Yeah I'm the same way, I just get so much more out of the subs. The American version is nice and all.. it just seems strange and forced, like an actor reading a script at rehersal instead of an actor giving a performance. I too am an uber-fast reader though, and I grew up on dubbed movies, including alot of Samurai movies (Akira Kurosawa owns), so I tend to get alot out of it.

It's still nice to watch it either way tho.

good dubbing, and what anime guy voice is an actually a guy in real life? ...

I don't know any voice actors, that's not fair

All this talk about Japanese VAs being so much better in terms of research and respected and such.

How about reading this then
http://www.animejump.com/modules.php?op=mo...artid=30&page=1

Some quotes from the article








Boy... reading that article shows how much wrong opinions some people have around this forum.

the speed and circumstances japanese seiyuu have to work with make their work all the more admirable, in my opinion. it is also still a fact that for the most part, seiyuu will get together in a room, directed by the director, and go through their scripts. a thirty-minute show that needs to be put together and air soon can't be compared to an american animated movie like the lion king, where the VAs can say their scripts in front of mirrors and the animators record those practices and dubbing sessions, and draw in some of the expressions. from this interview, it seems like the seiyuu sometime have to go in cold turkey and can develop their characters from what they see on storyboards and cels. and despite that, many of them do amazing jobs.

as for the quote included about salaries, their pay has no correlation to the huge amount of respect they receive from the fans of the shows they voice in--most of that respect comes from the high-quality work they do. i am also still under the impression that japanese seiyuu are much closer to having celebrity status than american VAs are. maybe this is just my ignorance, but i consider myself a big anime fan, and yet the only VA names i'm acquainted with are mignonga's, aaron dismuke's, willingham's, collen clinkenbeard's, and joshua seth's. the first four because their names keep circulating through the FMA community, and the last one because i kept hearing his voice in so many shows and commercials i watched, and it was driving me crazy and i googled tai's VA (and this has nothing to do with the dubbing of FMA, but i am tired of hearing joshua seth's voice coming from my TV, mostly because he does so many series and sounds exactly the same in all of them). i don't believe VAs here in america will ever become as big as seiyuu are in japan, partially because of the difference in culture.

last nite i played the japanese version simultaneously with the adult swim one--really llllove the japanese version!!!

1) Ed's voice is like yu gi oh in US version while that in Japanese version, cute boy;
2)Al's voice: US: timid girl too young and too shy; Jap: gentle yet strong small brother;
3)Lust: US: too kind to be a Homonculus; Jap: good for her name!
4)The US version has a lot missing--e.g some BG noise and scream and music--incomplete:(

just my 2 cents~~

I disagree with all your comparisons.

*Dies* xP How can you compare Ed's voice with Yugi's voice? And Al's voice are both good, but in the Jap's version i'm not used to his voice.

1) Ed's voice simular to Yugi from Yu-Gi-Oh!? No way! ( I think you need to play Yu-Gi-Oh! simutanesouly )
2) Al's voice is good in both versions
3) Lust's voice too kind? nope I don't agree.
4) Nope, I can't agree with you there , I might have to check it out.

mmm, i might play yugioh simultaneously with that as well--but i just feel that yugi and ed both appear MUCH more mature in english version than the J one.

not sure whether there's a difference b/w asian and caucasian teenage boy's pronunciation structure~~

i'm sorry, but i also disagree with your comparisons. you need to back up your opinion more than "Ed sounds like Yugi" and "Al sounds like a shy girl"

i don't think lust's dub voice seem to kind.

*blinks* i like LUst English Voice. i think it could be slightly more seductive but i like it

wait...

Are you comparing Ed's voice in *english* or *japanese* to Yugi's voice in *english* or *japanese*? 0_o;;; SO CONFUSED!!!

Ed and Al were the only major problems I ever had.

Ed just sounds so... so... Anime-ish! It sucks. XP

And Alphonse... well, I still think that even though he's young, his English voice actor just isn't all that talented. (In Japanese, his voice sounded a bit nasal-y for the first few eps. Voice changes occur when the seiyuu are getting into character, so it's common. I don't think I've ever failed to be intrigued by the various Ed vocal expressions of Paku's, though. Something about the attitude she puts into her performance is so... <3)

As for Lust, it's fitting for her. The only difference is, she sounds perfectly sexy and seductive in English, however, not quite as powerful. The original performance held just the right amount of seductiveness, while still holding a very bold, commanding presence with her words. But overall, I like her dub.

Hughes's dub has some awesome lines.

