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Central Park Media Lets Fans Cast "Outlanders"

Peter Tatara writes to let us know that Central Park Media is holding a public casting call for the English version of "Outlanders." For each of the four main characters you get a choice between four different voice actors. Seems like a fun way to generate interest and ensure that the majority of enthusiasts like the dubbing.

98 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. "Battia: a sexy friend" by ReformedExCon · · Score: 5, Funny

    The "sexy friend" has cat ears and a tail. What kind of perversion is this?

    --
    Jesus saved me from my past. He can save you as well.
    1. Re:"Battia: a sexy friend" by ceeam · · Score: 2, Funny

      We are talking anime here. It would've been "perversion" if "sexy friend" had no neko-no-mimi ;)

    2. Re:"Battia: a sexy friend" by DoktorTomoe · · Score: 2, Interesting

      A kind of perception that actually comes close to most women' character. However, with nekomimi (not sure if slashdot could handle kanji) it is actually way cuter, isn't it?

    3. Re:"Battia: a sexy friend" by Creepy+Crawler · · Score: 4, Funny

      Meh. My g/f has this verrry naughty dress that looks very similar to the BSD demon, horns included!!

      And the breast fabric is see-thru :-D

      Lets just say we Role-play certain anime that's labelled "h" for some reason ;-P

      --
    4. Re:"Battia: a sexy friend" by Nakanai_de · · Score: 1

      Actually, Battia only has the ears. No tail.

      --

      Sono koro, bokura wa, sore ga sekai no shinjitsu da to shinjite ita.

    5. Re:"Battia: a sexy friend" by Virak · · Score: 1

      What kind of perversion is this?

      The best kind.

    6. Re:"Battia: a sexy friend" by packeteer · · Score: 2, Funny

      Lets just say we certainly know why your name is "Creepy Crawler".

      --
      unzip; strip; touch; finger; mount; fsck; more; yes; unmount; sleep
    7. Re:"Battia: a sexy friend" by ceeam · · Score: 1
    8. Re:"Battia: a sexy friend" by srmalloy · · Score: 1
      The "sexy friend" has cat ears and a tail. What kind of perversion is this?

      And Princess Kahm has horns, and Geobaldi's a canid or ursine. They're aliens.At least it's better justification than the comment I heard in passing at a San Diego Comic-Con many years ago from someone who was with one of the (then) major anime houses -- "He's got turquoise hair because he's Mexican."

  2. Great! by burtdub · · Score: 1

    Not sure why South Park is casting, but I'm thinking: Tom Hanks as Stan Ben Stiller as Kyle Jack Black as Cartman Billy Bob Thornton as Kenny

    1. Re:Great! by denelson83 · · Score: 1

      Well, just make sure they leave in Isaac Hayes for Chef. If not him, then use Will Smith. Why Will Smith? Just a random pick.

  3. Dubbing can be strange by Cave_Monster · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I find it weird watching dubbed anime sometimes. There are times when the finished product is comical because...

    (a) the characters' mouths move beyond what has been said
    (b) the character is still speaking yet their mouth has stopped moving
    (c) the dubbed voice has been sped up or slowed down to match the mouth movements.

    Why not just leave the animation in the native language and add subtitles?

    1. Re:Dubbing can be strange by astromog · · Score: 2, Insightful

      1) Because not everyone can read, or at least read fast enough to keep up with a spoken conversation.
      2) Because reading subtitles is a lot more tiring than listening and not everyone wants to put in the effort.

      Despite all the fuss about dubbing removing much of things such as nuances that the original voice track has, most people who argue that point forget that if you don't actually understand the spoken language, you're still getting it through a (translated) filter and so you're missing most of those nuances anyway.

    2. Re:Dubbing can be strange by denelson83 · · Score: 1

      Yes, indeed, it can. But of course, people who like dubbed anime will most likely want to counter your argument with reasons like they shouldn't have to do two things at once (i.e. read and watch) while viewing an animé, the video can easily be altered frame-by-frame to match the dubbed voices, etc., etc., ad infinitum. I've witnessed some of this debate before, and I just simply adopt a neutral point of view whenever the subject comes up.

    3. Re:Dubbing can be strange by 0rionx · · Score: 1

      Sometimes it just makes the story more enjoyable to have it in your native language. I'm partially fluent in Japanese, but I still find myself glued to the subtitles to make sure I don't miss anything. This focus on reading the words sometimes detracts from the enjoyment of just chillaxing and watching the show. Furthermore, sometimes it's nice to be able to multitask, like working out or eating dinner while watching a movie. If you have to focus on the subs, it can be more difficult since you have to always be watching.

      With all that said, I'm still definitely a fan of watching in the original language...it's just not quite the same otherwise, even when the English voice acting is realyl good.

    4. Re:Dubbing can be strange by ceeam · · Score: 1

      This is not specific to animation. Applies to live action movies too. Believe me - you don't want to know how they "dub" US (for example) movies here. Actually - for anime this is much less of a problem because (unlike US animation) they aren't anal about lip-sync'ing at all. Which is a good thing IMO - I'd rather have them working on a story, character design etc.

    5. Re:Dubbing can be strange by Solder+Fumes · · Score: 1

      There are good dubs and there are bad dubs. Subtitles are generally uniform, though the translators can still screw up and there can be poor color and font choices.

