Ghost Stories
Few anime dubs have a reputation quite like Ghost Stories. The original 2000 Japanese series was a fairly straightforward horror show for kids decent, but not setting the world on fire. When ADV Films acquired the English rights in 2005, they were handed something unusual: creative freedom to rewrite the entire script. The result became one of the most beloved, chaotic, and genuinely funny dubs in anime history. The Ghost Stories voice actors didn’t just translate lines; they essentially remade the show from scratch, and the performances they gave are still quoted by fans today.
Who Voices Satsuki Miyanoshita in Ghost Stories?
Satsuki is the beating heart of the show a sharp-tongued, brave girl who moves back to her mother’s hometown and discovers her late mom left behind a ghost-hunting journal. She’s the one who holds the group together, even when the supernatural is clearly winning.
In the English dub, Hilary Haag brings an electric wit to Satsuki that makes every scene pop. Haag is a Houston-based voice actress well known in the ADV stable, with credits including Nyu/Lucy in Elfen Lied and Minori in Toradora!. Her ability to shift between genuine emotion and deadpan comedy is exactly what Satsuki needed she makes the character feel real even when the dialogue gets delightfully absurd.
Who Voices Hajime Aoyama in Ghost Stories?
Hajime is the loud, chest-puffing kid who always thinks he’s the hero. In the Japanese original, he’s played straight. The ADV dub had other plans.
Chris Patton voices Hajime in the English dub, cranking the bravado up to eleven. Patton is a respected figure in the Houston anime dubbing scene, known for voicing Greed in Fullmetal Alchemist and Ayato Sakamaki in Diabolik Lovers. His comedic timing in Ghost Stories is sharp he makes Hajime genuinely funny rather than just annoying, which is a harder trick than it sounds.
Who Voices Leo Kakinoki in Ghost Stories?
Leo is the group’s resident paranormal nerd, permanently convinced they’re all about to die. In a show full of monsters, he’s somehow the most anxious presence in any room.
Greg Ayres plays Leo in the English dub, leaning hard into the nervous energy with a voice that can swing from conspiracy-theory muttering to full-blown panic in a single breath. Ayres has a long resume in anime, including Nagato in Naruto and Chrono in Chrono Crusade. His delivery gives Leo a lovable quality that stops the character from becoming a one-note joke.
Who Voices Momoko Koigakubo in Ghost Stories?
Momoko is the quietly spiritual girl of the group, calm in the face of the supernatural in a way that unnerves everyone else. In the Japanese version, that serenity feels gentle and grounded. The dub makes her something else entirely.
Monica Rial voices Momoko, and she runs with the character in a way that Ghost Stories fans still celebrate. Rial is one of the most prolific voice actresses in American anime dubbing, known for Tsuyu Asui in My Hero Academia and Bulma in the Dragon Ball franchise. Her Momoko is packed with dry wit and memorable one-liners that have taken on a life of their own online.
Who Voices Amanojaku in Ghost Stories?
Amanojaku is a demon ancient, powerful, and deeply unhappy about being trapped in a family cat and forced to babysit a group of middle schoolers. He’s the show’s most begrudging hero.
Rob Mungle voices Amanojaku in the English dub, giving him the gruff, world-weary growl the character demands. Mungle’s delivery captures a demon who has seen too much and cares too little, which becomes the perfect straight-man energy against the chaos around him. His reluctant involvement in each ghost hunt is a comedic engine the show runs on.
Who Voices Keiichiro Miyanoshita in Ghost Stories?
Keiichiro is Satsuki’s little brother sweet, easily terrified, and usually the first to realize something horrible is happening. He screams a lot. It’s earned.
Christine Auten voices Keiichiro in the English dub, playing the role with a panicked, rapid-fire energy that fans have made into memes. Auten is known across the Houston dubbing community for roles in Black Butler and Excel Saga. Her commitment to Keiichiro’s sheer terror is one of the dub’s secret weapons she never phones in a single shriek.
Why Voice Acting Makes Ghost Stories Special
The Ghost Stories dub is a case study in what happens when talented voice actors are given genuine creative latitude. ADV Films famously told the cast to keep the core plot beats but otherwise go wild, resulting in a dub where the humor is character-driven rather than random. The performances work because the actors understood their characters’ emotional core even while sending up every line. Hilary Haag’s Satsuki still feels like a kid dealing with grief. Rob Mungle’s Amanojaku still feels ancient and burdened. The comedy sits on top of real performances, and that’s why it holds up.
The Ghost Stories voice cast didn’t just dub an anime they created something that stands completely on its own terms. If you haven’t revisited the show recently, the dub is one of those rare experiences where every rewatch reveals a new line you somehow missed the first time. The Ghost Stories cast gave it a second life, and anime dubbing has been in its debt ever since.
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