Gluttony's dub makes him sound like an old man. I want to cry.

i like both the japanese and english voices. it was an awesome dub.

mmm, i think this "seductivity" is what i was looking for in the US version but--no, i cannot hear it from the english speaking Lust~~

[quote=Kyo_Umerio,Mar 26 2005, 04:39 PM]*blinks* i like LUst English Voice. i think it could be slightly more seductive but i like it

[/quote]

Ed and Al were the only major problems I ever had. 

Ed just sounds so... so...  Anime-ish!  It sucks.  XP

********************************************

hmm, this sounds interesting. not being a longtime dubbed english anime viewer, i am not very sure about what do u mean by anime-ish? but, yes, i am comparing english speaking ed and english speaking yugi. the thing that strikes me is that the two's voices are more "cracked" than the J speaking ones and the E speaking guys are just too emotional sometimes and their voices are flunctuating~~~~

********************************************
And Alphonse... well, I still think that even though he's young, his English voice actor just isn't all that talented.  (In Japanese, his voice sounded a bit nasal-y for the first few eps.  Voice changes occur when the seiyuu are getting into character, so it's common.  I don't think I've ever failed to be intrigued by the various Ed vocal expressions of Paku's, though.  Something about the attitude she puts into her performance is so... <3)

*******************************************

just feel al's english voice is less dramatic than his brother:( not a lot of change--but it might be due to the language difference, tho. japanese sentences are more flunctuating than english--therefore, japanese/chinese speakers would feel english speakers very monotonous but not in anime, while english speakers would feel chinese/japanese speaker's english to be too fluctuating~~


As for Lust, it's fitting for her.  The only difference is, she sounds perfectly sexy and seductive in English, however, not quite as powerful.  The original performance held just the right amount of seductiveness, while still holding a very bold, commanding presence with her words.  But overall, I like her dub.

Hughes's dub has some awesome lines.


//agree! i like huge's:)


Gluttony's dub makes him sound like an old man.  I want to cry.

[/quote]

o_0 Lust's dub voice is awesome! She's voiced by Laura Bailey, my future wife! (I wish... XD)

Is it just me or does Gluttony's english voice sound frighteningly similar to the voice of Gargamel from the Smurfs? O_o I think his voice is the only one I have a serious problem with so far. In the Japanese version, he's more of a child-like creature that you can (almost) like. In the english version, though... eww... It just doesn't suit him at all. Other than that, everyone else seems to be doing a pretty good job. I agree, Lust's voice is fitting. Soft, sexy, threatening in a "sigh, what a bother" sort of way. I thought Envy's english voice was pretty good too. I heard a rumor that most of the english cast are fans of the series, which is awesome for us because they work that much harder to make it sound good.

The very first episode of FMA I saw was actually a dub on Adult Swim (it was episode 13, lol. What a great introduction to the series it was for me! When it was done, I rushed to my computer and downloaded every episode. ). When I turned on the tele, I braced myself for the typical crappy voice acting that always seems to come from english dubbing (think early dubbed Sailor Moon... ugh...). Instead of the squeaky, fake crap I'd prepared myself for, I heard the believable voices of a soft-spoken young boy (Alphonse) and a cute, bratty, good-hearted teen (Edward). I thought "Wow, this isn't so bad... I can't wait to see the original" and kept watching.

I've been hooked ever since.

Oh, speaking of seiyuu--specifically Paku Romi--I think one of my all-time favorite moments in the series is when she/Edward does an impression of Mustang at the very beginning of episode 13. OMG I laugh so hard every time I see that! She's amazing! She isn't just a voice actress; she IS Edward. When she cries as Edward, my heart falls down to my feet! The seiyuu of FMA (including the english ones) do such a wonderful, wonderful job breathing life into these characters. It just makes the series that much more real. I have to say, this is THE BEST anime I have ever seen. Hands down, no contest.

I think that FUNimation did a great job in dubbing and the voice actors did an excellent job (with the exception of Gluttony)!
Of course, I'm biased 'cause I haven't seen it in Japanese yet.

I just think that Ed and Al's voice sound better in Japanese, but I guess their English voice is good...imagine them having the most dorkiest voices ever...0_0' Okay...yeah.

i have only seen the dubbed FMA i want to hear what they sound like in japanese anyone know were some video or sound clips are online?

also anyone know is the voice actor who plays ed (dubb) the same guy who plays dark in D.N.Angel (dubb) they sound a lot the same

I have heard both american and japanese versions of fma; japanese has much better voice acting. i say this because 1. I very much disliked the american emphasis on some of the words 2. al's voice sounded terrible in the american dub (it sounded sooo inexperienced. when you listen to al in jap version, sounds almost lightyears better) 3. Who would want to miss Edward-san being said?

