Voice Acting in Berserk Animation

Oburi

All praise Grail
I don't think Griffiths english VA has a bad voice really, but his delivery is all wrong. Since I saw the entire anime before reading the manga (and I watched it dubbed) I didn't know much about anime and manga at the time so Griffiths voice seemed to fit, and when I read the manga I still had his voice in my head. However, the last time I watched the anime in english it was cringe worthy. I showed this girl who I had got into Berserk the anime (she read the manga first) and she also said that Griffs voice was all wrong.
 
As a matter of fact Berserk was the only dubbed anime I ever watched and at that time I thought English voice acting was okay. Not sure if I will like it now.
 

Saephon

Die young and save yourself
Before any gripes about over or under-acting are even factored, what matters to me is that dialogue has to be reworked; tweaked to fit pre-animated mouth movements. Hundreds of important details in anime have been lost in translation due to this, and that's usually why I won't even give a dub a chance. Not because I'm expecting the quality of the voice acting to suck (though that is frequently the case :carcus:).

Having said that, the two shows I'll always prefer in English are Cowboy Bebop and Trigun. They did a pretty decent job and Japanese voices actually take me out of the Western setting a bit, so it's nice that I enjoy the English ones.
 
Saephon said:
Japanese voices actually take me out of the setting a bit, so it's nice that I enjoy the English ones.
My thoughts exactly. But about Berserk. =) Cowboy Bebop is my favourite anime ever I can't imagine it with English dubbing. Trigun... that I can, but I doubt that the dubbing will do any good.

Goddamn, I have some serious grammar issues. T_T
 
I think the voices in the Dreamcast game sounded better than the Media Blasters' dub. Casca's VA gave a terrible performance, and Guts' wasn't much better. And the fact that Goku voices every background character makes me cringe. I did like Griffith and Judo's voices though, and the announcer/Void was fitting IMO.
 

Alk

Lurker Artist
I have one thing I enjoy about the english dub very much- the blooper reels on the DVDs.
Maybe it's just because I have great memories of watching them with my old roomates, but I smile when I think about them. A lot of the lines got repeated frequently amongst us.

Otherwise, I feel the same as many people do on here- it's best to stick to subtitles when it comes to anime- with a few rare series being the exception.
I also feel the same as many on here in that I may try to suffer through a bad dub if it means seeing Berserk in a theatre full of energetic fanpeople (hopefully). :ubik:
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Just curious for those who have seen the One Piece or Naruto movies. When those get brought to the US, are they given dubs in theaters? Or are those movies even shown in limited release theaters?

Basically, what's the US anime industry status quo for theatrical dubs?
 

jackson_hurley

even the horses are cut in half!
I know that when I get anime movies in montreal they mostly play in a select theater and they are sub-titled most of the time in english.
 
When Mononoke Hime came to the states, before it got super big, it was being shown with English Dub in almost all theaters (major theaters like AMC and even small independent theaters as well). However, at the time, I lived in San Francisco and the AMC theater in Japan town was showing it subtitled. So naturally, I saw it there.

When Gantz, live-action came out in the states, it premiered the same day it premiered in Japan (or maybe even a few days earlier if I remember correctly). When it premiered in NYC, they were only showing it at the AMC in Times Square. I went to go see it, and it was sadly dubbed. Horribly dubbed. A few months later, however, it showed again at the New York Asian International Film Festival, and it was subtitled. I didn't go see it again (the movie wasn't that great), but I wish I would have waited.

When Tekkon Kinkreet (Studio 4C), came out in the states, I saw it at the local independent theater in NYC, the IFC Theater, and it was subtitled.

So basically, I think, if the movie does premiere in the states, and is treated as a "big deal", and is shown in the big theaters like AMC, Regal, etc etc, then it will be sadly DUBBED. However, I don't think it will be treated as a "big deal" like a Miyazaki film or anything. I think it will be treated more like Tekkon Kinkreet. In which case, it might not premiere the same day it does in Japan, but when it does come over to the states, it will be shown at independent theaters, and generally speaking independent theaters are geared towards the purists and hardcore film people, and would therefore show it subtitled.

Let's hope!
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
I saw Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door at the Varsity Theater in the U-District of Seattle on the last day of its three-day showing, and it was dubbed.

On the other hand, I saw Steam Boy (ugh) at the same theater a year later and they had two showings: one dubbed and one subtitled. Unfortunately, my girlfriend at the time wanted to see the dubbed version, but I was happy knowing that a subtitled version was available, too.

