It's not often that we have the chance to hear voice actors from the series speak about their experiences recording for their roles and their opinions about the characters themselves. Attendees of Anime Conji 2012 received a rare opportunity to meet none other than David Gallagher, well known for his roles as 7th Heaven's Simon Camden and of course, Kingdom Hearts' Riku.
Over the years, he has voiced various characters for the series with connections to the newly appointed Keyblade Master: the Riku Replica and young Master Xehanort in Birth by Sleep before Ben Diskin was officially cast. His voice is no stranger at all to veterans of the series, and fans eagerly look forward to every new installment, as Riku has been the only character to consistently feature in each title.
At Anime Conji 2012, he revealed a rather interesting piece of information that both delighted and astounded members of the community. Having grown up with gaming and especially the Legend of Zelda series, he admitted to becoming overexcited when it comes to "Fight Day" (the final day of recording for battle cries) and having to hold himself back from sounding too much like Link, which is what his mind automatically associates with battle. He doesn't want to sound like Link and wishes to create his own sound, but no one is perfect so some minor influences may slip out.
Next time you're playing Kingdom Hearts or the Legend of Zelda, why not try to see if you can pick up any similarities?
Source: David Gallagher Anime Conji 2012 Panel
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