Jap version is much better then the American Version

Let's compress the comparison into few words:

Dub: Sucks
Sub: Good

Much better XD

japanese to me is better because...

1. its the original!
2. thier voices are better *well maybe a lil*

american way to me is better because...

1. the actors voices in japanese for Ed and Al are girl and america put guy voices so maybe the same gender for them
2. the subtitles!!! you dont use subtitles for american way!!! *they kinda much up the subs when you watch the dvd of FMA in japanese*

I usually have a straightforward, 'hate the dub, love the sub' sort of attitude for most anime, but I'm more objective in this case. I think it might be because I heard bits of the dub in the background on my tv before I really started to watch the series, so it wasn't such a big jump.

I think the FMA dub is definately one of the better ones out there. Not too many of the voices really bug me and some I really like.

And Ed's voice...I actually like both of them a lot. It's interesting. The voices are very different, but instead of one fitting and one being horrible, it's more like two different spins on the same character that somehow both work. I like the Japanese voice better overall(Especially when he yells. He sounds CRAZY! XD), but there are bits about the dub I like better sometimes. And like the way the dub voice actor handles his little angry moments by making his voice high-pitched. It works.....The way Dub-Ed says the word 'normal' really bugs me for some reason, though...o_0;;

...Hate Winry's dub. She sounds thirty. XP...

I think the main problem with most dubs is the voices never seem to fit the characters, even if you get a talented voice actor. Like the guy who does Barry the Chopper's dub. He also does Kyou's from Fruits Basket and Jimmy Kudo's from Case Closed/Detective Conan, and some others that I haven't heard personally. He's a pretty good voice actor, one of the better ones in a dub, I believe, but he doesn't fit all the characters he does. (Kyou's dub makes me twitch. ><;; )

And thus ends my long-winded, disjointed opinion...Yeah...-shuts up-

Personaly I saw jap version and the french version and I prefer the french Ed's voice

I love Ed's american voice, so I have to go with the dubs.

how did i miss this? there are already va talent threads... this is a dupe.

OH NO!

*world as we know it ends*

WHY, GOD? WHHHYYY??!!!??

Merged with "A Comparison Of Jap And Us Voice Talents In Fma". I missed that one, too.

I will say that there are a lot of scary dubs out there, and I think the FMA one is the best one. I've only seen one episode in Japanese, and it was really good, but I don't think the english dub is worse. If there's one problem, it's that Al's english sometimes seems to lack the necessary emotion. Other than that, I absolutley love Vic as Ed and I think everyone is done well too. (Yes, including Roy! I don't get why people hate his english voice so much I think it fits him!) Of course, I can't say much since I've only seen The Theory of Avarice in japanese and so haven't heard many of the japanese VA's. But overall I think the FMA dub is the best I've heard (followed closely by Cowboy Bebop). Plus I HATE reading subtitles! It diverts your attention from the action and the animation. And doesn't anyone think about the script instead of just the voice actors? In the Japanese versions it kinda sucks because it's such a hard language to translate directly that the sibtitles get messed up and sound weird. I think the english translators did a great job in translating the script in a way that would preserve the personalities and emotions of the charcters. Anyway, that's my take on it.

I like both..the dubbing is incredible for FMA...and the newer episodes that I have seen first in Japanese, and then dubbed on Adult Swim..are incredible! I've been so impressed.

The voice actors are great....some annoy me...but I get used to it and live with it.

And the script! OMG!...I am sooooo impressed with how the script remains basically the same! It's incredible!....Great writing on the US team...

I actually love the dub of FMA, its funnier to me and I can get a better understanding of what's going on. But as said, it depends on whatever suits you, that your going to like more...

Guys I hate to say this but would look at the date of the last post on this thread before Kiori posted?

Its almost been a year between the posts.

Let's let this thread enjoy sleep before a homunculus is born =(

lol Well, the Japanese versions of most anime are usually better then the dub, I think they did a great job on it...better then most. But no one can beat the Japanese version! It rules! But the FMA dub is alot better then what 4Kids did to Tokyo Mew Mew! They made something so cute, uncute! Damn Mew Mew Power! DAMN IT TO HELL!

Anyways... Yea, Funimation did a good job.

Yes, this is apropos of nothing, and I'm popping up long after this thread died, etc etc etc, but hey I'm new here and I simply have to say:

THE AMERICAN ED VOICE SUCKS

!!!!