      I've heard dubs that were so enjoyable that I almost preferred them to the original soundtrack. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water and Cowboy Bebop are two. Then there are absolutely rotten dubs like Fullmetal Alchemist, Saber Marionette J, Wolf's Rain, basically anything released by the main US licensees under low budget. Apparently a cast from Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh gets thrown into a series that actually tries for some artistic qualities and gripping storyline. These American voice actors just seem to have no ability to portray more than one voice or character.

      So, while there are notable exceptions, I find that the annoyance of reading subtitles is far outweighed by the annoyance of hearing some Midwestern skank butcher my favorite series.

    6. Re:Dubbing can be strange by Krach42 · · Score: 1

      Yes, but if you *do* kind of speak the language, then you can catch some of these suttle nuances.

      I know I enjoy watching subtitled anime better, because I kind of read for the main points, and listen for the suttle points. I have a copy of a Japanese anime that I really like dubbed in Cantonese. It's frustrating to to be able to get any hint of the nuances out of the spoken dialog.

      Now, granted, I'm sure that's what it's like for most people watching subtitled versions. But they should always try to include subtitled as well as dubbed so that people can make their own personal choice, because that's what this all boils down to. Personal preference.

      --

      I am unamerican, and proud of it!
    7. Re:Dubbing can be strange by 0rionx · · Score: 1

      Although it's pretty rare that I find an anime in which I enjoy the dub better than the original, the two you mentioned definitely do break the mold with some truely talented voice acting. Other English dubs I really enjoyed include Noir, Mahoromatic, Ranma 1/2, and Outlaw Star (yeah, a lot of older ones, I know).

      Any other anime with great dubs that anyone out there can recommend?

    8. Re:Dubbing can be strange by denelson83 · · Score: 1

      I don't really think I can answer your question, but I have only ever liked *one* animé title (i.e. Sailor Moon), and I have only seen its dubbed version in full. But I have seen a few snippets of its subtitled version, and I think I could judge it to be okay.

    9. Re:Dubbing can be strange by pcgabe · · Score: 1

      For example, native English speakers should be able to spot the four subtle English mistakes in your post. ^_^

      I keed! I keed!

      But you're absolutely correct. Watch Tenchi Muyo! dubbed (to know what's going on), then watch it again in Japanese with the literal subtitles turned on, and listen to the difference.

      --
      Don't put advice in your sig.
    10. Re:Dubbing can be strange by Stephen+Williams · · Score: 1

      Why not just leave the animation in the native language and add subtitles?

      Because my eyes are for watching the super fighting robot action. Constantly glancing up and down between the show and the subtitles is immensely distracting.

      -Stephen

    11. Re:Dubbing can be strange by astromog · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Oh, I absolutely agree. I wasn't arguing for dubs (although reading my post now it seems that way). Having both is essential. I personally think it's better to watch with subtitles whether you understand the language or not, because there are also things that the director and original actors convey through their use of things like tone that transcend language.

      Being a Japanese speaker myself, I experienced the same thing of picking up all the little nuances (and getting annoyed when the subtitles are just plain wrong), while my friends just had the subtitles to rely on and missed quite a few things. For example, little jokes in the way choice of words characters used, or the tone of one person talking to another being incorrect (lack of keigo for example) and thus rude for that situation, something that there isn't even a concept of in English.

    12. Re:Dubbing can be strange by slashdotnickname · · Score: 1

      Why not just leave the animation in the native language and add subtitles?

      Simple, because the market prefers dubbed anime. Subtitles would be cheaper to produce, but companies are willing to take on the expense of dubbing it because they know it will generate more sales in the long run.

    13. Re:Dubbing can be strange by fbjon · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Only because you're not used to it, and are thus a slow reader. Me, I live in Finland, where dubs do not exist (except for kids' movies, and then in two versions). I find that, while I can't glare at the screen trying to pick up all the details, I'm not constantly glancing at the subtitles either. They're sort of just inside the field of vision, so I can see what is there without looking. You need to read outside your center field of view.

      This is also why subtitles should be in clear colors with uncomplicated font (i.e. not dark purple in old gothic). Otherwise it's mostly pointless, but some subbers don't get this. There is also the minimum time that a line must be shown on screen, and usually you have to start showing them slightly before the charater speaks. Also, if something is about to happen, the sub should be shown so that it can be read just before it happens.

      Subtitling is an art that no fansubber I've seen has mastered yet, unfortunately, but other than that, I prefer subtitled any day.

      --
      True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
    14. Re:Dubbing can be strange by h0tr0d · · Score: 1
      Why not just leave the animation in the native language and add subtitles?
      Because there's a whole range of wannabe's who don't want to read subtitles. So the only way to capitalize on those too lazy to read subtitles is to dub voice overs for those who don't wish to have the complete experience.
    15. Re:Dubbing can be strange by ultranova · · Score: 1

      (c) the dubbed voice has been sped up or slowed down to match the mouth movements.

      What do you mean, "sped up or slower down" ? What kind of crazy ultra-high-quality anime do you watch that does this ? Who cares if a dubbed conversation (which always cuts to a face shot of whoever's speaking) lags twenty seconds behind the screen events ?-) It's just good practice for your brain to try to keep track of what's happening and who's saying what - teaches one to concentrate...

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    16. Re:Dubbing can be strange by zootm · · Score: 1

      Why not just leave the animation in the native language and add subtitles?

      One simple, good reason is dyslexia.

