Forum - View topicVoice Actors
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undeadben
 Posts: 1212 Location: West Texas |
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A good friend, a really good friend of mine gave me a nice gift the other day. He gave me the box set of Please Teacher completely out of no where. He just said he knew I like anime and thought I might like it.
I'm not sure if he bought it or if it is a hand me down gift he got for his recent birthday, he's not an anime fan, but still I ended up with it. This is a show I hadn't really watched because of the premise. Somehow an alien coming to earth posing as a teacher and marrying her student really seems more in the realm of teenage fantasies about your home room teacher; basically, not my style. But since I got a copy, and a free one at that, I watched it. And I really enjoyed it. However, though the series was nice, what caught my attention more is hearing Kikuko Inoue's fantastic voice in yet another series. Her voice, though I did not know her name then, always stood out in my favorite series Ranma ½, as Kasumi of course, and I also remember that when I watched my first episode of Ah! My Goddess! I immediately picked up on Belldandy's voice. That was when I first became interested in the actors behind the voices, and started to search for a name and other role's she's played, though her voice is so distinct it's hard to miss in even smaller roles in lesser anime like Inuyasha where she plays his Inuyasha's mom. So after watching a few episode's of Please Teacher I started to think again about other distinct voices in the Japanese casts. Certainly looking back at AMG again all three Goddess's were played by popular actresses who have quite the lengthy resumes. However Mamiko Noto, who plays Sayoko in the series is probably closer to Kikuko Inoue, in that she also has a unique voce that is easy to spot no matter who she plays, like Kazama in Full Metal Panic which I also recently gotten into, Yukino in Mai-HiME, easily recognizable as Toujou (lack of plot allows one to concentrate on other aspects  ) in Ichigo 100%, and she was also in Inuyasha, which I am still trying to erase from my memory, but I think she voiced Rin.
And After remembering her I tried to think of the male voice actor's and again, Ranma came to mind immediately with Kappei Yamaguchi, who has been in everything, I think. Of course he also voiced the lead in Inuyasha. Is there and actor who didn't play a part in that series? J/K However the male voice actor that stands out more to me from Ranma is Hirotaka Suzuoki, who voiced Kuno. Of course probably more people would recognize him as either Saitou from Rurouni Kenshin or Tenshin-han from whichever Dragon Ball series. (Oh and hey! he didn't voice any characters in Inuyasha, bonsai! I found one!) He particularly stands out to me because I saw Ranma before I caught any Dragon Ball and when I first heard Tenshin-han I half expected him to chase girls and ask them to date him. 
Well basically the point of my long ramble there is to see if there are others who remember the voices and like to hear them again, or are surprised by them in other series. Do some of you have favorite voice actors in either the English dubs or Japanese casts? Or maybe, do you think that the voice acting is as important as the plot or storyline? Well if any of you have any opinions on voice acting whatsoever, I'd like to hear them, it has become an interesting aspect for me recently. |
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Mylene
 Posts: 2792 Location: Indiana |
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I find I can't even watch a full episode of an anime these days without pausing the instant I hear a character's voice and checking to see who the seiyuu is. I'm the type of person who just loves voices in real life as it is. I recognizes voices before I recognize the faces of people I know. So needless to say, voice acting is key to me.
