The Dubbing of AIR TV
 

This thread is for the discussion of English Voice Actors in the R1 release of AIR TV

Please remember these simple rules when critiquing a VA's performance or reading another forum member's critique:

• Don't take it personally.
  In other words, you’re free to disagree with another person’s opinion, but don’t flame them if they offer a well written and well thought out analysis that differs from your own opinion. Keep it civil.
• Voice Actors are humans.
  Yes, it’s true. They’re human. Therefore, don’t just indiscriminately rip them and their work apart as if they’re inorganic objects. You don’t have to flame praise them non-stop, but be thoughtful in your criticism.

Thanks, xris! :D

I haven't seen the dub really and can only base how I feel on the trailer and the clip that was posted about the three Kanon girls. I honestly do not blame the voice actress for pulling off a lackluster job as Ayu, Makoto, and Nayuku -- they're such minor characters in AIR to the point of just being nearly background objects. Plus, their stories and personalities are not taken into account when given such unfitting voices. So I can't say that it would bother me in the least to hear them whilst watching the show, though I certainly would not like hearing them in an English version of Kanon. Overall, I'm very eager to watch the English version of my favorite anime.

I wonder why those who are never going to watch dub always complain about dub. If I hate KFC , should I go to tell someone who love to eat KFC that"KFC taste like shit"??


No I don't feel sorry because I was satified with this dub from what I've listen so far. But I do feel sorry for some ignorance who think others were inferior because they just don't like what you like. One last thing , your garbage doesn't has to be others's garbage.


PS. By the way I watch sub more than dub since I collect most of my anime in fansub form but I do buy some anime in DVD if I like that serie.

Bad example, because if you liked your friend you'd try to get them to stop eating so much KFC and waddling.
Some dub critics would *like* to see improvements in scripting and dubbing talent. Dubs *can* be good ("My Friend Totoro" is an example. There are others).
Also, many of our friends may be interested in the story but aren't used to watching subs... or they have astigmatism. Many "professional" subtitles are pretty awful for people with sensitivities to the viewing requirements. Some subtitles make my wife nauseated with headaches.

There are excellent and relatively cheap voice actors out there ... they just aren't being used. The directors are comfortable with returning repeatedly to the existing pool of actors they know and they have more of an eye at the budget than of the quality.

This is changing a bit. Recent anime (e.g. Haruhi) -- they went the extra mile for dubbing. Its not *great* but it is definitely listenable. Same for Kamichu! But there are still too many english VAs who really can't act their way out of a paper bag -- and there's no reason for the consumer to suffer it when there's so much unused talent out there.

Frankly, I'm surprised AIR was dubbed at all.... it is intrinsically japanese (shinto/buddhist/historical/supernatural references). In a couple of weeks, I'll give the dub a chance like I give every dub a chance. Hopefully, we won't have to suffer with off-pitch whiny voices with poor acting skills. Then the audience who might appreciate this will be wider.

OK it may be a bad example but my point is "Should we tell someone that they are inferior because they have different taste?". There is no scientific number that can judge how good or bad the dub is , it's all depend on your taste. I don't give any f***ing care about how you hate or like dub but it doesn't mean you can come and say "I am feel sorry for you because you watch XXXX with dub"

dear jesus...they sounded like snobby prep girls 0_0 I hope they do not >.>

For the small clip of off the network site it was alright nothing too bad, but I should hear more.

i just watched episode 1 of air off my newtype USA preview disc... dubbed of course (^_^~<3....)... so lets critique...

first off... for "silver haired male main character who's name i can't remember, actually i don't remember any of their names right now, apart from the dog's":- we get vic mignogna... sounding very much like an older version of edward elric from FMA... i almost didn't recognise him, but as usual, he does great work...

second, for... ... '~agow-girl' we get monica rial... who sounds like she always does... cute as a bunny sitting on a kitten. she sounds very much like hazuki from moon phase, only not so grumpy... she still says 'agow' or what ever that noise is too...

third one of note, was luci christian as '~agow-girl's mum'... again, i couldn't fault it, she sounds exactly like i'd imagine her to sound... (like a boisterous piss-head :p)

in fact, pretty much all the cast voices seemed to fit their characters well, with one exception... "that little girl that 'silver haired dude' keeps smacking in the head" near the end of episode 1... her voice was the only one i heard that kinda clashed with her character... but i guess she's comic relief and not their to add to the gaggle of cute girls already in this show...

p.s. i'm guessing the dog is sposed to just say "piko piko piko"...? very odd...

