ToS, TotA voice opinions...
So Omi came over yesterday and we played some PS2 games...in Japanese, of course. We played a little bit of the Ouran High School host club where we attempted to court Tamaki before switching over to Tales of Symphonia and then Abyss. I'm actually really tempted to get Abyss, but the $169 for the Asian PS2 and the $179 for the Japanese PS2, plus $34.40 for shipping and handling really scares me (what IS the difference between the Asian and Japanese PS2 if they both can play Japanese PS2 games?) Well, maybe someday in the near future if I go to Japan, and if they still have PS2s and copies of Abyss in supply, I'll pick myself up a used PS2 or something...
Anyway, voices desu~!
:Abyss:
Luke- Yuri Lowenthall is the awesome, and Chihiro Suzuki is just as awesome, if not more so. Suzuki-san did a really great job at being Luke, whether he was whining, yelling, making fun of other characters, talking sarcastically, etc. I can't really say who I like more, although I feel like Suzuki did a better job at being sarcastic.
Jade- Takehito Koyasu is teh awesome. I personally like his English better, but Koyasu did a good job with Jade, shifting from serious to teasing to....well, all of what makes Jade Jade.
I can almost forgive Koyasu-san having Weiß Kreuz make no sense. Almost...
Anise- Anise is pretty well done. She's a lot more high pitched in the Japanese, particularly when she's trying to be cutesy, but her VA does the part well (from what I could tell), and she alters pretty well from being demanding and angry to cutesy for the boys.
Tear- Tear is a LOT different in Japanese than she is in English. I think the biggest differences is that in English she always sounds like she's lecturing Luke, even when she's just trying to explain how something works. Tear in Japanese has a lot softer of a voice and she doesn't sound nearly as irritated by Luke as she does in English. She actually sounds like her age too, at least more so than the English Tear. At any rate, I definitely like her Japanese voice better. She just sounds a lot...nicer.
Guy- Gone is Johnny Young Bosch...Guy's Japanese voice isn't bad, but it's not amazing either. It's just kind of there.
Mieu- Just as annoying in Japanese as he is in English.
Ion- Ion is voiced by Ikue Ootani, who has also voiced for Merle in Escaflowne. If you thought Ion's voice was girly enough in English, it's a lot worse in Japanese. That being said, it's not a BAD voice, but it kinda makes you question his gender a little bit. But I think Ootani-san does a pretty good job trying to sound like a boy, for her. Anyway, the voice is cute and soothing, and it fits Ion pretty well.
Dist- Liam O'Brien is 100x better. No contest.
Van- Van sounds a little more creepier in the Japanese, actually... It's not bad, and it certainly fits him, but...
Largo- He is scarier in the Japanese.
Arietta- I didn't think Arietta's voice could get any more annoying. ...I was wrong.
Arietta's not BAD, but wait until she screams...*shudders*
:Symphonia:
Lloyd- I like Lloyd's voice in the Japanese, although I think a lot of that has to do with the OAV. It's amazing how different his Japanese and English voices sound, though. I think his Japanese voice makes him sound younger and more carefree, and more of a dingbat. I do like his English, too, but I think it makes him sound too old sometimes...
Colette- It's there. It's kind of annoying to listen to sometimes, but it's not that bad. It definitely gives me a different impression of Colette than the English. Again, Colette sounds a lot younger and, like Lloyd, a lot more carefree.
Genis- I like Genis' Japanese voice better. You can tell it's a girl in both versions, but I somehow think the Japanese is more fitting.
Raine- I can't really say much about Raine's voice because it doesn't really stand out or anything. It's just there. That being said, I think I like the English voice better, though I'm not entirely sure why. I think she sounds a little nicer in the English than in the Japanese...
Kratos- English VA FTW
Japanese Kratos sounds likes he's 50...it's depressing.
Sheena- I didn't mind her Japanese voice, but I prefer her English in most occasion.
Anyway, voices desu~!
:Abyss:
Luke- Yuri Lowenthall is the awesome, and Chihiro Suzuki is just as awesome, if not more so. Suzuki-san did a really great job at being Luke, whether he was whining, yelling, making fun of other characters, talking sarcastically, etc. I can't really say who I like more, although I feel like Suzuki did a better job at being sarcastic.
Jade- Takehito Koyasu is teh awesome. I personally like his English better, but Koyasu did a good job with Jade, shifting from serious to teasing to....well, all of what makes Jade Jade.
I can almost forgive Koyasu-san having Weiß Kreuz make no sense. Almost...
Anise- Anise is pretty well done. She's a lot more high pitched in the Japanese, particularly when she's trying to be cutesy, but her VA does the part well (from what I could tell), and she alters pretty well from being demanding and angry to cutesy for the boys.
Tear- Tear is a LOT different in Japanese than she is in English. I think the biggest differences is that in English she always sounds like she's lecturing Luke, even when she's just trying to explain how something works. Tear in Japanese has a lot softer of a voice and she doesn't sound nearly as irritated by Luke as she does in English. She actually sounds like her age too, at least more so than the English Tear. At any rate, I definitely like her Japanese voice better. She just sounds a lot...nicer.
Guy- Gone is Johnny Young Bosch...Guy's Japanese voice isn't bad, but it's not amazing either. It's just kind of there.
Mieu- Just as annoying in Japanese as he is in English.
Ion- Ion is voiced by Ikue Ootani, who has also voiced for Merle in Escaflowne. If you thought Ion's voice was girly enough in English, it's a lot worse in Japanese. That being said, it's not a BAD voice, but it kinda makes you question his gender a little bit. But I think Ootani-san does a pretty good job trying to sound like a boy, for her. Anyway, the voice is cute and soothing, and it fits Ion pretty well.
Dist- Liam O'Brien is 100x better. No contest.
Van- Van sounds a little more creepier in the Japanese, actually... It's not bad, and it certainly fits him, but...
Largo- He is scarier in the Japanese.
Arietta- I didn't think Arietta's voice could get any more annoying. ...I was wrong.
Arietta's not BAD, but wait until she screams...*shudders*
:Symphonia:
Lloyd- I like Lloyd's voice in the Japanese, although I think a lot of that has to do with the OAV. It's amazing how different his Japanese and English voices sound, though. I think his Japanese voice makes him sound younger and more carefree, and more of a dingbat. I do like his English, too, but I think it makes him sound too old sometimes...
Colette- It's there. It's kind of annoying to listen to sometimes, but it's not that bad. It definitely gives me a different impression of Colette than the English. Again, Colette sounds a lot younger and, like Lloyd, a lot more carefree.
Genis- I like Genis' Japanese voice better. You can tell it's a girl in both versions, but I somehow think the Japanese is more fitting.
Raine- I can't really say much about Raine's voice because it doesn't really stand out or anything. It's just there. That being said, I think I like the English voice better, though I'm not entirely sure why. I think she sounds a little nicer in the English than in the Japanese...
Kratos- English VA FTW
Japanese Kratos sounds likes he's 50...it's depressing.
Sheena- I didn't mind her Japanese voice, but I prefer her English in most occasion.