Seiyuu (voice actor) Discussion

[creb]

From a purely, I love the sound of their voice point of view, I'd be hard pressed between the relatively unique sound of Miyuki Sawashiro's voice or the deeply sultry Mami Koyami's.

From a purely technical view (ie: ability to act, as much as that means anything when applied to voice acting), I'd have to say Satsuki Yukino.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by creb

...From a purely technical view (ie: ability to act, as much as that means anything when applied to voice acting), I'd have to say Satsuki Yukino.

I don't understand why you say acting may not affect voice actors. To me, it is all-important. And Yukino-san is one of the best actresses among seiyuu, it seems to me. Do you mean that our likes and dislikes depend more on the simple sound of a seiyuu's voice than on their acting? That may well be true.

Personally, I think the acting part of voice acting has two main aspects: ability to sound natural in a role, and ability to convey the character's emotions. I am far more interested in the latter than in the former.

[creb]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

I don't understand why you say acting may not affect voice actors. To me, it is all-important. And Yukino-san is one of the best actresses among seiyuu, it seems to me. Do you mean that people's likes and dislikes depend more on the simple sound of a seiyuu's voice than on their acting? That may well be true.

Personally, I think the acting part of voice acting has two main aspects: ability to sound natural in a role, and ability to convey the character's emotions. I am far more interested in the latter than in the former.

Just to clarify. My first two choices were based purely on the sound of their voices. I could probably listen to those two even if they were just reciting an economics textbook verbatim. It has nothing to do with whether they are any good at acting.

On the other hand, I choose Yukino-san based on how I feel she does a great job of conveying various tones/emotions. It's less about the actual sound of Yukino-san's voice, and more about how she speaks her lines. ie: Acting. That said, I don't actually speak Japanese, so for all I know, she sounds really bad to a native Japanese speaker (ie: I'm not really sure if one can tell bad Japanese voice acting from good without knowing the language). Just, to my virgin ears, she's tops when it comes to conveying her lines. It's hard to pick a favorite role she played, but if I had to, it'd probably be Kaname from Full Metal Panic, specifically the Fumoffu episodes.

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

But I can't really rank seiyuus, since I like so many of them, and they all have their special talents.

Tell me about it. I don't know anywhere near as much about the subject as you, and there's still at least another dozen I could name as "favorites"

Regarding range and one of the voice actresses you brought up; Saitou Chiwa, I remember loving her performance in Bakemonogatari as Senjougahara. Meanwhile, I was playing the first Blazblue game and hearing her voicing Taokaka. And this is the same woman who voiced Hazuki from Tsukuyomi?

That is incredible range.

[NoemiChan]

By the way who chooses the seiyuu for a particular anime character?

[Zeroryoko1974]

Originally Posted by genjichan

By the way who chooses the seiyuu for a particular anime character?

I imagine the director has certain seiyuu in mind. I am not sure if they audition. If the character is a bitchy loli tsundere, they just assume that K. Rie will voice it

[SeijiSensei]

Some seiyuu seem to have closer ties to particular studios. For instance, Kuwashima Houko has done a lot of work for Madhouse, though she voices the occasional character for other studios as well (especially now that Madhouse isn't as prolific as it once was; seiyuu need to eat after all). Another example would be Aoi Yuuki who seems to have become a SHAFT favorite.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by genjichan

By the way who chooses the seiyuu for a particular anime character?

I think it varies. The director has a big say, and so does the sound director, I think. But the producers' representatives also have a big say, since they represent the source of the money for the production. As far as I know, there is usually an audition -- although I'm not sure why Shinbou would need an audition to choose one of his favorites (Yuuki Aoi, Kamiya Hiroshi, Katou Emiri, Saitou Chiwa....)

[Last Sinner]

Perhaps one never knows when a new talent comes along and is ready for the role unless you give them the chance. Ayu Matsuura was given a chance by Production I.G. in her first seiyuu role to voice Rin in Usagi Drop. Yet she seems the perfect choice in hindsight. Indeed, there are favourites/veterans you can rely on. But sometimes the newcomer is worth a shot.

[Flower]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

....But I can't really rank seiyuus, since I like so many of them, and they all have their special talents....

Very true....

