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[March Climber]

I did some research because Yong Yea's voice reminded me of another dubber. Here is who Yong Yea's Kiryu sounds like(known english dubber Kirk Thornton who voices Askeladd the bearded man in this video)



This is what Kiryu should sound closer to (Jotaro from JoJo's BA, dubbed by Matt Mercer)



I'm not saying Matt Mercer should be the english voice for Kiryu, but I'm saying Kiryu needed a deeper voice with some age behind it. Obviously at this point Mercer is too high profile of a voice actor(near Troy Baker level) for Sega to hire. However, there are others out there with deeper voices who can pull this off who aren't Yong Yea.

 

[YCoCg]

Obviously at this point Mercer is too high profile of a voice actor(near Troy Baker level) for Sega to hire.

But he's the voice of Majima in the English DUB for Yakuza: Like A Dragon.

 

[March Climber]

But he's the voice of Majima in the English DUB for Yakuza: Like A Dragon.

Interesting...wow I didn't know...and here I was trying to give Sega a decent excuse lol. Well now there is no excuse.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

I did some research because Yong Yea's voice reminded me of another dubber. Here is who Yong Yea's Kiryu sounds like(known english dubber Kirk Thornton who voices Askeladd the bearded man in this video)



This is what Kiryu should sound closer to (Jotaro from JoJo's BA, dubbed by Matt Mercer)



I'm not saying Matt Mercer should be the english voice for Kiryu, but I'm saying Kiryu needed a deeper voice with some age behind it. Obviously at this point Mercer is too high profile of a voice actor(near Troy Baker level) for Sega to hire. However, there are others out there with deeper voices who can pull this off who aren't Yong Yea.

I like what's Square has been doing on and off and hiring people with theater backgrounds. One of the reasons is the tendency to pull some older, gruffer sounding types. Mercer, Baker, Burton, Lowenthal, fuck it, Quinton Flynn on a good day all have the range to pull off a hardened, older character, but I feel like a person with lived experience to pull from often (not always, Joel is a top tier performance) pull the experience together better for me. I feel like the whole "cast by race," issue that's been blowing up anime and appears from time to time in gaming needs to be reframed to "cast by age," because it's 100% more distracting to my immersion hearing Tara Strong voice her thousandth quirky teen girl role than it is hearing a white chick voice Yoruichi or whatever.

 

[Dthomp]

LOL, i've played Zero through 4 and I legit had no idea there was even an option for english dubs . I for sure would have no interest in switching it out to listen to clickbait Youtuber butchering that sweet sweet Kiryu voice

 

[MScarpa]

My brother in christ, why do you torment yourself like this?

I'm a lady in her 40's with kids and a husband, don't have the time to read subtitles while I am listening to a language I don't understand.

 

[Soltype]

I wouldn't mind the dubs if they were good.They basically force me to choose between reading or bad acting.If I didn't care about the story, I'd probably play with the dub.

 

[March Climber]

I like what's Square has been doing on and off and hiring people with theater backgrounds. One of the reasons is the tendency to pull some older, gruffer sounding types. Mercer, Baker, Burton, Lowenthal, fuck it, Quinton Flynn on a good day all have the range to pull off a hardened, older character, but I feel like a person with lived experience to pull from often (not always, Joel is a top tier performance) pull the experience together better for me. I feel like the whole "cast by race," issue that's been blowing up anime and appears from time to time in gaming needs to be reframed to "cast by age," because it's 100% more distracting to my immersion hearing Tara Strong voice her thousandth quirky teen girl role than it is hearing a white chick voice Yoruichi or whatever.

If you mean them casting just by the character being asian, this can't even be used as an excuse or a reason for blame anymore for why it would be bad casting. Thanks to that same diversity hiring that a lot of people here use as a reason for everything disliked, there are more than enough asian actors/upcoming talents on the west coast and there's been plenty of unique asian voices in media, here are a few:

You have Will Yun Lee:



Tom Wu:



John Lone:



Benedict Wong:



And I didn't even mention some of the more known ones amongst nerd culture like Johnny Yong Bosch (Ichigo from Bleach dub).

Yong Yea is the main problem here as he was simply miscast. Putting this on anything else is trying to connect dots that simply aren't there. I said the same thing about Ada Wong in RE4 Remake when people started thinking the actress change to an asian actress was the problem, when we all know that you can easily find an asian actress on the west coast who can sound like RE 2 Remake Ada's voice.

