I recently got an opportunity to speak with the one who has brought adorable characters like Nezuko and Momo to life in the English versions of Demon Slayer and Dandadan. Yes, it’s none other than Abby Trott, the versatile voice actress. I was extremely excited to learn about Abby’s experiences voicing two of the most fan-favorite anime characters: Momo Ayase and Nezuko Kamado. As we engaged in conversation with Abby, she revealed her remarkable journey from being a puppet operator to a talented voice actor. While her journey is inspirational, no doubt, the challenges she faces in portraying Nezuko and Momo are something that I was not aware of.
Tokyo’s Puppets to Anime Voice Acting
Abby Trott has been extremely diverse when it comes to career choices. So, I was excited to learn about her professional journey and what exactly inspired her to become a voice artist. And well, Abby surely had an interesting story to tell.
I started by asking her about her journey, as I read a lot about her doing puppet shows in Tokyo. Well, Abby didn’t hesitate to share the story; she was always passionate about acting, so she was working basically gigging as an actor. She also added that she was getting puppets in the shows as that was a part of her regular job, but she never calls herself a puppeteer.
“I got to use puppets for a couple of the shows I was in. One of them was called Fun with Zap. It was super cute for little kids. I was puppeting a little rabbit puppet. However, I wouldn’t call myself a puppeteer because when I think of that, I think of like Jim Henson-level puppeteers.”
Aparna: What exactly drew you to pursue a voice acting career?
Abby: Well, I was really passionate about performing. I loved acting and music growing up, and thought I wanted to be an actor one day. But I didn’t really know what I wanted to focus on. And that’s kind of how I ended up in Japan. I kind of took a detour. Originally, I was participating in the jet program, a teaching exchange program, to break away, travel, and gain some experience. Because I had never been on an airplane at that point in my life.
My first flight was moving to Japan, which was quite an experience. However, while I was there, I taught for two years in Akita, Japan, in the North. And then I moved to Tokyo to get back to acting and music. And that’s where I really first got a taste of doing voiceover for textbooks, some promos here and there, and YouTube narrations. Additionally, I was doing some character voices for the puppets in the shows I was in.
If we were on stage and the Kigurumi, the mascot character, needed a voiceover, I would do some of those, too; I really loved it. I learned that voiceover was a real career, not just part of an actor’s career, but like, there are full-time voiceover actors. I’ve always been a fan of animation, video games, and anime. So I was naturally drawn to that idea. That’s when I moved back to the United States to pursue it fully. Because the opportunities in Japan at the time were limited, and there weren’t many English-speaking voiceover opportunities for original animation or even anime dubbing. Most of that is done overseas, so I came back to the United States.
Aparna: What was your reaction when you got your first voice acting gig?
Abby: That’s an interesting story. I moved back to the United States. I started taking
classes, but at the same time, I found a contest online hosted by Bang Zoom, which is the studio
that dubs Demon Slayer, Dandanan, and many other things, and also hosted by Star Child
Entertainment. I entered this contest, which was an anime voiceover competition called
Perfect Idol.
This was a YouTube competition. So I had to put two videos on YouTube. One was a talent video aside from a voiceover. I sang and played instruments, essentially showcasing other talents beyond my voice. The other video was a voiceover video. I didn’t really know what to do, so I just did some impressions because I believe I’m good at these. Let me just throw that out there. But it was so scary because I was afraid that the Internet was going to rip me apart. You know, at that point, I know it’s terrifying.
“I didn’t know if I was good at it. When you’re not 100% confident or feel like you’re new at something, it’s incredibly hard to put yourself out there. But I wasn’t new to acting. So, you know, I’d been doing that my whole life. When we went to the second stage of the competition, it was a directed callback.”
There was a final stage of this competition where they flew the finalists out to LA to do the finale. I ended up winning this competition, and I dubbed my first anime called Miss Monochrome. It’s a really cute, short five-episode anime based on Yuri Horie. She’s a singer in Japan. She made this character who’s like an Android, and she has a pet, Roomba, and it’s pretty cute. So that was. Yeah, that was my first taste of doing VA in the United States.
Abby Trott’s Favorite Roles and Infinity Castle Excitement
Abby has worked on several amazing anime projects over the years, and when I got a chance to speak to her, she seemed to be extremely thrilled about Infinity Castle’s theatrical release around the world. So, I dived into her experience voicing Nezuko in the series while also learning about her Infinity Castle excitement.