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

I find myself not much of a fan of such big names as Horie Yui, Tanaka Rie, and Mizuki Nana -- although Nana's recent performances have caught my attention. I love a wide range of voices, from Kuwashima Houko through Saitou Chiwa, Sawashiro Miyuki, Yukino Satsuki, Tamura Yukari, Sanpei Yuuko, Koshimizu Ami, Kawasumi Ayako, Endou Aya, Yahagi Sayuri, Toyosaki Aki, Takagaki Ayahi, Hanazawa Kana, and recently Tomatsu Haruka....

Upon reading your post a few things were sparked in my mind, but here are a few of the most prominent ones that stood out.

1. When looking at an anime I might try the first thing for me is the story (seiyuu's take a back seat to importance in the first glance). If a series either catches my attention or does not put me off with the story then I begin to look at who the cast is.

2. I find that the main seiyuus I enjoy are those who have voiced "standard types" or roles: classic examples of this would be Yui Horie and Noto Mamiko and Rie Tanaka. I find I really enjoy the famous standard type roles the first two are often cast in, while I do NOT enjoy many of the tsundere roles Rie Tanaka is often cast in (although you have to give her credit that she is a master of voicing the role). I like Rie Tanaka when she is not in such a role, they seem more interesting to me - I guess I like to see more aspects of Rie's "personality" shining out. With these sort I will actively seek out other shows they have starred in I have not seen.

3. After that come seiyuus I have come to like because of a single particular role. When I go and look up other info on them and discover other roles they have done that I have seen it helps to broaden my appreciation of them. When checking out new series or reading up on older ones I will sometimes see the name.

4. Then there are the very rare seiyuus who I appreciate because of their wide range of acting skill. While I tend to really respect and admire them (I think Hanazawa Kana comes to mind off the bat, but the most recent example of this which really surprised me was Taketatsu Ayana - Fuu from Tamayura, Kirino from Ore no Imouto, Azusa from K-On, Vanilla from Yumeiro Patissiere and Ecliar from Dog Days are a pretty wide range of roles), I find I tend to be leery about deliberately seeking out other roles they have starred in. I guess I feel that because they have such a wide range of talent they may be "miscast" somehow? For me Kana Ueda is a great example of this. I absolutely LOVED her work in Marimite series, Saki, Angelic Layer, but a fair amount of her other material did not really make an impression on me. Yuuki Aoi atm is straddling between this category and category #2 for me btw....

****

So anyway - the ones I notice I tend to drift towards the most are seiyuus who often are cast in certain set types of roles that I enjoy. But that is just my case.

[creb]

Originally Posted by genjichan

By the way who chooses the seiyuu for a particular anime character?

I was always under the impression that a lot of it comes down to the agency that represents a given voice actor/actress. Sort of almost like a union thing. Which is why you generally have to become super big in order to build the type of influence to land jobs/interject in the studio-VA agency relationships if you want to strike it out on your own. Kotono Mitsuishi was one of the few who were able to do so (wonder if she's retired, as it's been a while since I've heard her in anything).

I'm not saying a studio/director has no choice in the matter, but that their choices are generally filtered through the relationships they have with one agency or another, rather than a direct relationship between a studio and a voice actress/actor.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by creb

I was always under the impression that a lot of it comes down to the agency that represents a given voice actor/actress. Sort of almost like a union thing.... I'm not saying a studio/director has no choice in the matter, but that their choices are generally filtered through the relationships they have with one agency or another, rather than a direct relationship between a studio and a voice actress/actor.

Everything in Japanese business -- to an even greater extent than elsewhere -- depends on personal relationships, so what you say makes sense.

The smallish Pro-Fit agency represents Yuuki Aoi, Okamoto Nobuhiko, Masu Nozomi and now Kayano Ai. Ao-chan and Masu Nozomi were in Kurenai together. She and Okamoto-san were in Yumeiro Patissiere together. And now she and Kayano Ai are in Last Exile Fam together.

But I know there are often auditions, even for fairly well-known seiyuus. So maybe the agency affects who gets called for an audition, but the audition is important in selecting who actually gets used?

[kimpleng]

My favorite is Tamura Yukari. I like her since when he voiced Ranpha in Galaxy Angel. Though at the time I don't know her name is. Just knowing her when she voiced Togame "cherioo" using similar voice.

Uhm, I need website that have in-depth information about seiyuu. Not wiki. Any recommendation?
Well for know I want really know about Kugimiya Rie.

[Hiroi Sekai]

There is nobody more uplifting for me than Hanazawa Kana. Her soothing voice makes for a fantastic shy, ominous, mysterious, troubled, haunted, disturbed or even tragic character; not to mention that she's a fantastic singer.