Actually, people *can* just come out and say that --- but you're free to ignore them :)

And usually, its not someone being told "they are inferior" but perhaps they're being far more forgiving of the VAs than they probably should. Also people may be saying something to the effect of "You haven't experienced Shakespeare properly unless you've seen it performed in the Original Klingon" :)

Actors judge actors all the time. An audience with experience in appreciating acting can tell if acting is on the mark or not. No, its not terribly scientific but most people can tell the quality difference between, o say, Clooney mugging his way through a movie versus Peter O'Toole or Richard Burton ... or if you prefer more recent: Anthony Hopkins or Ian McKellen.

Dubs are almost, by definition, never quite as spot on as the original language. It doesn't matter whether its English->Icelandic, Chinese->Farsi, or whatever. But there's no reason not to give a production company grief when they don't appear to be trying very hard. One might suspect they are the ones who really don't *respect* the audience.

A neighbour moreso than a friend.

I don't think the problem lies in the actors themselves as much as the casting and the director. Wendee Lee is a wonderful actress, but her rendition of Haruhi is less than accurate. Nagato's voice actress isn't bad, but her overly robotic tone could be the fault of the director's misinterpretation of the tone of the Japanese. Also, the notorious lack of chemistry between most dub actors is probably because if the recording method used over here. I remember one actress (forgot her name; she was Ashe in FFXII) remarked that she'd worked on three projects with another actor and hadn't met him until recently. I realize that getting all the talent in one place like that is no small feat, but I for one would be willing to wait a few more months if it meant a better end product.

I watch both the dub version and the regular for my animes, I paided good money for them so I might as well listen to both lol. As for the Kanon characters I expected high pitched voices at the time... but who knows, its still to early to determine their VA's.

you think thats bad to wait till 08/14/2007 for the relrease... I gotta wait till 09/25/2007 for the 2nd dvd... thats like... forever T.T

*nod* x1000
Looking at the VA profiles, they seem to have little or no experience...

Meh I hat ethe fact the first volume didnt have an artbox... I have more time during the summers to actually get the damn thing before it runs out...
Meh I guess i have to bust a tazer again :D

Actually, ADV now ships the artbox with volume 2 releases so that if people don't like the series, they're not stuck with the empty artbox and volume 1. :D

:cool:

i would like to see how it turns out to be

Aye... the American method of isolating the actors for budget and schedule efficiencies really hurts the results (no teamwork or the needs for actors synergizing). I'd like to say I had a better opinion of Wendee Lee's acting but she has always just sounded like someone reading lines in a studio to me. Obviously, YMMV.

As far as the boxes go.... I completely sympathize with the idea that releasing the box in the middle or end is a good way to get more consumers to try the series without getting stuck with a box or missing the box. In my case, if I start a series - I'm committed to buying the whole series. That way even if I later decide I'm not happy with it, I can ebay the whole set.

Don't forget unions! There's a reason we don't see some peeps like Tara Strong or Phil Lamar in lots of anime dubs. And not to mention that voice acting is not really the most cash-in career to be in; VAs do have to juggle a few other odd jobs in order to food on the table. And unlike the small country like Japan, we're pretty much have to use what's available in a certain region (though some recent dubs from New Generation Pictures and FUNimation or even Headline Sound Studios started to mix in VAs from other regions; I wonder how many people know that tidbit :rolleyes:).

*nod* *nod*
I noticed, but still, I am gonna have to fightto~~! to get a box at the best buy I have... only one for around 50~ miles. T_T

Sort of helpful....you should really know a bit more about the show before you post..or at least look up names and spell gao properly >.> Can't understand ending paragraph.....

... *Dies laughing*
Can we revisit this statement when you finish watching the show? Please? :P

o.o *Kyon head tap*
Dude... I honestly feel I need to buy and send the game for you, with an Authentic Japanese translate/narrator, as well as my Air Bluray disc set...
That statement hurt me... And I hurt back... (jk)


as Fatpianoboy said, lets reflect on that tadbit after air is done :D