Anime Known 'real life' actors voicing anime dubs

[JenniKate]

This thought was triggered by Dagger's Howls Moving Castle post about who is voicing the English dub - but it's not really about that anime so I thought I'd start a new post :animesmil

I don't know that I'm a big fan of well known 'real life movie' actors doing voice acting for anime.
I'm actually not a fan of well known actors doing voices for any animation come to that. It always feels like their personality moulds the character.

I know in the US most animations have the voices recorded first and the animation drawn later so they often design the drawings around the actors personalities.

Usually in Japan the animation is done first and the voice actor has to fit to suit it. Which means that character is who the writers/designers want it to be - without being influenced by an actor.

It would be interesting to see how Howls turns out given that it has some big name Western actors doing the English dub - I'm just concerned it will take away from the story.

Maybe it's just me! Do you think it matters if well known 'real life movie' actors voice the dubs for anime?

[The Drizzle]

[COLOR=DarkGreen]Not really...sometimes you dont even know its them, and then you realize who it is and its pretty cool. I also seem to have more respect for some actors when they do anime for some reason.

OH, and did anyone else recognize Vashs voice? Thats right, he's the black ranger from the Power Rangers(the one in the first movie)! idk when I first found that out I got way too excited, so I thought Id share that with you people.[/COLOR]

[AzureWolf]

[COLOR=blue]For Japanese dubbing, everyone sounds the same to me. So I can't say I have much of a preference when it comes to the original dub.

For the english, I would prefer not to recognize someone. If not for the fact that I don't want to picture someone other than the character onscreen, then for the fact that one is much more objective to dubbing quality. I hate it when I recognize a voice and can attach a face to it. It helps to not keep up with the names of people and actors, haha.[/COLOR]

[Solo Tremaine]

[quote name='AzureWolf][color=blue']For the english, I would prefer not to recognize someone. If not for the fact that I don't want to picture someone other than the character onscreen, then for the fact that one is much more objective to dubbing quality. I hate it when I recognize a voice and can attach a face to it. It helps to not keep up with the names of people and actors, haha.[/color][/quote][COLOR=#503F86]Same here. As much as I like his voice, having someone like Ian McKellen playing Gendo Ikari (for example) would get far too distracting- you'd only listen to it because it was Ian McKellen and everything else that the anime has going for it would be overshadowed.

It's mildly frustrating enough to have a voice actor who's been in every other anime you've seen acting as a major part. Hilay Haag's very good at what she does, but I've gotten so used to her voice now it almost becomes boring to listen to. And I like Chrono Crusade.[/COLOR]

[Panda]

I really have mixed feelings about well known actors voice acting and everyone who posted above touched on parts of what I feel. I have the tendency to initially think of the voice actor's previous roles when I hear their voice. When you have really popular actor I think it is, at times, difficult to separate the voice from the actor. For example someone like Mark Hamill who is now doing a ton voice over work, including the latest Robotech project, I am afraid I will only think that it's Luke Skywalker. Seeing how in some of the work he either plays himself or Luke Skywalker it isn't too much of a stretch to think that! I have heard many glowing reviews of his work as The Joker in Batman but I haven't seen/heard the work in that series.

This also extends to well known voice actors, such as Crispin Freeman or Steven Blum. I tend to hear their previous roles. I also have friends who work in the industry and at times when I am visiting with them I start to think of the roles they have worked on. At times this can be distracting, but it actually adds to my enjoyment of a series/movie in the end.

I guess I can step back and enjoy the work that these actors do. It is an extension of my suspension of disbelief. Like watching an actor on the big screen, I know that is actor Johnny Depp but on screen he is playing the role of a saucy pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean. I can separate the real life person from the role they are playing. As long as whoever is doing the voice acting is a good actor, I don't see a problem with "known" actors playing the roles. Unless of course they are taking the work away from a talented voice actor solely off of their name recognition to "sell" the animation to the general public.