However, that wasn’t the end of the story, as Abby also revealed interesting Momo stories and how voicing this particular character from Dandadan cracked her up in the booth at times. Besides that, I also used the opportunity to ask the talented voice actress about her favorite manga, anime characters, video games, and many other things.
Aparna: You have voiced numerous anime characters, so who is your favourite?
Abby: Oh, I can’t pick one. There are so many (giggles). Oh man, I’m having a lot of fun with Momo right now. So, I’ll say Momo.
“Nezuko and the Demon Slayers changed my life, so I have to throw Nezuko in there. She’s the most precious bean.”
Oh no, I can’t pick one more. I’m just going to say that this is a wild card, and I’m sure it’ll change depending on my mood. But I’m going to say Akane Kinoshita from My Love Story with Yamada-kun at level 999. She’s just so relatable.
I expected that she would surely say Nezuko, as she is one of the most adorable and complicated characters that Abby has voiced so far. So, how can I not shoot the question that has intrigued me the most from the beginning?
Aparna: Nezuko is a character who speaks very little, so how challenging was it for you to voice her?
Abby: It’s challenging in some ways and easy in other ways. She says, “The fight scenes are vocally challenging because it’s very stressful to be growling and fighting. You know, it’s not great for your vocal cords.”
I needed to do vocal rest afterwards, but some recording sessions were simple. I wouldn’t say easy, but as far as strenuous goes, they were easy. Where Nezuko just pops in for like the end of the episode, Taisho era secret, and she just goes. And you know, that’s pretty much it. That’s the episode, so it depends on the recording day.
I spoke to Abby before Infinity Castle’s first movie’s release, so I just asked her how excited she was for the big premiere. Abby said that she just got a chance to watch the film in its entirety for the first time. It was an epic experience, she said. But as she couldn’t spoil it for fans, all Abby said was that the fight sequences are just incredible.
“Ufotable is just so brilliant at doing what they do. The fighting sequences are so cool to watch. They are not broken up, but it’s like their flow is interesting because they’ll do some slow shots, and then they’ll speed it up. It just looks so cool, especially the sword techniques. The blood demon arts and the breathing styles, like the water breathing style, look epic. It’s just great.”
Aparna: Have you read the entire manga?
Abby: I haven’t read the complete thing. I can’t remember which volume I’m on now. Very early on, though, like, some key points of the story were kind of spoiled for me. So I do know moments that happen, I just don’t know entirely how they come about, how the story unfolds. So I know kind of what’s coming. I’m just curious to see how we get there.
Aparna: What are your best Nezuko moments so far?
Abby: I think I can go through and tell you my favorite. The first one is where Nezuko first gets turned into a demon, and she’s attacking Tanjiro, and he’s got the axe handle in her jaws, and he’s trying, pleading with her to remember who she is. Then, she starts crying. That’s like a pivotal key moment for me. I could cry just thinking about it. It’s just the strongest. It sums up Nezuko’s core; she’s able to realize in that moment what’s happening, which is not common when you’re turned into a demon. A lot of these demons will lose their memories of the human. And I feel like something clicked there for Nezuko.
The second one is when she does her blood demon art. It’s the first time we’ve seen her do any sort of blood demon art. And then she was triggered by the fight with Rui and defending Tanjiro, which led to a flashback memory moment. So we see little bits of her humanity and memories, peeking through and motivating her.
Then there’s the fight with Daki, where she loses herself again, and her transformation levels up again. She has the horn, and her vines come through, and she loses herself for a moment, becoming a little maniacal when fighting Daki. Then Tanjiro sings the lullaby to her, and she’s reminded again of who she is; she calms down, cries, and goes to sleep.
Those are some truly powerful moments. Also, I have to mention the scene where Nezuko overcomes the sun, which is a big deal. Obviously, if you’re a demon, you shouldn’t be able to go out in the sun, but Nezuko can, and that’s why Muzan is so interested in her.
Another favorite moment of mine is when Zenitsu is coming back to the village after having been away, and he sees Nezuko out in the sun for the first time, and he’s so excited, and he is, like, fawning over her. And then she just says, Welcome home, Inosuke.
Nezuko’s journey in Demon Slayer has truly been emotionally devastating for fans. So, it’s evident that they may want to know what a VA experiences while voicing the character. Well, Abby shared something interesting on that. Abby says the scene where Nezuko is fighting Daki and Tanjiro is singing a lullaby to calm his sister down was extremely emotional for her. In fact, there are several instances where she broke down while voicing the character. One of the other such moments was when Nezuko stepped out in the sun.
“As an actor, you’re screaming and going through that painful situation. It’s not easy to watch, and it wasn’t easy to record. Afterwards, there’s a happy moment, though. So it’s kind of like sad tears to happy tears.”
