The Voice Acting. . .

[Nandina]

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I'm more readily to accept this reasoning than any of the others. It makes the most sense to me. But I don't think an international casting call for an accent is really necessary. It's not atypical for a voice actor to do multiple characters and each character sound distinguished. But then when I make this argument, other people will argue money, yet you agree with me that money isn't really an issue. I also think that if we're talking about the US or the UK, there should be someone around who can fulfill the role. As mentioned by someone else previously, the voice actors for Hien and Yugiri are ethnically Japanese, they should be able to achieve an accent that isn't just applicable to names. Many people who grew up with immigrant parents can mimic them just fine. It may be harder for someone who doesn't have an ethnically different parent to understand this, but for example, my dad is Russian and though I haven't been to Russia, I can mimic his and my grandparents' English speaking accent easily, cause I've heard it so much.

[Nestama]

Not implying it, especially as Yotsuyu and Yugiri (Stormblood) are voiced by Japanese women :T

It's just how many have chosen to have voice acting, or acting in general as a career.

You can only go so far with immersion. If it really bothers you, then just change the voices to Japanese any time you're in Othard (it makes more sense when you think about it for our characters to speak/learn the language of the country we're visiting).

[Berethos]

I don't know about you, but in terms of looking at Asahi's mannerisms, facial expressions and gestures I can easily come to the conclusion that the Japanese version "fits" better than the English. It's not even a matter of "you think only one works;" English Asahi doesn't even laugh appropriately in that scene as he flails his head around- by that moment the English version barely even forced out a laugh. He's "obsessed," yes, but if you couldn't tell by his wide-eyed look and outstretched arms, he's also being melodramatic.

Melodramatic, yes, but as I've already mentioned the English version established him as someone that is generally soft spoken. It's the kind of characterization that is meant to provide contrast to his cold-hearted and at times obsessive nature. He's insane and obsessed, and only lets that mask slip once (right after the bit you all don't think fits in English). It's consistent characterization, which is what makes it still work with the scene.

You all prefer the more traditional getting louder version that the Japanese version uses, and that's fine, but it's hardly the only way to play that scene with those animations and facial expressions.

[Berethos]

So are all the voice actors working on FFXIV a part of the same company and not independently hired based on their ability to fulfill the role?

The point I was trying to make is that it's a bit more complex than just going out and hiring a random VA when you need one and bringing them back to the office if you decide you need/want something different - basically as polyphonica put in more detail and with less snark that I used.

When you're talking over 30 voices across 4 languages for one expansion plus patches that needs to release at a certain window, giving you a specific time in which you can get the voice work done, that's a lot to coordinate on the international side even accounting for those that pull double duty (such as the voice Estinien and the voice of Aulus being done by the same individual in English).

Like I said before - it's not as simple as just hiring someone else.

[Ameela]

Melodramatic, yes, but as I've already mentioned the English version established him as someone that is generally soft spoken. It's the kind of characterization that is meant to provide contrast to his cold-hearted and at times obsessive nature. He's insane and obsessed, and only lets that mask slip once (right after the bit you all don't think fits in English). It's consistent characterization, which is what makes it still work with the scene.

You all prefer the more traditional getting louder version that the Japanese version uses, and that's fine, but it's hardly the only way to play that scene with those animations and facial expressions.

That's exactly the thing though.
In Japanese he's exactly the same, the purpose of this scene is that he's finally broken and the façade is over, he's lost his composure and, again, the animations reflect that. The fact that his voice in English only breaks after that just makes it worse in my opinion, because he's supposed to break earlier, it simply doesn't match what's going on on-screen if his voice remains calm and soft when he's gone off the deep-end already.
It'd be one thing if he didn't break at all, but he does break, just not when it makes sense to when you take the visuals into account.

[Berethos]

That's exactly the thing though.
In Japanese he's exactly the same, the purpose of this scene is that he's finally broken and the façade is over, he's lost his composure and, again, the animations reflect that. The fact that his voice in English only breaks after that just makes it worse in my opinion, because he's supposed to break earlier, it simply doesn't match what's going on on-screen if his voice remains calm and soft when he's gone off the deep-end already.

The purpose of the scene is to show him breaking, not that he's already broken. The moment he breaks, at least in English, is when he goes "It should have been mine." THAT is when the mask drops in English, that is when you hear the growing intensity and whiny obsession breaking through - before that he's still in control, with a mix of soft-spoken gloating and mocking when talking to the WoL.

The eyes-wide expression you're mistaking for having gone off the deep end is actually closer (based on the way the scene plays out) to a mix of that gloating and him being quite pleased with himself.

[Hazmick]

I can see where people are coming from with wanting more 'eastern' accents for places like Doma, but if you wanted regional accents for the entire world of Hydaelyn it would be... a lot. So you want a strong Japanese accent for Doma? Would Azim Steppe tribes and Kugane folks have that too? Would upper class and lower class people in each region have even more different accents? You have to draw the line somewhere, and SE has drawn it here before things turn into caricatures of various accents.