 

[YCoCg]

Yong Yea is the main problem here as he was simply miscast.

That's what's sad about this because the cast for Yakuza LAD and Judgement were mainly good, so that's why it's soo fucking weird that THE main character of the franchise has been soo badly miscast.

Benedict Wong

Ahh fuck now he'd be great in there, I could easily see him voicing Kuze in Yakuza 0 or something.

 

[tomato shrub]

I'm a lady in her 40's with kids and a husband, don't have the time to read subtitles while I am listening to a language I don't understand.

huh time watching cutscenes is gonna be the same in all languages lol
you're not gonna have the better time in English though

 

[MScarpa]

huh time watching cutscenes is gonna be the same in all languages lol
you're not gonna have the better time in English though

I don't want to read and have subtitles, I turn them off in all games.

 

[VolticArchangel]

I'm a lady in her 40's with kids and a husband, don't have the time to read subtitles while I am listening to a language I don't understand.

I've seen women say this a lot, for anime and video games, especially RPG's.

Is it like a time investment thing, or preference of your native/known language ?

 

[TheInfamousKira]

If you mean them casting just by the character being asian, this can't even be used as an excuse or a reason for blame anymore for why it would be bad casting. Thanks to that same diversity hiring that a lot of people here use as a reason for everything disliked, there are more than enough asian actors/upcoming talents on the west coast and there's been plenty of unique asian voices in media, here are a few:

You have Will Yun Lee:



Tom Wu:



John Lone:



Benedict Wong:



And I didn't even mention some of the more known ones amongst nerd culture like Johnny Yong Bosch (Ichigo from Bleach dub).

Yong Yea is the main problem here as he was simply miscast. Putting this on anything else is trying to connect dots that simply aren't there. I said the same thing about Ada Wong in RE4 Remake when people started thinking the actress change to an asian actress was the problem, when we all know that you can easily find an asian actress on the west coast who can sound like RE 2 Remake Ada's voice.

No, I'm not blaming casting by race for anything, but I'm also not crediting it for anything, either. The point of my post was that casting by age matters more for the performance quality to me than casting by race.

 

[Skifi28]

I don't want to read and have subtitles

 

[GooseMan69]

Yong wearing that shitty cosplay outfit with the giant collar is so cringe to me. The giant pile of toys in the background doesn’t help. Fucking douchetubers man. It’s actually unbelievable how lame they are.

 

[MScarpa]

I've seen women say this a lot, for anime and video games, especially RPG's.

Is it like a time investment thing, or preference of your native/known language ?

How does reading everything make the game better?

 

[VolticArchangel]

Man, just went on twitter to see some reactions and holy shit, they're calling him out on his hypocrisy on criticizing other VA's IN THE SAME CONTEXT but when it comes to him he couldn't take it, and roasting him with genuine feedback on how bad his voice acting is, but he's being very defensive, replying in bad faith/disingenuous, and calling feedback as "toxic", on top of hiding replies and blocking people who criticize him.

Talk about Streisand effect...

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

I think the future is behind the original voice cast and then using AI to make it imitate the original voice but with a corresponding translation.

 

[AREYOUOKAY?]

 

[KaiserBecks]

This guy is a voice actor? I remember watching a couple of his videos during the time of the MGS V hype and I thought his voice was too annyoing to even narrate youtube videos. Ugh.

 

[tomato shrub]

Isn't this game out since a few days? Where's new voice comparisons?

I still have to wait for my Playasia order...

 

[LordCBH]

Isn't this game out since a few days? Where's new voice comparisons?

I still have to wait for my Playasia order...

Infinite Wealth is out at the end of January. Gaiden came out a few days ago, though the English dub isn’t available yet and is coming in a patch.

 

[STARSBarry]

Infinite Wealth is out at the end of January. Gaiden came out a few days ago, though the English dub isn’t available yet and is coming in a patch.

Most pointless patch in history, why would you patch in a feature that tanks your review score.

 

[NanaMiku]

LOL, i've played Zero through 4 and I legit had no idea there was even an option for english dubs . I for sure would have no interest in switching it out to listen to clickbait Youtuber butchering that sweet sweet Kiryu voice

Only the first game (not the Kiwami/remake version) that has English dubs. They bring back English dubs in Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Yakuza 7)

 

[VolticArchangel]

How does reading everything make the game better?

Huh? What kind of a loaded question is this? Lol

First off, context is key. The character in question is a hyper-masculine Yakuza, with a deep, low frequency voice, that Yong cannot match, with his YouTube voice which is kinda high frequency, monotonous without range, and sounds kinda feminine.

