Meet Jibril, my latest Anime character! She appears in No Game No Life which will be released by Sentai Filmworks on July 28th. (If you are in Houston, there is a free screening of the first four episodes tonight, 7:30, at the Alamo Drafthouse off Mason Rd.)
Described on fan sites as the youngest and strongest of the Flügel race, Jibril is a kind of killer angel with unprecedented power, an unquenchable love of knowledge, and an insufferable haughtiness towards pretty much everyone else.
Unlike some of my past characters, I got to use the higher end of my vocal register for Jibril. When I arrived in the recording studio for the first session, our intrepid director Kyle Jones’ (check out his photography!) words were: “we’re going high for this one, just not Japan high.” Fans of Anime know exactly what he is talking about. The original Japanese voice actresses are in a whole other realm of thrillingly girlish squeals and racing adolescent fury.
Regardless of my thoughts on feminine infantilization, my job as the English dub is to find a balance between honoring the original interpretation of the character that fans love and creating a voice more accessible for American women. Jibril’s behavioral flips from smoothly elitist barbs to quirkily obsessive passion made this role a lot of fun to play with.
Check out the series and see if Jibril’s voice hits the right note for you! Pre-order your copy of No Game No Life here. Aschente!
