Forum - View topicDid big names contribute to increasing Geass' popularity?
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Ktimene's Lover
 Posts: 2242 Location: Glendale, AZ (Proudly living in the desert) |
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This is from the Encylopedia entry for Code Geass and my knowledge of WikiPedia amongst other sources: Steve Blum, Kate Higgins, Yuri Lowenthal, Johnny Yong Bosch, Vic Mignonga, Kari Wahlgren, Steve Staley, Michael McConnohie, Wendee Lee, Stephanie Sheh, Philece Sampler, Crispin Freeman, Karen Strassman, Travis Willingham, Lex Lang, Sam Regal, Liam O'Brien, Spike Spencer, Julie Ann Taylor, Kirk Thornton, Cindy Robinson, Rebecca Forsadt, Tony Oliver, Michelle Ruff, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Dorothy Fahn, Michael Lindsay, Jamieson Price, and Megan Holllingshead (There is a total of 29 names on this big list) all lent to voices to Code Geass.
Did the fact that Bandai used a lot of fan favorite/very known dub voice actors/actresses add to its popularity or would've been the same amount of popularity even if they didn't? For me, I think it would've because fans might often buy a series if it has a good number of established voices. Otaku love the talent and want to see what that talent can do to said series. |
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abunai
Old Regular
 Posts: 5463 Location: 露命 |
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Wow, two whole paragraphs -- and they make sense. Who are you, and what have you done with the real Ctimene's Lover?
Hmm. No, wait. The first paragraph is just a list of names.... and the second paragraph is... well, okay, it will do, but it's kind of inane. Guess you're the real thing after all. - abunai |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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Increasing popularity where exactly? In North America I presume, though you should note that it was already pretty popular in Japan. It wasn't as if the licensor took a little-known, under-performing show and gave it a star-studded lineup of VAs to generate vast hype when it got to the States.
So I don't think that the choice of VAs made it any more popular. Especially when they gave such poor performances when compared to the talented original cast. Lelouch's VA, Johnny Yong Bosch, just mangled Lelouch. Yep, that's the word I wanted; mangled. He did even worse (much worse) with Ichigo Kurosaki, though he did at least manage a very respectable Vash. Anyway, when your lead actor has only fame on his side, then though the production may benefit from increased exposure I'm not sure that translates to increased sales. Last edited by dtm42 on Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Ktimene's Lover
Posts: 2242 Location: Glendale, AZ (Proudly living in the desert) |
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I did mean in North America. You are entitled to your opinion of thinking the voices are bad, however, I loved the performances. Please respect my opinion of them being good as I will respect your view they were awful.
abunai, I loved your statement. I know lately I have done a lot of posts that are one liners, trolling, or otherwise not sufficiently intellectual enough to contribute. However, I wanted to do a more thought out post and I believe this is it. |
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nightjuan
 Posts: 1473 |
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I don't keep up with dub casts as a whole so I'm afraid I can't comment on the main issue here because most of those names barely make me raise an eyebrow. What I can say, however, is that at least what I heard of the actual dub seemed to be just fine. I'm not sure it would win any awards but it certainly didn't make me cringe, unlike an old DBZ VHS tape I still have lying around here.
Still, going back to the main topic...I don't remember if there actually were any specific attempts to promote the cast for this dub more than any other, at least in any significant manner that would contribute to popularity. |
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DragonsRevenge
 Posts: 1150 |
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Looks like the same cast that's been used for every single Anime and Japanese game import over the last 10 years.
I'd say it was the backing recieved by Square Enix (?) and Pizza Hut. |
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6903 Location: Kazune City |
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I don't think "major dub names" --> "popularity" is how things played out with Code Geass. As others have said, it was already a popular show in Japan, and by extension it was popular among fansub watchers. In fact, when I saw the title of the thread, I assumed you were talking about CLAMP being in on the character designs. Their "big name" likely went a long way towards' building Geass's popularity in the first place. So while the dub cast was a factor in producing a reasonably good dub for TV and building on the existing fanbase, it's not the sole factor in Geass' popularity. If we look back to the times when it was commonplace for every show to get dubbed, you can see a pattern. Major or A-list shows from Bandai and Geneon would get dubbed by Bang Zoom! or Animaze, using many of the actors listed. Second-tier titles would often go to Ocean (with some exceptions like Gundam, Black Lagoon, and Death Note), and C-titles like Clockwork Fighters, Zipang, Fantastic Children got outsourced to Odex in Singapore. So really, it's a title's inherent popularity and marketability that determine(s/d) what kind of a dub cast it receives. |
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Levitz9
 Posts: 1022 Location: Puerto Rico |
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I don't think that the dubbed voices lent any popularity to Code Geass--the fact that Sasuke (Yuri Lowenthall), Ichigo (Bosch), and Shinji (Spike Spencer) all acted in CG is just icing on the cake, IMO. Code Geass was massively hyped when it was fansubbed. The fact that it was also aired on [adult swim] also helps, IMO; I mean, if [adult swim] airs it alongside Cowboy Bebop, it's gotta be great, right?
That said, popular and fangirl-bait-ish (yes, not a real word, I know) as Lowenthall and Bosch may be, voice actors in the U.S. aren't as worshiped as seiyu are in Japan. I mean, sure, Freeman and Mignogna are almost the biggest things in U.S.'s anime culture since sliced bread with Goku on the bag, but like Mignogna said when I saw him at P.R. Comicon, it's more because he's the closest fangirls can get to Edward Elric. I don't think having a big list of popular voice actors had anything to do with CG's popularity. By that string of logic, Persona 3, Odin Sphere, and...oh, I dunno, Chobits all had superstar castings, too. That, and there aren't nearly as many VAs in the U.S. Can YOU name all of Dan Green's (!) roles from memory? (Here's a hint: he was also in Dragon Rider!) |
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Xanas
Posts: 2058 |
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Is Geass really that popular? I mean, I love the show so I would be happy to know that but I really didn't know it was doing that well in sales.