This is one of the many reasons why people prefer the OG Japanese dub vs English even in anime, because of authenticity and the creator's vision being directly involved, as opposed to a translator or another studio.

The only exception here is probably Metal Gear, because Kojima directly conveys what he wants when recording to the actors, and is present during all motion and performance capture sessions.

Have you played cRPG's or games without voice acting, before? Games like Zelda, Dark Cloud etc, or even immersive sims and point and click adventures?

Reading is fundamental, in a lot of video game genre's, and add an extra layer of lore/characterization to a lot of games, across genre's.

 

[F31 Leopard]

 

[March Climber]

How does reading everything make the game better?

Just enjoy dubbed games/anime and don't worry about the justifications. I mostly enjoy dubbed work myself for similar reasons to yours, with a few exceptions. Yes, it will piss off the purists but I'm too old and too indifferent to care about their reasons at this point. It's clear that there's an industry for dubbing and it isn't going anywhere anytime soon. However, that dubbing needs to be up to standard quality.

As a dub watcher, I agree with this specifically:

First off, context is key. The character in question is a hyper-masculine Yakuza, with a deep, low frequency voice, that Yong cannot match, with his YouTube voice which is kinda high frequency, monotonous without range, and sounds kinda feminine.

But I just don't care anymore about this:

This is one of the many reasons why people prefer the OG Japanese dub vs English even in anime, because of authenticity and the creator's vision being directly involved, as opposed to a translator or another studio.

Both me and V VolticArchangel think Yong Yea is terrible for completely different reasons. His reason is that it ruins the Japanese artistic intent. My reason is that I simply prefer well done dubs by professionals and not lazy work nor half-assed celebrity voices. We both find it insulting in different ways.

In the rare moment when the English voices are so bad that they take me out of the experience, then I have no choice but to switch. That is a failure on the English VO Team and they've wasted the time and money of both the developer and publisher.

 

[STARSBarry]

How Yong Yea fans react after hearing the dub

 

[Tams]

I'm a lady in her 40's with kids and a husband, don't have the time to read subtitles while I am listening to a language I don't understand.

If it takes you more time to play because you have to read subtitles....

You do you and all that, but you're doing it wrong.

 

[STARSBarry]

I'm a lady in her 40's with kids and a husband, don't have the time to read subtitles while I am listening to a language I don't understand.

It's so weird because when I'm playing subbed anime or games I don't even feel like I'm reading anymore... its more like I'm picking up the words in my spherical vision and it's adding context to what's happening on screen.

The thing is I can't remember watching subbed anime/games another way. It's not like I need to concentrate on the context of all the words like in a book, because they are only the context for what's being said, everything else is visual. So all I'm doing is replacing what is being said with the words at the bottom if that makes sense.

I have a mate who watched all his anime dubbed and he said he can't do that, he needs to read it like a book, so your not alone. But I'm not reading text when it's on screen, even if I am, it's just there, my focus is what's happening on screen.

It's noticeable when you get a side quest where they just stand grunting at each other every time you press X because I slow right down, because now I do need to read to understand the context of what's happening, as quite often there can be minutes where nothing but text appears with no action or visual context to what's happening.

Unsure if it's something that needs to be learned by playing like this for long periods, but I can never go back now, the quality of voice actors is just so much better, you can pick up so much be just tonal changes.

 

[SCB3]

I've been playing the latest game in JP with dub as I did for some of 0, but I will say, the English Dub for LAD and Judgement are excellent, Ichiban in LAD especially is really fucking good

I can enjoy both dubbed and in Japanese at this point, but I can see benefits and downsides to each

 

[Tams]

It's so weird because when I'm playing subbed anime or games I don't even feel like I'm reading anymore... its more like I'm picking up the words in my spherical vision and it's adding context to what's happening on screen.

The thing is I can't remember watching subbed anime/games another way. It's not like I need to concentrate on the context of all the words like in a book, because they are only the context for what's being said, everything else is visual. So all I'm doing is replacing what is being said with the words at the bottom if that makes sense.

I have a mate who watched all his anime dubbed and he said he can't do that, he needs to read it like a book, so your not alone. But I'm not reading text when it's on screen, even if I am, it's just there, my focus is what's happening on screen.

It's noticeable when you get a side quest where they just stand grunting at each other every time you press X because I slow right down, because now I do need to read to understand the context of what's happening, as quite often there can be minutes where nothing but text appears with no action or visual context to what's happening.

