It’s unusual when an animated series of feature film allows all of its voice actors to convene in one place and record together. There are exceptions, of course: Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy famously recorded together on “Batman: The Animated Series,” John Goodman and Billy Crystal recorded together for “Monsters, Inc.,” and the principal cast of “The Simpsons” once recorded in unison. Meanwhile, shows like “Futurama,” the new “DuckTales,” “Animaniacs” (the Yakko/Wakko/Dot segments), “Adventure Time,” “Steven Universe,” and “The Powerpuff Girls,” always record with the entire cast present. 

“Star Trek: TAS,” however, was made with efficiency in mind, and group recordings didn’t fit into that ethos. Each individual actor would take turns in the recording booth, reading on their own lines before going home. Takei hated that, feeling it to be lonely; we was used to acting with co-stars on a set, not merely reading lines into a can. He said: 

“It was not as satisfying as the live-action, because then we were there on the set together, playing scenes with each other. With the animated version, when I arrived at the recording studio, Leonard might be leaving, and I would step into the booth and do just my lines. The scene might be with Leonard or with Nichelle, but it would only be me alone with my lines highlighted. Then when I’m finished and leaving, Jimmy Doohan would be coming in, so it was not a very fun way of working.” 

The live-action shoots weren’t always great either, and Takei recalls some very late nights on the original set, but he still enjoyed the process and walked away from “Star Trek” with mostly pleasant memories. His biggest regret was that there was never a Captain Sulu TV series that spun off from “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.”