    17. Re:Dubbing can be strange by TheWormThatFlies · · Score: 1

      I usually prefer subtitles - I can read quickly, so I don't find them a hassle to keep up with* - but it really depends on who did the dub or sub and how much effort and skill was involved. I thought that the dubbed British version of Hellsing was enormously better than the incoherent fansub that I had previously seen (I thought it was completely arbitrary when I watched a few episodes of the sub, but I really enjoyed the dub and watched the whole thing).

      On the other hand, I saw the subbed DVD of Brotherhood of the Wolf (a live action French movie), and thought it was pretty cool. Some time later, my parents rented the dubbed video - and it was horrible. Apparently the producers thought it would be really cool if the actual actors did their own English voice-overs - and it didn't occur to them that they would sound really stitled and artificial belting out lines in a foreign language that they don't speak very well (if at all).

      I think it's a lot easier to produce a good sub than a good dub, because it is much easier to find one or two excellent bilingual writers than to assemble a cast of talented voice actors.

      * Hilariously, the GITS 2: Innocence fansub I saw alternates between leaving out half the dialogue (so you have no idea what is actually happening in the movie a lot of the time) and providing kilometres of exposition to explain literary references (because people who watch anime are illiterate plebes, or something). Usually, however, the subtitles are easy to follow.

    18. Re:Dubbing can be strange by tuffy · · Score: 1
      So the only way to capitalize on those too lazy to read subtitles is to dub voice overs for those who don't wish to have the complete experience.
      "When you watch the subtitled version you are probably missing just as many things. There is a layer and a nuance you're not going to get. Film crosses so many borders these days. Of course it is going to be distorted." -Hayao Miyazaki
      --

      Ita erat quando hic adveni.

    19. Re:Dubbing can be strange by Donniedarkness · · Score: 1
      Why not just leave the animation in the native language and add subtitles?

      Well, that's the way that I buy all of my anime, but most of the friends that I have that are into anime (not as heavily as I am, but still)...well, they just flat-out refuse to watch it in Japanese. The dubs will also attract more new fans.

      --
      Earn a % of cash back from Newegg, Tiger Direct, Walmart.com, and more: http://www.mrrebates.com?refid=458505
    20. Re:Dubbing can be strange by Crayon+Kid · · Score: 1

      Actually, what REALLY bugs me is how they pronounce all the Japanese names as if they were English. It kills all the joy in your soul. It leaves the impresion they're little kids monkeying around trying to pronounce foreign stuff, or that they're being ironic.

      The second all-time issue is the choice of voices, and I'm glad to see CPM letting the public decide for once. In most of the English dubs, girls sound either like horny skanks or high-pitched and annoying, while all the boys and men regardless of age or anything have deep, rough, powerful voices. It can completely change a character's personality and piss you off completely.

      --
      i ate crayons when i was a kid and now i have two braincells and the blue ones taste nicer
    21. Re:Dubbing can be strange by drsquare · · Score: 1

      I hate dubbing, there's nothing more odd and disturbing that Japanese characters speaking in American accents. I mean, they're often really heavy American accents as well. I'm afraid I can't really see samurai speaking like Texan prospectors.

      If you find reading tiring perhaps you should read more.

    22. Re:Dubbing can be strange by radish · · Score: 1

      I don't watch anime, but I do like a lot of european movies (french, spanish, etc) and my language skills are rarely up to the job. I refuse to watch a dubbed version, as not only is the lack of lip sync distracting but the original voice (and language) gives you so much in the way of expression and emotion which is always lost when some $20/hour "voice talent" butchers it.

      --

      ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

    23. Re:Dubbing can be strange by ShyGuy91284 · · Score: 1

      I mostly agree, and although transparent subs sounds like a good idea, they could be more trouble then there worth. I'm sure most of us that watch subbed stuff have seem some times when you can barely read the subs because they blend in with the background. Transparency would seem to be a step in the wrong direction (at least if they were transparent enough to be really worth it). Ah, if only Japan used PAL, then we could make use of the extra pixel height....

      --
      In undeveloped countries, the consumer controls the market. In capitalist America, the market controls you.
    24. Re:Dubbing can be strange by NotWorkSafe · · Score: 1

      "When you watch the subtitled version you are probably missing just as many things. There is a layer and a nuance you're not going to get. Film crosses so many borders these days. Of course it is going to be distorted." -Hayao Miyazaki

      Ah, but all of his movies are dubbed quite well and are a good experience either way. Most other anime aren't treated so well.

      --
      There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck Norris allows to live.
    25. Re:Dubbing can be strange by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      If you only "kind of" speak the language, then you won't be catching any subtle nuances. Cultural references and humor where a word is used because it sounds like another word (pun) does not work well if you only "kind of" know the language, you might not have a large enough vocabulary to get the pun.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    26. Re:Dubbing can be strange by ApostateApostle · · Score: 1

      I find that, while I can't glare at the screen trying to pick up all the details, I'm not constantly glancing at the subtitles either. They're sort of just inside the field of vision, so I can see what is there without looking. You need to read outside your center field of view.

      Huh? Sorry to nitpick, but I don't belive that this is physically possible. The human eye is only capable of perciving fine detail (like reading) from the light that falls on the fovea, which like in the center of the retina. The fovea is what 'creates' your centeral vison. I know this because after I recived an injury to my right eye a few years ago (retinal tear) I was no longer able to read with ease due to moderate bluriness and distortion of the word. Even so, my peripheral vision was wholy unaffected.

