Tara Platt Appreciates Temari's Character Growth Throughout Naruto

One of the aspects that makes Masashi Kishimoto's "Naruto" such an eternally beloved series is that some fans literally grew up along with their heroes. Even for those who encountered the franchise later on in life, if one starts at the beginning of the story and moves on through the many exciting arcs in the narrative, it is possible to watch the colorful cast of characters grow and mature on screen, especially those who start off as impressionable pre-teens with lots to learn.

It is also natural that these characters have left a lasting impression on the voice actors who played them, some of whom did so for over a decade. Tara Platt is one of those actors, as she lent her voice to Temari of the Hidden Sand Village. In an interview with Popwrapped, where she was featured alongside co-star Maile Flanagan, who played the lead knuckleheaded ninja Naruto Uzumaki, and her husband Yuri Lowenthal, who played the brooding rival Sasuke Uchiha, Platt spoke a little about what makes her character — and the show – so interesting in her view.

In Platt's opinion, one of the greatest things about "Naruto" is the growth and development the characters receive. Despite being a secondary character who doesn't show up as often as others, Temari is no different. Platt refers to the blonde kunoichi as a "bad girl," not because she had an inclination towards evil but because Temari is confident and headstrong, traits she preserves throughout the series. In this sense, Temari is somewhat similar to other female characters Platt has gotten to play during her career.

"What I love about Temari" Platt said "and what I love about the show, in general, is, it really has a nice character arc for all of the characters because they are ageing and maturing and figuring out who they wanna be in the world and I think that's really exciting and there are so many different characters on the show that everyone can find a character that they associate with."

In another interview, Platt explained how, many years ago, when she auditioned for the series she auditioned for a few of the female-cast roles, including Sakura – the one most sought after – Tenten, and Temari. But she ended up with Temari, "Ultimately I think they cast me perfectly," Platt said, "'cause I think I vocally line up with Temari [...]." 

Platt believes that the casting for the series worked out as it should. Unlike with some other anime, there is more or less a consensus among "Naruto" fans that both the sub and the dub are of similar quality. That may be chiefly thanks to the dedication of all involved, and how the development of the characters is perfectly portrayed in both the original Japanese as well as the English dub version.