Journey to the Best

Explore the rise of anime into mainstream American culture through the life and career of legendary voice actor Christopher Sabat as he revisits his work as the voice of 700+ characters in this compelling memoir. Anime has grown a lot since the early '90s and voice actor Christopher Sabat would know . . . he was there when it all started. On screen, Chris is a prince, a pirate, a samurai, and the ultimate hero. Off-screen he is a guy with an unusually deep voice, who is beloved by his fans. But Chris is more than just a voice actor and director, ADR engineer, and the founder and director of an audio production company—he is also one of the initial members of the Funimation team that helped anime become what it is today in America. Now, in this engaging walk through his own anime journey, Chris recounts pivotal memories, from the night his voice dropped to seeing Dragon Ball Z for the first time. An honest, humorous recollection of the inner workings of the anime industry and a man of many voices, Journey to the Best reveals how Chris found himself at the forefront of bringing English-dubbed anime to North American fans. In vivid detail he recounts his journey from behind the soundboard to behind a microphone, along with the wild west-like nature of the early days of Funimation and the life-long friendships that were formed in tiny voice action booths with minimal equipment. Chris's insider knowledge and engaging stories reveal the complex history of Dragon Ball Z and how anime came to the United States—a history only he could tell having been there from the beginning.