Anime Interviews

Michelle Ruff on voicing Sinon on SAO 10th Anniversary

Published

2 years ago

February 23, 2023

Nir Regev

Photo Credit: Michelle Ruff (left) / Sinon in Sword Art Online: The Movie - Ordinal Scale ©2016 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAO MOVIE Project (right)

Michelle Ruff spoke to The Natural Aristocrat® about voicing Sword Art Online’s Sinon for eight years as SAO hits its tenth anniversary.

Sinon in Sword Art Online Season 2 "Phantom Bullet" Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

THE NATURAL ARISTOCRAT (NIR REGEV): I recently interviewed Cherami Leigh on Sword Art Online’s 10th Anniversary. You’ve voiced Sinon (Shino Asada) since March 2015, so it’ll be eight years for you in a week and a half.

Do you also like to listen back to your original references for the character like Cherami and Bryce Papenbrook?

MICHELLE RUFF: Yeah, for sure! I think we all do that and I think the studio prefers it too. Just because it’s better to get a sense of where you were sitting at vocally and make sure it’s consistent.

Shino Asada (Sinon) in SAO Season 2 English Dub. "Phantom Bullet" Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

I think it’s important for consistency.

Shino Asada (Sinon) in Sword Art Online Season 2 English Dub. "Phantom Bullet" Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

THE NATURAL ARISTOCRAT: Is it difficult to stay consistent with a character over a decade? I’ve heard that a person’s voice changes as they get older in general.

MICHELLE RUFF: No, I don’t think so. I mean, I would say yes if I had recorded Sinon when I was 18, but I was already an adult.

Sinon in Sword Art Online: The Movie - Ordinal Scale. Photo Credit: ©2016 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAO MOVIE Project

At this point, I don’t think my voice is gonna really change too much until I’m in my later years. Hopefully. We’re all still viable enough to hit the same notes. It’s like with Bleach, you know?

Asuna Yuuki and Sinon in Sword Art Online: Alicization. Photo Credit: ©2017 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAO-A Project

We’re all coming back for Bleach and I’m coming back as Rukia Kuchiki. I first recorded Rukia back in 2006 and I’ve been in studio recording and I’m right in the pocket.

And you look at Johnny Yong Bosch, he’s playing Ichigo Kurosaki and his stuff is very vocally challenging and he’s right in the pocket.

Sinon in SAO Season 2 "Phantom Bullet" Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

It’s interesting, the whole ageism thing with the business really strikes a chord. And I get it, you know, people do age and their voices change.

But we’re not changing. Unless you’re talking about like years and years of span, I don’t think you’re gonna get a difference. You’re not gonna hear a difference.

Sinon and Kirito in Sword Art Online Season 2 English Dub. "Phantom Bullet" Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

I mean, unless somebody’s had vocal cord surgery or throat surgery or suffered from an accident or something… But, other than that, I think I would say it’s not typical.

Sinon and Dyne in SAO Season 2 "Phantom Bullet" Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

THE NATURAL ARISTOCRAT: When I interviewed voice actor Erik Scott Kimerer, he was hesitant to hype expectations for SAO-like viewership for Season 2 of Don’t Toy with Me Miss Nagatoro.

He felt there’s so many anime shows releasing today, it’s hard to bring everyone together at the same time like with a Dragon Ball Z or Cowboy Bebop. How do you feel about that?

MICHELLE RUFF: I don’t know if I agree with that. I still see shows that have huge fan bases and huge followings. I just think it depends on the show and how it’s promoted.

Sinon in Sword Art Online Season 2 English Dub. "Phantom Bullet" Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

THE NATURAL ARISTOCRAT: Do you usually have a feeling when you’re working on a show that it’s going be big and have massive viewership?

MICHELLE RUFF: I’d say no. It’s kind of hard to tell. Like the new Bleach episodes obviously have a huge following because it already had a huge following prior.

And now what’s happening is that generation is bringing a younger generation in. Introducing them to the original and the new Thousand-Year Blood War.

I think with something like that, it works really well. And Naruto has a kind of a similar thing with Boruto.

It is generational because it’s been going on for so long.

Young Shino Asada (Sinon) in Sword Art Online Season 2 English Dub. "Phantom Bullet" Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

Young Shino Asada (Sinon) unable to overcome her trauma in the real world initially in Sword Art Online Season 2 English Dub. “Phantom Bullet” Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

But even like, gosh, Gurren Lagann for instance, we did that like what, 15 years ago?