I suspect it's partly to do with how good at speed reading you are. Perhaps also immediate recall.

All you need to do is blast through the subs (that are never more than two lines) and then digest that as you watch.

Sure, it does still slightly draw your attention from what is happening image wise, but:

a) in talking scenes you aren't missing anything
b) it's so short that you don't notice missing things in action scenes

 

[Impotaku]

LOL aliexpress Kiryu

 

[Chuck Berry]

Dude speaks, sounds and has the personality of an AI bot and considering thats the direction everything is going towards, this decision makes sense.

 

[twinspectre]

Japanese >>>>>>>> English dub

 

[Sorcerer]

Yong may be the final nail in the coffin for anymore English dubs in the Yakuza series. Sega be like, why bother anymore? The dude did accomplish something in a sense.

 

[El Muerto]

Yong may be the final nail in the coffin for anymore English dubs in the Yakuza series. Sega be like, why bother anymore? The dude did accomplish something in a sense.

I dont mind. I loved the dub for Like A Dragon, but definitely playing Infinite Wealth subbed because of this dude. I have 0 problems playing subbed anyway, i played the whole series twice over. Really hope someone makes a mod where if you play the dub, it makes Kiryu speak in Japanese w/ english subs.

 

[Giallo Corsa]

Fookin' dork

Fookin' douchetubers man, I just can't

 

[newtypepilot]

Obviously his voice acting is dog shit. It's like he's just reading lines off the script but yet somehow this is all approved by the voice director. It really begs the question why they cast him in the first place. And no, I don't think he was a diversity hire, more like a nepotism pick if I have to guess.

 

[KingT731]

Obviously his voice acting is dog shit. It's like he's just reading lines off the script but yet somehow this is all approved by the voice director. It really begs the question why they cast him in the first place. And no, I don't think he was a diversity hire, more like a nepotism pick if I have to guess.

Looking at the marketing and other casting decisions it def seems like they were looking for "popularity" more so than talent.

 

[STARSBarry]

What's funny is the Chinese dub seems to have nailed it. No autotune required and he sounds so much older.

 

[YukiOnna]

I refuse to believe Yokoyama didn't need a cigarette break or laughed himself out of the office in Shinagawa after listening to YongYea Kiryu.

 

[poodaddy]

I'm a lady in her 40's with kids and a husband, don't have the time to read subtitles while I am listening to a language I don't understand.

My wife and I are parents, we always do subs.

 

[twinspectre]

Obviously his voice acting is dog shit. It's like he's just reading lines off the script but yet somehow this is all approved by the voice director. It really begs the question why they cast him in the first place. And no, I don't think he was a diversity hire, more like a nepotism pick if I have to guess.

Maybe YY is paying them, because at this point it is inexplainable why he got the job.

 

[Editaur]

Maybe YY is paying them, because at this point it is inexplainable why he got the job.

It's pure advertising.

 

[The Pleasure]

Where did you find my dubbed Bruce Lee video?

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

he's just too low T

 

[Js562]

Shit is trash Kiryu. Everybody else in English from like a dragon is ok but not his. Get somebody else for that role that got at least a deep voice with some emotion attached lol Why you guys got to post his picture in the suit too lmao

 

[saintjules]

 

[Wonko_C]

Good thing he was elected, not erected. XD

It's so weird because when I'm playing subbed anime or games I don't even feel like I'm reading anymore... its more like I'm picking up the words in my spherical vision and it's adding context to what's happening on screen.

The thing is I can't remember watching subbed anime/games another way. It's not like I need to concentrate on the context of all the words like in a book, because they are only the context for what's being said, everything else is visual. So all I'm doing is replacing what is being said with the words at the bottom if that makes sense.

I have a mate who watched all his anime dubbed and he said he can't do that, he needs to read it like a book, so your not alone. But I'm not reading text when it's on screen, even if I am, it's just there, my focus is what's happening on screen.

It's noticeable when you get a side quest where they just stand grunting at each other every time you press X because I slow right down, because now I do need to read to understand the context of what's happening, as quite often there can be minutes where nothing but text appears with no action or visual context to what's happening.

Unsure if it's something that needs to be learned by playing like this for long periods, but I can never go back now, the quality of voice actors is just so much better, you can pick up so much be just tonal changes.

Prolly a speed thing. I have been watching subbed anime at 1.5x speed (saves time) and I can still keep up with the action no problem.