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NEWS: Vampire Hunter Goes Hardcover




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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 10:03 am Reply with quote
I'd rather they release a bilingual version of the movie. Not that the voice acting is that much better in Japanese. I think D and his left hand are great in English, but everyone else just ranges from bad to meh. Meier Link in particular sounds like a wannabe Paul Dobson.

I saw a little behind the scenes feature where they showed the recording process and the voice actors looked funny doing their lines. It was real easy to see Meier's actor fake his accent, but intersting to see Borgoff's actor use a pencil in his mouth to replicate the cigar in the anime. Still not that a great a performance, though.

And why is it that all English VAs do their parts one at a time as opposed to how Japanese seiyuu always record in groups? I think that would make for much better chemistry.

Anyway, I started reading the novels and have to say the original VHD anime is crap compared to what I've read in the first story and from the pictures I saw. At least Bloodlust's art is closer to Amano's designs (haven't read the novel, so I'm not sure about content).
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toomanyalts



Joined: 24 May 2005
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 11:23 am Reply with quote
Tony K. wrote:
I'd rather they release a bilingual version of the movie. Not that the voice acting is that much better in Japanese. I think D and his left hand are great in English, but everyone else just ranges from bad to meh. Meier Link in particular sounds like a wannabe Paul Dobson.

I saw a little behind the scenes feature where they showed the recording process and the voice actors looked funny doing their lines. It was real easy to see Meier's actor fake his accent, but intersting to see Borgoff's actor use a pencil in his mouth to replicate the cigar in the anime. Still not that a great a performance, though.

And why is it that all English VAs do their parts one at a time as opposed to how Japanese seiyuu always record in groups? I think that would make for much better chemistry.

Anyway, I started reading the novels and have to say the original VHD anime is crap compared to what I've read in the first story and from the pictures I saw. At least Bloodlust's art is closer to Amano's designs (haven't read the novel, so I'm not sure about content).


Ah you may want to do some research a lot of Japanese seiyuu do not record in groups. They have lots of schelduing issues so they have to come in when they can. Same with the American and every other country that has people that do ADR. Even Pixar has each actor record sepearetly. Hollywood movies that are live action often have the actors come in and redub a line after the filming is completed. Japanese VA work often isn't any better then American VA work. They don't make the dubs suck oftne the dub captures the Japanese VA performance to a T. Japanese anime fans would rather listen to the American VA performances then their own.

Even the simpsons, family guy and other shows that have been on for years do not have their VA record together.

The novel Bloodlust does have differences. The vampire hunter group is all brothers and sisters. Their appearance and actions are less noble then in the movie. Also Camilla isn't in the book and the ending is different.

If you want to know the hunters are less noble read the spoiler. On the whole I liked the movie in some ways better then the book. I have read up to book six. Book Five is a good mystery that could cause some head shaking as to what is really going on. Some people will hate it for that. Others will be so confused they will be glad to move on to the other books.

spoiler[ The sister is raped by her brothers in a flashback. They kill other vampire hunters to get more reward money.
The mutants the Barborey (cannot recall spelling do not have the book with me) live in a much less interesting place and the characters have different motivations as well as apperances. In fact they consider betraying Meier. One of them is a demon parasite like Left Hand. One is of vampire descent and has certain abilities such as turning machines into slaves by sucking oil from them. The ending also takes place in a spaceship graveyard. ]
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 11:35 am Reply with quote
toomanyalts wrote:
Ah you may want to do some research a lot of Japanese seiyuu do not record in groups. They have lots of schelduing issues so they have to come in when they can. Same with the American and every other country that has people that do ADR. Even Pixar has each actor record sepearetly. Hollywood movies that are live action often have the actors come in and redub a line after the filming is completed. Japanese VA work often isn't any better then American VA work. They don't make the dubs suck oftne the dub captures the Japanese VA performance to a T. Japanese anime fans would rather listen to the American VA performances then their own.

Well from all the extra features I keep seeing on DVDs, every time I see the voice acting sessions, the Japanese have always been in groups of at least two people or more.

