Quote Originally Posted by Berethos View Post
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.