I definitely have a few favorites. Probably Hisakawa Aya being number one, as she seems to have a decent amount of 'voices' available. Lisa Vanette from Bubblegum Crisis (ep 8) was a bubbly Mizuno Ami from Sailor Moon. Haruko from Air had a similar voice to Nyamo from Azumanga Daioh, while Yoko from The Twelve Kingdoms was something quite different (it rather surprised me it was Hisakawa Aya). Not to mention she voices Skuld, but I honestly can't remember Skuld's voice right now as it's been awhile since I've seen the OAV and movie, and Miki from Revolutionary Girl Utena I really enjoy looking up seiyuu, noting the various characters they've played, playing "six degrees of separation", and generally just discussing things like this with my husband (who also has a good ear for this sort of thing). For me, voice acting is very crucial to my enjoyment of an anime. I can only imagine how much more I would have enjoyed Hana Yori Dango if I felt the seiyuu did a better job (many were first-timers, and most just didn't do it for me). And some shows are truly carried by the chemistry of the seiyuu used. For all its shortcomings, many people agree that seiyuu chemistry is definitely not one of the problems of Sailor Moon. Hisakawa Aya, Mitsuishi Kotono, Shinohara Emi, Ogata Megumi, etc, worked so well together. They brought the characters to life, and they made you feel like these were really a group of friends, even during filler Monster of the Week episodes. Of course, this is also important to me because I focus more on characters than on the actual plot. Don't get me wrong, I love great stories, but if I have to choose between the two, I'm going to choose characters that I can relate to. I guess this is why I enjoy slice of life anime, as well as often enjoying filler episodes of anime (Prince of Tennis was great...when they weren't playing tennis, Utena was at its best when there were no duels, etc). I'm glad you brought up this topic, undeadben, as I was actually just envisioning a thread like this a few days ago. |
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jaybug39
 Posts: 552 Location: Oregon, Is it FOOTBALL yet? |
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You certainly pay much more attention to the names associated with the voices than I do. I guess I only look up the names if either I hear it a lot, or it sounds naggingly familiar.
Although I haven't been listening to subs for very long, I do see where anything from somewhere in the mid-nineties and earlier, if I listen to dubs, I will be very dissapointed. I think perhaps it was Ghost in the Shell where dub VA's were given a little more thought. With the Exception of Speed Racer way way back. I think it is hardest to find American women to voice Japanese women. Altos do not make good sopranos. And they kind of squeak to my ear when they try. But it is better than having some guy do falsetto to play a woman. GLurgle! No emoticon fits. There are exceptions to this basic rule. I like Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Richard Epcar, and William Frederick Knight, the VA's for the Major, Battou, bossman Aramaki of GITS. Somehow those voice work for me. Oh, find a fellow here named Kusanagi Kei, he is the most knowledable one I know about for Please! Teacher. He has a really detailed web-site on it. |
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PantsGoblin
 SubscriberEncyclopedia Editor  Posts: 2969 Location: L.A. |
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I enjoy learning about an anime's seiyuu (voice actors) often times as much as watching the anime itself. Although it's not the deciding factor for watching it (most of the time), more often then not I look through an animes seiyuu before watching an anime. There's a lot of seiyuu I really like, but Ryoko Shintani is my favorite. Just recently I was in Japan and met Ryoko Shintani in person for the first time. She also wrote about me on her website saying that I was "the first overseas visitor" she's met. I couldn't be happier. Other seiyuu I really like would include Halko Momoi, Yukari Tamura, Mai Nakahara, Ai Shimizu, Ikue Ohtani, Asami Sanda, Yuji Ueda... and there's actually a lot more but those are my favorites.
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Traxan
Posts: 29 |
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I'm starting to get annoyed with the inbreeding of American VO actors. I used to put on Eureka 7 just so I wouldn't forget to watch GITS:SAC and was extremely annoyed to hear almost the entire GITS cast in E7, and sounding exactly the same. The only major actor from GITS not in E7 was Richard Epcar (Batou).
It really is getting tiresome to hear the same voices over and over, especially when they make so little effort to differentiate from one role to the next, Freeman being the worst offender of the lot, followed by Steve Blum. Too few make an effort. Kari Wahlgren is one of them. She at least tries to be unique in each series, although there is some redundancy. |
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Fui
 Posts: 339 |
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As I watch more and more anime I seem to notice the same voice actors being used over and over. It's not like the voice actors really try to change their voices or anything in different series so it's pretty obvious when they're playing another role. Pretty much the only time I check voice actors is to verify whether it's the same voice actor I heard in another series (the most recent one I noticed was Shirou from F/SN and Ishida Uryuu from Bleach). Having the same voice actors has its pros and cons. Typically they do a good job since they're experienced, but it's kind of lame to hear the same voice again since it somewhat takes away from the character's individuality, especially if the character is a protagonist and has a really distinct style of speech.