      For myself, when I watch subtitled video I tend do the opposite of what you described. Namely, I flit my focus down to read the subtitleds quickly, letting my peripheral take in the other visuals onscreen. Then once I'm done I flit back up the action and wait for the next subtitle. Rinse, Repeat.

    27. Re:Dubbing can be strange by Sketch · · Score: 1

      After watching several complete anime series and many movies subtitled, I find I don't even notice I am reading them anymore. Now I have the problem that I am watching something and I will look away, to the computer screen or something else, and after hearing a couple seconds of speaking in a langauge I can't understand, I'm like "wait, I can't understand what they are saying. Oh yeah, gotta read the subtitles..." :)

      --
      -- OpenVerse Visual Chat: http://openverse.com
    28. Re:Dubbing can be strange by mOdQuArK! · · Score: 1
      there's nothing more odd and disturbing that Japanese characters speaking in American accents.

      Dunno, at least to the eyes of foreigners, anime characters don't really look "Japanese" - or even Asian, except when they are deliberately drawn with exaggerated Asian features (usually to emphasize Chinese-ness).

      I think people who watch a lot of anime have just gotten used to the child-like voices & the linguistic "rhythms" of Japanese speech that the voice actors & actresses use with most of the characters, so when a dub uses "normal" English voices & voice patterns, it feels very awkward.

    29. Re:Dubbing can be strange by Minna+Kirai · · Score: 1

      What do you mean, "sped up or slower down" ? What kind of crazy ultra-high-quality anime do you watch that does this ?

      No, anime that does that is low quality. It means that instead of paying an actor to do fifty takes of a single line to make it both sound good and match the video, they just do a few takes and then digitally arrange them to follow the face animation. A good, professional dubber like Disney movie corporation doesn't take cheap shortcuts like that.

      Obviously, editing audio this way damages the emotional impact. The pitch changes a little bit (although the software is now pretty good at correcting for pitch). But changing the length and spacing of words is also an easy giveway that something is wrong. The speed of talking conveys emotion and attitude. And artificially inserted pauses between words is noticable as an awkward missed breathing pattern.

      If you watch anime that has avoided these flaws, then you are a rather lucky one.

    30. Re:Dubbing can be strange by Krach42 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, actually, it's kind of funny. Me and two friends were watching a fan-subbed Initial D, at various points the actors say "san kyu" (thank you) and they subtitle it as "arigato".

      One of my friends, who listens strongly to the dialog said, "hey, they said 'thank you'" the other friend, who essentially exclusively reads the subtitles said, "Hey, they didn't translate that." And I just went, "huh? I didn't notice anything."

      But yeah. Often I'll hear a phrase in the original Japanese and realize that the subtitles aren't correct, or don't convey the important exact meaning that the original Japanese holds. Then I start thinking about it, and I think about it, and I realize that sometimes, there's just absolutely no better way to express the phrase without writing a detailed paragraph describing the sutle nuance of meaning behind it.

      --

      I am unamerican, and proud of it!
    31. Re:Dubbing can be strange by Krach42 · · Score: 1

      If you only "kind of" speak the language, then you won't be catching any subtle nuances.

      I say, "kind of" because I don't hardly speak Japanese as well as I would need to watch anything totally unassisted and get everything. I never really said that I caught *all* of the subtle nuances; I said that I listen for the subtle nuances.

      I was able to play FF7 and FF9 both in Japanese relatively well (I made good progress on FF7 because I already knew the story, but I was still able to understand a good 90% of the FF9 game without resorting to a dictionary.) This is a bit different though from spoken speech. I can't just pause an anime, look some word up in my dictionary or my kanji book and understand what was said. That's why it's only "kind of". I understand the grammar well, and usage fine, but my vocabulary sucks.

      No, I don't get puns. I speak German somewhere in the C1 level, and I still miss puns in German. I'm not talking about puns. I'm talking about when Ryosuke says: "oishii ta~getto", and I know what that means, and it means a little different from the English, but loses most of the nuance if translated non-literally, or literally into English.

      --

      I am unamerican, and proud of it!
    32. Re:Dubbing can be strange by Solder+Fumes · · Score: 1

      The official GITS: Innocence sub is even worse, because they thought "caption" when they were told "subtitles." You get stuff like "[music playing]" or "[loud explosion]" etc.

    33. Re:Dubbing can be strange by ultranova · · Score: 1

      What do you mean, "sped up or slower down" ? What kind of crazy ultra-high-quality anime do you watch that does this ?

      No, anime that does that is low quality.

      No, anime that does that is high quality compared to anime that ignores synchronization of voice and picture completely (which I was talking about in my post).

      If you watch anime that has avoided these flaws, then you are a rather lucky one.

      If you don't know what I'm talking about, then you are the lucky one ;).

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    34. Re:Dubbing can be strange by fbjon · · Score: 1
      Actually, it is possible. Some people can look in the center of the line, and read the whole of it without moving their eyes. It is, again, mostly a matter of being used and trained to it (I have a lifetime of training :). It's true that fine detail is only perceived in a surprisingly small area, but that is why the subs need to be of a certain size. With a proper font, the shapes of the words can be perceived even outside the fovea. And even if you can't perceive it when looking dead center in the screen, you can glance down in the center of the subtitle and mostly perceive the whole line, getting the gist of it without having to actually read the whole line "manually".

