The Dubbing of Haruhi Suzumiya
 

This thread is for the discussion of English Voice Actors in the R1 release of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

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.

The ASOS propaganda campaign seems to be popular but I have to say I've not been really fond of *any* of the voice candidates being offered. As someone said elsewhere for Mikuru, the "little girl mousey voice" that works so well in Japanese just really doesn't float in English -- mostly because the talent they're using mistake "high pitched whine" for "mousey". (thinks back to the english VA for Aoi in AYA that made me want to stab my speakers...)

Probably the best we can hope for in Yuki's case is "dry monotonic sarcasm"...

They're just doomed when it comes to Haruhi or Kyon, methinks.... but we'll have to see whom they come up with.

Iono why I think of AVs when I hear the candidates' try out Mikuru's lines...it just sounds so weird :heh:

That's because there's no background audio. Take the audio and extra character's lines out and it will probablt sound like porn too.

By the way, it's Yuki's turn at the mic.

sounds weird in english

Someone posted some fanmade clips in the general discussion thread of Haruhi and I thought that one was pretty well done, so it gives me hope that the official English dub will be tolerable too.

It's now time for the next "choose the dub candidate" and it's Itsuki's turn at the mic, and we get five choices... I really didn't think any of them worked, but for the poll, I chose number 4.

btw, click on Kyon's name to get there.

:cool:

I didn't like any of them. 2-4 sounded too generic. 1 is okay but too emo. 5 sounded most carefree, and thus more Itsuki to me.

I agree that 5 is the best, but it's not winning. I seriously hope more people vote for 5. 2, 3 and 4 sound off and 1 has poor pronounciation.

I read on the ANN boards that someone suggested that #1 is Johnny Young Bosch... after listening to that choice a number of times, I have to agree because I'm hearing Ichigo from Bleach (which is the wrong voice, imho. He should be doing Vash, the Stampede!). :D

OH. MY. GAWD!

My ears bled from some of the choices in Itsuki's dubbing.

Click Here

1) Not a bad voice actually, but somewhat wrong for Itsuki. It was... too serious?

2) Fail, fail, FAIL! Itsuki's voice is one of optimism and smug confidence. This VA sounded so unsure and nervous.

3) Bland.

4) Now we're talking. There was enthusiasm in his voice, which reflects the carefree nature of Itsuki in the show.

5) Win.

Cheers.

For the itsuki thing

1. quite good....but too vampirish
2. too....childish
3. too...pimp
4. ok...sounds like a posse
5. drastic....gangsta

The mikuru one...which pron is this from?

I like 1 and 5. I voted for 1, but I guess I'm ok with either one.

I liked #5. I think he really brought out Itsuki's smooth manner of talk. That "smug confidence," as another person has said, that all the others had failed to portray.

I think it's Crispin Freeman as well.

for Koizumi"s dub voice auditions
i chose number five
number one was also good
but i think number five hit me as the right Koizumi tone for the American version!!
I hope the next poll will feature Kyon or Haruhi American VA"s
i wanna see what they came up with!!

#5 was definitely Crispan Freeman. But these choices are a lot harder to choose from. Though one thing for sure, #2 was pretty terrible.

hmm so far weve only had 3 polls for the VA right? mikuru, yuki and Itsuki (above)

heres my choices ~
mikuru ~
1) a bit...too orgasmic? :heh:
2) personally my pick ~ soft voice and the screams are actually the closest resembling mikuru's character...
3) sounds too old :/
4) the scream this time makes my ears bleed >.<

yuki ~
1) posh? but its pretty good :o
2) a bit too high toned ~
3) this one is also pretty good...she showed a bit of emotion in the tone but not to much so that it doesnt suit yuki...
4) the voice just doesnt suit yuki ~ a bit too rough imo

Itsuki ~
1) hmm...not bad but still it doesnt fit itsuki...its missing the "carefree" nature of his voice...
2) reasons skane has already pointed out :heh:
3) hardly any "itsuki" emotion >.<
4) a bit too corny imo...maybe the voice is a bit too deep?
5) this was good ~ closest match the itsuki's character out of the 5

While #5 sounded kinda old for someone about Itsuki's age, it conveyed his smooth talk the best. I'd like to hear him shouting Fumoffu and Second Raid.

Mikuru - #2. The voice had the best resemblance to her. #1 was close, but it was a bit too whiny. #3 was too old, and #4 had a slight lisp.

Yuki - #3. Again, best resemblance. #1 was pretty close to it. #2 was too high pitched and #4 was too rough and high pitched.

Itsuki - #5. The only one that had a smooth and deep voice. I think it's Crispin Freeman too. The others were too high pitched/chipper/capable of making eardrums bleed. Okay, #1 wasn't bad, but it still didn't fit Itsuki.

We've been lucky so far but I have this nagging feeling all the VAs for Kyon and Haruhi are going to be terrible.

I always thought Itsuki sounded slightly nervous in his speech, even though he actually wasn't. I think I'm the only one who liked #2 for Itsuki, I thought the voice sounded the closest to the original. His tone is slightly off when he "scoops" his lines but the voice seems pretty close.