It still has a huge following. I get so many fans to my table who adore the show and they’ve introduced their families to the series.

Sinon in Sword Art Online Season 2 English Dub. 'ALO' ALfheim Online. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

It’s one of those shows that has legs that is classic and people will introduce their friends to it. Or a mother and father will introduce it to their child or aunt and uncle to their niece or nephew.

It’s kind of like paying it forward. I think it just honestly depends on the show.

One thing that I do know about the acting business is that no one journey is the same. Every actor’s journey is different.

So one person might be experiencing one thing and another person is experiencing something completely different.

And that’s the one constant that you can count on.

Sinon in SAO English Dub "Phantom Bullet" Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of our Michelle Ruff interview:

– Michelle Ruff talks voicing Etna in Disgaea game, anime dub

– Michelle Ruff: “We really redubbed Haruhi Suzumiya Endless Eight”

– Get the Sword Art Online Ordinal Scale Blu-ray! Stream the whole SAO English Dub anime series over on Crunchyroll.

Michelle Ruff on Social Media:

Michelle Ruff Headshot

You can follow American voice actress Michelle Ruff on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and on her official website!

Michelle Ruff is represented by Epoch Talent. Business and booking inquiries can be made out to [email protected].

Shino Asada (Sinon) in Sword Art Online: The Movie - Ordinal Scale English Dub. Photo Credit: ©2016 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAO MOVIE Project

Sword Art Online 2 English Dub Voice Actors – Characters

Sword Art Online 2 English Dub Voice Cast. 'ALO' ALfheim Online. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

Bryce Papenbrook as Kirito / Kazuto Kirigaya
Cherami Leigh as Asuna / Asuna Yuuki
Michelle Ruff as Sinon / Shino Asada and Akiyo Sada
Erica Mendez as Yuuki Konno
Cassandra Lee Morris as Leafa / Suguha Kirigaya and Pina
Stephanie Sheh as Yui
Ben Diskin as Death Gun and Ginro
Kirk Thornton as Klein/Ryotaro Tsuboi
Christine Marie Cabanos as Silica / Keiko Ayano
Sarah Anne Williams as Lisbeth / Rika Shinozaki
Johnny Yong Bosch as Spiegel / Kyoji Shinkawa
Matt Mercer as Chrysheight / Seijiro Kikuoka
Johanna Luis as Kyoko Yuuki
Erika Harlacher as Siune/An Si-eun
Julie Ann Taylor as Natsuki Aki, Shino Asada’s mother, and Skuld
Erica Lindbeck as Nori
Dan Woren as Dyne
Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Endou and Verdandi
Chris Tergliafera as Yamikaze
Chris Cason as Tecchi
Max Mittelman as Jun
Zach Aguilar as Talken
Mela Lee as Freyja and Mizue Oosawa
Richard Epcar as Thor
Patrick Seitz as Agil / Andrew Gilbert Mills
John Snyder as Thrym
Grant George as Xexeed / Tamotsu Shigemura
John Estainislau as Cait Sith
Karen Strassman as Sachie Osawa and Urd
Kaiji Tang as Schmidt
Jalen K. Cassell as Gnome Scout

More Exclusive Sword Art Online Interviews with English Dub Voice Actors

Sinon and Kirito in Sword Art Online English Dub. "Phantom Bullet" Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

Watch and read:

– Cherami Leigh Interview: Asuna Yuuki 10th Anniversary and Virtual Reality @ Anime NYC 2022 (Video)

– Todd Haberkorn talks Sword Art Online’s Sugou Nobuyuki (Video Interview)

– ‘SAO Progressive Movie 2: Scherzo of Deep Night’ Dub Review

– Watch Video: SAO’s Todd Haberkorn calls Cherami Leigh live, records voicemail

– SAO’s Cherami Leigh responds to Todd Haberkorn’s dinner invite @ Anime NYC 2022

Visit the Anime Interviews and Anime NYC sections for the latest chats with the top English dub talent in the industry!

Calm and cool, words that best describe Sinon’s personality. Just look at Sinon dodging in Sword Art Online Season 2 English Dub. “Phantom Bullet” Story Arc. Photo Credit: ©2014 REKI KAWAHARA/PUBLISHED BY KADOKAWA CORPORATION ASCII MEDIA WORKS/SAOII Project

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Nir Regev

Nir Regev is the founder of The Natural Aristocrat. You can directly contact him at [email protected] for coverage consideration, interview opportunities, or general comments.