      The point is that subtitles should be really, really easy to read (good contrasting colors with contrasting outline, readable font, proper kerning and line spacing, not too far down the screen, proper timing). The easier they are to read, the more you can enjoy the movie/fansub/thing.

      It can be distracting though, sometimes I'd like to be able to turn off the subs in the cinemas. Even though I'm fluent in English, I find that I sometimes read the subtitles even though I already understood what was said. Devoting a certain amount of processor time for handling subs is a habit that I'll never get rid of :)

      --
      True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
    35. Re:Dubbing can be strange by Drgnkght · · Score: 1

      Hellsing. It has a rather good English dub. I actually like it better than the Japanese voice track. (Except for the neko-chan bit in episode 1. That wasn't translated well. It sounded a bit forced, perhaps a shade too literal...) But that is probably due to the fact it takes place in England.

  4. Castratime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Well, if this is going to sound like most anime, just kick me in the balls a few times and I'll do the voices.

  5. Recall the old cast by node357 · · Score: 2, Informative

    I love the Outlanders manga, and the anime was alright. I kind of with they would create an anime more true to the story, but eh. The original dubbed version I heard had pretty decent voice actors, and I think they should be called in for a second run.

    1. Re:Recall the old cast by Nakanai_de · · Score: 1

      Are you kidding?! Tetsuya's voice acting in the original was terrible! Now, if they brought back the voice actor who did Geobaldi, that would be cool. He sounds so good with a thick Texas accent. "I kept telling him, don't go outside the ship without a spacesuit, but he just wouldn't listen." Good times, good times.

      --

      Sono koro, bokura wa, sore ga sekai no shinjitsu da to shinjite ita.

  6. To be fair by Aexia · · Score: 5, Funny

    All that still happens in the original Japanese.

    1. Re:To be fair by FireballX301 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Of course it does.

      It's just that we can't tell.

      CULTURAL APPRECIATION THROUGH IGNORANCE!

    2. Re:To be fair by Silverlancer · · Score: 1

      Only in really, really low budget anime ;)

    3. Re:To be fair by Fireye · · Score: 1

      It's widely accepted that lipflap just isn't as important in Japan as it is here.

    4. Re:To be fair by sdsichero · · Score: 1

      Sadly, lipflap is waaaay to important in most of the world.

  7. Other things CPM is responsible for by MLFilton · · Score: 1
  8. Re:anime is for losers and furries. Kill all furri by FireballX301 · · Score: 1

    to simply state the truth, that 2 + 2 = 4, is a courageous act.

    You say this as an anonymous coward. Way to call other people craven.

  9. All bad by Jedyte · · Score: 1

    Maybe I'm a bit a fan of the original Japanese, but all those voice sound bad. If you take the first audition for Kham, all those voices sounds like the same squeeky, obnoxious female voice for young girls that you hear in all US dubbed anime.

    1. Re:All bad by Nasarius · · Score: 1

      Same thing with Tetsuya. I really hope the banal crap in these clips aren't representative of the series. Then again, maybe they are. I knew there was a good reason I hate anime.

      --
      LOAD "SIG",8,1
    2. Re:All bad by Dachannien · · Score: 1

      Even the squeakiest voice in American voice acting can't compete with 95% of the original Japanese female cast.

  10. And for that matter, by darklordyoda · · Score: 1

    Why not use linux/windows instead of windows/linux?

    And why not use emacs/vi instead of vi/emacs? And just for good measure, let throw in Google's growth, NASA's spending, the RIAA, and DRM. What about those?

    Dub vs. Sub? Nah, that one's obvious.

  11. i can hear it now by pchan- · · Score: 1

    Outlander! We have your woman Outlander! She still lives!

  12. About Time! by digital+photo · · Score: 1

    I loved the Manga and the Anime(in original Japanese+subtitles). I think it is about time they brought this anime to DVD!

    Personally, don't really care about the voice dubbing so long as the original voices are there and subtitles are available in english.

    Listened to some of the test clips, but didn't have time to listen through all of them. Kahm-B isn't so good though. The voice is way too "open". Kahm's voice always struck me as being a bit more compressed. Time to swing by Hitoshi Doi's website and see who did the original voice acting for Kahm.

    Wing.

  13. Re:anime is for losers and furries. Kill all furri by j14ast · · Score: 1

    God damnit man I thought this was a repost but its diffrent then the 120 other postings about your damn video store with the god damn chistian rock section. If your lossing the business, its not pirates that are doing it to you, its itunes, blockbuster, netflix, strawberries and your abismal taste in music that is driving you out of business. Stop blaming pirates with your failure to compete with the vast array of competiors (legal ones i might add) that have poped up and taken hold. In a day and age where people sit down with thier 4 year olds and watch lethal wepon 2 together unless your in the bible belt and hooked into some major psycho christian chirch and tithing 10 percent of your gross your not going to succed as a independant.

    --
    Damn the man!
  14. not expressive enough by iceanfire · · Score: 1

    I'd hate to be a negative kinda person, but every dubbed anime i've come across (including the voices I've seen in this one) 'suck' compared to their japanese couterparts. The english language just doesn't show enough emotions, its simply not expressive enough. I don't think its possible to do a good dub, which is why everyone should just WATCH THE SUBS (which are usually included in the dvds)!!! I was outraged when I heard the voices for the naruto dubs (shown on cartoon network). They couldn't even pronouce naruto's name right. haha. but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try. I hope they continue trying to bring anime to the U.S.

