> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> 
> 
>         Well, having just gotten back myself, I'd like to present the other
> side of this view...
> 
> >They showed the first episode in a preview, but it was enough to tell that
> >AnimEigo blew it big time with this one.  It's not quite as bad as the BGC
> >dub (though they'd have to actually *try* to be that bad), but the casting
> >was bad for the most part.
> 
>         I didn't catch the first episode but watched the 3rd one.

Guess that was the thing about this year's AX...too many things going on at 
once so you had to make some rough choices as to what you were going to go 
to...

<Belldandy's Voice>
 
>         Difficulty in matching Inoue Kikuko is something conceded by
> Woodhead but I think overall, the dub was fair.  I'm not certain how you
> would measure "intelligence" of a character by voice acting (what? speak in
> digitized voice or wheeze alot like Hawking?) but her voice was sufficiently
> pleasant when it needed to be and sufficiently concerned when it needed to be.
>  In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by the "Egg Song" which I think came out
> better than as it were in subtitled text.  (I'm not saying the dubbed song was
> better of course.  but as a song, it worked better than the subtitle "oh I'm
> gonna mix you") 
> 

In the first episode, she sounded fairly vapid.  Of course, some of the line 
changes didn't help all that much.  In fact, she reminded me quite a bit of 
Kathy Ireland in the thankfully few film roles she had, such as in "Alien From 
L.A.".  Maybe she might have improved by the third episode, but the first 
episode was not good, IMO.

> 
> >     - The two sempai didn't sound deep enough, especially given their size.
> 
>         Tamiya was weak but Ootaki was funny, _IF_ you can accept the
> Californian valleyspeak he was using.  AnimEigo injected Ootaki with some US
> character, making him talk like a beach bum.  I personally recoiled initially,
> but I did warm up to it.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, Ootaki didn't have
> nearly enough lines for me to get used to him.
> 
>         I know that it sounds bad, that Ootaki speaks like a beach bum, but
> this is a case where you need to listen to the actual voice acting to decide
> for yourself, not just dismissing it because he now has a valleyspeak accent.
> I sort of liked it, but like I said, I didn't get to listen to him very much.
> And like I said, Tamiya was weak...  Just weak.
> 

Same with the first episode...not enough lines to get used to Ootaki.  Of the
two, I'd have to agree that Ootaki's was the better one.  But that's not saying
much...

> 
>         Megumi was okay but then again, she really doesn't have a lot of
> lines, much less lines where she needs to really 'voice act.'

She had a lot more in one than she did in two, and the voice actress conveyed 
Megumi's meddling personality competently in that one.

<regarding line changes>

>         I'm fairly neutral about this.  There are some lines that just don't
> work when mouth movement has to be matched, without even considering other
> limtations.  El Hazard has had success with changed lines and I personally
> have no objections.  I do think that the Animeigo should have spent more time
> trying to stay faithful but since I don't know how much work they did to keep
> things faithful when it just couldn't be, I won't comment on it very much.

Well, I was one of those who cringed at the line changes in El Hazard.  As I 
said, I don't mind when they just have to smooth over the language.  When they 
actually change the meaning of lines, then I have objections.  


<The Fate of Urd's Voice in the Dub>

>         This I don't agree with at all!  I think Urd was probably one of the
> better US voice acting in the series.  In the 3rd epsiode I did watch, Urd
> didn't have a scene where she had to sound sexy or erotic but looking for that
> would be futile there, unless you believe Urd _always_ sounds sexy or erotic.
> On the 2nd episode would have been where Urd had to sound sexy or erotic so if
> you don't think the US voice actress for Urd didn't pull that out, then
> perhaps that is a legitimate complaint.  But judging from her performance in
> episode 3, I thought Urd did very very well.

I guess what's sexy/erotic to one person isn't to another.  I just found the 
dub VA's attempts to sound sexy to be really contrived in the preview I saw.  I
would have to agree with whoever it was that said that maybe a VA with an 
accent like Cybil Shepard's (if not Cybil herself) would've been able to pull 
it off well.  Unfortunately, that's not what we got.  I just don't think the 
VA, based on the preview, was up to the job of portraying Urd-sama.

> 
> >     - If the other voice in the preview was supposed to be Sayoko's, her
> >     fans 
> >       have even more to complain about!  Here, she sounds like an absolute
> >       squealing ditz!  None of the cunning or intelligence that is part of
> >       Sayoko's character came through at all.  Instead, they boosted up the
> >       narcisstic tendencies of hers.
> 
>         Aoishima was laying it on much much too thick, I think.  Yes, he's
> sleazy but the US voice actor for Aoshima was quite too much.  If he had toned
> that down a bit, he's effort would have been much better.  As is, it wasn't
> bad.  I didn't get to hear Sayoko though.

Ewwww....overacting :-/.  Someone pointed out that the second voice in the 
preview might've been Skuld, but I disagree since they were showing the clip of
Sayoko when the second voice came up in the preview.

> 
>         Well, I did hear Skuld. ^_^
> 
> 
>         ^_^;;;;
> 
> 
>         Now don't kill me, all you legions of Skuld fans. ^_^;;;;
> 
> 
>         I liked it.
> 

I won't say anything since I haven't heard it firsthand.

