The Voice Acting. . .

[Andevom]

One thing I see *a lot* is when people say "Oh, the Japanese voice acting is better" or "I hated the voice acting so I switched to Japanese."

What I'm curious is that do these people *understand* Japanese, or does it just sound better because they can't understand what they're saying?

[Araxes]

FF14's english voice acting is so terrible I switched to japenese and never looked back.

If you think the English voice acting is bad, you should listen to the German Voice acting. It is so emotionless and hideous that id rather have no voice acting at all. The english Voice acting compared to that is pretty decent.

[Eloah]

I think since they need a large voice cast in 4 different Laguages, accents and dialects are an after thought, and rightfully so in my opinion, its more important for me to get the info then to get it in a more authentic manner. I am going to the park, park, i go. I get it you are headed to the park.

As for the Japanese pronunciations, they are probably being coached on a more authentic pronuncuation. The names may be written as Gosetsu and Yugiri in roman characters, but a closer spelling would be Gousetsu and Yuugiri, with an elongated O and U sounds. Spunds like that don't exist that often in English, especially to distinqish a name. As an example most people recognise Ryoko as a name, mostly from Tenchi. But which one is correct, Ryokou or Ryouko, one is a name the other means travel/trip. In English there is little to no distinction.

One thing I see *a lot* is when people say "Oh, the Japanese voice acting is better" or "I hated the voice acting so I switched to Japanese."

What I'm curious is that do these people *understand* Japanese, or does it just sound better because they can't understand what they're saying?

9/10 times they don't. It's not the dialogue that is better, but the emotion and your conection to it. People understand the subtleties of their own language, someone could say "No" to you several different ways and a native speaker, who is paying attention, would know each is different. I said paying attention cause if you aren't you'd only notice a major difference in emotion.

When people watch the Japanese voices, or the other laguages, they are connecting to the performance on an emotional level. Combine that with reading dialogue they understand and it creates a unique experience per individual. It doesn't just happen in English either. Plenty of Japanese people dislike native Japanese voice work since it sounds stale and lifeless at times. Voice acting may be better regulated over there, but it's like casting someone cause they have appeal and are a big name, not cause they are good.

The biggest one I know of is Izaya from Durarara, Johnny Yong Bosch is said to have the more emotional performance, not better, though it is better, lol, but emotional. Most Japanese people don't really understand English, they are connecting with the emotions of his scenes.

The last thing to add, is nowadays, voice acting is regulated better and gets final approval by the creators, ie the Japanese team. Plus, in some cases its been said that the English voices are better because they are truer to the vision of that character's voice. Vic Mignagna was told his voice was what the wanted for Edward Elric, they semi hinted at settling for Romi Park. She is good but not the young male voice they wanted.

[KaivaC]

The problem with TC's argument is that these characters do have accents. They are just very subtle.

Which begs the question. What kind of accents where you expecting tc? Full on Engrish? "Ooooh, Herro worriol of right." Seems a bit culturally insensitive and a bit stereotypical to me.

I dunno how I missed this, but imagine we get a new pair of NPCs...the conversation goes like...

" 'ey man, I'm Korg..."

(woe to those who don't get that reference)

[Transient_Shadow]

accents is where I draw the line. its a game. some things can be over thought >.>'

[Ameela]

What I'm curious is that do these people *understand* Japanese, or does it just sound better because they can't understand what they're saying?

You don't need to understand Japanese to recognise when the acting is at least tonally fitting.

Spoilers for 4.3:

JP - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdh1_DNIFNU&t=215m5s

EN - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW0JCOaMkpU&t=36m7s

Watch the two versions of that scene and tell me one of them isn't much better directed and acted to fit the action than the other, regardless of if you understand what is being said.

[AmemeAmeklin]

I agree that the Doman voice actors all have a subtle accent (save for Yugiri, though she has gone through three voice actors anyway, and one of those through horrible circumstances).

What I really think should have happened was every single Ishgardian character gets a slight French accent. I guess some of the Gridanians would also get French accents, but like...Canadian French, while Ishgard is Parisian French.

Meanwhile, Lominsan Roegadyns get German accents, everyone from the Near East gets, oh...Egyptian? Saudi Arabian? accents (Lyse would have to codeswitch her accents, depending on who she's talking to), Ul'dah residents get Turkish accents (I think?), etc etc.

That's just my castle in the air, I guess. Mostly I wanna hear all the Ishgardians with French accents because that would be aces.

[Jonnycbad]

The English is fine. Characters from different countries or regions in video games never have regionally appropriate accents in Japanese. What's more, typically Russian characters speak English with a Russian accent, French characters speak English with a French accent, but you never see a French character speak Japanese with a French accent or vice versa in Japanese. In that regard, the English VA is already fine. Rather than accents they go for dialect difference (lowborn vs noble voice)

[Rosenstrauch]

We're not at Dragon Quest level yet unfortunately.

I hope we never get there. The one thing I hate the most about modern Dragon Quest games and remakes is the incomprehensible and frankly pointless accents the localization team shove in there, especially since the Japanese versions don't have them at all.

[Jonnycbad]

I played DQ8 on Android and it wasn't voice acted--which was nice. Then I saw some DQ8 (PS2) videos on youtube and was mortified at how everyone has an obnoxious cockney accent. Horrible.