And I never said dubs suck. I just said I don't like Bloodlust's. Please don't misinterpret me and escalate this into a sub/dub debate.

toomanyalts wrote:
Even the simpsons, family guy and other shows that have been on for years do not have their VA record together.

My reference was only for anime ADR. I just think if you're going to basically record from scratch, it'd be better to try and have everyone together to possibly understand the roles, and thus give better performances.

Although, all the English ADR sessions I see on video usually have the VAs standing their with those giant headphones, so maybe they've got prerecorded lines from other actors and such. But still, there's nothing better to initiate emotion than a live "conversation" in front of a living, breathing person instead of some sound bytes.

Just my opinion, though.
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toomanyalts



Joined: 24 May 2005
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 11:54 am Reply with quote
Tony K. wrote:
toomanyalts wrote:
Ah you may want to do some research a lot of Japanese seiyuu do not record in groups. They have lots of schelduing issues so they have to come in when they can. Same with the American and every other country that has people that do ADR. Even Pixar has each actor record sepearetly. Hollywood movies that are live action often have the actors come in and redub a line after the filming is completed. Japanese VA work often isn't any better then American VA work. They don't make the dubs suck oftne the dub captures the Japanese VA performance to a T. Japanese anime fans would rather listen to the American VA performances then their own.

Well from all the extra features I keep seeing on DVDs, every time I see the voice acting sessions, the Japanese have always been in groups of at least two people or more.

And I never said dubs suck. I just said I don't like Bloodlust's. Please don't misinterpret me and escalate this into a sub/dub debate.

toomanyalts wrote:
Even the simpsons, family guy and other shows that have been on for years do not have their VA record together.

My reference was only for anime ADR. I just think if you're going to basically record from scratch, it'd be better to try and have everyone together to possibly understand the roles, and thus give better performances.

Although, all the English ADR sessions I see on video usually have the VAs standing their with those giant headphones, so maybe they've got prerecorded lines from other actors and such. But still, there's nothing better to initiate emotion than a live "conversation" in front of a living, breathing person instead of some sound bytes.

Just my opinion, though.


That is what the headphones are for. To listen to the other vas performance. Same thing occurs in video game voice acting and commerical performances. Even the Japanese ADR is done the same way. Been that way for decades. You may not realize it but often the VA has to do the lines 30 or even 50 times to get it right. 5 or 10 minutes of dialog can often take seven or more hours to record.

Usually if there is a group of Japanese VAs it's done for songs or the schedule allowed them to be brought in. VA doesn't pay much even in Japan so they often have two or three other jobs quite often ones with erratic schedules such as Theatre. Also they often do commericals, video game voice work for several companies. Also in America the actors are spread out more. In japan it's just a train ride to get to most places in under two or three hours. In America people don't have that advantage.

Bloodlust dub was pretty good in capturing the characters of the novel or the movie's take on them. Left Hand when you read him in Demon Deathcase you instantly see why Michael Shanks is perfect for the role much better then any Japanese VA ever. Meir wasn't that big of a character in the novel plus most of the character's appeal wasn't in his spoken words in the novel.

Source material is often the biggest hurdle to a character in a movie.
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DriftRoot



Joined: 20 Jun 2003
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:00 pm Reply with quote
Hmm, I wonder if this artbook is preliminary gearing up towards a new VHD OVA/movie/series. Very Happy

Regarding the novels, I was desperately hoping they'd be good, but it's basically pulp fiction. If I had to read "buxom girl" (or whatever that inane catchphrase was for Doris) one more time, I'd have thrown up.
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toomanyalts



Joined: 24 May 2005
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 12:05 pm Reply with quote
DriftRoot wrote:
Hmm, I wonder if this artbook is preliminary gearing up towards a new VHD OVA/movie/series. Very Happy

Regarding the novels, I was desperately hoping they'd be good, but it's basically pulp fiction. If I had to read "buxom girl" (or whatever that inane catchphrase was for Doris) one more time, I'd have thrown up.


