The American company Funimation Entertainment is known for dubbing some of the most beloved Japanese anime into English. Their dubs are often fondly remembered and well-rated, furthering igniting the longstanding battle of subs vs dubs.
One way to determine the best Funimation dubs is based on their combined scores on MyAnimeList, though this score certainly doesn’t mean the anime is only loved for its voice acting. Over the years, anime fans have seen brothers in alchemy, man-eating Titans, future gadgets, and many other hijinks dubbed into English by Funimation.
10 The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya — MAL Score: 8.65
Based on the fourth novel in the series, the feature film The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya involves characters forgetting about the SOS Brigade and a missing Haruhi Suzumiya and Itsuki Koizumi in this supernatural movie with plenty of mystery.
Crispin Freeman (Hellsing) voices Kyon, the main character who’s trying to piece the characters back together after they seem to lose their memories of the club. There’s also Wendee Lee (Cowboy Bebop) as Haruhi Suzumiya and Michelle Ruff (Akira) as Yuki Nagato.
9 Mushishi — MAL Score: 8.69
Mushishi is considered a very thought-provoking anime starring Ginko, a traveling Mushishi who seeks out Mushi, primordial beings that influence humans and the world around them, sometimes in positives ways and other times in negative ones. It’s Ginko’s mission to determine if the Mushi in question is a blessing or a curse and handle their transgressions.
Ginko finds himself up against telepathy, time loops, and more as the Mushi attempt to force people to accept that their actions have consequences and possibly try to heal their wounds. Ginko, the real glue that holds the entire show together as the only character in every episode, is voiced by Travis Willingham in the Funimation dub. It has been called one of the best yokai series.
8 Cowboy Bebop — MAL Score: 8.78
Considered one of the best dubs in anime history, the sci-fi and comedic adventures of the Cowboy Bebop bounty hunting crew is a dub beloved by many. This includes the likes of Steve Blum voicing the carefree bounty hunter Spike Spiegel along with Wendee Lee as the voice of the femme fatale Faye Valentine.
This is a space western with plenty of enjoyable jazz beats to keep ears happy. Cowboy Bebop is considered the “Gold Standard” of English dubbing that arguably surpasses even its original Japanese counterpart in various ways, which is high praise indeed for any dub.
7 Mob Psycho 100 II — MAL Score: 8.84
The second season of Mob Psycho continues the story of kid psychic Mob working alongside the fake exorcist, Reigen. Mob’s powers are ever-growing, and the threat of them going out of control when his emotions reach 100% is ever daunting. Kyle McCarley (Infinity Train) and Chris Niosi (TOME) reprise their roles as Mob and Reigen respectively.
In the second season, both Mob and Reigen continue to help those with supernatural problems, from evil spirits to urban legends. However, Mob’s character has evolved so he’s not listening to everything Reigen says. In turn, the slice of life comedy turns to a darker tone as the danger rises. The series from One-Punch Man‘s creator has gotten so popular that it even beat out its mega-successful predecessor in a popularity poll.
6 Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 — MAL Score: 8.91
The first season was the tenth highest-ranking with a score of 8.72, but the second season of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion managed to top it. This season takes place one year after the Black Rebellion with the Black Knights in danger of losing everything without their leader.
With no memories of his double life as Zero, Lelouch Lamperouge is living a quiet life, but now former partner C.C. refuses to let things end this way and seeks to remind him of his past. The beloved English cast reprises their roles from the previous season, including Kate Higgins (Sailor Moon) as C.C., Johnny Yong Bosch (Bleach) as Lelouch, and the highly prolific Yuri Lowenthal as Suzaku.
5 Your Name. — MAL Score 8.95
Your Name. is a feature film that is also considered one of the most popular romance anime. This supernatural romance is about two students who unexpectedly swap bodies: Mitsuha Miyamizu, a country girl who yearns to live in Tokyo, and Taki Tachibana, who’s putting in the hard work to become an architect.
Mitsuha’s voice actor is Stephanie Sheh, the voice of Orihime Inoue in Bleach and Hinata Hyuga in Naruto. Taki’s voice actor is Michael Sinterniklaas, who voiced Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the 2003-2010 version of the show) and Kazuki Shimada in A Silent Voice: The Movie. The film has received numerous awards, including “Best Female Vocal Performance in an Anime Feature Film/Special in a Supporting Role” for Laura Post’s portrayal of Miki Okudera. In addition, Sinterniklaas was nominated for “Best Male Lead Vocal Performance in an Anime Feature Film/Special.”
4 Gintama Season 4 — MAL Score: 9.10
Gintama is a fourth-wall-breaking action comedy featuring an alternate-reality version of Edo in which swords are banned and aliens have taken over Japan. The English cast includes Michael Daingerfield (Smallville) as Gintoki Sakata, Cole Howard (Dragon Ball Z Kai) as Shinpachi Shimura, Janyse Jaud (Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Bitty Adventures) as Tae Shimura, and Jocelyne Loewen (Littlest Pet Shop) as Kagura.
This was definitely a challenge to dub since plenty of the references the comedy relies on are based on Japanese culture, which may be lost on American audiences.
3 Steins;Gate — MAL Score: 9.11
Adapted from a visual novel, Steins;Gate is a thriller, sci-fi anime in which Rintarou Okabe, a “mad” scientist, spends his time inventing future gadgets along with his colleagues in his lab. The real sci-fi elements in the series pick up with the invention of the “Phone Microwave,” which the gang discovers can send emails to the past, influence the state of the future.
Some voice highlights include Rintaro, who is voiced in the English dub by J. Michael Tatum. He is probably most well-known for voicing Sebastian Michaelis in Black Butler. Ashly Burch (Life is Strange) voices Mayuri Shiina and Trina Nishimura (Attack on Titan) voices Kurisu Makise.
2 Attack on Titan: The Final Season — MAL Score 9.15
Considered one of the best anime dubs of 2020, Attack on Titan: The Final Season features numerous shocking revelations, from the mysterious Yeager family basement to the truth about the Titans and the outside world. As the Survey Corps arrive on Paradis, they cause unexpected trouble for Gabi Braun and Falco Grice, who were planning on inheriting one of the seven Titans.
The third highest-ranking Funimation dub was actually Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 at a score of 9.11, beat out by the final season with a score only 0.04 points higher. Cast highlights include Bryce Papenbrook as Eren Yeager, Matthew Mercer as Levi, and Trina Nishimura as Mikasa Ackerman.
1 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood — MAL Score 9.18
Held up as one of the best anime dubs in history and widely considered to be better dubbed than subbed, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the story of two brothers, Edward Elric voiced by Vic Mignogna and Alphonse Elric voiced by Maxey Whitehead, who are on the hunt for a philosopher’s stone to fix their grave mistakes.
There are plenty of amazing voice acting performances in the show, including Travis Willingham as the lovable (and hate-able) Roy Mustang, Colleen Clinkenbeard as the tough as nails Riza Hawkeye, and Troy Baker as the redeemed Homunculus Greed.
About The Author