Aparna: Let’s say, hypothetically, Momo and Nezuko cross paths with each other. So, what do you think will be their dynamic? Will they become friends instantly, or will they form an enmity?
Abby: I think they would become friends because I think at their core, they have similar driving motives. Momo is a protector, and so is Nezuko, in a way. They both protect those they love. Momo stands up to bullies. She was bullied as a child, and she will not stand to see others being bullied.
Nezuko is one of those characters who is very empathetic and caring, almost maternal, to her own family members. And I think that she would definitely be a defender as well. So, because they have those motivating core factors, I think that they would be friends.
Aparna: Nezuko and Momo are polar opposites, but do you think they have some similar traits besides their protectiveness towards loved ones?
Abby: I think that they both have kind of, like, I mean, everyone has different sides to them. Like, Momo has her kind of tough external side, and Nezuko has her demonic, you know, tough side to her. However, they both also have a softer side, where Momo is cute and flirty with Okarun. Nezuko, when she’s her normal self or her Chibi version, is kind of like a calmer version. So I would say that, I guess.
Aparna: Aside from the projects you have worked on so far, is there any anime that is close to your heart?
Abby: I grew up watching Pokémon. Like, that was my. Maybe my first anime. Also, like,
original Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. Although it’s been so long since I’ve seen these shows, they really kind of helped shape my love for anime. But my favorite anime is Princess Mononoke. I mean, like, out of shows and movies or whatever it could be, I love Princess Mononoke so much. It’s like, I just saw it in IMAX, actually, like, a couple of months ago, and I forgot because it had been a while since I’d seen it; It’s so beautiful. But it’s also, like, really violent and dark. And it has such interesting themes.
The messages are so powerful. You can kind of empathize with both sides of this. There’s a character, Lady Eboshi, who’s like, in some eyes, the villain. But you can also empathize with her because she’s taking care of her village and helping people. And then there’s San, the wolf girl who is trying to protect the forest. It’s such a great film. I would recommend it to anyone.
Aparna:. The anime category is really vast. I was wondering if there’s any ongoing anime series you would like to be a part of in the future?
Abby: I guess I’m watching Frieren right now. I’m like halfway, a little over halfway through
season one. I just really love the vibe of it. It’s kind of a slower-paced, a little bit. And it’s a different tone from other anime that I’ve been in. So I’d like to do something like that. Also, you know, Pokémon is legendary, of course. I’ve never been in Pokémon.
“I would love to be in Pokémon, like any part, really. My favorite Pokémon is Larvitar, but I don’t need to voice Larvitar. I just want to be in Pokémon. I’ll do literally anything.”
Aparna: You are a talented voice artist, and I am pretty sure you have worked with several other brilliant artists. So, is there any particular voice actor or voice actors that you absolutely adore working with?
Abby: I’ve been really lucky to work with some of my voiceover idols. Right now I’m in Dandadan with Kari Wahlgren. She’s one of my favorites. And she’s so sweet and so talented; she’s one of the people who has inspired me in so many ways, especially when I listen to her perform. She’s a brilliant actor. And then she’s also so versatile.
One of my earlier jobs was on a show called Bunicula. It’s not an anime. It’s a cartoon based on a book. I think it was Warner Bros. that did it. I had a session with Kari and some of the other cast. And in the session, she was voicing the main character. I think it was Mina. And then also some other characters in the episode. The mother rabbit and like baby rabbits. And just the way she, you know, is instantly flawless. So smooth and so brilliant. I was just blown away by being in the room with her, and I was like, I want to be like that. She’s incredible, you know, so I’ll shout out Kari. But there are so many actors I’m inspired by.
Besides voicing anime characters, Abby also enjoys reading manga. When I asked her about her favourite one, she instantly said Naruto, as that was the one she started reading growing up. However, she also said that she didn’t read the whole thing as it kept going forever. Abby also revealed that she is reading Dandadan currently, and she totally loves it. She also adds that she is biased towards Dandadan because she is in it.
“I think if I had read Dandadan, not having been in the show, I would have been into it because of the themes of sci-fi and horror. It’s also a romance; there’s so much going on. The action is great, and it’s funny. I really love Dandadan.”
Aparna: Which manga do you want to see turned into an anime?
Abby: I haven’t read any manga that isn’t an anime yet. I don’t think anything other than like some really obscure. Forget the name of. It was like a Shonen Jump, like manga from years ago that was about a snow queen or something. However, it was like a one-shot, rather than a series. It was just like a story. Like, yeah, I don’t think I’ve read anything that hasn’t been turned into an anime yet.
