Why Fire Force Fans Are Doubly Impressed By Maki's Voice Actress
If you like manga/anime that centers around supernatural combat abilities, mythical creatures, elemental forces, and character-driven storylines, then you're probably already a fan of "Fire Force." The manga alone has sold over 15 million copies, which makes fans hopeful that the anime will eventually catch up by offering a Season 3. Sadly, we do not yet have an official release date at time of publication. But given the success that the show has enjoyed on popular anime sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation so far, it would be a bit silly if the powers-that-be who stand to make a cool profit from picking up where Season 2 left off abandoned the series before its completion.
The ensemble cast is quite large and includes fan favorites like Shinmon Benimaru, Shinra Kusakabe, and the devastatingly tough Maki Oze. Depending on who you ask, she is easily one of the top 5 best "Fire Force" characters in the series. There are several reasons for this, but one fan appreciation post on social media highlights something special about the character that really makes her stand out from the fire-wielding crowd.
Both the Japanese and the English voice actors were fresh on the scene when they voiced Maki
This fan appreciation post for the Japanese actor who voices Maki explains it all from the very beginning: "Saeko Kamijō appreciation post for doing a great job in her first voice acting role." The original poster, u/Bartek_GZD, and others then went on to praise her vocal talents and her ability to bring life to the character. The most glowing praise came from u/sweater_arts, who mistook her for a veteran voice actor before searching for more info about her. Like many in the thread, they're hoping she will be cast in more roles in the future — and it looks like she's well on her way. Saeko has recently lent her voice to the mobile puzzle game "Rent-A-Girlfriend: Heroine All Stars" which features Maki as a character you can interact with. Sadly, it doesn't appear that the game is available for US mobile users — at least, not yet.
Some of the fans in Saeko's appreciation post got her mixed up with Sarah Roach, the American actor who voices Maki for the English-dubbed episodes of the series. But u/pajamawolfie was quick to swoop in and politely clear up the confusion. They also pointed out that it was her first starring, recurring role (something she has talked about before in this interview with Chris Mayek). Yes, she has many other acting credits before it, but many of them were bit parts, "additional voices," or a mix of the two in the same production. "Fire Force" was one of the first roles she landed where she had to portray a whole, complete, dynamic character again and again with a professional level of consistency for 31 episodes and counting. Looking at her resume today, it appears as though that role has helped her get a ton of work since then — roles well-earned, according to her fans.