Shenmue II - Behind the Mic

[Henry Spencer]

Fascinating article. Always felt that SII (Xbox) had even worse voice acting than SI. Glad one of the actors finally spoke out against it. Sega sounded so desperate to get "actors" or not to take the roles and with such (little amount of) bad direction too... I sure as hell hope Sega have learned their lesson. I honestly think this could be a big factor into why the Yakuza series is subtitled now...

[Dorian]

Yakuza is subtitled because SEGA wants to localize Yakzua games with as little money involved as possible.

They didn't learn they lesson. Play Resonance of Fate. God, what a terrible English VA that game has! Good thing that the PS3 versions has the option to choose Japanese voice-overs.

[Henry Spencer]

You honestly think RoF's dub is as bad as SII's? Really? Wow.

[Dorian]

Not as bad but almost as bad. Did you even beat RoF or are you just guessing...?

[Hazuki Legend]

I have no doubt that by 2019 we will have concluded the Shenmue story.

Potentially 20 years to finish the story start to finish, kinda crazy when you put it into that perspective.

[silversons100thaccount]

Thanks, Funny little read. Though I was hoping we might find out exactly what accent Toms voice actor was going for. Was he doing a Japanese-english accent? maybe an Indian -English? Really bad jamaican patois? Personally I think he was going for the accent of an Indian doing an impression of a Japanese who is doing a bad Jamaican patois. Either way the mans a genius,I would love an interview from him.
For a while I actually thought all the camp voice acting in Shenmue was deliberate artistic decision, I thought they wanted the semi camp tone, clearly I was wrong.

There are interviews with him where he says Bob marley.

[MJC The Great]

That was a very interesting article and as many have already stated, matches what I thought about the whole English voice acting. Thanks very much.

[lisleweapon]

I just read the "behind the mic" and I have to say that I actually had a very different experience.
I know that there were quite a few voice agencies involved in this project (and some of them were agencies who didn't actually specialize in voice work), so I am guessing that explains a lot behind why we had such different experiences.
I will add to that...those agencies that "dabble in the voice over work" but don't really specialize in it are QUITE frustrating to deal with, because many times I would show up for a voice job and would be paired together with someone who had never even been in a studio environment before. So I made it a point to only do my voice work with agencies that specialize in that kind of work.

I will say, though, that many times with video games (and I have done so many over the years), it IS true that there isn't nearly as much directing done as there should be.
I am not really sure why. I have recently gotten back to doing voices for video games here in the US, and there is definitely a clearer vision of what the director/client is looking for when I get in the studio.

[Supa]

Good read, it's a shame that the voice acting was the ONLY thing that Am2 didn't seem to want to put the work into...

[Myles]

Interesting read, and thanks for putting in your two cents too, lisleweapon! Just goes to show individuals do see things differently, but if this guy did 10 voices and didnt enjoy it, or didn't put in 'good' work, then thats 10 voices too many. Do the dubbing here. Should be the way.

[Supa]

Thanks for your comment, Lisle!

[Anthony817]

Read it, and it explains a lot.

Seriously, what were they thinking? I am an English voice over fan, but I still have to admit a bunch of the voices were just awful.

[jay-qua-hyn-eer]

I am "Anonymous". Please allow me to respond.

Peter:
“It doesnt sound like the guy enjoyed himself. Explains a lot."
I did my best under the circumstances. I don’t want to do a bad job, but there I was, doing voices I thought were horrible and no one said anything. I know my limitations so I don’t do game voices. The agent knew my conditions and limitations. Then the agent remained silent at the session when I was told to create voices.

Crimson Ryan:
“Is it the old man who plays Lucky Hit?”
No. Not me. But I can’t reveal any of my roles. Shenmue 3 might need another 800 voices, and I intend to be one of them!

Dorian:
RE: clip from Lost in Translation
That scene is a realistic depiction of doing voiceovers in Japan. The director will speak in Japanese for a minute or so. Then the agent will translate to English, as “More tension”, or “Slower.”

silversons100thaccount:
“Pretty sure he's talking about the part around the 37 minute mark here where Ryo enters the warehouse with the gang members.”
Yeah, I hear my “normal” voice in there.

Axm:
“...the fact that they needed so many different voices made it into a quick rush job..”
I don’t think they rushed this regarding voiceover. It took them quite a while to gather enough voices.

mue 26:
“For a while I actually thought all the camp voice acting in Shenmue was deliberate artistic decision, I thought they wanted the semi camp tone...”
As I wrote, a variety of pros and amateurs were used. I experienced a lack of direction during the group sessions and my solo session. Assuming there was little direction for other sessions, it would account for why the intonations of so many phrases don’t fit the action of the scenes.

Henry Spencer:
“...Glad one of the actors finally spoke out against it."
You gotta think that, during the recording sessions, some of the other voices who are real voice-characterization pros were disgruntled with the bad acting by the amateurs. But what could those pro talents or I do about it? That’s what’s disappointing about SEGA’s handling of the matter.


lisleweapon:
“I just read the "behind the mic" and I have to say that I actually had a very different experience...”
Well, yes. You are a voice-characterization pro. But I’d told my agents I’m not, and each time I accepted a game role they assured me I could use my “normal” voice, and act. Then when the game producers at the recording sessions demand different voices, the agents don’t say anything. BTW, Lisle, we have met. (",)


Isaacsdad:
“...but if this guy did 10 voices and didnt enjoy it, or didn't put in 'good' work, then thats 10 voices too many.”
I was on the spot. If I’d walked out (which I considered) I’d never get a job from that agent again. (Unique to Japan, I’d be penalized for the agent’s mistake.) So I tried to do voices. If anyone in the control room had any objections, they could have dismissed me at any time. I would’ve been fine with that. The agent is the person at fault, then SEGA. Enjoy? Well, it was interesting. I really was astonished that they allowed my lousy voice creations to continue. And I was surprised that... people buy these games? With such bad voice acting? I guess the English subtitles are there for a reason. Maybe that’s it! The voice-acting is just an afterthought. You’re supposed to turn off the voice track!

[Bluecast]

Thank you! Glad a VA could admit flat out the VA sounded stiff.
Many want to side step it.

[Peter]

thank you so much for posting! That is some excellent information! I would love to get some more cast members in on this discussion, and i certainly hope you are not one of the cast members who i have tried to contact in regards to joining the site! I love how the Dojo now has become a platform for the cast themselves to discuss their feelings on their Shenmue experiences