Aparna: Was there any moment that cracked you up in the Booth, and made you laugh harder before you voice the character all the time?
Abby: Yeah. So a lot of times, like AJ’s scream. AJ voices Okarun in Dandadan. If he’s recorded before me, and there’s a lot of screaming in the show, sometimes he’ll come in and record screams before I get to do it. And then the director will be like, Do you want me to play you what AJ did just so I can hear what he did, so that I do something that is not too similar. It always makes me laugh. His screams are so funny. And then there are lines. Kari’s character, my grandma Seiko, has hilarious lines.
There’s Barbara Goodson, who voices Turbo Granny; also hilarious. So one of the Turbo Granny lines that I hadn’t heard until I saw it in the theater was the one from Evil Eye, where I had recorded that fight scene first.
And then Turbo Granny; I don’t know if you’ve seen Evil Eye, but Turbo Granny shows up and she takes the lay of the land, and she goes, ‘ Who are those bitches? ‘ And it’s just the funniest delivery I’ve ever heard. It got me good. I started cracking up in the theater, and I realized everybody else was doing the same. I felt like I was laughing harder than everyone else because I hadn’t expected it, having recorded the first part again.
Aparna: Apart from anime, your portfolio also consists of video games. Besides voicing the video game characters, do you also play games?
Abby: I play less than I used to. It’s mainly a time factor. Like, I used to play a lot more. I’m a Nintendo fan, so The Legend of Zelda and Metroid are two of my favorite franchises. I really like the side scrollers. Super Metroid is one of my favorite games of all time.
I think it’s a perfect game. And I love that they’re kind of bringing back those Metroidvania side scrollers. Hollow Knight was really good. I think the second one just came out, actually, and I haven’t had a chance to play that yet. But, yeah, I play when I can. I actually just played. I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s one of the Kirby games for Switch that I bought a long time ago, and it was just sitting on the shelf. I was like, ‘I still haven’t played this game.’ I finally played through it. Yeah.
Aparna: You have voiced Nezuko in Demon Slayer: Hinokami Chronicles. Did you have a similar experience voicing this character in two different mediums?
Abby: It was similar in many ways, as it’s essentially a recap of the show. And so a lot of the dialogue is similar or identical to the show. So it was kind of like a walk down memory lane, you know, it was like revisiting the series, and I got to kind of relive those moments, which was cool because usually when you record a show, you’re done, and you don’t get to do that again. So, Hinokami Chronicles is a way to relive it, you know?
Aparna: You have worked on diverse anime projects. Could you name three of your favorites?
Abby: It’s really hard to choose because everyone likes different stuff. I think Demon Slayer and Dandadan are the top two for me. I’m going to say My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Level 999 is the third one. However, it’s a wild card that I’m gonna change every time someone asks me that question. But that show, it’s like I had never recorded. I don’t watch many romance anime, but I watched that one, and I really loved it. I thought it was cute. And the characters are very likable. Eita is my favorite character. Even if you’re not into romance, like, I would give that one a shot because it’s well, good.
Aparna: Initially, fans had to wait for English dubs of an anime to get released. Now, in the age of simulcasting, the process has evolved. So, how has the process changed for you? I mean, do you get enough time to prepare?
Abby: It really depends on the show. I work with different studios, and a lot of times, there are different recording schedules and different delivery schedules. Typically, you’ll receive the episode a week or two ahead of time. You dub it, and then they try to deliver it at the same time. I have been recently working on some shows for which we were working on the animatics. So it was an unfinished animation. And we would usually get the Japanese voiceover in our ear for timing.
But since the animation wasn’t finished, we couldn’t really match the lip flap because they weren’t done animating it yet. So that’s been interesting. That’s kind of a newer trend, I feel like; typically, you get finished animation for dubbing. In some ways, it’s easier because you don’t have to match the lip flap; however, in other ways, it’s harder because you have to listen and ensure your timing is accurate, and the engineer must fine-tune the details. And I’m sure it’s harder because they have less of a finished product to work with. So. Yeah, it’s a different process depending on what you’re working on.
That’s a wrap on our interview with Abby Trott. I want to thank Abby Trott and Melanie DuPont for giving me this amazing opportunity. It was really fun learning about Abby’s experience as a voice artist in the thriving anime industry. Now, all that’s left for me to do is to recommend you to watch Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie in your nearest theatres, if you haven’t already.
Ajith Kumar
Shashank Shakya
Ajith Kumar
