Why Cat Noir From Miraculous Ladybug Sounds So Familiar
"Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir" has charmed children and adults of all ages since it first aired in France in October 2015, before making its American debut in December of the same year. The animated series follows Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste, two teenagers who also happen to fight crime in the streets of Paris as Ladybug and Cat Noir. Marinette and Adrien have to juggle their regular lives, their superhero duties, and their feelings for each other — though they are unaware of the others' secret identity. The show has been well-received, with Season 5 on the way, as well as a stage musical and planned feature film.
In the English version of "Miraculous," Cristina Vee — known for playing Sailor Mars in the Viz Media dub of "Sailor Moon"—plays Marinette, while Bryce Papenbrook voices Adrien. Viewers might think that Cat Noir sounds familiar, which is not surprising: Like his co-star, Papenbrook has voiced several key characters in popular anime series.
He is a Titan Fighter (and a Titan)
Bryce Papenbrook's most arguably popular role is that of Eren Yeager in the highly-acclaimed "Attack on Titan" franchise. The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity lives in fear of the Titans, man-eating giants that are immune to most attacks.
Eren has spent most of his childhood behind the walls, idolizing the Scouts that keep everyone safe from the Titans. After a century of peace, Wall Maria is breached, and many people are killed and eaten, including Eren's mother, Carla. In response, Eren joins the Scouts — alongside his friends Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackerman — and vows to destroy each and every Titan. Eren soon discovers that he can transform into a Titan because of a serum his father, Grisha, injected him with. Though he initially uses this power against the creatures, his priorities shift when he learns the truth about the Titans and decides to destroy his human enemies across the ocean.
Papenbrook perfectly captures the despair and anger that consume Eren after his mother's death. He delivers many scenes with so much raw emotion that it is easy to believe Eren's transformation from a determined Scout to someone that humanity trembles at the sight of. He's also likely to return to voice Eren for Part 3 of the anime's final season (via Den of Geek).
He is a Demon Slayer
Bryce Papenbrook is in another popular anime, "Demon Slayer," as the boar-head-wearing Inosuke Hashibira. Following his sister Nezuko's transformation into a demon, Tanjiro Kamado joins the Demon Slayer Corps in the hopes of destroying the person responsible and turning her back into a human.
Inosuke is a member of the Corps. Having been raised by boars, Inosuke is crude and loud and doesn't really know how to interact with other humans. He is also rather cocky, often rushing into situations headfirst and continuing to fight despite being overwhelmed by enemies. Though he clashes with both Tanjiro, and more occasionally, with his teammate Zenitsu, he cares about his friends and is willing to do what it takes to help them.
Papenbrook has voiced the hyperactive Inosuke since the character's introduction in Episode 11. He reprised the role for the "Mugen Train" and "Entertainment District Arcs," and is expected to return for the Swordsmith Village Arc, slated to be released in 2023 (via Crunchyroll).
He is a Beta Tester
Bryce Papenbrook voices Kirigaya Kazuto, also known as Kirito, the main character of the light novel series, "Sword Art Online." Kirito starts out as one of 1,000 beta testers for "SAO," and later becomes stuck in the game with 10,000 others when he officially plays.
Kirito is standoffish and a little awkward, but he is also very kind. In order to reduce discrimination from the other beta testers, he becomes a Beater — a cheater and beta tester — and plays a majority of the game alone. His calm and collected nature often works in his favor, though he can get emotional from time to time. Despite his desire to isolate himself, he meets and befriends Yuuki Asuna, whom he fights alongside. The two eventually fall in love and get married within the game, and their relationship becomes a huge part of their adventure within "SAO."
Papenbrook has voiced Kirito in three "Sword Art Online" series, as well as both films, "The Ordinal Scale" and "Aria of a Starless Night."
He is a Sin
Fans might also recognize the voice of Bryce Papenbrook from his starring role in "Seven Deadly Sins." He plays Meliodas, the leader of the eponymously-named band of knights that had disbanded after being framed for staging a coup against the Liones Kingdom. Elizabeth, the third princess of the Liones family, tracks down Meliodas and together, they work to find his comrades, clear their names, and defeat the Holy Knights who had initially betrayed them.
Meliodas bears the Sin of Wrath in the form of a Dragon symbol on his left shoulder, though he often conceals his rage behind a mischievous and perverted facade — with Elizabeth on the receiving end. Despite his youthful appearance, Meliodas is a 3,000-year-old demon and son of the Demon King, whose destiny has been tied to Elizabeth for generations. He eventually destroys his father to break the cycle of immortality, death, and rebirth that he and Elizabeth have suffered for years, allowing the two to finally marry and become the rulers of Liones alongside their son, Tristan.
Papenbrook has voiced Meliodas in several pieces of "Seven Deadly Sins" media, including all five seasons of the original anime and two movies, both of which received mixed-to-positive reviews from fans.