I thought the novels were very good. My dad liked them as well which is odd since such source material is something he has never shown an interest in. Plus the translation work is top notch.

I do believe a new dvd version of Bloodlust is coming with the Japanese dub on it. It should be noted the English language version was recorded first. Also wasn't there talk of a live action Hollywood version?
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max_genus



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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 1:10 pm Reply with quote
I've been a fan since I saw the first movie (back in the late 80's via anime fan club - yeah, I'm old... school, that is).

Personally I enjoyed the Bloodlust novel (Demon Deathchase) much more than the movie. And, as far as D art goes, I've got my sites set on Yoshitaka Amano's book, "Coffin: The Art of Vampire Hunter D" instead (due Oct 28 per Amazon).
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DriftRoot



Joined: 20 Jun 2003
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 3:57 pm Reply with quote
toomanyalts wrote:

I thought the novels were very good. My dad liked them as well which is odd since such source material is something he has never shown an interest in. Plus the translation work is top notch.

I do believe a new dvd version of Bloodlust is coming with the Japanese dub on it. It should be noted the English language version was recorded first. Also wasn't there talk of a live action Hollywood version?


Sorry, the VHD novels just seemed really poorly written. The idea behind them looks so much better on screen, which hides a lot of flaws. And I felt like screaming every time I ran across Doris' buxom state...perhaps it was the translation, I don't know, but it's a fairly standard rule in writing of any kind that you do not keep referring to something in the same way over and over and over again. UGH!

There was talk of a live action, that makes me cringe, too. Visions of a "Spawn-Van Helsing-Blade-Matrix" abomination keep running through my head. Hollywood: keep your ugly mitts off D!
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Alucalb



Joined: 19 Feb 2006
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 7:53 pm Reply with quote
toomanyalts wrote:
I do believe a new dvd version of Bloodlust is coming with the Japanese dub on it. It should be noted the English language version was recorded first.


I really liked the English version, though I have to say the Japanese dub was a little bit better. The dialogue is different (click here) and there's a great cast of seiyuu (Ichirou Nagai from the '85 OVA returns as the Left Hand). I would certainly love a DVD with options for both language tracks.

Quote:
Also wasn't there talk of a live action Hollywood version?


Kikuchi mentions that and a possible American comic in the postscript of Tale of the Dead Town. The idea of a live D-flick worries me because movies based on anime generally don't turn out so well (like The Guyver or Devilman). The idea of a comic sounds awesome - I could imagine writers like Joe R. Lansdale or Garth Ennis working wonders with the western/horror setting. Smile
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toomanyalts



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PostPosted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 10:45 pm Reply with quote
DriftRoot wrote:
toomanyalts wrote:

I thought the novels were very good. My dad liked them as well which is odd since such source material is something he has never shown an interest in. Plus the translation work is top notch.

I do believe a new dvd version of Bloodlust is coming with the Japanese dub on it. It should be noted the English language version was recorded first. Also wasn't there talk of a live action Hollywood version?


Sorry, the VHD novels just seemed really poorly written. The idea behind them looks so much better on screen, which hides a lot of flaws. And I felt like screaming every time I ran across Doris' buxom state...perhaps it was the translation, I don't know, but it's a fairly standard rule in writing of any kind that you do not keep referring to something in the same way over and over and over again. UGH!

There was talk of a live action, that makes me cringe, too. Visions of a "Spawn-Van Helsing-Blade-Matrix" abomination keep running through my head. Hollywood: keep your ugly mitts off D!


If it makes you feel better the only character refered to in the same way across the novels is D and that is because of how both men and women react to his looks when he comes across them. It's somewhat amusing how males react to his looks.

Bloodlust touched on that aspect of D when the Barbory leader swooned over him.

I hate to tell you but a buxom lass will be refered to as a buxom lass by multiple people. Reading it never got to me. Give the other novels a chance. Recall the first novel is often were the writer has to get his stride.
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