    1. Re:not expressive enough by Maian · · Score: 1
      Well, in English's defense, it's more of a culture clash than language clash.

      Also, and more importantly, the mouth movement timing directly affects what English phrase can be said, which often leads to either ridiculously cheesy or otherwise bad dialog.

    2. Re:not expressive enough by Minna+Kirai · · Score: 1, Interesting

      I don't think its possible to do a good dub,

      It's certainly possible, as can be heard in Disney's Ghilbi dubs. Although weak points can be found in Mononoke Hime, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Porco Rosso, they are all basically decent (and, I can't recall any shortcomings in Spirited Away).

      There are a few chronic obstacles that prevent typical anime companies from doing similarly good jobs.
      (a) Cheapness. Typical anime are dubbed in just a few takes. Keeping the actors and director together long enough to do proper emotions would require much more time, meaning must bigger paychecks. The importer gets enough sales already, so they have no incentive for more investment.

      (b) Bad actors. This is subjective, but for a bit of objectivity, consider that English anime actors are basically in their own job category, separate from those who do voices for native English animations (including video games). For example, look at anime dubber Mary McGlynn, as opposed to voice actors for native projects, like Scott Menville or Phil LaMarr (wow, he's also a real actor!). There isn't much crossover. If anime dub voices were any good, they'd also get jobs for domestic projects- but they essentially don't.

      (c) Wrong editing priorities. The editors and directors who handle the dubbing care too much about matching the soundtrack to facial movements, and not enough on the attitude and emotion expressed by the speech itself. This links back to the brief studio sessions: once they've got a line reading that's basically OK, the actors go home, and then the editor goes about digitally squeezing it into place on the soundtrack. To match speech to lip-flaps, Software is used to change the speed of individual words while holding pitch constant. Anime importers claim that the modern software is so good that no distortion remains, but that's not quite true. Although a listener can't generally describe the nature of the problem, it's easy enough to distinquish the "before" and "after" line readings in a blindfolded test.

    3. Re:not expressive enough by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 1
      It's certainly possible, as can be heard in Disney's Ghilbi dubs. Although weak points can be found in Mononoke Hime, Kiki's Delivery Service, and Porco Rosso, they are all basically decent (and, I can't recall any shortcomings in Spirited Away).
      You missed Castle in the Sky, which has a terrible dub. (Which is really too bad, as it's among my favorite movies.) I don't know how they managed to do such a good job on the other movies, but screwed up that one royally.
      --

      How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
  15. I wouldn't say that by Ogemaniac · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I live in Japan and know a fair bit of the language. English is just as "expressive", in my opinion. The problem is that we express things in such fundamentally different ways that one-for-one translation is impossible. I agree with you - subs are better - but not because they are more accurate or expressive. They are better because you still get the emotion as it was emoted in Japanese, with the neutral English translation below. When it is dubbed, the emotion must be placed directly atop an English phrase, and they often do not match or sound really silly.

    1. Re:I wouldn't say that by iceanfire · · Score: 1

      I stand corrected. I agree that it is infact a cultural difference and not a lingual one. But an important difference nonetheless.

    2. Re:I wouldn't say that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      I agree that it is infact a cultural difference and not a lingual one.

      That's not entirely true either. There are things that can be expressed as a single word in Japanese, but take several in English. If that one word has stress placed on it or is separated somehow, it's difficult to translate it properly.

      I'm thinking of a recent fansub where the character paused a bit for emphasis before ending with the final "nai." Even the subtitle was a bit awkward and I have no idea how this could be properly done with dubbing.

      Of course there are similar problems going the other way, both languages have subtilties that are hard to translate, even if you have time and space to stretch it out to multiple sentences.

  16. They're not English... by TheoGB · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...They're AMERICAN. I'm not voting. What a swizz. :-(

  17. Re:anime is for losers and furries. Kill all furri by grimJester · · Score: 1, Funny

    When the kids went to bed, my wife asked me, "Will we be able to keep the copy/paste trolls off Slashdot, David?"

    I just shook my head, and tried to hold back the tears. "I don't know, Jenny. I don't know."

  18. Re:anime is for losers and furries. Kill all furri by plasmacutter · · Score: 1

    From your conduct I can tell you why your store is failing.

    If that attitude of yours is embedded enough to draw you to /. to complain, it's probably embedded enough to carry through to your customers.

    Also, not stocking racy but popular material like anime will also hurt (yes, anime is considered racy, and it's also one of the more popular genres among young adults).

    I have some ideas as to how you could revitalize and grow your store, if you really do own a store (that conduct does not denote a professional), but you wouldn't be interested in input from people you're flaming.

    --
    VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
  19. Animé dubs by TheToast · · Score: 1

    I could swear all those voices (except one Tetsuya and one Battia) are the same 4 people repeating their lines three or four times. I love animé, I really do, but I only ever watch it subtitled since the girls always have that sqeeky voice, the boys have a really high voice, that dog thing (and all other non-human baddies) have fake gruff voices, etc. You could watch two animé with your eyes closed and couldn't tell one from the other by the voices alone. When dubbing, why do "they" have to give the impression of only having half a dozen voice actors for the entire collection of animé that'll ever be imported? This form they have is pretty much redundant for that very reason. How do you pick any of those Kahms from each other?? They're exactly the same!

