Forum - View topicAmplifying Black Voice Actors in Anime
|
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3 Note: this is the discussion thread for this article |
| Author | Message | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
MarshalBanana
 Posts: 5317 |
|
|||
On that subject does anyone else find it interesting that women get more prominent and interesting roles on average? Casca from Berserk, Nadia from Nadia and the Secret Blue Water, Anthy Himemiya from Utena and Michiko from Michiko & Hatchin. None of of whom were ever voiced by a black actress mind you. In comparison a lot of male black characters are just big and bulky and act like they all came from some 70s Blaxploitation film. |
||||
|
||||
|
Silver Kirin
Posts: 1119 |
|
|||
The majority of dubs for different types of media (anime, cartoons, movies) are made in Mexico, but there are many dubs made in Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and there's even some spanish dubs made in Los Angeles and Miami as well. There are occassions when spanish dubs are made in collaboration between different countries too. |
||||
|
||||
PurpleWarrior13
 Posts: 2025 |
|
|||
|
Very cool list, filled with some really talented actors. I'd also love to see more people of color in voice acting. I think different backgrounds would only help the material.
One of the original examples was Claudia LaSalle in Macross, who became Claudia Grant in Robotech, and she actually had a black voice actress in that (Iona Morris), but when ADV redubbed the original Macross in 2005, she had a white voice actress (Christine Auten), who was decent, but I definitely prefer the original. |
||||
|
||||
|
XaelOstigian
Posts: 70 |
|
|||
|
Cool! I had no idea so many VA's I know of were black. Funny how we can easily identify VA's by their voice but not by their face. In a cosmic sort of way I think that that in of itself transcends the boundaries of race. Now we judge a person not by the color of their skin, but by the range in their voice...and by extension if they can sound like your next potential waifu or husbando.
There is much work to still be done, but I am glad we taking steps in the right direction. |
||||
|
||||
DavetheUsher
 Posts: 505 |
|
|||
At the risk of opening a big ol can of worms here, to be fair people tend to call some anime characters black simply for having tanned or dark skinned despite no other indication or confirmation that they are indeed of African origin. I've also seen people call Anthy Indian because they interpret her forehead marking as a bindi, and others say she's simply South Asian. Michiko is black/Brazilian which I presume that's why they cast Monica Rial as her in the dub since Funimation figured a half-Spanish actress was 'close enough'. Casca and Nadia live in fantasy settings so they're just up in the air. I don't think it's fair to say black women get more interesting depictions and then list mostly characters who are never confirmed to actually be black in the first place. I get people want representation but that tends to lead to confirmation bias I also commonly see westerners call Kuzan from One Piece black despite the fact he's specifically designed after famed Japanese actor Yusaku Matsuda. Tanned and dark skinned Japanese people exist too. |
||||
|
||||
|
MarshalBanana
Posts: 5317 |
|
|||
I get where you are coming from, if they can have large green eyes and ginger hair and still be Japanese, then they can have tanned skin, as it is just cosmetic, At the same time it is unfair to have them default that way just because it was not explicitly stated otherwise. |
||||
|
||||
Lactobacillus yogurti
 Posts: 845 Location: Latin America |
|
|||
That much may be true, but the sad facts are: -Venezuelan dubs have all but disappeared due to the current circumstances. -Chilean dubs have become affected by the American direction and are almost unbearable. -Colombian dubs sound the fakest of all (including Rurouni Kenshin). I myself am Colombian, so I am very critical of it. -Some LA and Miami dubs are all right, but it's not that common for them to dub anime. Last LA dub I can remember in anime was Detective Conan, and that was 20 years ago. -The best-known and most popular VAs in Latin America are from Mexico. I don't see anyone making lines for Alexander Páez or Pablo Ausensi in the same way they would for Eduardo Garza or Genaro Vásquez. And let's not even mention freaking Mario Castañeda. |
||||
|
||||
|
DangerMouse
Posts: 3983 |
|
|||
|
Very cool list!
Me too actually. Also, Silverstein's a beast VA, so many epic roles already, love hearing him in stuff. You're right he really is kinda like the James Earl Jones of anime, I recognize his amazing voice anywhere. Was neat hearing him suddenly come up again in Hunter X Hunter when that was airing on Toonami, had no idea he was going to be playing someone in it. |
||||
|
||||
|
DisneyXAnimefan95
Posts: 216 |
|
|||
|
I really love how well this article was put out and how many Black/African American actors have done Anime.
I had a feeling that Keith Silverstein and Mela Lee were part Black especially the latter despite being of Italian descent hence the name Mela meaning Apple in Italian. Honestly I hope we get more Black, Mixed, POC voice actors/actresses getting anime voicework in the Anime VO industry to voice Black or Dark-skinned characters with everything happening right now, cause before the protests and after it does feel weird to have a non-black or non-mixed race voice actor voiced a Dark skinnned character or one that looks like a Black character, I mean you have the likes of Ray Chase voicing TWO dark/Black characters in Hunter x Hunter (Geretta and Squala) and one character in "Carole & Tuesday", along with Monica Rial and some of the other actors (who aren't Black) voicing dark skinned characters with the former voicing Michiko in Michiko and Hatchin, Jeannie Tirado voicing Carole in Carole & Tuesday, and among others so some folks are questioning on these non-POC and Non-Black voice actors being cast to voice these dark skinned characters in the various Anime series. |
||||
|
||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group