Kenshin's voice.

[Falinah]

I don't mind the series, it's ok, but it would just be so much better if Kenshin didn't have a girl's voice.
I'm still puzzled about why they did that. I mean isn't he supposed to be some great warrior? And yet that voice makes you wonder, even after they say so, if he really is a guy. I was wondering if it would actually be more manly sounding on the dubbed version (dvd) and as it turns out, it's just as bad (which I didn't think was possible at the time). Well, what 'cha gonna' do. It's not like you can ask them to change the voices, so I sat back and lived with it.

[MANTA]

Well, the guy does look sorta like a girl, and they usually get the voice to match the charecter. For example, someone like Sanosuke Sagara who is extremely masculine would have to have a man's voice, while a kid like Yahiko or someone like kenshin who is not extremely masculine could be done by a female. That is irregardless of wether he is a great swordsman or not.

A simple rule of thumb, if the person could be mistaken for a girl (or is a wuss) then a girl will likely be playing his voice. Unless of course you are Zechs Marquis.

[Don]

Yes, extremely girly bishonen usually have a female voice. ^_^

Anyway, the beginning, Mayo's voice doesn't seem to fit but by end of the Kyoto Hen, I think it's very good and perfectly fits Kenshin.

[Darklightz]

In the OAV Kenshin's voice is manly enough.But in the series Kenshin is to be depicted as a silly looking wanderer and to achieve that image he needed a voice that was less masculine.

[Ronin Aquila]

I think the reason that Suzukaze Mayo was cast as the voice of Kenshin is because of her outstanding career on the dramatic stage.

Prior to Ruronin Kenshin, Ms Suzukaze was an accomplished stage actress who has in been but one TV show in the 36 years of her life (she is now 40). Typecast as the "long suffering and abused wife", it would be folly to claim that she is not experienced in portraying characters who courageously overcome their personal tragedies with a gentle and positive attitude.

This is the person that Himura Kenshin is. He is humble, kind, gentle and selfless. No male seiyuu can EVER deliver such qualities with the perfection of Ms Suzukaze.

Hence Suzukaze Mayo was, and ever will be, THE perfect choice for Kenshin's gentle and melancholic voice.

[Nairohe]

kenshin was a boy in the OVA... what better voice to fit the character but a female voice? blink blink* Any hoo, female voices show you kenshin's innocence and purity... that keeps you from being intimidated... sure enough when he says 'i'll kill you' even with that cute voice... you have to admit that it does send shivers on your spine...

[Ronin Aquila]

Thank goodness somebody understands!!

[Mika-chan]

I just can't imagine any male seiyuu doing "Oro?" as perfectly as Suzukaze-san! :)

[Ronin Aquila]

Especially in that incredibly KAWAII scene in which he runs in terror from the policeman who tries to arrest him for carrying a Katana, screaming high pitched "ORORORORORORORORORORO......!!"

LONG LIVE SUZUKAZE MAYO!!

[daniel480]

OOHHHH THAT scene ^^ I remember that^^ with the dust cloud runnin throughout the city an all~ ^^;

hnn. . .isn't it a sakabatou?. . . oh well. . .
and indeed. . . the voices to contrast in a way from the OAV to the TV series. . . maybe it shows the contrast in personality and character from the Hittokiri Battousai Kenshin from the past. . . and the free and innocent, although kinda clumsy, rurouni of the present.

[Don]

How is there a contrast between Bakumatsu Battousai and Meiji Kenshin? It's the same seiyuu... o__O??

[Ronin Aquila]

That is correct. Hitokiri Battousai and Himura Kenshin are BOTH voiced by Suzukaze Mayo

Just goes to show how diversely talented a veteran actress she is.

[Ura]

I think its pretty appropriate too. I mean the way that she does the voice in the OAV, cold and chilling compared to the lighter TV series voice is amazing. Also in the scenes where Kenshin almost reverts to the Hitokiri the voice flows smoothly and is appropriate.

[Ronin Aquila]

Sudden flight of fancy:

How does a forty-one year old woman still have THAT high pitched a voice? I mean, Suzukaze Mayo has a heartbreakingly beautiful song voice, (particularly when she sings "Nami Ga Shiteiru", the second closing theme) but most 41 year old ladies I know sound like Cane Toads with lawnmowers stuck in their throats.

How the devil does she maintain that sweet voice? Or any other Seiyuu out there for that matter?

[Jenfa]

Originally posted by Ronin Aquila
Sudden flight of fancy:

How does a forty-one year old woman still have THAT high pitched a voice? I mean, Suzukaze Mayo has a heartbreakingly beautiful song voice, (particularly when she sings "Nami Ga Shiteiru", the second closing theme) but most 41 year old ladies I know sound like Cane Toads with lawnmowers stuck in their throats.

How the devil does she maintain that sweet voice? Or any other Seiyuu out there for that matter?

My mum's 50, and she has an even higher voice that still sounds fine... I guess you have to start off with an even higher voice though, plus not smoking would help ;)

But I think she does a great job with Kenshin's voice :)

[Ronin Aquila]

Originally posted by Jenfa


My mum's 50, and she has an even higher voice that still sounds fine... I guess you have to start off with an even higher voice though, plus not smoking would help ;)

But I think she does a great job with Kenshin's voice :)

Just wondering

It is said that the average Japanese Working Adult drink alcohol like fish.

And since drinking ruins the voice as well

How the devil do seiyuus like Hayashibara Megumi and 61 year old voice actresses like the voice of Son Goku still manage to have such young voices, even if the DON'T smoke?

[Ghaleon]

have you guys watched Trigun? Heard the voice of Ligato BlueSummers? Same Voice actor that plays Kenshin. Sounds about the same but a little more masculine

[DraniX]

I think Kenshin HIMSELF should have been a female character, that would've been KEWL :smokin:

[Ghaleon]

I can see a female spinoff of Kenshin, but not Kenshin as a female

[Ronin Aquila]

Originally posted by Ghaleon
I can see a female spinoff of Kenshin, but not Kenshin as a female

There is a recent "female Kenshin" actually. She is the title star of a 13 episode cable series by Madman called "Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran", or literally "Tsukikage Ran, she who wanders as the winds."

It is an affectionate parody of the 1950's Samurai show, lead by the stoic master ronin and his bumbling comic relief sidekick. The catch is: what if the roles were taken by two post adolescent women?

A short yet memorable little marvel, "Tsukikage Ran" is a worthy rent for a weekend that is getting just a little too serious.

[heerogf]

ren-chan's words of wisdom
bishie ad: want girls? get a female seiyuu :D

[Falinah]

hhmm....it always fascinated how topics will slowly change throughout threads...well....this is nothing compared to some...

[Ronin Aquila]

Originally posted by Falinah
hhmm....it always fascinated how topics will slowly change throughout threads...well....this is nothing compared to some...

Elementary, Falinah ol chap!! It is just like evolution. So gradual is the process that by the time it is noticed, the subject in question has already evolved beyond recognition.