I must point out, however, that I very much I enjoy hearing some Ala Mhigan characters and their midlands-ish accent. I think it works quite well.

[Cidel]

Melodramatic, yes, but as I've already mentioned the English version established him as someone that is generally soft spoken.

And that was their choice, and the English version has a habit of changing dialogue and portraying characters differently from the Japanese, for better or worse. Meanwhile the Japanese version had a way of portraying him as polite and a little too interested in Doma (and to almost nobody's surprise, this is a facade, he's actually quite vindictive and sinister). He doesn't come off as soft-spoken, if anything he sounds a little too enthusiastic at times.

It's the kind of characterization that is meant to provide contrast to his cold-hearted and at times obsessive nature. He's insane and obsessed, and only lets that mask slip once (right after the bit you all don't think fits in English).

Being "soft-spoken" doesn't necessarily contrast cold-heartedness nor obsessiveness. In any case, he has a "mask" in both versions- of course we know the mask slips more than once (ever since he privately threatens the WoL). He is quite likely insane and obsessed, which is why he becomes so melodramatic (in Japanese, anyway) when he feels like he's one-upped the WoL.

It's consistent characterization, which is what makes it still work with the scene.

You all prefer the more traditional getting louder version that the Japanese version uses, and that's fine, but it's hardly the only way to play that scene with those animations and facial expressions.

I get it, you like the English version more than the Japanese version. But this is what I mean when I say people frequently create narratives to justify why they think performances are just as effective in context of a scene even if the tone and delivery of a character's lines don't align with the character's gestures and expressions.

It's fine if his lines were all delivered a certain way that suits a particular "soft-spoken" narrative of the character. But when said character has to deliver a crazed, insane laugh (complete with wide-eyes and head flailing) but instead delivers a raspy cackle that barely escapes their lips by the time they've thrown their head back, the whole presentation looks off-putting. Think of your most memorable crazed, evil laugh in recent memory from some iconic character/series and imagine if it was done in a lower, quieter cackle and that's essentially what this scene looked/sounded like.

[Berethos]

Being "soft-spoken" doesn't necessarily contrast cold-heartedness nor obsessiveness.

Thanks, captain obvious.

I said it was "meant to" which pretty clearly indicates that I mean that it appears that it was a conscious choice in this specific case to use it for contrast in his characterization.

I get it, you like the English version more than the Japanese version.

Actually, you don't get it, or you'd have picked up on the fact that I think both work (as far as I can determine*) and that I've been trying to explain why the English version happens to work to those who continue to assume that only their interpretation is valid. You know, the kind that assumes that waving the hands in the air in a certain way can only mean they are engaging in an insane laugh that requires a louder voice, and that there's no way that it could at all be the character exaggerating his movements in a moment of melodrama that isn't matched by the tone that he is using as he mocks and gloats.

Rather than look at the physical action and assume that it means a specific other aspect of the scene should have played out a certain way, I look at the entire scene and the characterization of those in it. He's soft-spoken, melodramatic at times, and has a tendency to mock, goad, and gloat. All of that allows for that kind of animation sequence to fit the character.

*I assume that there's a similar level of nuance and context that helps support the scene in the Japanese (or maybe there isn't, and he's hamming it up in a way that has a native speaker just shaking their head), but since I don't know the language I can't judge it and consider it with the same eye for detail or context like I do with the English version.

[Gemina]

I just started playing again after about a year and a half, and I can't help but notice that people from Doma literally have the exact same accent as those from Eorzea. In fact, generally everyone has the same accent regardless of where they're from. In real life, people that are geographically separated speak differently, even if they happen to share the same country, and this difference is more so pronounced if they live on separate continents.

If you were to close your eyes, you couldn't distinguish a Doman like Hien from your typical Eorzean NPC. Like given the whole far eastern theme, wouldn't it have made more sense to use a Japanese man with a Japanese accent? To be honest, it doesn't even have to be Japanese, per se, just different.

Using Elder Scrolls as an example, there was a distinction between a Khajit or Argonian compared to the rest of the populace when they spoke. So, shouldn't Miqo'te, Elezen, Roegadyn, and Au'ra sound different?

As far as ARR goes, Midgarsomr's voice actor pretty much sweeps the rest away in one fell swoop. I really wish they could have kept him in HW, because every time I hear that voice, I am just swooned away. I've run Keepers so many times just to hear it, and anytime I get it in roulette, I will watch the cutscene. I will confess to high selfishness here. If you get me in roulette and it's keepers, bail if you cannot wait for me to enjoy the 30-45 seconds of Middy's brilliance.

I want to fight the REAL Midgarsomr, but fully understand that I stand no chance against such might, even being the WoL.