> 
>         First, there was some muttering at the screening when Skuld's name was
> pronounced "Skoold," (or even better "Schooled").  I had always thought that
> it was "S.kul.d" with "kul" sounding like "skull."  Well, fans, it seems that
> AnimEigo had checked with the source (not Japan obviously, or Skuld would have
> been pronounced "S-kru-do") and "Schooled" is the correct pronounciation.

Makes sense.  It'll take some getting used to for most people, though...
>         Obviously, it's always hard to compare directly with the Japanese
> voice acting; the US dubs will almost invariably fail to measure up.  But
> taken as a whole work, Skuld's voice was quite good.  In fact, I'd rank the
> voice acting in this series as below:
> 
>         #1:  Skuld.  Good solid voice acting that does fail in comparison, but
> if dubs should be done (and more on this later) then this certainly is a good
> effort.

Again, I won't comment.

> 
>         #2:  Urd.  Judging from the episode 3 only, competent voice acting
> with very low "cringe factor."  She has fewer lines in episode 3 and the
> episode itself places less demand on her voice actress so others may have
> radically different opinions.

I cringed based on the preview....near the bottom of the heap in my book.

> 
>         #3:  Aoshima.  Very sleazy, with "Haavaaad" accent.  He was laying it
> on very very thick, like younger William F. Buckley, Jr. reading from his
> favorite article in "National Review."  Scary thought, isn't it?  But it
> worked and would have worked much better if he didn't lay it on so thick.
> 

Again, I haven't heard him, so I won't comment too much.  Sounds like the voice
could've been decent w/o the overacting...

>         #4:  Belldandy.  Consistent and competent.  Nothing earth-shaking but
> nothing quite as bad as to start a jyhad.

Vapid, in my book.  One reason to start the jyhad.  Urd-sama's voice would be 
the other...

> 
>         Special Darkhorse:  Ootaki.  He had very few lines but he was funny,
> _IF_ you don't immediately gag on his Californian valleyspeak accent.  I can
> see someone absolutely hating his voice acting or rating it very very high,
> depedning on their acceptance (or lack thereof) of this infusion of character
> AnimEigo decided on.  (Ootaki in manga is certainly a more colorful person, I
> know, but we are talking about the anime here where he's pretty bland)
> 

Not quite something I cared for, but certainly better than Tamiya...

>         Bottom of the Garbage can:  K1 and Tamiya.  Sheesh...  Slap these two
> silly.

Very much agreed, along with my addition of their rendering of Urd-sama.


My rankings so far:

1. Megumi.  Competently portrayed the role of meddlesome little sister.  
Extremely low cringe factor.

2. Belldandy.  Yes, she sounds like an airhead in episode 1, but compared to 
most of the others, she does have some talent for the role.  Not enough, IMO, 
but at least there was some, unlike others.

The rest: go back to acting school!

> 
>         Okay. now a bit about the national TV possibilities of AMG.
> Woodhead disclosed that he has had quite a bit of offers, but nothing with
> sufficient amount of money.  But he is hopeful of its release on fall of '97.
> This is a great news (though I'm sure people who don't like the dub will
> express the contrary attitude) which can help AnimEigo quite a bit. AnimEigo
> is sitting on well-dubbed (IMO) titles that can very easily be moved to
> network TV.  This is different from likes of ADV (dubbed Rei Rei? I don't
> think so) or Viz, the other major player who will need to cut quite a bit from
> the early Ranma series to be able to show it on network TV. (some people even
> say that some early Ranma couldn't be shown on Japanese TV anymore)

True, the only way Ranma (as well as some ADV titles) could be shown on TV is 
on premium cable (HBO, Showtime, et.al.).  Titles like YUA (haven't seen the 
last two eps yet), and AMG (with only some minor snippage of episode 5) would 
have a chance on broadcast/basic cable channels.  Some Pioneer titles, like 
Tenchi TV, would also make it (Pioneer did mention that they were still trying 
for a broadcast arrangement.  If not, the TV series will be released this fall on

video) with some snippage.

> 
>         Another note from AnimEigo.  Remember when they said expect
> something unexpected on the latter quarters on '96?  This may be it.
> They're subbing and releasing a bunch of live-action samurai flicks.  Well,
> that was unexpected. ^_^

Question is, will it succeed, or will it be an even bigger money pit for them 
than UY was?

> 
>         A bit on the crowd reaction on the AMG dubs:  Generally good and
> accepting.  I was a bit surprised by that, in fact.  I'd expected some
> people to be incensed at the very idea the AMG would be dubbed at all!  But I
> generally heard positive remarks and people seemed to accept even the
> "Skuld/Schooled" controversy well.

The screening of the first episode wasn't received as well as the screening you
went to.  There were some complaints (including mine).

> 
>         I understand that this isn't the best organized post I have ever
> posted, but I thought I'd present the contary view here.

Not a prob...it'd be a boring world if we didn't have 'em...

>                        chaean@hom.net  chaean@best.com

Peter L. Ward          falcon@best.com          Kyusaku on IRC #Anime!
Caretaker of the Urd Shrine (http://www.best.com/~falcon/urdhome.htm)

"If you see something this big, with eight legs, let me know so I can
kill it before it can develop language skills!" - Ambassador Londo