If you've ever read a book with dialogue, you've probably imagined the speaker's voice. Well, at least I can say that's true for me. The same goes with manga. I look at a character, read the speech bubble, and I can "hear" the character's voice.
Then I watch the anime that the manga is based on.
Sometimes, I'm thrown off by the voice actors. I tend to think "that character isn't supposed to sound like that!" Although, in other cases, a character's voice can be so close to what I imagined that it's freaky.
I haven't read many manga series. In fact, I can name all the ones I read before watching the anime. They are Fushigi Yugi, Fullmetal Alchemist, The Seven Deadly Sins, and Blue Exorcist. I'll give a (hopefully) quick rundown of the first three, since I haven't seen any clips of Blue Exorcist yet. Also, please note that I'm referring to characters' Japanese voice actors, not the English dub ones.
If my memory serves me correctly, I read the entirety of Fushigi Yugi before ever watching the anime. Since the series is 18 volumes, I had a pretty solid idea of what the main characters sounded like. Once I saw the anime, I was actually pretty disappointed by the actors who voiced the main couple, Miaka and Tamahome. They sounded outright annoying compared to what I had imagined. As more characters were introduced, I realized that my perceptions were very different from the vision of the people who were making this anime. Until they introduced Chichiri. From the moment he spoke his first verbal tic, my eyes opened wide in amazement. His voice was exactly what I thought it would be.
I know that in the two anime continuities of Fullmetal Alchemist, the voice cast is, like 90% different. I've only seen FMA-1, but I know which characters retained their actors for the second series. I'll focus on a few of those, such as main characters Edward and Alphonse. I wasn't really sure what to imagine for Ed's voice. I knew that in the dub, he was voiced by a man, but I thought that Ed should sound more... prepubescent. When I saw the anime, I didn't know what to think. Ed was voiced by a woman who could deepen her voice enough to sound like a teenage boy. Nothing like I had perceived, but it still worked. Al's voice was perfectly spot-on though. The one that bothered me was Bradley. His voice was completely different than what I thought it would be. It sounded too familiar... like I had heard it before. Then it hit me: the actor had also played the third Hokage from Naruto.
When I saw clips for The Seven Deadly Sins, my ideas for the characters' voices were shattered. Meliodas's voice was a bit too low for me. Diane's was too high. Hawk sounded too girly. Ban's voice sounded too... I don't even know. The only one that sounded remotely similar to what I had pictures was Elizabeth. Well, maybe I'd get used to the voice-acting choices if I actually saw the anime. Until then I'll still hear the voices I had imagined whenever I read the manga.
Conversely, when I watch an anime first, and if the characters' voices are distinct, I can hear those voices while reading the manga. This was most unfortunate in the case of Sailor Moon. Whenever Luna spoke, I could hear that Julie Andrews impersonator from the original English dub. Sure, Luna still has a distinct voice in the original Japanese version, but somehow, even after a decade or so, I can still here that English voice actress say, "Serena, you must transform!" like a distressed grandmother.
So, who here has read a manga and then seen an anime that was inspired by it? Which did you experience first-- the manga or the anime? How did that affect your listening experience? Are there characters whose voices sound exactly like you imagined? What about ones that were completely off? Just let me know if you heard the original vocal track or a dub.
I was thinking about how different anime sometimes have similar characters or plot elements, even though the anime series are completely different. So I was thinking about listing various archetypes and seeing which anime comes to mind. Some of the descriptions I provide will be oddly specific.
Example: Name one anime with a character who breaks his finger and focuses on the pain to free himself from an illusion.
You wouldn't believe it, but I have seen at least three anime where a character has done this.
Rules:
1. Only name one anime for each question.
2. Do not name the character that the anime describes (I don't want spoilers for ones I want to see but haven't).
3. Do not name the same anime twice (alternate continuities, reboots, and sequels count, but are not encouraged).
4. PM the answers to me (so no one else can copy you).
The person who can name a different series for every example given wins. If you can't think of an example, leave the space blank. Your chances of winning will be diminished, but if everyone leaves a space blank, there could be a winner.
1. Name an anime in which an adopted character learns of his dark lineage, and decides to oppose his family's evil ways. This character also grows a tail at some point in his life.
2. Name an anime in which a girl travels back in time through unconventional means, and meets a boy who eventually becomes a love interest.
3. Name an anime in which a group of characters have markings/symbols/kanji on their bodies.
4. Name an anime that involves zodiac signs.
5. Name an anime where a character dies, is resurrected, and dies again.
6. Name an anime that is set in a school where the majority of the cast is of one gender, heterosexual romance is not addressed, and is NOT dirty.
7. Name an anime with a male animal familiar to a magical girl.
8. Name an anime that contains a character who does everything he can to avoid having innocent people die. This character is missing an arm.