A close second ties between Kugimiya Rie and Yui Horie; both of which have such a powerful enthusiasm behind their voices that you just can't help but feel their emotional attachments to their characters. Oh, and yeah...they can sing damn well too. It's like a magical power that floats over all good seiyuus or something.

Originally Posted by kimpleng

Uhm, I need website that have in-depth information about seiyuu. Not wiki. Any recommendation?
Well for know I want really know about Kugimiya Rie.

And as for this, MyAnimeList has some solid information about seiyuus; I generally Google the name and look for the corresponding MyAnimeList result. As for wanting to know about Kugimiya Rie; she's well known as the queen of Tsundere. She's got a famous voice that very well portrays the insecurity and stubbornness of a tsundere character, and pulls it off every time with a powerful force behind the voice that makes her characters adorable and lovable. She's literally sung hundreds of songs as well, voiced in games, and is known very well outside of Japan as well. There's even a well known inside joke called "Kugimiya Disease", where fans all over the world are completely captivated by her special voice.

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by kimpleng

My favorite is Tamura Yukari. I like her since when he voiced Ranpha in Galaxy Angel. Though at the time I don't know her name is. Just knowing her when she voiced Togame "cherioo" using similar voice.

If I had to pick just one for my top-spot (and I don't want to, god-damn it!), it would *probably* be Tamura Yukari. She is talented beyond mortal reckoning. Togame is one of my favorite roles of hers, she's just perfect for it, and just thinking about it makes me want to pick Katanagatari up once more. She's Rika from Higurashi, she's Nanoha, she's Mai from Kanon. Her voice should be worshiped in a temple somewhere.

Originally Posted by papermario13689

There is nobody more uplifting for me than Hanazawa Kana. Her soothing voice makes for a fantastic shy, ominous, mysterious, troubled, haunted, disturbed or even tragic character; not to mention that she's a fantastic singer.

She is fantastic. She's the kind of performer who can save a show with her presence alone. (And she did for me, in both Infinte Stratos and Mayo Chiki.) She perfects moe.

Originally Posted by papermario13689

A close second ties between Kugimiya Rie and Yui Horie; both of which have such a powerful enthusiasm behind their voices that you just can't help but feel their emotional attachments to their characters. Oh, and yeah...they can sing damn well too. It's like a magical power that floats over all good seiyuus or somethin.

Kugimiya Rie used to be my favorite voice actress, and she really served as a great stepping stone into appreciating the industry as a whole. She's a bit of a one-note performer because she's type-cast more than anyone else, but at what she does; she's fantastic.

Horie Yui is outstanding, and she's probably somewhere in my top three as well. Her strong, yet adorable, voice infuses such life into every character she voices. One of my very favorites; she never, ever disappoints. And yeah, boy can she sing!

[Kotohono]

Two few Female VAs have recently become favorites of mine besides ones I listed before:
Saori Hayami (Chiriko - AnoHana, Haqua - KamiNomi, Ayase - Ore no Imouto, and Yuuno - MM! to note some roles)
Mariya Ise (Riko - Hidan no Aria, Usami - Mayo Chiki, Miyu -Ro-Kyu-Bu!, Sena - Ore no Imouto)

[Ichuki]

Originally Posted by creb

I was always under the impression that a lot of it comes down to the agency that represents a given voice actor/actress. Sort of almost like a union thing. Which is why you generally have to become super big in order to build the type of influence to land jobs/interject in the studio-VA agency relationships if you want to strike it out on your own. Kotono Mitsuishi was one of the few who were able to do so (wonder if she's retired, as it's been a while since I've heard her in anything).

I'm not saying a studio/director has no choice in the matter, but that their choices are generally filtered through the relationships they have with one agency or another, rather than a direct relationship between a studio and a voice actress/actor.

Kotono Mitsuishi isn't retired she recently did a minor role in Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? and Hummy from Suite Precure. Also Imai Asami is starting get on my favourite seiyuu list as well

[Siegel Clyne]

Mitsuishi Kotono has regular or recurring roles in a couple of very popular, long-running mainstream animated series in Japan, Nobita's mother in Doraemon and Boa Hancock in One Piece. You can easily recognize her distinctive voice performing these characters.

[Kirito]

My Favorite is Rina Satou (Biribiri ftw !!)

[Ithekro]

I liked her better as Haruka Minami.