UK Anime Distributor MVM Entertainment Discussion Thread

Professor Who said:
When I said Parts 1 and 2, I meant it. They dropped the crazy accents in Stardust. Sad. That was the only thing the dub had going for it.
Click to expand...
Ah right, I keep forgetting that Stardust Crusaders was part 3. I've listened to the dub from 1 and 2 and I see where you're coming from. It's OTT but fun.
 
Americans don’t usually understand ‘normal’ British accents. They tried showing Eastenders there once and they had to subtitle it. Hence British characters in U S dubs all have ****** accents, so they can understand them. It’s the same thing with ‘foreign’ characters speaking Japanese in anime, who all have the same accent, whether they’re Mexican, Indian, British, or American.
 
Just Passing Through said:
Americans don’t usually understand ‘normal’ British accents. They tried showing Eastenders there once and they had to subtitle it. Hence British characters in U S dubs all have ****** accents, so they can understand them. It’s the same thing with ‘foreign’ characters speaking Japanese in anime, who all have the same accent, whether they’re Mexican, Indian, British, or American.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of them kicking Cheryl Cole off the X-Factor judges panel in the US because no one could understand her 😆
 
As an American, sadly that's true. Most of us are dumb. I'm not, and can understand foreign accents just fine, but most people here dislike accents and would prefer it to be "American" or "Midwest" English.
 
The dude who voiced Alexander Anderson in the Hellsing dubs was an actual Scot, which is cool. He's also the closest thing to an explicitly Scottish anime character I'm aware of (I believe, canonically, Anderson's nationality is "unknown").
 
Professor Who said:
Like, if they wanted British accents, why not cast actresses who are British or can do a dead-on accent?
Click to expand...

This discussion shows up every few years whenever there's a show based in the UK (Eg, Hellsing, Fractale etc.) In fact it's happening right now with Nozomi's kickstarter for Victorian Romance Emma. Let's Dub Emma A Victorian Romance Anime TV Series Season 1

The short answer is that British dubbing companies are required to be part of a screen union, or some equivalent, which enforce extra stipulations that raise fees above US averages. Eg. In addition to higher general fees, UK actors are required to be paid on a daily rate, rather than the 1-2 hourly fee a non-unionised company like Funimation operates under. This might not be a huge issue for a main character, but if you're having someone come in for a smaller role with a few lines, or just to do some retakes, this process would ramp up the cost considerably. Plus, using actors halfway across the world makes it difficult for US dub directors to give guidance without being there in person, which again costs time & money. People have tried streaming recordings before but it's harder to hear properly and articulate guidance through a monitor.

Some US companies try to use UK ex-pats, which is what Nozomi is aiming for with their Emma ks, but that gives you a far more limited pool of talent to choose from. Plus that approach is only really possible for a dubbing studio based in a big enough city like New York or L.A. If your operating in Texas, like Funimation does, you'd really struggle to find anyone suitable.


HWR said:
Unbreakable Machine Dolls was iirc. The dub was alright but there are few Funi VAs that can pull off a British accent overall.
Click to expand...

Man, Unbreakable Machine Doll... I vaguely recall the first episode of that. My main memory of that show was that it was supposedly based in London, but the cold open train sequence route was clearly modelled on the fairly distinct approach into Liverpool Limestreet Station (those dirty cut-rock walls were a dead-giveaway). Someone on the staff had clearly visited the city before as a student or tourist. :)
 
FUNIs problems and sentai lie in the fact they use texas to be cheap yes. And I hate it I would rather less dubs and more HQ ones, So ones or two shows a season rather than all of them
 
As for the Princess Principal dub, well I guess you can't fault the voice actors for trying their hardest. Apparently they had specialised guidance to sound more authentic, so I imagine it might go down well for US audiences. Of course, to a local it still sounds like the same unconvincing vaguely south-east English impressions that you hear in every other US sitcom. I can forgive that, but to me it just sounds like the cast are trying so hard to keep the tone level that they're paying less attention to playing the characters correctly. Dorothy is ok (lapses in accent aside), but Charlotte hardly comes across as particularly regal, while Ange has lost much of her deadpan delivery. Beato also sounds completely different, although from the trailer her voice sounds the most natural, and it might not be that bad avoiding mimicking the JP actress' high-pitched inflection. I mean for a Sentai dub it could be far worse, but it also makes it feel like a remarkably different show
 
sniper_samurai said:
Last time I looked the Republic of Ireland isn't a part of the UK.
Click to expand...

I actually couldn't remember that it look place in Ireland specifically, let alone the Republic. Honestly, I'm proud to remember anything about that show, aside than it being a Yamakan project from back before he burned every professional bridge still available to him.
 
Back
Top