Dubbed Under Par

Last post I mentioned that I thought ADVision's 2006 dub was the worst English dub of an Anime series I've ever seen.  Now, the nostalgia factor is a possibility--it could be that since the Harmony Gold voices from Robotech are what I've grown up with, I'm just reacting to them being different.  But I don't think so.  Or, at least, that's not the whole story.

I like the Japanese voice actors just fine.  I especially love Akira Kamiya as Roy and Kosuke Meguro as Kamjin.

Watching Robotech as an anime-addled adult, the usual complaints for most American dubs apply.  The actors tend to yell, they seem convinced that every space must be filled with some kind of vocalization, if it's not exposition that wasn't in the original, then it's a downright pornographic amount of extra panting and grunting.  They also seem to play the characters either a lot younger than they really are (Rick, Minmei, Dana Sterling) or a lot older (Scott Bernard, Captain Gloval).

But the ADV Macross dub . . .  Well.  I can't say that I've watched more than a few minutes here and there.  But everyone I've listened to--Hikaru, Roy, Exedol, Britai, Max, the bridge bunnies--are so ***shrill***.  Shreiking.  Screaming.  "Surely you can't have ordered up Kamjin's division?!?!?!?"  Wait, Exedol doesn't look like he's having a freakout when he discovers which unit Britai has called in as reinforcements.  But that's how he's played.

Here's a somewhat in-depth but totally geeky analysis.  Max Jenius, as played by Sho Hayami, has a very deep, self-assured sounding voice.  Self-assured in an unassuming kind of way.  "Yep.  I'm badass.  Wanna get some Chinese food?"  Cam Clark plays Max Sterling a little differently.  He's shyer (though that may be inferring stuff from the McKinney novels, too), a little more understated.  His Robotech voice is very different from his Japanese Macross voice.  However, I'm inclined to think it mostly fits the way Max was animated.

Now, enter Chris Patton.  He seems to be engaged in a squealing contest with Vic Mignogna.  To the bitter end!!!  I tried watching the scene where Max tells Hikaru he's going to marry Milia in the English dub.  Ugh.  Ears.  Bleeding.  Brain.  Turning.  To POO!!!  (And this is after a lifetime of Napalm Death and Cannibal Corpse). 

And Chris Patton!!  WTF?!  Another favorite anime of mine is Gasaraki.  I first saw it at a convention in the anime room, and they played the dub.  Chris Patton as Yushiro Gowa.  He can ***do*** restrained and understated.  Or Greed, in Full Metal Alchemist.  Where he's playing opposite Vic Mignogna again.  Sometimes Vic gets a little shrill as Ed, but it suits the animation--and Ed's character.  Much better than the squealing and screaming on Macross.

In the third episode, when Roy brings Hikaru and Minmei to the airborne Macross and explains to Misa that Hikaru's "kind of a civilian"--yep, voice cracking like a prepubescent.  Why?  Roy's voice in Robotech was much more laid back than Akira Kamiya (who's known for his screaming--but it's a full, back of the throat scream.  None of that nasally, head-voice smeaglol screaming). 

Now, one of my favorite English dubs is Samurai Seven.  The American actors don't necessarily imitate the performance of their Japanese counterparts--and yet they capture their characters perfectly.  Granted, half of the characters speak like six lines in the entire series (that's an exaggeration), but the voice director seemed to opt for a more minimalist, almost relaxed approach.

Maybe ADV was rushed.  I mean, most of the voice actors have been around and have done other anime series where their performances were just fine.  So maybe the problem was with direction.

Or maybe I'm just getting a little bit "Geewun" on it.