Forum - View topicAudio commentaries\VA actor interviews--English or Japanese
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Nani?
 Posts: 632 |
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I had two experinces recently VA inteviews/commentaries, one with Place Promised in our Early Days and the other with
R.O.D. The TV. I was listening to the Japanese Actors in Place Promised and I was really impressed with them as people and actors. As a group the interviews as group seemed "deep" and on the topic of the story, what it was like to work with the director, etc. For example, I was really touched by how the voice actress played the lead seemed touched as she talked about how the visuals of rural Japan affected her as a Tokyo native. I've noticed that you see a lot more of this in interviews with the Japanese casts and I found I really like this and I end up liking the people. In comparision, I listened to the English audio comentaries on R.O.D. on the mistaken assumption that they would get better. All I saw was a bunch of egocentric bubbleheads on the screen talking about very little, seldom what was on screen or even voice acting. The low point was when the twelve year old VA who played Anita refers to her character as spoiler[a b1t(H] and it's cool/acceptable with the people around her. My overall impression was these were mostly repulsive people who I would never want to meet in person. I don't think all english interviews/comentaries are bad. I really liked the ones on Chrono Crusade and Blue Gender where they concentrated on the story, characters, translation problems etc. Overall though, I prefer the Japanese commentaries on stuff like Wings of Honieamise, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex with the Japanese interview with the VA who plays the Major, or best of all, The Otogi Zoshi interview with a Tokyo U. History Professor/historical advisor who pointed out all the mistakes in historical detail they made. Any opinions and which (generally) do you prefer and why? All the best, Nani? |
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Aaron White
Old Regular
Posts: 1365 Location: Birmingham, Alabama |
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Cussing and jollity make people repulsive? I'll take a raincheck on any parties you throw.
As a sometimes actor I'll tell ya, most actors take their craft very, very seriously, but while they talk about it on the job as it pertains to doing their job, they spend the rest of their time cussing, drinking and trying to get laid. So some japanese actors got sentimental about the imagery in a cartoon they worked on. So? Talking about sentimentality isn't any more exalted than cutting up. |
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Keonyn
 Subscriber Posts: 5567 Location: Coon Rapids, MN |
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Ummm, well for one thing there's a society difference, and whether you like it or not american society is just more vulgar in that way. That B word isn't exactly a rare word in this world and if you go to a schoolyard these days you'll likely hear far worse. I've never watched R.O.D. or the interviews attached to it so I can't comment much on those. Of the DVD's I do own and commentaries and such I've watched on those though I've never had an issue and for the most part they all came across as fun, professional people. "Fun" is somewhat of a keyword, it's good to see that these people really enjoy what they do and have fun with it, I've never been impressed with people that take it far too seriously. This is the entertainment industry after all.
I primarily enjoy english interviews though because english is the language I know and the language I watch most shows in. That and to be honest most the japanese interviews or commentaries I've watched I found the majority of them rather boring and bland. All of them provide a degree of insight, it's just the english ones hold my attention better for one reason or another and keep it more interesting for me. Like every rule, there are exceptions however, and ultimately I'll base which I prefer on a case by case basis because nobody is a specific type of person based on geography alone. |
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18589 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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I have heard audio commentary done by Japanese voice actors and/or production team members on American-released DVDs which was decidedly less than serious. (Case in point: on the audio commentary for the first volume of Planetes, most of the seiyuu were not only drunk but were apparently specifically told to get drunk before they did it.) I have also heard Japanese audio commentary and extras featuring Japanese production members which were quite shallow. I have also heard some truly excellent commentaries and extra by English VAs and staff as well as some stinkers. It just varies from volume to volume.
One of the best such features for English personnel: "Colorful Revealed!", a behind-the-scenes mockumentary on the DVD release of Colorful!. Worth buying the DVD just for that, as it pokes fun at VAs, production personnel, and ADV in general. Best English audio commentary? See the Evangelion movies. And I agree that the extras on Otogi Zoshi were very nice. One of the best series out there for providing supplementary material. Last edited by Key on Sat Jul 16, 2005 9:44 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Craeyst Raygal
 Posts: 1383 Location: In the garage, beneath a 1970 MGB GT. |
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I recall that Oh! My Goddess has commentary by the English voice cast that's really quite fun and light-hearted, especially when you see just how fond of the characters Simpson and Cesario are.
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator  Posts: 11509 Location: Frisco, TX |
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I've seen a few of Japanese commentaries and found them to be pretty interesting in terms of actually creating their roles/production aspects and what not. I like to look at these as being the more technical side of how, when, or why something is made.
I haven't seen or heard too many English ones, aside from ADV's stuff, which I can't stand because I hate their dubbing anyway. But one English commentary feature in particular I really like is the one from Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. It was great to see Steve Blum, John Billingslea, Wendee Lee, and Melissa Charles (who's a cutie by the way  ) all go through the stories of their heralded roles and also give a little background info on their careers.
I don't really care for the commentaries that just spout nonsense like what they have on their computers, how far they had to drive to get their paychecks, or how they plan on spending it. Although depending on who's saying it, I might be more intrigued (such as knowing Maaya Sakamoto can't ride a bike  ).
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Nani?
Posts: 632 |
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I guess your hitting at what I'm trying to get at. If I hear commentaries, I want to hear about the show and if Maaya Sakamoto can't ride a bike slips in that's cool. But if it's about how mostly how far the person has to go to get thier pay checks (like most of the R.O.D. commentary was) count me out. A lot of you are making some good points about some very good English commentary. I went at Oh Yea! at the OMG and I'd love to see the Colorful mokumentary and the Cowboy Bebop commentary (saw that in the theater). I also think about the Japanese Fruit Basket Seiyuu interviews and not likeing those at all.
The cussing from a twelve year in a proffesional situation is repulsive. Yes, you hear worse on the playground and I'll say worse at a party and fix some d@mn good drinks. I won't do it when I'm writing in a speech (I did that for a living for a while, one person I wrote for was the basis for a manga character) and I guess I see the audio commentaries closer to that then a party (though I have written some good stuff semi drunk) so I don't mind them showing up drunk for an interview. But I do want the commentary to be mostly about the show rather then where the VA got her nails done. And yea, I'm sentimental as heck. I can also be cynical as heck. As for shows I watch, I'm about a 70/30 sub to dub person. But I will never put down another person for thier preferences. However, I don't respect people who make stupid assumptions about me or others because of my preferences. Live with it. All the Best, Nani? |
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samuraiwalt
Posts: 647 |
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Any audio commentary is better than the extras you get on most DVDs which are usually DVD previews, DVD credits and textless openings/closings.
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Randall Miyashiro
 Posts: 2451 Location: A block away from Golden Gate Park |
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My favorite English commentary is on the Boogiepop Phantom DVD which helps clarify the plot and points out some interesting nuances. There are a few somewhat less interesting English commentaries like on the first Burst Angel DVDs where the VAs goof around. The Japanese commentary on Paranoia Agent is really cool. The most dissapointing Japanese commentary is on the first Giant Robo DVD where the VA goof around.
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Isaaru
 Posts: 375 Location: the oppressed colonies in outer space |
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My favorite commentary is on Nagica volume 2 by ADV. As if the anime wasn't ridicoulous enough, listening to two perverted male voice actors discuss the repeated panty shots had me cracking up. It was the second coming of Beavis and Butthead there.
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