GU Seiyuu

Umbra · Post by **Umbra** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 3:18 am

Upon further inspection of the Seiyuu confirmed in the GU magazine, there appear to be a number of interesting links between the characters they play now and characters they've played in the past.

Sakurai Takahiro (Haseo): Tomonari Kasumi
Kawasumi Ayako (Atoli): Hotaru
Miki Shin'ichiro (Kuhn): Crim
Yamazaki Takumi (Yata): Harald Hoerwick, Wiseman
Toyoguchi Megumi (Sakubo): Mimiru
Saiga Mitsuki (Endrance): Elk, Tsukasa
Kobayashi Sanae (Pai): Mai Minase

Though I couldn't find any previous role for Ovan's Seiyuu, Tohchi Hiroki, I feel that there are a number of interesting links.

Particularly Endrance's Seiyuu, Saiga Mitsuki, who voiced both Tsukasa and Elk, characters who have previously been closely linked to Macha, the Temptress. Before anyone starts screaming that this makes Endrance a boy or girl, I assure you that she has played both male and female characters in the past. Tsukasa and Elk were meant to stay ambiguous in their speech, not too masculine and not too feminine, particularly with Tsukasa as either way would have damaged the SIGN plot.

I also find it quite amusing that both Hotaru and Atoli's hats look so similar! ^_^

So, I gave you the information, discuss.

Zeicule · Post by **Zeicule** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 12:23 pm

So they are all (except Ovan) connected to the .dot hack world already. That's very interesting. Atleast we know they have experience in voice acting

.

FlameSage · Post by **FlameSage** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 12:30 pm

At first, I thought you ment those player characters were once those people, I was about to go crazy.

But yeah, hopefully they improved their voice acting.

Snake · Post by **Snake** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 2:28 pm

FlameSage wrote:At first, I thought you ment those player characters were once those people, I was about to go crazy.

That was what I thought also.

Grey · Post by **Grey** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 3:24 pm

I wonder if it was a matter of them having signed a contract for so-and-so years, but they finished their job early, so then Bandai is forced into using them again to finish the contract...? I dunno, but it makes me think it was a legal thing rather than: "Oh, you did such a good job. So, then why not work on this game that is supposed to be almost completely different than the past games?" See what I mean? -_-

velocity7 · Post by **velocity7** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 12:19 am

Grey: They're not forcing them through a contract. The same seiyuu are often recruited not because of contract, but rather because of experience, background, and many other things. In this case, Haseo's seiyuu played as Cloud (FF7:AC, KH, KH2) and Tomonari Kasumi from .hack//liminality. This shows Bandai's seen the dude before, plus he's already famous as Cloud so why not?

Post by **Kuukai** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 12:51 am

Yeah, I'm sure if anything their contracts underestimated the chances for sequelage ad infinitum. Still, in the Japanese voiceacting business, role reprisal seems more important than it does here. That's why old Son Gokuu sounds like a kid. Also, "associated roles" tend to be reprised too. Like with Xenosaga and Xenogears the same thing happened, new characters who were in various ways inspired by the old got the same voiceactors.

Umbra · Post by **Umbra** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 1:53 am

What surprised me is how similar the Seiyuu looked when compared to the characters they were playing. That thought struck me when I saw Toyoguchi Megumi, she looks so similar to the Saku side of Sakubo in that picture.

I guess it makes sense, anyone who looks similar to a character should sound similar as well. But its certainly very different when compared to American VAs, where appearence doesn't matter at all.

Post by **Kuukai** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 1:57 am

Sometimes it does. Like back in the "golden age" (defined by me as the 90s) of Disney movies, I'd say some of the actors influenced the art. Though, I guess that's like the opposite of what you're suggesting ^^;

Umbra · Post by **Umbra** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 2:07 am

So do you think the GU characters were influenced by their Seiyuu? Or was the .hack team's choice of Seiyuu influenced by the GU characters?

But, yeah, that was the opposite of what I was suggesting... -_-'

Post by **Kuukai** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 2:39 am

From what I've read so far the characters influenced who got to play them, so it's like you said. It makes sense, since the dubbing process in Japan (maybe not for games, but definitely for animation, which provides the foundation for a lot of what they do in games) is the opposite of the process in America. In American you (generally) record the voices first and then draw the mouths and accompanying movements. In Japan you animate the whole thing and then dub it. The American way the actor rubs off on the animators, but the Japanese way the animation rubs off on casting. At least it seems so... ^^;