05-22-2004, 02:27 AM
As a matter of fact, I understand a moderate amount of Japanese. However, it's that and also the tone and pitch of the voice acting used at certain points of the story that also determine the mood of any particular scene. Japanese voice acting usually has a lot more passion behind it, which is often necessary in serious productions such as Xenosaga.
However, even if you don't understand Japanese, if you just close you eyes and listen to the tones used by the actors, you can easily perceive their full emotional state, and how it corresponds to what is going on in the scene. This applies to not only Japanese anime & games, but also in other cultures too. This is why I feel that English voice acting for anime and games don't usually quite meet the grade.
However, even if you don't understand Japanese, if you just close you eyes and listen to the tones used by the actors, you can easily perceive their full emotional state, and how it corresponds to what is going on in the scene. This applies to not only Japanese anime & games, but also in other cultures too. This is why I feel that English voice acting for anime and games don't usually quite meet the grade.