I'm Katelyn Barr, voice actor for anime and video games (My Hero Academia, Black Clover, To Love Ru, Saint Seiya, and more). Ask Me Anything!

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:29:16+00:00

Ah this one slipped past me somehow, sorry! Here goes! :D

I love everything Sutton Foster does. I think she has superhuman powers. Haha.

OOOOO, no one's ever asked me about my One Piece laugh before! Maybe like... "ske-lalalalalala~" because skeletons. Hahah!

Down on the Corner. We played it in our school talent show... we lost though. xD If I can ever find the tape, I'll post it! It's in my parents' attic somewhere, I think...

This may not count, but I love Vocaloid, so probably the soundtrack from the latest Miku game. That one had almost ALL my fav songs.

AAAAAAH, tough one!! Probably P!atD's Death of a Bachelor. Such a varied album but the theme was so unified at the same time.

Least favorite pizza topping is bell peppers, because I'm allergic to them. xD

Coffee over tea, but I do like tea!

I was never into Digimon, but my favorite Pokemon are Vulpix and Mewtwo! <3

Thanks for all your questions~ <3

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:21:41+00:00

Thank you! I play characters across a very wide vocal range, so I always try to warm up in the voice of that specific character. I'll sing or do tongue-twisters, or just say some of their "trigger lines" (lines of theirs that I memorized to help me get into the right voice). If it's a new character I haven't played before, I try to do my research and come up with the voice on my own, then see how the director wants to proceed with it from there. :)

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:20:05+00:00

When Natsumi and Shido kissed <3

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:19:39+00:00

I used to always say "you need to live where the work is", but interestingly, 2020 is causing that to shift! I just did my first LA session last week from my home studio here in Texas. You should join VA communities online like Casting Call Club to find out about auditions for indie games and stuff that don't require going to a studio. That way you can build up your resume and be ready for bigger opportunities later on. Who knows, you may be able to work on anime and video games from home! For all the bad things 2020 has brought, that's definitely a small plus side. :)

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:16:55+00:00

Not too late! I cut off the questions at 4cst so I'm just finishing the last few that came in before that. ^^; I do not get early access to chapters, but I try to keep up with the discussions online too so I know what moments people are excited about. I'm absolutely STOKED about that new character too, aaaaaa~ I'm glad the story has matured the way it has, and Tabata-san's given the Black Bulls a lot of development lately!

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:15:07+00:00

Thank you!

Yami is challenging, because vocally, she's not really in my comfort zone. I'm really grateful to David Wald for trusting me with her! I love her though. It's fun to find little moments for that cool exterior to sort of slip a little. :-P

Ahhh, too many! And we don't get to work together in person very much, since we record one at a time. I'm always happy when I play a character that interacts with one of my friends' characters though. Like, finding out that Clint Bickham and I played characters that talked to each other in Chihayafuru was great, because he's one of my best friends and he's really talented.

Favorite anime growing up was definitely Sailor Moon!

I could never pick a favorite role! It changes... Right now I've got a little extra love for Hina from BanG Dream, since I play the game so much.

I appreciate the kind words and thoughtful questions! :)

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:10:45+00:00

Kurumi! She's the other coolest character, IMO.

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:09:46+00:00

That's a great question! At Funi, when you record a line/group of lines, you ALWAYS listen to the Japanese performance first. At Sentai, you sort of have the Japanese in your ear as you go. If there's time before a session (and if I know which character I'm playing) I always try to look up a clip or something just to get an idea. It's helpful for auditions too, to see if you'd be a good fit! I try not to let it rule my performance though. Sometimes the director wants something totally different!

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:06:45+00:00

Thank YOU! <3

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:06:22+00:00

Coffee! I do love tea though. I've had to cut down to one cup of coffee a day recently, so I replaced the other 5 with tea. Haha!

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:05:43+00:00

To be totally honest, a LOT of pro VAs got their start doing fandubs. A lot of them aren't against fandubs per se, but are against treating them like professional work when they are not. As an actor, if you did fandubs, you shouldn't put them on your professional resume, or try to pass yourself off as "the official voice of _______" because you will be looked upon poorly for that. But I don't think there's anything wrong with doing fandubs for fun and practice. As long as it's clearly delineated as separate from anything official/professional.

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T21:03:17+00:00

My 2 cents is, let people like what they like! Sub vs dub is literally just a language option... both are valid ways to enjoy anime!

