Every year since its conception, Crunchyroll's Anime Awards have been problematic to many anime fans. Some see the awards as nothing more than a popularity contest, while others dislike the way Crunchyroll handles the categories and nominees. If a series is in every category, it has the potential to sweep the results like Yuri!!! on Ice did in 2017. It can also feel unfair if the same show takes up multiple places in a category, like Draken and Mikey from Tokyo Revengers both being nominated for Best Boy.
As with every Anime Awards, the question for avid anime fans becomes whether the winners truly deserved their accolades. One result that may be contested is David Wald winning Best English Voice Actor for his performance as SK8 the Infinity's antagonist ADAM. Wald's performance first went viral during the dub's release for the line, "Hey bitches and bros and nonbinary hoes," which shouted out the LGBTQ+ community in a concise, in-character manner. Many latched onto the line for its meme potential, so some may think that this line is the only reason Wald was victorious over the other nominees.
However, this is not the case. Wald had a specific goal with his portrayal of ADAM, which he made clear in his tweet celebrating his victory. SK8 was a beloved series for LGBTQ+ anime fans before the dub was announced, and he took this fact into consideration for his portrayal of ADAM. On top of this, he delivered a performance that many fans have said is perfect for the character.
The dub had a big place to fill with ADAM, as his original Japanese voice actor is Takehito Koyasu, the voice of DIO in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Somehow, to the fans' elation, Wald exceeded expectations. While a higher voice than Koyasu's, Wald's is no less captivating and dynamic. His vocals change slightly depending on the type of scene ADAM is in. If he's at S, he takes on a light, playful tone because ADAM is being himself in his Garden of Eden. When he's politician Shindo Ainosuke, he still has a light tone but speaks in a more formal manner. In the scenes where ADAM gets angry or possessive, Wald's voice deepens and gains a slight growl.
It's also clear that, like the rest of his castmates, Wald had fun giving ADAM his own personal touches. ADAM's lines are latent with puns to create comedic moments, as well as nods to Christianity to tie into his obsession with the story of Adam and Eve. He also slips several innuendos into ADAM's lines such as "We'll finally know who the real top is," and "Don't be scared, darlings. Daddy knows you can handle it," to expand his already prominent sexual presence.
These flourishes also serve another purpose, however. An argument can be made that S is an allegory for an LGBTQ+ safe space where such places don't exist. It's a secret held by the community and held illegally, where everyone scatters as soon as the police learn about it. Many attendants drop their daily persona and become who they can't be anywhere else, like SHADOW being more confident and raunchy than Higa Hiromi. In this way, S is like a gay club with a large drag scene -- and ADAM is the queen who established and maintains it.
Yet Wald still manages to make ADAM sound every bit as creepy as he's intended to be. This showman who uses S as his stage is still the sadistic, unhinged man who will do anything for his twisted version of love. Above all else, this is what makes David Wald's ADAM so great. He manages to make an antagonist menacing while still appealing to the LGBTQ+ portion of the audience in a way that many admire. Wald's ADAM adds small details to the already existing character that make the performance unique but still within the boundaries established in the original Japanese dub. There is no question that his work deserves to be recognized.
