Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-3392084-20130707145759/@comment-175.159.163.39-20130710021719

DementedP wrote: 42.98.41.40 wrote: hey, let's try this too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDyaANQiwhQ, it's MGS4

I do think the English casts do a better job. The Japanese (not their language but their tone and pace and emotion) just never fit in... Despite the fact that I obviously first heard MGS through the English cast, I'll admit I actually disagree with this having researched into the dialogue and comparing the delivery of some of the lines myself. Some scenes in English felt awkward (notably MGS4) and looking at the Japanese pacing/tone I can see what the intention was behind certain lines. It's definitely a mixed bag for me. As side note, what the English version loses in regards to script is the clever writing of the Japanese version that actually incorporates a lot of double-meaning in their choice of words. In English, following such a style can seem so stupid, but it makes more sense in Japanese. This may seem like I'm just arguing how the "original is better", but having watched certain Japanese shows that incorporate such a writing style, it's actually key to get such lines right as it can definitely sound awkward in English if the translation is done haphazardly. Not that the Japanese version is better by any means, but it's definitely why some of Naomi's lines border on random pondering and overdramatization, as a lot of it actually makes more sense in Japanese, in which you can definitely tell that they had a hard time translating her lines into English just to make sense out of her.

The English may sound "better" for some by virtue of nostalgia or it simply being one's local language, but looking back on some of the tone of voices provided by the Japanese cast gives a somewhat different impression, and provide various archetypes that one wouldn't normally assume from the character (specifically, Raiden's deeper VA in Japanese). Not that I'm arguing which one is better, but it's certainly something to take note of.

After all, it is a game first written by and in Japanese and then translated to English and eventually to other languages. I agree it will be good to see the fine Japanese implications delivered to us, but when I say the Japanese doesn't fit in, I made it clear it isn't the language itself but the casts' tones and paces and emotions (because I am not good enough at Japanese to comment on that). It is strange however, when Kojima forces Japanese cultures to characters who clearly has little to do with Japan, such as that Kuwabara thing, as well as applying that laughing-torture to Big Boss in MGSPW (I know it's because of censorship but honestly, the laughing-torture did made me laugh louder than any Johnny moments :D)

The English casts (in general) comes with a deeper tone and slower pace which I think fits better into a story that speaks about conspiricy, war and nuclear threats, espcially in MGS1. But of course, the voice of the VAs themselves do play a big part in our impression towards a character, sometimes even more than the pace and tones.