9. Name an anime that focuses on three characters: two female, one male.
10. Name an anime that contains a genius girl with blue hair.
11. Name an anime in which the main character is a girl who is a big eater.
12. Name an anime where the main hero dreams of attaining the high rank of a leader.
13. Name an anime where characters exert special powers with their eyes.
14. Name an anime that contains fights and action, but the characters don't say their attack names out loud.
15. Name an anime where a character aspires to become immortal.
16. Name an anime where a character actually does become immortal.
17. Name an anime with an antagonist that seems evil at first glance, but really isn't all that bad.
18. Name an anime in which the main character is not conventionally attractive.
19. Name an anime in which the lead male and female do not become a couple.
20. Name an anime which consists of mostly male characters, but has one or more females that can fight alongside the guys.
21. Name an anime in which there are two siblings and one is adopted. One has a crush on the other.
22. Name an anime aimed at a teenage audience, in which the majority of characters are adults.
23. Name an anime with a magical girl that doesn't have a transformation sequence.
24. Name an anime that has a character that can change into an animal.
25. Name an anime that has a character that can change into different people, but not animals.
26. Name an anime that contains a character who can destroy heavenly bodies (planets, moons, stars).
27. Name an anime in which the protagonist is a vampire.
28. Name an anime that has a girl with a tail, but no animal ears.
29. Name an anime that has a character with a scar on his face.
30. Name an anime with a "mascot" animal that cannot talk.
Good luck. Depending on how many people do this, I might give an actual prize.
I don't even think I could complete something like this. @_@
Just thought I'd give a little update on how things are going.
The progress:
- Sketched my SS gift last night. Not gonna wait until three days before the deadline just to get sick and then post a few weeks into the new year.
- Sketching Challenge Prizes. I know what I'm going to do for the first two. Have to watch the anime that the third requested character is from. Fortunately, that won't take too long.
- Working on the Sketch Marathon. I won't finish it in time, but I'm shooting for 42 sketches by the end of the year.
- Digital drawings/comics. Three started, one to be planned. Might actually finish one of the four before the year ends.
- Expanding my manga collection. Now I just have to read them.
I realize that this isn't exactly an accomplishment.
- Starting to finish up some older anime that I had on hold.
The indecision:
- Thinking of what my next discussion topic should be. I have some ideas, though.
- Anyone up for a livestream maybe next week? (Is there a different service where I can get sound? That could be interesting.)
- What is my Sketch Marathon cover going to look like? Still have no clue.
- Survival Instincts. Should I post the second arc even with all the kinks? It ends on a more negative note than the first arc. I still don't know what to do to wrap up the third arc. (Oh, beta, where art thou?)
- A new Challenge. I want the focus to be on my songs. The prizes would be my demos. Only have of my demos (6/12) are recorded, and none are copyrighted yet. If I make the Challenge three months long, I will have them all recorded to deliver as prizes. The problem is that the participants can't listen to the songs as inspiration. Might have to PM the lyrics.
- Deciding what to watch after finishing up some of the anime series that I started.
...
Thoughts?
I was tagged by Kita.
Rules:
1. Pick three of your OC's, and include thumbnails.
2. Share ten random facts about them.
3. You MUST post these rules.
4. Tag three people when you're done.
I think I'll go with the three main characters from Survival Instincts because (a) there's three of them and (b) Kita was hoping for at least one.
Naomi Wood
1. Naomi loves to garden. She's been doing it since she was very little.
2. After gardening, Naomi's second favorite hobby is reading.
3. Naomi lives with her father and brother, Ethan. Her mother passed away when she was very young.
4. Naomi belongs to a religious group known as the Children of Terra. This group tends to populate rural areas. Naomi is no exception.
5. The Children of Terra tend to dress in clothing that cover most of their bodies. Naomi dresses this way in public, but she can remove her hair scarf when she's in her own home.
6. Naomi doesn't have a favorite color, but she tends to like pastels.
7. Naomi's family is very important to her. Many family photographs adorn the walls of her room.
8. When Naomi learns of her powers, she becomes very upset with herself, since the practice of magic is forbidden in her religion. As the story goes on, she becomes better at controlling them, and will even voluntarily use them.
9. Naomi believes that Marshall (the boy she meets in the city) is a good person and a good friend. She is not aware that Marshall may like her a bit more than that. This is because Naomi believes that neither she (age 14) nor Marshall (age 16) are of dating age.
10. Naomi's ability to levitate and float have some connection to Dice (the stranger that she and Marshall meet in a warehouse). Neither one is certain why.
Freddy Marshall
1. Marshall prefers to be called by his last name. He HATES his first name.
2. For a time, Marshall worked at a pizza parlor for a summer job. He found dealing with the customers to be very stressful.
3. Marshall likes video games. His favorites are tournament/fighting games.
4. Marshall is an only child. He lives with his mother, whom he fights with quite a bit. He never met his father, and doesn't know what happened to him.
