Bryce Papenbrook is a voice actor known for his roles in various anime, such as Kirito in Sword Art Online, Eren in Attack on Titan, Ceasar in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Shirou in Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works, and many others. He has also lent his pipes to non-anime roles, including Cat Noir in Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir and in numerous video games.

Scoop had the opportunity to chat with Papenbrook at Otakon 2018, where he discussed the massive impact that anime continues to have in the entertainment industry and where we can hear him next.

Scoop: How has Otakon treated you this year?
Bryce Papenbrook (BP): It’s been great. I had an autograph session that went a lot longer than I thought it would – a lot of people showed up, which is incredible. Coming to conventions, for a voice actor, is like a voice actor’s applause. We’re in this soundproof booth, and if you do something that’s funny, or something that’s great and really gets the message, you just hear the director hit the button and go “yeah, great, moving on.” It’s not like when you’re on stage. You’re just putting your voice out there and you don’t really realize that people are seeing this and that it’s touching them in different ways. That’s why I love coming to conventions, to be able to hear those stories and see that my work did make it out and touch people. That people appreciate it – that’s my applause.

Scoop: The biggest presence at Otakon this year seems to be Fate – it’s even on the lanyards this year. Fate is so huge right now, and you’ve been involved with the franchise for a while now. Could you discuss how big it’s become and reflect on your experience with the series?
BP: I was familiar with the Fate franchise before I was attached to it. The role I was cast in was Shiro Emiya, in Unlimited Blade Works, which we refer to as “unlimited budget” because of how much it must have cost to do that animation. I know that there’s all of these different routes and stories that have happened and shows that have come out of that, and there’s an amazing mobile game that people are totally addicted to. Recently, I recorded a movie, Heaven’s Feel, and that hit theaters and it was so amazing to watch. You really do appreciate the animation even more in the theater – Heaven’s Feel is just beautiful, and I’m so excited that we get two more movies.

Scoop: Speaking of significant franchises, Attack on Titan is still a massive presence in the industry right now. I’ve always called it “an anime for people who don’t like anime.” The third season just finished airing in Japan, so could you give us your thoughts on the continued success of this series?
BP: I’m so excited to start recording again! We just started the third season at this point. I have not read the manga – I’ve avoided spoilers for years! So I have no idea what’s going to happen.

You call it an anime for people who don’t typically watch anime – it has vibes that you get in other shows. I was a huge fan of Lost, and when you watch an episode of Lost it gives you an answer, but it creates two more questions. And Attack on Titan has been doing that to us for years. At this point, I have so many questions, and I’m so excited for the payoff. I feel like we’re getting closer to it, but I don’t know that we’re going to get it this season. I’m excited to be back working on the show and to see what happens next.

Scoop: Let’s switch to video games for a moment. You were Tiz in Bravely Default and Bravely Second, and you’re also the voice of Final Fantasy IX protagonist Zidane. What’s it been like to work with Square Enix?
BP: I love working for Square Enix. My guilty pleasure growing up was playing JRPGs. I played Final Fantasy I all the way through multiple times, Final Fantasy III – or VI – and Final Fantasy VII all the way through. So I love being a part of the world of both Bravely Default and Final Fantasy. I’m now working on a mobile game, Mobius Final Fantasy, that I’ve actually been involved with for over three years now. It’s the most beautiful mobile game I’ve ever seen, and the story is just deep. I use a very different voice than I do for Zidane – I get my man voice on. It’s just incredible, being part of what Square Enix is doing, and I really hope we get a Bravely Third.

Scoop: Miraculous Ladybug, while not an anime, is very much something you see at anime conventions. Lots of cosplayers here from that series. It seems to straddle a line between Japanese animation and western animation where it has this universal appeal. Could you discuss the response to the series that you’ve seen so far?
BP: It’s been amazing. No one knows when you start a show how people are going to react to it. The way I thought it would be received was that young girls would love this. I have a two-year-old daughter, and I thought that this would be amazing for her. But then I come to conventions and there are these big, burly dudes with beards who love Miraculous Ladybug. It’s great! It’s become such an amazing show. I think there’s also a nostalgia factor there – it really reminds me of Sailor Moon. There’s transformations every episodes, there’s someone from the city who turns into the bad guy. I really love the character development, I love the sort of shipping square happening. It’s become a great show, and I’m excited that more of season two is coming.

Scoop: You’ve been in the business for quite some time now. How has voice acting, conventions, and the industry at large changed and evolved over the time you’ve been doing this?
BP: A lot. My dad was a voice actor. He’s the one who threw me in the booth. Literally, he was working on Power Rangers, I was eight years old, and they needed a kid’s voice. So my dad was like, “well, he’s a kid, throw him in the booth!” So I got thrown in there and became a voice actor. He didn’t go to conventions like I do – he had tons of very popular roles, and a lot of the people I meet at conventions remember my dad, and it’s so cool that he’s left this legacy that I can carry on.

But it’s really changed. Anime is also going through this new resurgence of popularity with shows like Attack on Titan and Sword Art Online. It’s incredible to be a part of it.

Scoop: Anything coming out soon that you’re able to tell us about right now?
BP: I was just cast in a show called My Hero Academia – maybe some people have heard of that, I don’t know. I play a really fun character, and I’m really excited to become part of that and part of that world. We’ll find out more about what Shindou has going on. He seems like he’s got some depth to him, so I’m really excited to be a part of that show.

Attack on Titan season three is happening. There’s also some news that hit as I was on the plane here about Sword Art Online, with season three definitely coming and it looks like there’s going to be an extended first episode. I’m really excited about it! I met my Japanese counterpart from Sword Art Online earlier, and he’s just incredible. It’s inspiring, being able to share roles like that, and knowing that these people are so kind and friendly. I’m so excited to continue to do that.

There’s a lot of stuff coming. My voice is a little sore… like a lot of my characters, I’ve been screaming a lot. So look forward to more announcements soon. Also, you can find me on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook, so check me out on there for updates!