I have no idea how they'll handle the Berserk film if its released in Seattle.
 

Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
It depends on the English language publisher I think. The Gurren Laggan movies weren't dubbed and were shown subtitled in the states. The 20th Century Boy live action adaptations(which did have a dub) had a same-day release for the third movie subtitled at the Viz Theater in Japan Town S.F. Rebuild of Eva was shown subbed first at select theaters and dubbed later on, but it's done by Funimation, a major licensing studio here that does all dubs except for online streaming subbed current airing anime. Redline, an awesome recent hand drawn anime by Madhouse, was shown at the Viz theater in Japanese without subtitles(IIRC) around the same time it came out in theaters in Japan. I think that the Eureka 7 movie was shown subbed I think in a one-night only thing. As for Naruto/Bleach/One Piece... I don't think the movies have even been brought over to the States.

Well, that's what I know/remember at the moment, I hope the movie comes to the Viz theater in S.F. since it's an easy bus ride for me. :daiba:

Edit: Looking the info up, it seems that the Naruto movies at least were shown in select theaters as well and released by Viz. The one I looked info up on was premiered on Cartoon Network though, so that means it was the dub. I don't think it's any indicator for how Berserk will be released though.
 

jackson_hurley

even the horses are cut in half!
No offense to my U.S. friends but I think American people don't like to watch subtitled movies aka the enormous amount of remakes even after the movie just came out. Example : [REC] a Spanish movie got remake in the states (the exact same story) but in English. Oh and they changed the titled too...

ps: I'm generalizing here by the way. I know a lot of you guys don't mind to watch original movies with the subtitles when it's not made in English...
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
jackson_hurley said:
No offense to my U.S. friends but I think American people don't like to watch subtitled movies aka the enormous amount of remakes even after the movie just came out. Example : [REC] a Spanish movie got remake in the states (the exact same story) but in English. Oh and they changed the titled too...

ps: I'm generalizing here by the way. I know a lot of you guys don't mind to watch original movies with the subtitles when it's not made in English...

None taken. :serpico: I have never understood remaking foreign films using an English-speaking cast. Enough people see them, I guess, so the studios keep churning them out. Why they had to remake movies like Let the Right One In or Men Who Hate Women (a.k.a. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo :schierke:), instead of just subtitling these already wonderful movies (which they did) and leaving it at that, I'll never understand.
 

Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
jackson_hurley said:
No offense to my U.S. friends but I think American people don't like to watch subtitled movies aka the enormous amount of remakes even after the movie just came out. Example : [REC] a Spanish movie got remake in the states (the exact same story) but in English. Oh and they changed the titled too...

ps: I'm generalizing here by the way. I know a lot of you guys don't mind to watch original movies with the subtitles when it's not made in English...
I'd say that goes for the general public, but not really for "higher level" anime fans. Maybe the ones who like just the stuff they saw as kids or on Adult Swim, but I'd say most Berserk fans would rather it be in, or at least would be okay with it being subtitled.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
jackson_hurley said:
I think American people don't like to watch subtitled movies aka the enormous amount of remakes even after the movie just came out.
Rhombaad said:
I have never understood remaking foreign films using an English-speaking cast. Enough people see them, I guess, so the studios keep churning them out.

Exactly, Rhombaad. It's not about subtitles per se, though that's a part of it, but its about making more money by re-branding already successful properties as domestic events and therefore potential blockbusters, which they'll even do with film's that were already in English (but are too English =). It's about how big you can open, and an already released foreign film you merely subtitled doesn't have the freshness, urgency, or accessibility of a brand new domestic production based on that film. It's the best of both worlds, you already have that film's built-in audience, and whatever new general audiences you can suck in with a shiny new production they can easily relate to.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
In conclusion, it sounds like if the release is big enough, it could be dubbed for English audiences. But if it's a more low-key release, subtitles are likely.

I'll take it however I can get it, obviously. But I'd prefer it to be unscathed by dubs.
 

Gobolatula

praise be to grail!
I'm guessing it'll be dubbed for theater release, if Warner Brothers is the company that brings it over. Sony brought a Cowboy Bebop movie dub to US theaters. It would only make sense that WB does something similar, being another big company and all. I would like to see a good dub with good new actors.
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
Gobolatula said:
I would like to see a good dub with good new actors.

