Asartificial intelligencecontinues to reshape creative industries, voice actors in anime are beginning to voice concern over the tech’s rapid evolution. While some worry about AI mimicking iconic performances or undercutting professional labor, veteran Japanese voice actor Mamoru Miyano is unshaken. Known for playing characters like Doma inDemon Slayerand Chrollo inHunter x Hunter, Miyano has spoken up on the topic, confidently asserting that AI, no matter how advanced, simply cannot replace what real performers bring to the table.
Miyano’s take, reported via Yahoo Japan andCBR, does not come from fear but from conviction.Reflecting on the growing use of unauthorized AI-generated voices, he remarked that while fans may experiment with the tech, true voice acting is irreplaceable.“Go ahead and do it,” he said. “Even if it’s used a little, it’s fine.” It was not defiance, it was assurance. Miyano believes that AI lacks the emotional nuance and interpretive depth that only human performers can provide, especially when it comes to embodying complex characters in emotionally charged stories.
Why Voice Acting Is About More Than Just Sound
Anime Voice Actors Cannot Be Replaced by the Lifelessness of AI
For Miyano, voice acting is not just about having a voice, it is about delivering a performance.As someone with decades of experience in anime, films, and video games, Miyano knows what it takes to give a character life.Emotional pacing, lived-in experience, and genuine intuition cannot be replicated by code, no matter how sophisticated. It is not about reading lines; it is about inhabiting a character’s entire world.
This belief has only been reinforced by his current projects, including the stylized sci-fi animeLazarus, which demands not only vocal agility but dramatic finesse.Miyano’s comments come at a time when studios and artists alike are weighing the ethics of AI-generated content.But where some fear displacement, Miyano sees a clear boundary: AI may assist or amuse, but it cannot replace the human soul behind a voice.
An Anime Legacy That Cannot Be Replicated by Code
Mamoru Miyano’s reputation is rooted not only in his talent but in the consistencyof his career. With major roles inHunter x Hunter, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood,To Be Hero XandOuran High School Host Club, he has long been a staple of anime’s golden voice actor generation. In 2025 alone, he will be involved in at least six anime productions, includingLazarus. That kind of range and work ethic simply isn’t something an AI can emulate.
Even asfranchises likeHunter x Hunterface delays and uncertain timelines, Miyano’s voice remains a constant in the anime world. Fans trust him to bring gravitas and humanity to every character he touches. So when he saysAIwill not take his place, believe him, because it is not arrogance. It is experience talking.