5. Neither Marshall nor his mother know how to cook very well. His diet consists mostly of processed foods.
6. Before he met Naomi, all of Marshall's friends were boys.
7. Marshall's favorite color is green.
8. Marshall lives in the suburbs, on the outskirts of the city that he runs away to.
9. Marshall had planned to run away from home before, but when the story begins, this is the first time that he had actually done so.
10. Whenever Marshall uses his telekinetic powers, he feels pain in his arm. The heavier the object he moves, the stronger the pain.
Dice
1. Dice doesn't know his age. He guesses he's a few centuries old. Although his healing ability keeps him from physically aging, it didn't keep him from growing from a child to an adult.
2. Dice hates the name he was given.
3. Save for his yellow eyes, Dice appears human, though he isn't. Other things that set him apart from humans are his ability to instantly heal and recover from fatal wounds. He also has heightened strength, speed, and senses.
4. Dice reasons that long hair gets in his way. His strength is what enables him to rip it to a suitably short length.
5. Dice spent a great deal of his life in isolation.
6. Dice knows very little of how humans live, save for abstract details that he learned secondhand. Since he doesn't know about the rules of society, he lives by his own moral code.
7. Dice finds it harder to come up with a lie to tell than to tell the truth. He will be the first to admit that he's a very unconvincing actor.
8. Although Dice doesn't need to eat to survive, he still finds it pleasurable.
9. Dice generally doesn't like fighting. If he does fight, he does it for a reason.
10. Dice is unaware that the name he gave himself isn't really a name. Ironically, he thinks that Naomi and Marshall have strange names.
Well, I hope that wasn't too redundant for those that have read what I've posted of Survival Instincts. I was trying not to give spoilers.
I know I'm supposed to tag people, but I don't know who to tag. You can do this one if you want to.
Well, it's about time that I post my wishlist. After all, I'm one of the people running the SS this year.
I'm going to be copying and pasting some of last year's list to this one. Like last year, I'm going to limit the options to 10 anime and manga (plus OCs).
I'll be eliminating AoT from the list because of this awesome pic from last year.
The Manga and Anime
In no particular order...
Fullmetal Alchemist I'm just that predictable. I prefer the manga/Brotherhood continuity. If you didn't know by now, I'm a total Greed fangirl. I also like Alphonse. Heck, any of the characters would be fine, since I like almost all of them on some level.
Death Note It's been some time since I've seen or read this one, but I still like it. L is my favorite.
Magi I've only seen the first series (Labyrinth) and I haven't read the manga (yet), but I'm enjoying it so far. My favorite character is Alibaba, but all of the main characters are so likable that I'd be happy with one or more of them, too.
Cardcaptor Sakura I finished the whole anime, but I don't know if the manga diverges from it. My favorite character is actually Kero. I like Sakura and Yukito, too. In fact, I remember that Yukito's birthday is on Chistmas (like mine), so maybe you could do something with that.
Gurren Lagann Again, it's been some time since I've seen it, but my memories of it are vivid. I can't decide on a favorite, so any of the main characters will do.
Sailor Moon I've been on a major kick with SM, lately. I've read the manga, seen all of Crystal, and I'm currently watching the original anime. I don't care about spoilers, and the continuity is your choice. My favorite is Sailor Saturn, but any of the Guardians (I guess that's the official term now) is cool with me.
The Seven Deadly Sins This is kind of my new obsession that I shouldn't like as much as I do. I'm up to date on the manga, but I haven't seen the anime (thanks, Netflix). My favorite characters are Diane, Ban, and King (not necessarily in that order). From what I hear, Diane's birthday is supposed to be on December 24 (a day before mine). Also Ban x Elaine makes me melt with happiness.
Naruto/Naruto Shippuden I haven't watched it in some time; I kind of paused it right when they're gearing up for the war. I know the manga ended a year ago, and though I haven't read it, I've been spoiled rotten due to the series's popularity. I have a particular fondness for Kurenai's team of Hinata, Shino, and Kiba. They're pretty neglected, so I want them to have some love.
Inuyasha I'm 100 episodes in, and I've been introduced to most (if not all) of the major players in the story. Shippou is still my favorite character, but I like the other main characters as well.
Yu Yu Hakusho It's an oldie but a goodie. I've gotten through most of it. I'm at the part where the main characters are in that crazy house with those three guys. I can't decide whether Kurama or Kuwabara (did I spell that right?) is my favorite. I'd be happy with Yusuke, too.
The Original Characters
I'm just linking pictures. You can find out about the characters in the picture descriptions. You can read the stories here. For additional information (and some silliness) click here.
From Survival Instincts: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
From Destination: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
From The Rebels of Planet Aadau: [1] [2] [3] [4]
One final note: I don't actually celebrate Christmas. I'm just doing the SS because my birthday falls on Christmas. So please don't add anything religious.
Thanks and happy holidays. I can't wait to see what you give me! ^_^