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A Mew Mew Power VA Speaks |
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Written by maehara
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Wednesday, 16 March 2005 |
The thing with being a fan of subtitled anime is that you often don't
appreciate the work that goes into producing the English-language
version, so when I had the opportunity to ask one of the Mew Mew Power VAs a few questions about how 4Kids' dub was put together, I wasn't about to miss the opportunity.
Since this is very much an 'unofficial' interview, we've opted to keep
the VAs name to ourselves for now, but it is someone you'll hear each
week in the show. I'd like to thank them before I start for
taking the time to answer these questions. Click 'Read more...'
for the full article...
{mos_smf_discuss:Mew Mew News}
One thing that's worth noting about the dub: Voice Director Tom Wayland
apparently only joined the show after the 'pilot' episode (episode 12)
was dubbed. Most people, I think, noticed that the dub improved
dramatically after the pilot, and I would bet Tom's involvement may
have had a lot to do with that - he previously worked with anime
company Central Park Media, and has been involved with the dubbing of World of Narue, Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie, and Now and Then, Here & There,
among others. That experience means that, more than most, he'll
know what the dedicated anime fan expects, although of course 4Kids' commercial concerns will also play a part in how the show turns out.
I think it's safe to say that most people have been quite surprised by the Mew Mew Power
dub - before the show aired, there was quite a bit of doubt that it
would be listenable, especially based on the 'Sneak Peek' trailer that 4Kids were airing in advance.
I have to say, I thought it was so funny when everyone was judging the
voice acting off of the preview. Some of us literally had 3-4
words to say. I challenge anyone to give a complete
characterization in so few words! And where would the fun be if
you knew all of their nuances in one episode? Everyone's story
and personality gets developed over time...much like I imagine it was
in the Japanese version! :-)
When you were auditioning for the show, how much prior knowledge did you have of the show (both in terms of 4Kids' version, and the original Tokyo Mew Mew)?
Zero, zilch, nada. I came in and was handed a packet with
character descriptions and a rough script. Voice acting is very
much about the direction, even more so than film, so I just listened
very carefully.
Did people audition for specific roles, or were the roles cast after the fact?
Throughout the audition process I read every character at least
once. I think they kind of find people they'd like to work with
and then see how they fit with each character. At least, that's
what happened with me.
How aware are you when doing the show of the original version?
Do you get shown an episode or two of the Japanese version to see where
the show is coming from, or do you work on the assumption that you're
doing a 'new' show?
It's no secret that we're doing a dub, so I knew there was an original
version out there. Here's the thing: Anytime you're playing
a character that has already been created, it's actually much better
NOT to get too familiar with the original unless you are asked to do an
imitation. The actors aren't writing the script and the director
has his vision, so if you get too caught up in what was done before
you'll do nothing but second guess yourself the whole time. That
is true for any kind of acting, but I thing it's particularly true
here. I have however, read some of the manga. Just for an
idea of where we're coming from.
Dubbing anime in Japan is almost a communal work, with all the cast
in the studio at the same time - some say this gives the cast the
opportunity to play off each other & results in a better overall
performance. On the flipside, Disney & other US studios tend
to have each cast member record their lines on their own. How was
it done with MMP?
We do everything separately. This is mostly, I think, in the
interest of scheduling. We all do other things, so it would be
hard to get everyone together. 4Kids does do Turtles
that way, though, because that is not dubbed. In the cartoon
world in general, I think it all depends on time, budget and the way
the producer and director like to work in the creative process.
We record separately, although they'll leave in anyone else who has
already recorded in the playback so you can hear what they did.
And once everyone is done, we'll do what they call "fixes" where we'll
come in and change things if something got re-written or if they want a
different read based on what someone else did.
How long does it take you to get a real 'feel' for the
character? Do you have enough opportunity before production
starts, or is it something you 'learn' as the show goes on?
I knew who my character was right away. I was given a pretty good
overview of her story and where she was headed, although of course I
learn more as I get into each new script. Tom [Wayland] is good
about letting us find layers in our characters... Each
character's relationship with the others is special, and I think
consistency in that area was very important to the creative team.
Each episode's been shortened to 22 minutes - was this for time or editorial reasons?
Definitely for time. American cartoons, let's face it, are on for
the commercials. We have less airtime than over in Asia.
The mew puns seem set to be a regular feature, and while they were
a-mews-ing at first, they're truly groan-worthy now. :) They
certainly weren't a feature of the original show - where did the idea
come from, and do you groan as much when you see them in the script as
we do when we hear them?
Heh heh heh. I'm not sure whose idea that was, but yes, I'm known
to just shake my head when I read them. There are more to come.
Thanks again for taking the time to read the site and answer these
questions, and I hope our more rabid members haven't put you off any!
Nah. I was fourteen once. I'm glad they're passionate, if
they stick with it, the anime world will only improve as they become
adults and start working in the industry.
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