I hope it being popular will help Bandai enough that they don't go more into the sub-only realm than they are currently. |
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frentymon
Forums Superstar
 Posts: 2362 Location: San Francisco |
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There was an explosion in popularity after R2 came out. It's pretty much moved into the realm of Bleach, Naruto, and Death Note and other shows that casual fans enjoy. On the actual thread topic itself, I don't think hiring well known voice actors in the dub world really did much if anything to increase Code Geass's popularity. Hiring "big names" did very little for Haruhi and other shows that were released in the West. Besides, almost every dub voice actor fan that I know is at least a moderately serious fan who buys enough DVDs and watches enough anime to actually learn the English voices that they enjoy. These people knew what Code Geass was in the first place, and weren't part of the "new wave" that came around when R2 came out. |
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Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 7585 Location: Wales |
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Those names are only "big" in anime dub circles, and we can get them anywhere. I was glad that Crispin Freeman was in Haruhi, but it wasn't a deal maker or breaker.
For anime dubs roles are auditioned and the best reading gets the role (go watch adventures in voice acting on Crunchy Roll). You see the same names a lot because they are good at what they do, they are experienced and are good at working with the ADR directors. If they were playing the name game they would be on the front cover like, for example, Matthew Lillard and Jay Hernandez in Karas (and to this day I have no idea who they are). |
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Dark Paladin X
 Posts: 268 |
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Well, all I could say is that getting well-known voice actors for an anime usually varies.
I think that Code Geass (haven't watch this anime since I'm watching the fansub of To Aru Majutsu no Index) is popular not because of Johnny Yong Basch, but mostly the action and the storyline. Then of course, there are instances where some anime got very popular due to voice actors/actresses. Take The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Lucky Star for instance. These two anime is very popular mostly because the English and Japanese voice actresses (Wendee Lee and Aya Hirano respectfully) voice the two same characters from two different anime (which are the titular character and Konata Izumi from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Lucky Star respectfully), which is quite rare in the anime industry. As such, I would not be surpirse to see crossover fan fiction between Haruhi Suzumiya and Lucky Star because of this (or if there is an official film featuring this kind of crossover). Now, controversial content might increase the popularity, but your mileage may vary. Kodomo No Jikan, for instance, never got much popularity in U.S. (in fact, the anime was banned), mostly due to the nature a young schoolgirl establishing a love relationship with her male teacher as well as the pornographic nature of the series. On the other hand, Pokemon is very popular despite criticisms and controversies relating to show (more particularly the claims that the show is Satanic due to the backmasking of Pokemon rap and the seizure episode). In the case with To Aru Majutsu no Index, one of major controversies that some people in the U.S. may bring up is that the show is anti-Christian because magic is incorporated into Christianity. But still, why do you think the Harry Potter book series got so popular? On the other hand, getting well-known English voice actors/actresses like James Arnold Taylor, Yuri Lowenthal, Jessica Boone, Doug Erholtz, Tara Strong, etc. might increase the chances for an anime being popular, since there are some people who buy certain anime mostly due to his/her favorite voice actor/actress voicing a particular character. In turn though, I don't think Code Geass popularity is due to the well-known voice actors/actresses, but I do think voice actors/actresses might play a role of increasing the popularity of an anime. |
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Shiroi Hane
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 7585 Location: Wales |
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It isn't banned, it has just never been licensed. The manga was licensed, but was dropped (not banned) due to potential controversy. If you think it is "pornographic" then you've led a sheltered life.
It is popular because it is a kids show which is well marketed towards it's intended audience - and they probably sold more toys and video games than anime DVDs. I had no idea that accidentally triggering epileptic seizures (in Japan, not the US) was a form of satanism.
Funny how we have Evangelion, Chrono Crusade and the like, and I must have missed the parts of Harry Potter where they incorporated magic into Christianity. Care to direct me to the relevant chapters?
They aren't well known. Go anywhere other than an anime forum like this and no-one will have heard of them. Don't confuse a few vocal fans with a target market - American companies made that mistake more than once. |
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sanosuke32
Posts: 454 |
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Well Crispin had a big character, but not a big part, so I wouldn't say that contributed much. Kari was all characters that you wouldn't watch the show just because she's in it. Johnny Yong Bosch was awesome and could've been a part of it but c'mon, he's in everything so what's so different about this one, haha. Kate Higgins was great as C.C but even so, I don't think that has much to do with it.
The more I write about this I don't think it had much to do with it, honestly most people are all anti-dub just because it's not "Native" language. Watching a series because of the dub actors sounds like something I would do though, even so I figured I'd watch it before the dub actors were announced, despite the animation. But yea, I don't think you're right about that. |
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Dark Paladin X
Posts: 268 |
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Well obviously these voice actors won't be well-known outside of the otaku community mostly because people usually don't pay attention WHO voice the character. My older brother and I played Final Fanatasy X and he thinks the voice of Tidus is really annoying that wishes that Tidus is dead. I asked if ever knew who voiced Tidus, he said no, then I told him it is James Arnold Taylor. He said he never heard of him, so I had to show a wikipedia article on this voice actor. My older brother, did, however, paid attention to who voiced Bart Simpson (which is a woman) as well as the person who voiced Rikku from Final Fantasy X (who also happen to voice Bubbles from Powerpuff Girls). But still, some people watch some anime due to a specific voice actor s/he likes. I'm a bit a fan of James Arnold Taylor (despite his anime roles are very limited, and even if he have an animation role, it's usually the ones made in the U.S.), and I watched one of the anime shorts of Animatrix because of him. |
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