    1. Re:Animé dubs by EvilCabbage · · Score: 1

      "When dubbing, why do "they" have to give the impression of only having half a dozen voice actors for the entire collection of animé that'll ever be imported?"

      Because that's pretty much the case?

  20. American Anime Dubbers: They just don't get it by TuxPaper · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They really don't get it. They obviously see there's a problem with their dubs. They "see" it by all the people badmouthing the dubs, but they don't really understand it. What CPM is doing right now is a prime example of their misunderstanding. They are letting fans choose between 4 voices for each of 4 characters. All of these voices can not act. I doubt they've been to a voice acting school. Sure, you can choose the best sounding voice actor/actress (VA) out of the group, or the one that closest matches the original Japanese voice (which is hard, because all 4 voices sound very similar, and nothing like the originals), but the end result will still be poor. They still won't be able to act the parts. You'll still be left with a feeling that they are reading from a paper, or over hamming it up.

    In the end, the type of voice really doesn't matter, as long as the VA can portray the character in the manner s/he needs to be portrayed in. If the VA is good, you'll soon forget that s/he doesn't sound like the Japanese voice. You'll be immersed in the story and the character.

    One has to wonder if CPM (and the other anime dubbers) are being cheap, and are not hiring (or interviewing) expensive, professionally trained VAs, or if there are just no professionally trained VAs in America.

    If voice in the samples are actually from people who have gone to VA school, I apologize, but the school you went to is crap crap crap.

    1. Re:American Anime Dubbers: They just don't get it by HyTronix · · Score: 1

      > or if there are just no professionally trained VAs in America There definitely are. Crispin Freeman springs to mind...

    2. Re:American Anime Dubbers: They just don't get it by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 1

      Ladies and Gentleman, it's Maurice LaMarche! One of our generation's most versatile and distinguished voice acting talents! I had no idea he had a Slashdot account!

      Or at least, I'm assuming it must be Maurice LaMarche. There's not many people who could be familiar enough with the voice acting business to level the kinds of criticism against CPM's talent that TuxPaper is making, and have it be worthwhile! Coming from anyone else, it would just sound like the uninformed whinings of a fanboy with an inflated sense of entitlement.

      (If this is actually not LaMarche but rather Garry Chalk, I apologize for misidentifying you.)

    3. Re:American Anime Dubbers: They just don't get it by Minna+Kirai · · Score: 1

      There definitely are. Crispin Freeman springs to mind...

      Maybe he's had formal training. And looking at the length of his resume, his dubbing is a full-time job. But the proof is in the results: none of the handful of dubbed DVDs I have with him are even close to acceptable listening quality.

      Maybe that's not his fault- maybe it's just impatient or incompetent voice directors. Or it might just be my untrustworthy personal opinion. But notice that in that long list of jobs, he doesn't have one cartoon originally made in America (aside from game cutscenes). If he were that great, he'd at least have guest shots on comedy and childrens' toons.

      The English-speaking world will not get good dubbed anime until the voice actors for anime are the same bunch of people as domestic toons like Samurai Jack, Batman, and The Simpsons. You want to see a truely professional American voice actor? Just look at Harry Shearer. The good ones don't stoop to work anime episodes: they stick with Disney, Warner Bros, Fox, Pixar, and Cartoon Network.

    4. Re:American Anime Dubbers: They just don't get it by Minna+Kirai · · Score: 1

      Or at least, I'm assuming it must be Maurice LaMarche. There's not many people who could be familiar enough with the voice acting business

      Do you actually think CPM is in the same business as LaMarche or Chalk? Re-dubbing imported anime is a separate field from voicing original English cartoons*

      Maurice and Gary do domestic productions. They don't dub anime, or at least I can't find any here. Conversely, most well-known anime VAs rarely work an original English cartoon. The two businesses seem to have mainly non-overlapping sets of actors.

      And, the style of workflow is quite different. Original cartoons, for best results, will record the voices first and then draw animations to match (sometimes viewing the actor on video for guidelines). A little ad-libbing can be encouraged. For anime dubs, the process goes backwards, and the actors must struggle to talk in false voices while matching syllables to pre-existing face movements from a speaker in a different language. There are specific digital tools used for redubbing anime that have little place in original works, and which, though timesaving, cause noticable quality flaws.

      * That's part of the problem with dubbed anime, actually. If they had some of the voice/directoral/editing talent from American cartoons, it would turn out better. A voice track should never be considered finished unless it's at least marginally entertaining to hear with your eyes closed.

      One of our generation's most versatile and distinguished voice acting talents!

      Who's the fanboy around here again?

    5. Re:American Anime Dubbers: They just don't get it by An+Ominous+Cow+Erred · · Score: 1

      Crispin's a great guy, a good actor, and genuinely cares about the works he's dubbing. ...and even he will badmouth some of the stuff he's worked on. There's a HUGE problem with the whole process of making dubs in the U.S. that simply hasn't been fixed by the companies, and probably never will be (see earlier posts that enumerate some of these flaws). A good actor can't save it.

      Hell, even a good director can't save it if the system is flawed.

      If we fix the system with ensemble recording, more time to fix problems, better Japanese cultural and pronunciation education for the actors (it helps for a character to know why they're reacting the way they are and to even pronounce their own name correctly), and better environmental-awareness of voices (limit the fidelity of the voices so they sound like they're really in the kind of environment that they're supposed to be -- real people don't sound like a hifi reproduction from a microphone that's a foot from their face) then even inexperienced actors with enough takes and enough coaching can release a good product, and good, experienced actors like Crispin could REALLY shine!

