For the Original Players whos gotten used to the English VA

[DingoEnderZOE2]

I've played all the previous main title Sakura Taisen games from ST 1- V for years now in Japanese, so naturally I would be totally used to the Japanese voices. So when I heard that NISA would release the game in the U.S. with the option to play with English and Japanese voice overs, a part of me thought for my first time I should play in English, but another part of me thought I wouldn't be able to stomach it due to the familiarity I have with the Japanese voices, the awkward lip syncing I saw and especially after hearing Gemini's English voice in that debut trailer.

Currently I'm on Chapter 6 and I'm actually surprised I lasted this long playing it in English, and I found myself slowly enjoying the voice work, and I even got used to Gemini's voice. I've also noticed some minor translation errors here and there in the game but all things considered I think NISA did a pretty good job with the English voice work, but I think it's definitely something that would take some getting used to for original players of the game in it's full Japanese form.

So how about you guys?

[odinfan]

I've told myself I'm not touching that English disc, but I'll probably have to check it out one way or another at some point. Like you, I'm very used to the JP VA for the same reasons(though that's probably my "original experience" mentality talking again).

[RedCoKid]

I've always preferred dub, so playing with the English voice over was a no brainer for me. I've liked Bang-Zoom in particular since Grandia II, .hack, and the Tales series on PS2.

[Snatcher2047]

I've been a BANG ZOOM fan for years in both anime and videogame form, so I've really enjoyed the English dub quite a bit. I prefer the Japanese voices throughout the older games especially, because there are some all-time favorite voices there, but BZ always seems to do Sakura Wars well.

I worry a little if the PS2 remake of SW1 ever makes it over here, because I'm still not a huge fan of Wendee Lee's Sakura (I'm a big fan of hers; I've just always thought she and Michelle Ruff (Sumire) should have switched places), but other than that it's always been pretty good with them.

[odinfan]

I listened to a bit of English dub near the beginning of the game... and I'm just... no, I don't think I'll be touching it again. I'm sorry, but I'm just too used to the Japanese voices. I'm beginning to wonder if this is the same thing I've had to deal with back in the old days of watching the terrible Cardcaptors dub and realizing how that turned into one of my favorite shows of all time, which I idolize now.

[Snatcher2047]

Please, never mention CardCaptors ever again. Without question, the single worst English dub EVER. It makes the dub work on this game look like award winning material. It's not really a fair comparison, as Cardcaptors is a slap in the face of my favorite anime.

[odinfan]

Heh, I think that would have been a bigger blow to me than you, though. But seriously:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiVethCTQVY

[Snatcher2047]

Ok, in NO WAY does that compare to the original Japanese opening themes in ANY way... but I have to admit that may be my one guilty pleasure with CardCaptors. It's a horrible opening theme I know, I know. And it does the American cartoon theme song cliche of saying the name of the show in the theme OVER AND OVER AND OVER... but for some reason, I (kind of) like that theme. Believe me, I've heard worse.

But yeah, I love Cardcaptor Sakura and found it atrocious what Nelvana did to it. Thank goodness for Pioneer and their releases of the original Japanese version.

But seriously... "Expect the unexpected"? REALLY?

[odinfan]

I'm not exactly sure even up until this day what I was watching until I reflected on it. I can't believe I found the dub bearable(but that might have been due more to the content of the show rather than the voices). But I'll admit one thing good about this, they bought it over at least. That's one thing they did right.

I guess the same goes for NISA, having done the seemingly impossible(but making us wait so long for it, lol, why?).

[Snatcher2047]

Yeah, I will admit that if Nelvana did one thing good, they exposed the series to me. I had heard of it before, but it wasn't until the English dub that I had actually seen it. So a small thumbs up for that.

[odinfan]

I know I've said this before, but I don't think Clamp has ever topped CCS when it came to fan reception. For a media franchise that came out in 1996(Same as ST, would you believe it?), that's quite impressive, I'd say. I don't think there's really anything I haven't said about it that you don't already know, but like Sakura Wars, it's something I never gave up(I'm sure that's the same for you and ST).

[Snatcher2047]

Agreed. Although I admit I'm more a fan of the anime than the manga. The pacing in the manga feels a little too fast for my liking, where the anime got it just right.