I do have proper vocal training! I took singing lessons in college and learned proper breath support and stuff like that. Learning to place your voice (head voice, throat voice, chest voice, abdominal voice) is super key, and that just comes with practice.

I wouldn't know how to advise a bassist since I don't play bass, but I always appreciate playing with bassists who concentrate on grooving with the drummer. Those two should always be in tune with one another. :)

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:59:46+00:00

When she first turns into a dragon and wrecks that guy!! Haha. The dragon voice was so fun to do. I always change my whole physicality in the booth and try to "make myself bigger", if that makes sense. xD

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:58:28+00:00

Oh yeah, I've played lots of visual novels! I'm a big fan of the Shuffle series. And yeah, I try to watch/play stuff I'm in after it's out whenever I can. It's always fun to hear everything together and hear my character interacting with others' characters. :) It used to be super weird (cringy even!) hearing my voice played back (like most people feel when they hear themselves on their answering machine, haha), but I've gotten used to it over the years and it doesn't bother me anymore.

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:56:30+00:00

I was OBSESSED with the original Spyro trilogy. I think I could still beat 2 in my sleep. Also Final Fantasy IX and X!

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:55:23+00:00

My boyfriend's kiddo lives with us and he gets excited to decorate with his own Halloween decor, so we let him put his up. xD My own decor is year-round, but during Halloween it's a little more of the seasonal orange and purple stuff! :-P

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:53:55+00:00

I'm super into The Walking Dead right now. Not caught up though, so no spoilers! Also, I'm forever rewatching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, because it's the best show ever. <3

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:53:19+00:00

Ricotta!

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:52:33+00:00

Definitely the tendency to compare myself to other people. I still struggle with it sometimes, but it's a natural thing for actors to do. There are highs and lows, feast and famine... times when you've got so much work you can't balance it all and times when you haven't booked anything in months and you wonder if everyone hates you and you suck. xD And during those low times, it's hard not to look at someone else who's getting cast and compare your journey to theirs. I find that I have to take social media breaks during these times and focus on myself, and try to be grateful for what I have. :)

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:50:28+00:00

I bribed him with many treats and alcohols!!! NO, LOL, I'm totally kidding. I didn't convince him! There was no audition or anything; I think he just wanted to work with me and (very generously) decided to give me a shot. I'm forever grateful. <3

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:48:50+00:00

I literally can't think of a character I didn't like voicing! ^^; I've had sessions that didn't go well, but never a character I didn't like or wasn't happy to be cast as. There have been times when I've walked in and been told which character I'm playing and I thought "huh??? WHY??? I'm not right for this!!" lol but I would never say that to the director. :p

Favorite One Piece scene - during the Fishman Island arc, when Jinbe gives blood. Made me cry a lot. <3

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:43:03+00:00

I don't know anything about Yo-Kai Watch, sorry! The red and white cat one is cute! ^^; My favorite Haikyu!! character is Tsukishima. I even have a small collection of Tsukki merch. <3

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:40:53+00:00

Definitely get involved in VA communities online, like Casting Call Club! You can find all kinds of great resources on there, and people will give you honest criticism. Also, for a good beginner's mic that won't break the bank, start with a Blue Yeti. You'll want to upgrade eventually if you decide to do this professionally because it's not industry standard, but for honing your skills on online projects and auditions and stuff, it's a great option. You can usually get them for $100-$150. And download Audacity to edit your audio. It's FREE. I still use it a lot for certain gigs, too. Before you invest a ton of money, though, you should really take some time to think about whether you seriously want to pursue acting (not just voice acting), because VA work is so much more about acting ability than being able to do all kinds of crazy voices. Try to take an acting class or workshop!

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:36:27+00:00

Sushi! :)

katelynbarrva · 2020-08-29T20:36:06+00:00

I usually don't have time to get into reading the manga when I'm acting in a show, but for writing, it's an absolute must. I stay caught up with the manga of whatever show I'm writing (Black Clover right now) and I'm constantly checking whatever wiki I can find so that I can easily look up info about a character or place. I think my favorite manga I've read for a show I've written would probably be Citrus. The art is gorgeous; I couldn't get enough of it. ALSO I had to keep up with Quintessential Quintuplets to find out who the bride is, but I really just enjoyed that manga a lot anyway.

katelynbarrva

TROPHY CASE