Anyway, I'm being pretty picky here. I almost never have gripes with VAs. However, the English track is another story, but let's not start that argument again. |
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Cowboy Cadenza
Posts: 243 Location: Poughkeepsie, NY |
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My favorite Japanese VA is by far Jougi Nakata. Alucard and The Count of Monte Cristo are probably my favorite roles of his.
English VAs really do get repetitive, and a lot of them do sound the same a lot of the time. I think Steve Blum is a much bigger offender than Crispin, actually...but I doubt that matters much. I'm a fan of Kari Wahlgren; I was astonished when I found out that the actress who'd played Robin in Witch Hunter Robin was also the person who voiced Haruko in FLCL. I've also taken a liking to Laura Bailey, whose job as Tohru in Fruits Basket was in stark contrast to her performance as Lust in FMA. |
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Stupidman007
 Posts: 394 |
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I don't really pick up on the Japanese voice actors, but the dubbed ones I find some pretty distinct similarities, whether I'm actually right or wrong. Maybe it's because there are so few American voice actors that they're usually used in all of the works. The one Japanese voice actor that I picked up on was the person who did Momiji from Fruits Basket. She also did the voice for Honey from Ohran High Host Club. Then again, I probably recognized it because both characters were strikingly similar.
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18435 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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For me, voice acting is usually only the fourth most important factor in determining the quality and enjoyability of an anime title, behind (in order) writing, music, and artistry. It's definitely a factor, but in most cases a series is hampered less by mediocre voice acting than it is by being mediocre in one of the other three categories. That being said, stellar voice acting always raises the overall grade of a series and poor voice acting always lowers the overall grade of a series a notch, regardless of how good or bad the series is otherwise. Although English dubs are often accused of endlessly recycling VAs, you'll hear this in Japanese dubs, too; I don't listen to half as many Japanese dubs as I do English dubs and I've still noticed this. At least some American dubbing companies (most notably Ocean Group) are trying to change this by cycling in lots of new blood in recent dub jobs, primarily by contracting with independent casting agencies, and for the last two years I've given my Best English Vocal award to newcomers, so there is some good new talent in circulation. Most companies will always have a core talent pool they rely on as a matter of practicality, though. However, it's true that a practiced ear is going to easily ID VAs over the course of several different series. It's great to hear voices reused when they fit, but it can be annoying when they don't. (Johnny Yong Bosch trying to voice Renten on Eureka 7 is my current pet peeve on that. He sounds annoyingly strained, which is a shame since I otherwise like the English dub cast.) It's also annoying when a particular VA gets so fixed in your head for one role that you can't hear him/her in any other role without thinking of the original character. I can't hear Richard Cox in any other role without thinking of Inuyasha, for instance, nor Mary Elizabeth McGlynn without thinking of Major Kusanagi from GITS. This happens with seiyuu, too, though less often. |
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Bosque
 Posts: 102 Location: Chile (castillian-talker) |
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I think the voice-acting on a series is an important thing, it can ruin the experience or elevate it if the series doens't shine for itself.
