Naruto Actress Reveals the Hardest Part of Voicing the Hero

Naruto Uzumaki has been through a lot in his lifetime, and there are few people who know those changes than Junko Takeuchi. The Japanese actress has been voicing the hero since day one, and the Hidden Leaf icon has tested her in more ways than one. Now, the actress is opening up about the difficulties of voicing Naruto, and it seems Takeuchi's biggest complaint comes down to the character growing up.

During an appearance on a variety program in Japan, Takeuchi did talk frankly about her journey with Naruto. It was there she admitted the timeskips in the franchise took her for a loop, and Takeuchi struggled to keep up with Naruto in those moments.

"I try my best every time. To be honest, Naruto was twelve when I started voicing him. After some time, Naruto turned sixteen and become a father. He grew up so much that I couldn't catch up to him," she told the hosts.

"I told Kishimoto "don't do that" when I met him. Then he said, "No worries, his face isn't changing." But that is not the problem!"

As it turns out, Takeuchi would have been happy to see Naruto stay young, but the franchise opted to explore the knuckle-headed ninja at an older age. Unlike Ash from Pokemon, Naruto had to grow older to see his goal out, and the hero haas accomplished most of his goals these days. Fans are watching the next generation of ninja grow all thanks to Boruto, and the Hokage's soon has so much in common with his father. And if Boruto Uzumaki is anything like his dad, well - the boy's voice actress has a wild ride ahead of her.

If you are not familiar with Naruto, don't let its long length scare you away. The hit series can be watched online through vendors like Crunchyroll, Hulu, and even Netflix in certain territories. The manga is available digitally through Viz Media or in-print at local stores. And once you finish the main series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is currently airing on Crunchyroll.

Do you think you'd ever want to try dubbing an Naruto character? Or would you rather leave it to pros like Takeuchi? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.