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Voice Actor Maile Flanagan Reflects on 20 Years of Naruto

The very voice of Naruto had her Anime NYC Q&A panel on the convention's final day. To the anime's many avid fans, it meant that the best was saved for last. Maile Flanagan's star power had managed to fill almost the entire Sakura Stage; it got so big that fans had to form two lines to approach the mic and ask Flanagan questions. The volume of fans didn't seem to overwhelm Flanagan, however, and she used her experience as a former stand-up comedian to weave her answers with jokes guaranteed to land a laugh a minute.

The panel itself was straightforward, allowing Flanagan to reflect on her twenty-year legacy as Naruto. A question about how she first found out how big Naruto actually was prompted Flanagan to recall a Los Angeles Sparks game from some twenty-odd years ago. “Anime Expo was happening that weekend,” Flanagan recalled. “I walked out of the parking lot, and at the steps of the convention center, there were 40-50 people dressed as Naruto taking a group photo, and I was like, 'Oh my God!'”

Flanagan was quick to note the character's exponential increase in popularity over the years. “To fill a panel like this, it's nuts. And Naruto is multi-generational too, and that's also nuts.” You can tell Flanagan's last comment came from a place of genuine flabbergastment. When asked what it was like knowing how an entire generation of kids grew up with Naruto, she jokingly responded with “I'm not fit to be a mother! Or a father.” The audience took the quip with a hearty laugh, and had the fan who asked the original question quip back: “We're like the kids you never wanted!”

The question also prompted Flanagan to reflect on a humorous moment she shared with fellow voice actress Bennett Abara, who voices Naruto's son, Boruto. “We were standing at the airport in TSA,” Flanagan recalled, “and she turns to me and is like, 'DAD!'” After another round of laughter, Flanagan humorously warned, “Please don't do this in public. They're going to get you out of there with that line.”

Regarding how she stays motivated, Flanagan responded with some tried and true knowledge: “Never give up, pursue your dreams. Sometimes you just need to be reminded that you are also living your dream. At least I am. It's hard when you're stuck on the 405 in LA, swearing to yourself because there was an accident and you're stuck there for two and a half hours. But then I get to go to a job I really like, so that's helped me.”

That being said, being a voice actress wasn't originally in the cards for Flanagan. “I wanted to be a diplomat,” she admitted, “But it pays better being a superstar.”

The voice acting process would come into the mix. Whenever it came time to record lines, Flanagan reported that things were often done with little context. “It's always a cold read,” she said. “Unless you reach the manga, which....I ain't got time for that!” That last bit got another chuckle from the audience.

Flanagan continued. “But when put into context, you might record something and then a week later you'll finish the episode. “So if you last remember, we were walking in the woods when suddenly a giant toad pops out, right?” So they put it in context in that way, and just for context, right before this, just so we can get into it. How do I put myself in the context? Well, I better, because I'm being paid! You know, good actors can pull this off, and if you're a shitty one, you can't.”

Last but not least, Flanagan's thoughts on Naruto x Sasuke shipping? “I'm for it!”

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ANN's coverage of Anime NYC 2025 is sponsored by Yen Press!