A good example of a not-so-good show that was worth watching was "Dotto Koni-chan". The show wasn't that good, but the excelent mexican (and extremely "mexicanized") dubbing made it a very funny series. The interpretations were great, and all the adapted jokes and references to mexican/ south american popular culture made the series a really entertaining one. And it was really funny to hear Fox Mulder as the main character XDDD (of course i mean the VA). I'm a fan of some chilean voice actors, some mexican and specially of spanish VAs, i had the oportunity of meet some of them and interview a few and i feel lucky for that  ; and i'm sure that nobody here has hear any chilean or spanish dub so i'll comment on some japanese ones:
My favourite voice actor from Japan is Ryotaru Okiayu. The first time i heard him was on El Hazard and i inmediately loved his interpretation of Jinnai, his laugh was the best hahahah  D. At that time, i never imagined that i would hear him again in Tekken 5 (i'm a Tekken player since Tekken 1), his "come on!" is the most "stylistic" phrase ever heard on any videogame, as good as his extremely high-pitched falsetto "wuuuaaaauuuu", he definitely gave personality to Lee Chaolan.
Other fantastic voice actor is Nobuyuki Hiyama. His voice on Madarame (from Genshiken) made me love the character and Genshiken, he gave Madarame the "definitive-otaku-personality". Bye, take care and sorry for the english. |
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Key
Moderator
Posts: 18435 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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Bosque, you have better English than some of the native English speakers who post in these forums, so I wouldn't worry about it. (The only thing you need to work on is your capitalization.) |
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TestamentSaki
 Posts: 1012 |
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Actually Koni's voice is really the VA for Joey Wheeler spoiler[Jonouchi Katsuya] in YGO. My personal fave VAs are mostly from the series I love (and have pestered ya lot with), especially Seki Tomokazu (Touya in CCSakura - Tsubasa in Captain Tsubasa: ROAD TO 2002) and Suzumura Ken'ichi (Kamui in X-TV - Wakabayashi Genzo in CT: ROAD TO 2002), in Japanese. Actresses? I'd have to root for Ogata Megumi (Shinji in NGE), Enomoto Atsuko (Sanae in CT: ROAD TO 2002 - Misaki in Angelic Layer) and Hayashibara Megumi. In English, I'd say Kari Wahlgren (FLCL's Raharu) and Kira Vincent Davis (Ruri in Nadesico: Prince of Darkness)... And maybe, JUST maybe Spike Spencer. In Spanish... I admit I'm a dub freak. My fave VA in Spanish is and has always been Benjamín Rivera (Tsubasa in CT: ROAD TO 2002 spoiler[I think the character doesn't even DESERVE THE VOICE] - Genzo in CTJ). I can recognize his voice almost instantly. There's also Enzo Fortuny (InuYasha), Eduardo Garza (DBZ's Krilin's 2nd voice - InuYasha's Kohaku), the late Enrique Mederos (CCSakura's Fujitaka) and Irwin Daayan (Yugi Moto) Actresses... Probably Cristina Hernández (CCSakura's main character - Sailor Moon's Chibiusa), Ana Lobo (InuYasha's Kagome) and Rossy Aguirre (Akane in Ranma 1/2), but my fave one has always been Circe Luna (NGE's Rei) |
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Bosque
Posts: 102 Location: Chile (castillian-talker) |
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I meant the mexican Alfonso Obregón, who also was Mulder's voice from the third season to the end. ps: oh, i'll care about that "capitalization thing", which i'm not sure what exactly is .
Thanks, bye. |
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Traxan
Posts: 29 |
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Jessica Cavello's performance in Excel Saga remains my personal favorite. If only she could have held out to the end...
Chris Patton in FMP? Fumoffu is a close second. I don't even want to think about Sosuke in the hands of Johnny Yong Bosch, who would just rehash Vash again. |
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frentymon
Forums Superstar
 Posts: 2362 Location: San Francisco |
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I actually like hearing "recycled" voices. It helps me recognize seiyuu faster, and gives a character a sense of familiarity. With that said, my favorite seiyuu are Suwabe Junichi (Atobe Keigo from Prince of Tennis, Friagne from Shakugan no Shana, who has a very distinctive and sharp voice that's just...pleasant to hear, and Ishida Akira, who...also does. Plus, Ishida-san can use the same exact voice and the character can sound good or evil (Nagi from Mai-HiME was bad, Chrono from Chrono Crusade was good).
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