entire time, for a total of 23 minutes.
Also Read: 6 Actors With the Deepest, Manliest Voices Who Should Voice Kurama in Naruto Live Action Movie
Naruto’s Revenge of Shadow Clones – Paradise Life on a Boat arc
The filler episode she mentioned occurs just before the Fourth Shinobi War begins and is appropriately titled the Paradise Life on a Boat arc.
In this arc, Naruto, along with many other characters, sets sail as they attempt to keep Naruto hidden from the Akatsuki. During one part of this storyline, Naruto’s shadow clones rebel against him, capturing him and plotting to assume his life.
The peculiar plot has the shadow clones even threatening to kill Naruto before he awakens, realizing it was all just a dream. Through this odd experience, Naruto gains a newfound respect for his clones.
While the filler episode posed a significant recording challenge for Flanagan due to its complexity, there’s another moment in Naruto that was equally challenging but for profoundly personal reasons.
During an interview for the show’s 20th Anniversary, Flanagan shared that she had a great deal of difficulty recording the scene when Naruto reunited with his mother. This was because she had recently lost her own mother, making the emotional content of the scene particularly poignant and challenging for her to perform.
Despite these difficulties, Flanagan’s dedication to her role as Naruto has been unwavering, and her performance has solidified her status as a legend in the industry.
Source: YouTube, Crunchyroll
