[EVA] EVA movies/DVD

[Greg Muir]

>
> This is a good example of the difference between voice acting in
> Japan and in the
> US (since I do not know about the situation in other foreign
> countries).  In the US
> actors often try to "flesh out" the character in their own image
> -- to give
> personality to the character, so to speak.  In contrast, in Japan
> the VAs are told
> to "adopt the character's personality", which in most cases is
> instructed by the
> director/character designer.  Sure there can be some imput from
> the VA on that end,
> but in most cases only after the VA has "proven" themselves by
> successfully
> portraying a number of roles.
>
Agreed. The earlier comment about butch Maya was spot on. I don't see what's
so difficult about trying to adopt the same tone of voice as the original
VA. Take Rei, for instance. Her voice is very soft, almost emotionless,
delicate. There's something distant and alien about her. Well even when the
dub VA tried this, she came across with too much personality. Gendo needs to
be played quietly, with menace. Deeper voice, terse, economical with words.
The VA may have been able to do that if he tried acting like Gendo but he
didn't.

I'm still shuddering over the Bastard! dub I saw, where Dark Schnider was
redubbed with an, I dare say, almost British sounding voice. The actor
certainly sounded older, maybe early 40's.

Why can't they just prepare a few audio cue cards? "this is how the
character sounds when happy. This is how they sound when sad. You've got the
original Japanese guide to go by. Do it that way."