Since WB is a bigger company than Media Blasters, they will probably be able to afford more professional voice actors. Think any big names from Hollywood will step up to fill the roles, like they did for Princess Mononoke?
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
Griffith said:
I wouldn't expect this to get the Miyazaki treatment.
Truly. As much as we all love Berserk, you have to recognize that the first in a series of Berserk film adaptations doesn't carry the same clout as a Hayao Miyazaki animation. It's nice to hope though! :farnese:
 

Viral Harvest

Every Knee Bent Too Shall Break
Even when I first watched the dub when I was 16, I knew it was BAD. If you really want to torture yourself, watch the interaction between Guts and Caska after the suicide attempt bit - chock full of more awkward dialogue than an 8th grade dance. Someone mentioned the Cowboy Bebop dub, and I have to agree that it's one of the better dubs out there (for what it's worth)
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
Walter said:
Truly. As much as we all love Berserk, you have to recognize that the first in a series of Berserk film adaptations doesn't carry the same clout as a Hayao Miyazaki animation. It's nice to hope though! :farnese:

You have to remember though that Princess Mononoke, the movie Rhombaad refers to, is what "revealed" Miyazaki to the general public in the USA. Unless I'm mistaken none of Studio Ghibli's productions had had a theatrical release in the USA before that, and even then Mononoke had a somewhat limited release. Miramax took risks back then by putting a lot of money into the English adaptation. That being said, I also don't expect the cast to be all big Hollywood actors. I think what will be determinant in deciding what treatment the Berserk movie gets internationally is simply the success it will first receive in Japan. The more money it makes in its home country, the more likely it is to be handled respectfully abroad.
 
I always did have a soft spot for NYAV Posts dub of Berserk, it wasn't perfect but it was decent to listen to. Marc Diraison as Guts worked in alot of ways as did Kevin T Collins as Griffith, I was never to sure about Carolyn Keranen as Casca though due to her voice being far too shrill and over the top in some parts.

As much as I wouldn't mind having the old English dub cast return for another go I think it would be appropriate to have new voice actors playing the characters this time around, new blood as well.
 
S

supa_pokute

Guest
One thing I'm a little surprised at from reading on forums (not just here), is that some people will out right refuse to watch it if it's not dubbed like a few others have mentioned. Now I'm sure it will be dubbed down the line in English and picked up in the United States eventually, but really people? Some wont watch a brand new Berserk anime after this long because they can't hear it in English? When I started watching Japanese anime for the first time 13 years ago (I'm 26 now) I was kind of stubborn and naive, and would only want to watch it in dubbed format. But as my tastes grew and experience from Japanese culture, I welcomed being able to listen to anime in it's original intended format, and no have trouble reading subtitles, and even picked up a little Japanese along the way.

Anyway I know most on here don't mind it, but just in general I've been seeing quite a few forum posts or blogs around the Internet about people raging over it being dubbed or not. :p

NOTE: Don't get me wrong, there are a handful of anime that I do enjoy in English such as Slayers, Ghibli films and works from the Pioneer dubbing studio, but I just wish people would have a more open mind when it comes to listening to something in another language, thats all.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
supa_pokute said:
One thing I'm a little surprised at from reading on forums (not just here), is that some people will out right refuse to watch it if it's not dubbed like a few others have mentioned. Now I'm sure it will be dubbed down the line in English and picked up in the United States eventually, but really people? Some wont watch a brand new Berserk anime after this long because they can't hear it in English? When I started watching Japanese anime for the first time 13 years ago (I'm 26 now) I was kind of stubborn and naive, and would only want to watch it in dubbed format. But as my tastes grew and experience from Japanese culture, I welcomed being able to listen to anime in it's original intended format, and no have trouble reading subtitles, and even picked up a little Japanese along the way.

Anyway I know most on here don't mind it, but just in general I've been seeing quite a few forum posts or blogs around the Internet about people raging over it being dubbed or not. :p

NOTE: Don't get me wrong, there are a handful of anime that I do enjoy in English such as Slayers, Ghibli films and works from the Pioneer dubbing studio, but I just wish people would have a more open mind when it comes to listening to something in another language, thats all.
I don't recall anyone saying that they would outright NOT watch it if it were not dubbed. Either way, people say a lot of stupid shit on forums but that doesn't mean they'll follow through with it. :guts: I think everyone's excited about a new Berserk animation, and they'll watch it however they can.
 
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