When Crunchyroll first announced they were dubbing Tatsuki Fujimoto’s chaotic masterpiece, the collective anxiety of the anime community was palpable. You could feel it on Reddit. You could hear it in the Discord servers. Fans weren’t just worried about the translation; they were terrified that the raw, cinematic energy of the manga would get lost in a generic "anime voice" performance. But then we actually heard the Chainsaw Man English cast in action. Honestly? It’s probably one of the ballsiest casting decisions in recent dubbing history. Instead of picking the usual heavy hitters who voice every single protagonist, Mike McFarland and the team at Crunchyroll went for something that felt... human.
Denji isn't a hero. He's a starving kid who wants to touch a boob and eat bread with jam. If the voice didn't land that specific brand of desperation, the whole show would’ve collapsed.
The gamble on new blood for Denji and Power
Let’s talk about Ryan Colt Levy. Before he landed Denji, he wasn't exactly a household name in the way some voice acting veterans are. That was a massive risk. If you’ve read the manga, you know Denji is a volatile mix of feral energy and pathetic vulnerability. Levy captures that perfectly. It’s not a polished performance, and that is exactly why it works. He sounds like a teenager who has spent his life eating garbage and fighting devils. There’s a raspiness to his screams that feels painful. It doesn't sound "cool." It sounds like a kid who is genuinely struggling to survive, which is the entire point of the character.
Then you have Reagan Murdock as Aki Hayakawa. This is the "straight man" of the group, the guy who has to carry the emotional weight of a man who knows exactly when he’s going to die. Murdock plays Aki with this stoic, weary dryness. It’s a stark contrast to the absolute lunacy of Power.
Speaking of Power, Sarah Wiedenheft is basically a force of nature here. Power is a narcissist. She’s a pathological liar. She’s a Blood Fiend who thinks humans are beneath her. Wiedenheft uses this weird, pseudo-Shakespearean cadence that makes Power sound both regal and completely insane at the same time. It’s a difficult tightrope to walk. If she went too far, she’d be annoying. If she didn't go far enough, she’d just be another "waifu" character. Instead, she’s a gremlin. We love her for it.
The Makima factor: Suzie Yeung's impossible task
Every fan had an opinion on how Makima should sound. In the original Japanese, Tomori Kusunoki gave her a soft, almost ASMR-like quality that felt dangerous. Suzie Yeung had to replicate that "predator in plain sight" vibe without just copying the Japanese performance.
📖 Related: Why American Beauty by the Grateful Dead is Still the Gold Standard of Americana
She nailed it.
Yeung’s Makima is terrifying because she is so calm. There is no malice in her voice, only a cold, bureaucratic certainty. When she tells Denji he’s her pet, she says it with the same tone someone might use to order a latte. That’s the core of the Chainsaw Man English cast's success—they understood the subtext. They didn't play the tropes; they played the characters.
Why the ADR script mattered more than you think
It isn't just about the actors. The script for the English dub had to handle Fujimoto’s specific brand of dialogue, which often feels more like a Tarantino movie than a Shonen Jump series. The dialogue is snappy. It’s crude. It ignores the flowery monologues that define shows like My Hero Academia or Black Clover.
- The dub keeps the "bark for me" energy intact.
- Casual swearing feels earned, not forced for edge.
- The silence is allowed to breathe.
Mike McFarland, who served as the ADR Director, has been around the block. He did Fullmetal Alchemist. He knows how to build a world through sound. He clearly told these actors to pull back. To be less "anime."
Breaking down the supporting players
You can’t ignore the side characters. They are the ones who ground the world of Public Safety.
👉 See also: Why October London Make Me Wanna Is the Soul Revival We Actually Needed
- Kishibe (Jason Douglas): If you need a voice that sounds like it’s been pickled in whiskey and trauma, Jason Douglas is your man. He brings a "too old for this" energy that makes Kishibe instantly credible as the strongest Devil Hunter.
- Himeno (Marine M. Miller): Himeno is the heart of the early arcs. Miller captures that "big sister who drinks too much because she's sad" vibe without making it a caricature. The chemistry between Miller and Murdock (Aki) is what makes the Katana Man arc actually hurt.
- Kobeni (Bryn Apprill): Kobeni’s constant state of panic is a meme at this point, but Apprill makes her feel genuinely terrified. The high-pitched whimpers aren't just for laughs; you actually feel bad for this girl who is clearly in the wrong profession.
The controversy of the "Kick back" translation
Let's address the elephant in the room. Every dub has its detractors. Some purists felt that the English script strayed too far from the literal Japanese translation in certain scenes. There was a specific kerfuffle on Twitter regarding a line change in the finale of the first season.
In the manga, there’s a recurring theme about "easy revenge." Some fans felt the dub softened certain philosophical points. However, when you look at the Chainsaw Man English cast performances in those moments, the emotional intent is identical. Localization is a balancing act. You have to choose between a word-for-word translation that sounds clunky in English or a vibe-based translation that flows naturally. This dub chose the vibe. It was the right call.
Fujimoto’s work is cinematic. It’s inspired by Western film. It makes sense that the English version would lean into that cinematic, naturalistic style of acting.
What this means for the Reze arc and the movie
With the Reze Arc (the "Bomb Girl" story) being adapted into a movie, the stakes for the English cast are even higher. Reze is a complex character—a mix of sweetness and lethality. The casting for her will be the next big test. If they follow the pattern they established with Denji and Makima, we can expect someone who can handle the shift from a rom-com lead to a cold-blooded assassin in a single sentence.
The fans are watching.
✨ Don't miss: How to Watch The Wolf and the Lion Without Getting Lost in the Wild
Actually, they aren't just watching; they're analyzing every syllable. But given the track record of the first season, the English dub has earned some trust. It’s one of the few modern dubs that feels like it belongs in the same conversation as the original Japanese audio.
How to appreciate the dub even if you're a sub-only fan
If you usually stick to subtitles, give the dub a chance for a rewatch. It changes the perspective. You notice different things. You notice the way Denji’s voice cracks when he talks about his father. You notice the subtle manipulation in Makima’s inflection when she’s "comforting" someone.
- Listen for the ambient noise.
- Pay attention to the breathwork during the fight scenes.
- Notice how the English cast handles the humor versus the horror.
The Chainsaw Man English cast didn't just show up to read lines. They lived in that messy, blood-soaked world for a few months, and it shows in the final product.
Moving forward with Chainsaw Man
If you want to dive deeper into the world of Public Safety, the best way is to compare the nuances. Watch the "Easy Revenge" scene in both languages. Look at how the English script handles the quiet moments in Aki’s apartment.
The next step for any fan is to keep an eye on the official Crunchyroll announcements for the Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc casting. The core team is expected to return, and the chemistry they’ve already built will be the foundation for what is arguably the most emotional arc in the series. Don't just take the internet's word for it—listen to the performances yourself and see if you can hear the heart behind the chainsaws.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Follow the official voice actors on social media for behind-the-scenes insights into their recording process.
- Re-watch Episode 8 ("Gunfire") in English to hear the peak performance of the supporting cast.
- Prepare for the Reze Arc movie by revisiting the manga chapters 40-52 to see how the dialogue might translate to the screen.