My Hero Academia Star Backs Co-star Amidst Dub Debate

Anime fans have debated over subbed and dubbed anime for decades now, and it shows no signs of slowing. Funimation has made it easier than ever to watch dubbed anime thanks to its SimulDub program, and it invests serious talent in its biggest projects. However, a recent debate arose amongst the My Hero Academia fandom about one dubbed hero's debut, but actors from the anime were quick to back up their co-star amidst the ordeal.

The debate arose after the latest dubbed episodes for My Hero Academia went live. Funimation rounded out season four with the dub drop, and that introduced Mirko to the world. The heroine is one of the top Pro Heroes operating in Japan, and Mirko has a huge fanbase given her feisty personality. Anairis Quinones was hired to play Mirko for the dub, but some fans felt the talented actress did not do the character justice.

The debate about Mirko's voice escalated a fair bit online before a fellow My Hero Academia actor stepped in to defend Quinones from those who felt the actress didn't portray the Black Pro Hero accurately.

"I'm disappointed so many people applauded me for being a black man voicing a non black character, and then tried to police culturally how a person of color should've portrayed an actual character a color. An actress who honestly completely reflects the character," Zeno Robinson shared, the actor who plays Hawks in the show.

As for Quinones, the actress has been nothing but supportive of Mirko while spotlighting the need for inclusivity with voice acting. With Robinson on board, the My Hero Academia fanbase is pushing back against those critiquing the pair's performance, but there are far fewer haters than there are supporters. And if you want to sees how spot-on their performances are, you can find them on Funimation now.

What do you make of Mirko's dub performances in My Hero Academia so far...? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!