Monica Rial

Description
Monica Rial is an American voice actress and ADR script writer known for her extensive work in English dubs of Japanese anime series and films. Born on October 5, 1975, in Houston, Texas, she developed an early interest in performance, studying ballet, tap, and jazz before transitioning to musical theater at the age of twelve. She continued her acting studies through high school and at the University of Houston.

Her entry into professional voice acting began in 1999 with background voice work for the anime Martian Successor Nadesico, a suggestion made by a fellow actor she was working with in theater. This led to main character roles in series such as Gasaraki and Generator Gawl, and she gained early recognition for her performance as Hyatt in the surreal comedy Excel Saga. Rial's voice work in the 2000s was prolific, with major roles for ADV Films and Funimation including Kirika Yumura in Noir, Kyoko Tokiwa in Full Metal Panic!, Nyamo in Azumanga Daioh, and Lumiere in Kiddy Grade.

In 2009, Rial assumed the iconic role of Bulma in the Dragon Ball franchise, beginning with Dragon Ball Z Kai and continuing in subsequent films and series like Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. She also became known for voicing Tsuyu Asui in the long-running series My Hero Academia. Her filmography encompasses hundreds of other significant roles across a wide variety of genres. Among these are Mirajane Strauss in Fairy Tail, Tanya Degurechaff in The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Index in A Certain Magical Index, Stocking in Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, Michiko Malandro in Michiko & Hatchin, Sakura in Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, and Shiro in Deadman Wonderland. She has also been involved in video game voice work, with credits including Borderlands 2, Smite, and Tales of Berseria.

Beyond voice acting, Rial has worked extensively as an ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) script writer and adaptation specialist, contributing to English scripts for series such as Fairy Tail, D.N.Angel, Madlax, and Seraph of the End. Her work has been recognized by the voice acting community, including receiving the Female Voice Actress of the Year award from Behind the Voice Actors in 2012. She has also received multiple nominations from the organization for her performances and contributions to ensemble casts.

Rial continues to be an active and prominent figure in the anime dubbing industry into the 2020s, with recent roles in series such as Golden Kamuy as Asirpa, Sakura Wars the Animation as Kaoru Rindo, and ongoing work in the Dragon Ball franchise.
All Characters