Television
ByMargarida Bastos/
Out of all the characters in Sui Ishida's "Tokyo Ghoul,"Shuu Tsukiyama may be a good contender for the most unsettling character in the series. Although, if he had to take any prize, it would be a trophy for the most unabashedly eccentric character in the anime show. His mannerisms and general attitude toward others make him stand out as one of the most unforgettable characters in "Tokyo Ghoul."
Naturally, such a unique character with these peculiar idiosyncrasies required a talented and versatile voice actor to bring him to life. Unsurprisingly, both the original Japanese voice actor and the English dub actor have impressive records and undeniable skill. In fact, Mamoru Miyano and J. Michael Tatum share more than one character in their résumé. However, as the older of the two, Tatum has more titles to his name, some of which have made his voice highly recognizable in the industry.
Ouran High School Host Club's mommy
Crunchyroll
Usually calm, cool, and collected, Kyoya Ootori may be similar toShu Tsukiyama in that they are both from an extremely wealthy and affluent family. However, Kyoya definitely does not share the ghoul's eccentricity, as that characteristic belongs to his best friend, Tamaki Suō. Indeed, Kyoya often serves as the balancing force to Tamaki's extravagant nature.
While the Japanese dub of "Ouran HighSchool Host Club" is near perfect, the English dub is a hysterical fest that is worth the watch. Indeed, it is obvious how much of a blast the actors had during the recording sessions. If it is not clear while watching the 26 episodes of the rom-com, it becomes absolutely apparent in the series' bloopers. With fellow voice actor Caitlin Glass as the ADR director (via Fandom), the 2006 anime reached new comical heights with its English-spoken version.
You can watch all the episodes of the English dub version of "Ouran HighSchool Host Club" on Funimation.
A Hell of a butler
Aniplex of America
The next entry on this list corresponds to one of the most capable servants to have existed in anime. Some may even say he's "one hell of a butler." Indeed, J. Michael Tatum lent his voice to Sebastian Michaelis, devoted butler to Ciel Phantomhive in the Victorian Era-set series "Black Butler," which started in 2008.
While his Japanese counterpart(Daisuke Ono) also does a fantastic job bringing the demon servant to life, Tatum's interpretation of the character is iconic. There's a smoothness and elegance Tatum applies to Sebastian's voice that fits him perfectly, and he is also capable of squeezing the comedic potential out of the show's funnier scenes, especially those involving cats — Sebastian's weakness. Tatum voiced Sebastian in all the anime's seasons, as well as the 2014 live-action film adaptation.
The first three dubbed seasons of "Black Butler" are also available on Funimation.
A mad scientist who leapt through time
Funimation
The next character on this list is one that J. MichaelTatum also shares withMamoru Miyano, and it is yet another eccentric personality. First appearing in 5pb's and Nitroplus's mind-blowing visual novel, Rintaro Okabe is the protagonist of "Steins;Gate" and "Steins;Gate 0".
Throughout the series, Rintaro undergoes a complex character arc sparked by his tampering with time and world lines, as well as its unforeseen consequences. He starts off as a self-proclaimed mad scientist whom not many people take seriously. As the plot progresses and Rintaro is faced with adversity after adversity, he becomes a more serious and no-nonsense character.
"Steins;Gate" is also another case wherein the two dubs have striking differences. An example of a scene where this is noticeable is when Rintaro (who's Japanese) attempts to speak English to a salesperson on the street. In the Japanese version, Miyano speaks in broken English, whereas in the English version, Rintaro attempts to speak street slang. Both versions are hilarious in their own right.
Tatum was also an adaptive writer on the series, who helped with writing the English adaptation. You can watch him summarizing the whole of "Steins;Gate" Season 1 while dressed in Rintaro's lab coat in avideo posted by Crunchyroll.
UA's Class 1-A's class representative
Crunchyroll
J. MichaelTatum plays another fairly serious character with dark hair and glasses in all seasons and films of "My Hero Academia." Tenya Ida is an aspiring pro-hero who is serious about school and has the funniest — and stiffest — hand gestures. In fact, Tatum, who is an extremely physical voice actor, imitates Tenya's physicality while in the recording booth. In an interview with Anime Adventures, the actor said, "Tenya in 'My Hero' does a lot of hand motions, and I do that anyway, and I think that's why I got cast."
Tenya appears from Episode 3 of the superhero anime show, "Roaring Muscles," and he has an assiduous presence in both the animated series and manga.
"My Hero Academia" is, at the time of this writing, airing its sixth season. The English dub is coming out just slightly behind the original Japanese episodes. You can watch the dub version of the anime on Funimation or Crunchyroll.
The brave commander of the Scouts
Crunchyroll
The final entry on this list may be the last but it is certainly not the least. In one of the most popular anime series of all time, J. Michael Tatum also shares another character with Daisuke Ono. The actors play the courageous and calculating commander Erwin Smith in the first three seasons of "Attack on Titan."
It is widely known that "Attack on Titan" has some of the most jaw-dropping cliffhangers in anime history. So much so that even the actors felt impatient to know what would happen next. In an interview on Season 3, Tatum said, "It's always fun to come back to a show that you've gotten to where your character is established and you get to kinda explore. Like, 'All right, where we're going with them now,' but especially with 'Titan' because every time the season ends, you're like, 'Wow! What are they doing? What's happening now? I can't wait two years!'"
Although Tatum and Erwin are no longer in the series at this point, their presence and bravery are certainly not forgettable.
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