well um i have an update that's on-topic on the japanese VA front:

I was browsing some Japanese blog posts from people who went to the NicoNico event on the lodestone today, as well as looking over Rie Tanaka's wikipedia article for confirmation (bad confirmation i know), and according to both sources, she will not be playing Merlwyb. Instead, she'll be playing both Kan-E-Senna and Garuda. here's what i found:



okay so my japanese isn't great but the blog post title says: "Tanaka Rie is Kan-E-Senna and Garuda!" the wikipedia snip on the picture is from her article and had her credited for "Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - Kan-E-Senna/Primal Garuda"

so she's out for merlwyb. so...i guess now it's a mystery who'll be playing her in japanese. i guess whoever is the remaining female voice on that one script cover with the GC leaders.

this is probably gonna sound dumb but for english i'd actually really like it if mindy sterling played merlwyb; her voice has been what i imagined merlwyb to sound like since i heard it. she was lin bei fong in the legend of korra and she did a really good job. :D