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NEWS: Pokemon Voice Actors Replaced with Sound-Alikes


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Michi
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 22 Feb 2004
Posts: 741
Location: Los Angeles, CA
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 1:16 am Reply with quote
biliano wrote:
Wait a sec...I though the first five Pokemon movies debut in America in theatres. I know that Jirachi Wish Maker (the sixth Pokemon movie) was a straight-to-DVD release, but I'm pretty sure that the first five Pokemon movies made their American debuts in the theares.


And here it is obvious that I don't really pay attention to Pokemon. I actually remember seeing that Pokemon Heroes was in theaters, so I don't know why it didn't occur to me when I posted that. I guess when I thought about the really recent ones being direct-to-video, my mind assumed before it remembered. Anime hyper

But really, my point was more that Pokemon is running really strongly in Japan... My post wasn't really about how many movies have come out or not. n.n
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Malintex Terek
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 2:06 am Reply with quote
I've discussed this on eight boards, including this one, already. Sigh, here we go.

...

The internet has made interaction with actors/voice actors a great deal more personal in recent years, and as is the case with all human interaction; those actors grow a great deal closer to the fans, and visa versa. Just knowing the actors exist (even just their names) instead of recognising them as the anonymous disembodied voices behind television humanizes them, and therefore, facilitates empathy for their plight.

Assuredly, the 4Kids voice actors, like those of Ocean before them and FUNimation afterward, have become big names; however, they've been typecasted as 4Kids workers because of their long tenure with Pokemon. As such, when we have someone like Veronica Taylor who entered the business at eighteen, it'll be difficult for her to find stable work after years of earning a consistent reasonable paycheck from 4Kids. As such, with the knowledge that they are people, are not paid well (as is) and are facing the prospect of losing their jobs, even we, the former fans, feel great sympathy for them.

One could argue that "there are tons of people who lose jobs everyday", or, "the new voice actors will be in the same boat the 4Kids ones were when they started out", and "this will be another FUNimation DBZ dub". Call me selfish, but I really couldn't care less; as is the case with all people, we really do not bother with issues unless our own interests are violated or threatened in some way. In this case, it's a euthanisation of a bunch of people who had a part in shaping the person I am today; I may have outgrown Pokemon, but I still feel loyalty to those voice actors.
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Animedude35



Joined: 29 Jul 2005
Posts: 98
Location: Dallas, Texas
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 2:59 am Reply with quote
Like a few posters said before, the dub sucked when I first heard it back before it was on kidsWB, but now since the VAs been with the series for so long, it's gonna be kinda odd to hear someone elses voice being ash or any of the other characters because you do feel a connection with the voices over time. Just like in Japan, VAs over there get very very good treatment for the roles they do, and they relish some of those roles they are usually typecasted in, but in America, it's different...
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Emerje



Joined: 10 Aug 2002
Posts: 7353
Location: Maine
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:00 am Reply with quote
Michi wrote:
JMays already covered this, but uh.. this is just the English version, because of the change from 4Kids to Pokemon USA. The Japanese version has the same voice still, and the series is keeping up a lot stronger over there than it is here. For example, the movies actually debut in theaters there and that hasn't happened here since the first one. Anime smile;


Er, yeah, since we're talking about the English cast I didn't feel the need to point out that I was talking only about the English versions of Pokemon properties, maybe I should have? With the way Pokemon USA or Nintendo (or both) seem to be just tossing and shuffling around Pokemon it doesn't seem like they're going about the anniversary the right well. I'm sure when it's all said and done and they've sorted everything out the anniversary will go through with a great fanfare, but after that I have my doubts that they'll be able to maintain that momentum for very long.

Emerje
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The Frankman



Joined: 19 Sep 2004
Posts: 1160
Location: Binary Culture HQ
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:55 am Reply with quote
Umm . . . I care.

The only reason I started watching PoKemon initially was because I had heard about the seizure incident in Japan, and since I suffer from a condition known as myoclonic seizures I wanted to see if I would have one. Hey, I was sixteen back then Embarassed. Anyway I didn't realize the Porygon episode/Pikachu's Thundershocks had been altered/edited back then, but after watching the episode "Hypno's Naptime" I discovered a nice show to compliment my watching of Sailor Moon at 6:30 am back then. I've probably watched like 300 episodes (how many have aired here I'm not sure), and would love researching the VA to see who did what voice. I remember Ash's original deep voice and always felt they should've kept that one, and wonder why the original VA for James quit. I know the intro lyrics by heart to every season save this one, and enjoyed most every one (except the one with the poor man's Brock a.k.a Tracy). I'm not embarassed at saying though I don't watch many episodes nowadays, I can't imagine watching it without the original VAs. If they were that inconsiderate not to keep them in the loop I doubt they'll rty that hard to get people that sound alike. However, I did say earlier that's not necessarily a bad thing. It did bother me a bit that both Brock and Max's voice seemed to be getting higher in pitch over the last season or so, and as I said I've always like Ash's original voice.