That is all

That's not true!!! Vic does a really good job with Ed, one of the best english actors of dubbing i've heard!!! I watched both versions and I like both Romi Paku voice and VIc Mignogna. Both of them show how Ed is in a splendid way. Al's voice is also good considering he's only 12 years old especially in the last episodes. Anyway, just respect the work of others, I know dubs aren't always good (especially the ones on 4kids.....EEEEWWWW!!!! ) and Funimation is trying really hard to do better from their mistakes (like DBZ)

DBZ was NOT a mistake for Funimation. I'll apologize in advance to fans of the Japanese version: I HATE it. The japanese voice for Goku is just...wrong. That aside, I think Funimation does a great job. I really like what they did with Fullmetal, Yu Yu Hakusho, DBZ and Case Closed.

Watch out, saying things like that might get you sent to H.F.I.L.

Seriously though; it wasn't a mistake to do it. It was a really smart move. They just.. Honestly could have done it so, so much better. The English and Japanese versions of Dragonball (in any form) are just.. You can't even compare them.

To at least attempt to stay on topic, though, I enjoyed the English version of FMA. I don't think there was anything particularly wrong with it. Some things were a little frightening, but most have already been mentioned.

I don't get how anyone can like that Vic guy. He sounds so peppy and uncomplicated. He's like Marty McFly.

I love how many people mention the fact that Vic was chosen by the Japanese team as evidence that he's really, truly the guy for the job. Please! They didn't pick him because he represented some pure artistic vision of theirs. They were trying to make their character popular with Americans, so they picked a stereotypically peppy American voice for him.

Why was goku's voice bad?

From the mistakes I mentioned before on Dbz, it wasn't because of the casting at all! (I actually like Goku's voice in English...and also in Japanese even if it was a women) It was because of the change in music, the script sometimes....I know those changes since I watched the mexican version too, and in that version they make it very similar to the japanese one. Well this isn't part of the main topic (sorry! ) But I did need to clarify that

Thank God for the Friday schedule. Not only is it the last day of school for the week (which I die to get to already), but I have my fma to look forward to :3 Until I was introduced to youtube, around which time I started watching fma everyday xD I swear, I can't get through a day without watching this Anime. It's never really mattered to me whether it was dubbed or subbed. In both cases, it's still fma ^-^

ps) wheee ^o^ and phear teh coffee =0

<In an attempt to collect all dubbing related threads in one sub-forum, I'm moving this to FMA Anime forum section front to FMA Anime Japanese Audience sub-forum. And, since I intend to merge this thread to other "dub" thread, and meantime I do not want to see any more posts about FMA dub added here, I'm closing this thread. 02/19/07 ~Tombow>
<Merging "New York Times Article Features Fma Dub, Nice words for Vic and Aaron " thead with 2 pages of posts to "On The Dubbing Of Fma.. Read This If You Still Have Doubts..., Thread For Dub Voice Supporters!" thread. 02/23/07 ~Tombow>

Found this on the Times website from yesterday. The article is called "The State of the Art of the Anime Dub"; here's the bit about Vic and Aaron:

ah thanks for the article! i could so see Vic saying that to Aaron XD and about the dubbing process, it really is more than anime fans think it is. It's kinda complicated when you think about it :-\

say this line:

hit record button

*say line with feeling*

stop recording.


go to tech department and splice audio track with blurbs such as the one from above?

Is it really more complicated than that?

Technically complicated, no. Artistically complicated, yes.

Consider the English script has to be written so that it not only captures the meaning of the original Japanese, but also creates natural and flowing dialogue when translated into English. It's not a translator's job, it's a writer's job. Factor in the added constraint that the words that are used have to align with the mouth movements of the character and it becomes a heck of a job--and that's just the script.

And for the recording process, the lines not only have to be delivered with feeling, they have to be delivered to match with the mouth flaps. And since all the actors record in isolation they can't play off of each other and have the back and forth that normal acting requires. They can't even put the dialogue through the actor's headphones during the recording to go off because the mics are so senstive they'd pick up the sound coming from the headphones. It's up to the director to make sure that the actors are delivering the lines in a manner so that the dialogue flows with the other actors in the scene, which is why the dialogue in badly dubbed anime can sound so stilted and unnatural.

Nice. Very nice.

I love the VA work in the English version, and I frankly don't see what the huge problem is that people have with it. I mean, other than the voices, nothing's changed. So when I stop by IMDB.com and happen to see a review of the show wherin the author states "Of course, I'm talking about the Japanese version. American version is crap," all I can do is shake my head in disbelief.

I was just thinking the same thing today. I was remembering Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets and how their voices were often speeded up or fairly off in the dubbed version. The expression of feelings was rather mechanical. However, if you look at the anime now it's much more in sync today. They do a great job.

Thanks for the article!