IMG_7626Friday’s “Meet & Play with the English ‘Class’ of Kill la Kill” was my favourite panel of Anime Expo. They packed a full house, including standing room, and kept the audience thoroughly entertained for the entire panel. The show started off with a very adorable Japanese woman reading off the “house rules” starting off with no flash photography to keep your shirt on or get fully naked (no inbetween). This was followed by a roaring applause by the audience followed by the nudist beach cosplayers acting very affronted. The dub cast was then brought out one by one to the front stage accompanied by either their character in full cosplay or a general Kill la Kill cosplayer. Alex von David, the ADR script director, introduced each actor and stayed the panelist host for the rest of the event. There were ten cast member in total and were as followed:

Ben Diskin – Kaneo Takarada
Kaiji Tang – Tsumugu Kinagase
Matt Mercer – Aikuro Mikisugi
Todd Haberkorn – Shiro Iori
Sarah Anne Williams – Nonon Jakuzure
Patrick Seitz – Ira Gamagoori
Christine Marie Cabanos – Mako Mankanshoku
Carrie Keranen – Satsuki Kiryuin (appearing in full cosplay btw)
David Vincent – Senketsu
Erica Mendez – Ryuko MatoiIMG_7613And surprise bonus guests of Erika Harlacher, Sukuyo Mankanshoku, and Laura Post, Ragyo Kiryuin. Following the panelist introduction was a clip explaining what Kill la Kill is, but was mostly just clips of Senketsu screaming “Ryuko!” Prior to Anime Expo, fans of the show were asked to fill out a survey of what their favourite episodes were. They presented small clips of the top five followed by asking each guests what their favourite was as well (episode 4 seeming to be a panelist favourite). Next was a small segment titled “What the hell do you want from me?!” which were request tweeted to each voice actor of lines fans wished to hear them say in their character’s voice. The best one was Matt Mercer doing both of Mikisugi’s voices while explaining how/what Dungeons and Dragons is. A “character shuffle” was up next where the panelists were given a different character to voice from the show and try to read a script with their best impersonation of the switched up character. Kaiji Tang played the entire Matoi family while Ben Diskin played the dog Gus, even running on all fours across the stage. For the first time the ten minute blooper reel was presented of the english voice actors, with corresponding animation, with them either completely butchering their lines or purposely messing with the audience. The panel ran so well and long that they actually ran out of time for Q&A, but did have enough time for Carrie Keranen, voice of Satsuki, to lead the entire crowd in a standing final chant of:

Fear is freedom
Subjugation is liberation
Contradiction is truth
Those are the facts of this world!
And you will all surrender to them,
You pigs in human clothing!

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