But hey, maybe PoKemon USA is trying to take the VA in a bold, exciting direction and wanted to forget the past. Bottom line, if the substitutes were Wendee Lee, Elizabeth McGlynn, Yuri Lowenthal, Johnny Young Bosch, Daemon Clarke, or Justin Cook (or people of that caliber) would we really be complaining? I bet half the people here would be like "Aw, poor Veronica Taylor OMG POKEMON USA IS THE SCHIZZNICK IM WATCHING POKEMON TO SEE HOW AWESOME IT IS!!" I've already seen that reaction on other boards from people who hated the 4Kids VAs. All we can do is wait and critque.
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15345
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:58 am Reply with quote
What a coincidence.
(Third photo.)
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The Frankman



Joined: 19 Sep 2004
Posts: 1160
Location: Binary Culture HQ
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:29 am Reply with quote
GATSU wrote:
What a coincidence.
(Third photo.)

I swung and missed there . . . huh?
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Kagemusha



Joined: 20 Feb 2004
Posts: 2783
Location: Boston
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:33 am Reply with quote
GATSU wrote:
What a coincidence.
(Third photo.)

Wrong page:http://www.somethingawful.com/articles.php?a=3685&p=6 Funny stuff though. I especially liked the "Snakes on a Plane" one.[/quote]
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vickeyv



Joined: 31 Jan 2006
Posts: 183
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:50 am Reply with quote
The only thing good about Pokemon were the Jokes involving Meowth, James and Jesse and ASh, misty and brock. Now its going to lack that flair. You can't expect sound alikes to ever make it better. It can only get worse......
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Lainofthenet



Joined: 19 Sep 2005
Posts: 44
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 12:09 pm Reply with quote
I only watch the weekend episodes on the WB because I do not have cable. I have a problem with the local cable companies. (They provide low grade material for a high cost.) Aside from the fact that May seems to win contests and poor Ash can't win a tourney no matter how many badges he gets I still have a problem with this news. It is (imo) an unfair act to fire people who are doing their jobs well simply because of economic reasons. Except in major league sports the worker salary is not a place where any significant savings can be found. It is sad.
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dhouston67



Joined: 28 Mar 2006
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 12:41 pm Reply with quote
BlaqNumbr9 wrote:
It's like those commercials featuring Kermit the frog: I don't watch Sesame Street anymore (unless I's wearing my fussy slippers and jammies) but it doesn't sound right hearing the new voice actor's rendition. It just isn't Kermit. I grew up looking at and listening to this character for years now he's got a new voice.


Considering that the original voice of Kermit (Jim Henson) died in 1990, there wasn't really much choice except to hire a new voice actor.
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matthewlow



Joined: 04 Feb 2004
Posts: 147
Location: San Ramon, California
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:27 pm Reply with quote
Although I haven't watched Pokemon in a really long time, I've always been a big fan of English voice actors and believe in continuity. Sure sometimes it can't be helped; voice actors moving on and so forth. But seriously, after watching the YuYu Hakusho series, it was hard to watch the movie with totally different voice actors. I'm just so used to how each character speaks, and a slight difference makes you catch on a few seconds late.

I honestly can't imagine Pokemon being dubbed by anyone other than the same people who have done it in the way we love and cherish. Someday I would love to go back and watch the series, and I'd be saddened to realize that Veronica Taylor, Rachel Lillis, and Eric Stuart aren't the souls behind the characters we know and love.

While I love the Funi VAs like Clarke and Cook, I don't see Nintendo getting them, and even if I believed they were better (I'm not going to pass judgment), I still believe in continuity. A voice grows on you after time, and anyone else speaking that character ends up being just being... wrong.

I hope that Nintendo doesn't go through with this, because honestly, this is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard.
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BlaqNumbr9



Joined: 28 Mar 2005
Posts: 155
Location: Bowing before the Master...
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:31 pm Reply with quote
dhouston67 wrote:
BlaqNumbr9 wrote:
It's like those commercials featuring Kermit the frog: I don't watch Sesame Street anymore (unless I's wearing my fussy slippers and jammies) but it doesn't sound right hearing the new voice actor's rendition. It just isn't Kermit. I grew up looking at and listening to this character for years now he's got a new voice.


Considering that the original voice of Kermit (Jim Henson) died in 1990, there wasn't really much choice except to hire a new voice actor.


The point, since you missed it, is that hearing a new voice from a character that's been around for years sounds strange, regardless of the reason. Get it?
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Rosyna



Joined: 28 Mar 2006
Posts: 40
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 8:31 pm Reply with quote
I think the bigger issue here is that people are complaining that 4kids is losing a property. I've never seen a 4kids production that wasn't noticeably butchered. Many are soo bad that you can even tell it was butchered without having seen the show in the original language.
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Anime_Freak



Joined: 07 Dec 2002
Posts: 420
Location: Oklahoma
PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:09 pm Reply with quote
Rosyna wrote:
I think the bigger issue here is that people are complaining that 4kids is losing a property. I've never seen a 4kids production that wasn't noticeably butchered. Many are soo bad that you can even tell it was butchered without having seen the show in the original language.


LIke Yu-Gi-Oh!, when Pegasus' henchmen had Tea, Tristan and Bakura(Being held by Tristan on his back) cornered in the castle with no way out, and they were pointing their fingers at them?
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