      The publishers just aren't going to allow that though.

  21. In a Kung-Fu Movie... by splerdu · · Score: 1

    That would be intentional.

  22. Useless attempt by tehpwn · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Fans who are used to hear japanese in animes will never get used to english dubbed version; the languages intonations variances are too different (Japanese is very expressivly varying in intonations compared to US english), so feeling aren't so marked in english phonetics.

  23. It could be worse by Keichann · · Score: 1

    At least it's not 'Manga' [sic] doing the dubbing/subtitles, anyone else remember how they managed to translate 'Phoenix' (Japanese, quite clearly audible as it didn't change between languages) into 'never die bird' in the subs?

    Maybe they just use babelfish...?

  24. Wow. by MasamuneXGP · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Putting aside the anime-haters and sub vs dub arguments, this is a MAJOR step in the right direction for anime in the US. Dubbers who actually care about what the already-existing fans think?! Unthinkable. I can only hope more dubbing companies start doing this. I can only imagine how awesome it would be if a popular anime such as Naruto got similar treatment.

  25. Re:You Lose. by WilliamSChips · · Score: 1

    We're on slashdot. Cool is a four-letter word.

    --
    Please, for the good of Humanity, vote Obama.
  26. At least it's not 4Kids by Luigi30 · · Score: 1

    Or it'd look like this.

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    503 Sig Unavailable

    The Signature could not be accessed. Please try again later or contact the administrator
  27. How do you know? by objekt · · Score: 1

    They could be English actors hiding their accents.

    --
    -- Boycott Shell
    1. Re:How do you know? by TheoGB · · Score: 1

      Don't! Hugh Laurie in House still scares me... I keep expecting him to say something like "Have you ever seen such an enormous pair of trousers".

  28. Fool All of the People Some of the Time by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Democratic voting is far from a guarantee that the majority will be happy with their selection once its made. But it is very handy in making people feel like the selection is their fault, that they should get defensive, and protect their selection from the others, even when they become the minority through attrition.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

  29. Re:anime is for losers and furries. Kill all furri by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    A week ago, an unpleasant experience with pirates gave me an idea. In my store, I overheard a teenage patron talking to his friend.
    "Dude, I'm going to put this CD on the Internet right away."
    "Yeah, dude, that's really lete [sic], you'll get lots of respect."


    Dude, have you been watching your downloaded version of "Hackers" too many times? That dialogue sounds incredibly cheesy, but I suppose it sounds better in the original Japanese.

  30. Re:I always tell people by hhghghghh · · Score: 1

    That it's like some idiot US TV producer decided dub Monty Python into American idiom. It might even be funny, but it just wouldn't be the same.

    Or, heaven forbid, in German! Can you imagine the Lumberjack song in German?! That just wouldn't work. ;-)

  31. Enthusiasts? by thebdj · · Score: 1

    I do not know many people who REALLY like anime that would ever listen to a dubbed track. Check out some subtitles and some dubbings. Maybe it is a matter of translation, or a matter of censorship but you will constantly see things being said in English dubs that are editted for speech and/or other reasons. Sometimes almost to a comical point.

    Now, by using different voice actors you might be able to get enough variety that some people can get over the whole, the voice just doesn't sound right issue. Which I have had with a few anime programs in the past. Personally I do not mind reading subtitles, and so long as they are legible (anyone having seen Battle Royale can tell you about illegible subtitles on a DVD) I just as much figure I will get the movie or show in its original context with the emotion and what not in the voice as the directors originally wanted. There is more to speaking then just words afterall, there is emotion that comes through greatly in voices, and sometimes in anime the vocal emotion might be the only emotion you get.

    --
    "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb."
  32. Re:Terrible idea by Hatta · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You don't understand voting for 4 candidates. What happens is that the minority (~26%) likes the dubbing and the majority (the other 74%) hates it.

    It would be a good place to use something like Instant Runoff Voting, which solves this problem. The american government has the same problem, see the 2000 election. Using IRV in contests like this would be a great way to teach people about it.

    --
    Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  33. "Majority" by xgamer04 · · Score: 1

    With four choices, the "winner" only needs 25.000...01% of the vote to win. This hardly seems like a majority, and more like a plurality.

    --
    When you look at the state of the world, how can you not become a radical, liberal anarchist?
  34. Majority? by Obfuscant · · Score: 1
    Seems like a fun way to generate interest and ensure that the majority of enthusiasts like the dubbing.

    No, seems like a way to ensure that the majority do NOT like the dubbing.

    Unless each role receives a clear majority winner made up from the same people, then a simple plurality will decide each role, and when a plurality wins, the majority has voted for someone else.

    To demonstrate: A, B, C, D, and E are voting for people 1, 2, 3 and 4 for each role. For the first role, the votes are: A,B: 1 C:2 D:3 E:4. Person 1 wins role 1, and C, D, and E are unhappy (a majority). For the second role the votes are: A:1 B:2 C,D:3 E:4. Person 3 wins role 2, and now A, B, and E are in the majority and are unhappy. And overall, A, B, C, D, and E are unhappy with the winners, even though they all got to vote.

  35. Dubbed again by echocharlie · · Score: 1

    Outlanders was actually one of the first dubbed available in America back in 1986. Here's the cast list from that first dub. There are some interesting names to anime fans in that list.