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Do Japanese voice actors put on accents when playing foreign characters?

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Oct 23, 2016 9:59 AM
#1

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Jun 2016
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Like american actors for example when they play foreign characters, I was curious about this since its kind of hard to tell.
Oct 23, 2016 10:05 AM
#2

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Aug 2014
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Normally they don't, no. There probably are exceptions though, but generally it's either differences between Japanese dialects, but not between languages

The guy in Kabaneri had an accent. That's the only example i can think of though. Taka-tin in Gintama, don't know if that would count.
metadataOct 23, 2016 10:12 AM
Oct 23, 2016 10:15 AM
#3

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Jan 2008
18116
Some probably have but it's not very memorable in most cases from what I've heard, often just sounding like the typical bad Engrish. The only one I can even think of is Manami Tanaka voicing Alice from Kiniro Mosiac. Her British-English accent is pretty notable.
Oct 23, 2016 10:21 AM
#4

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Mar 2014
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No no

Nihongo actor not spek accent veri werr
Nico- said:
@Comic_Sans oh no y arnt ppl dieing i need more ppl dieing rly gud plot avansement jus liek tokyo ghoul if erbudy dies amirite
Conversations with people pinging/quoting me to argue about some old post I wrote years ago will not be entertained
Oct 23, 2016 10:39 AM
#5

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Oct 2015
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For Russian characters I have sometimes noted this.
*darn, using my right hand is off-limits for a while. Typing with my left hand only is ... eww.*
Oct 23, 2016 11:51 AM
#6
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Dec 2014
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BannoBunka_snork said:
For Russian characters I have sometimes noted this.

Funny you should mention that. My first reaction when I saw this thread is "Yes, sort of", because I am currently playing a game voiced by a pretty big cast of characters. And one of the recently introduced character, voiced by the same VA as Akame in Akame ga Kiru, is evidently Russian, and speak with an accent of sort. I can't say (and doubt), that it's a Russian accent, but the tone is different (and the choices of words, pauses etc. make her sounds like a "fluent Japanese learner"). The other two non-Japanese characters in the game also have their "quirks" though I don't think that it's done as well.

I think that it is fair to assume that the accent they try to act will be off from the real thing though, but sometime they try to make it evident that it's not a native Japanese speaker.
Oct 23, 2016 12:49 PM
#7

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May 2016
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demonskul777 said:
Normally they don't, no. There probably are exceptions though, but generally it's either differences between Japanese dialects, but not between languages

The guy in Kabaneri had an accent. That's the only example i can think of though. Taka-tin in Gintama, don't know if that would count.

The guy in Kabeneri's voice actor is American. Maxwell Power born in California.

I'm no expert on the Japanese language so I can't say, but sometimes you can tell they're at least trying for an accent. ex. Saimon from Durarara.
Oct 23, 2016 12:52 PM
#8

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takenMalUsername said:
demonskul777 said:
Normally they don't, no. There probably are exceptions though, but generally it's either differences between Japanese dialects, but not between languages

The guy in Kabaneri had an accent. That's the only example i can think of though. Taka-tin in Gintama, don't know if that would count.

The guy in Kabeneri is American. Maxwell Power born in California.

I'm no expert on the Japanese language so I can't say, but sometimes you can tell they're at least trying for an accent. ex. Saimon from Durarara.


Ah, I didn't know. so I guess that eliminates him as an example. Kabaneri had some good production values, sad it was such a disappointment story-wise.
Oct 23, 2016 12:58 PM
#9

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Oct 23, 2016 1:54 PM
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Jan 2008
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Yes, and it's quite common too. Most recent case from an anime that I've seen being Alice's mom from Shokugeki no Souma S2. It doesn't always happen, and it's not even a majority of the time, but it's definitely not uncommon when it's a token foreigner (as opposed to an anime where pretty much everyone is a foreigner).
Oct 23, 2016 1:57 PM
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Jan 2013
10764
choo choo waifu incoming whaddup

gone bai bai
Oct 23, 2016 3:02 PM
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Dec 2014
410
no. Infinite stratos no accent at all.

Foreigners on the other hand are much better at emulating accents
Oct 24, 2016 11:25 AM
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Jul 2018
564612
Miyano Mamoru nailed it with the "I am mad scientist. Is so cool! Sonuvabitch" thing.
Oct 24, 2016 11:28 AM
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demonskul777 said:
Normally they don't, no. There probably are exceptions though, but generally it's either differences between Japanese dialects, but not between languages

The guy in Kabaneri had an accent. That's the only example i can think of though. Taka-tin in Gintama, don't know if that would count.


theres is mun mianstreme Japanese there three ntaive lnagaues still kid of spkoen like ainu
"If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine"

When the union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run
There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun
Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one
For the Union makes us strong
Oct 24, 2016 11:29 AM

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Aug 2016
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Lord_Sithis said:
Miyano Mamoru nailed it with the "I am mad scientist. Is so cool! Sonuvabitch" thing.
Damn, I was just about to post this...
Oct 24, 2016 2:53 PM
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Jun 2016
9
The only one that I can really think of is Kagura from Gintama. Kagura has a chinese japanese accent.

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It’s time to ditch the text file.
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