Voices
It would seem we made the right choice
I'm going to come out and say that I am incredibly shallow; voice acting can totally make or break a game for me. Case in point: Final Fantasy X. Although the god-awful writing had something to do with it, wanting to punch the hero for opening his mouth did not bode well.
That and the villain's name was Seymour. Every other Jewish grandfather is named Seymour (I actually have a grandfather and a great uncle Seymour), and even then, you can't tell me I'm the only one who thinks "feed me!" whenever I hear the name. That was just an awful, awful choice.
Thankfully Final Fantasy XII doesn't just raise the bar its predecessor left at its feet, it hits it right out of the park. Cool, we-don't-need-no-stinkin'-vowels names? Check. Exotic accents? Check.
I would eventually like to have voice clips, though it's difficult for me to get nice English clips and the Japanese ones I made... refuse to convert to mp3, so only WAV is available. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Balthier
He just may be on to something
Hiroaki Hirata -- notably responsible for Captain Jack Sparrow's official dubbing in the Japanese Pirates of the Caribbean films -- provides the voice for Balthier in the original Japanese version. His voice is as rich and smooth as one would expect from a man of Balthier's standing.
Alas, Hiroaki Hirata is not Gideon Emery.
If I had a notebook and handwriting that did not look like it belonged to a functionally retarded twelve-year-old, you can bet Gideon Emery's name would be written in loopy letters and surrounded by pink hearts. Because I heart Gideon Emery. Oh, do I heart Gideon Emery.
The England-born, South Africa-raised actor lends his posh, pronounced accent to the role, making for one of the most unforgettable characters in the series. Sure, the writing is witty on its own, but Emery really does a fantastic job of bringing it to life and making Balthier witty.
- Hiroaki Hirata: "この物語の主人公さ" (I'm the protagonist of this story)
- Gideon Emery: "I play the leading man, who else?" (may or may not have been recorded off of YouTube. I apologize for the quality)
fran
Does it startle you?
Although lacking Balthier's affinity for theatrics, Fran's voice talent still required understated confidence and eloquence to match her partner's overwhelming presence. Both women certainly deliver, but each puts a surprising and distinct spin on the role.
Rica Fukami -- best known as the iconic Sailor Venus from the Sailor Moon anime franchise -- takes a very conventional approach to the role, which is not to speak poorly of her performance. The low, flowing voice seems very natural; I didn't think twice hearing it from Fran.
In her biggest role to date, Nicole Fantl's choice did make me think twice, but I found myself growing used to it -- and really liking it -- as the game progressed. Instead of using the conventional, strong, "Femme Fatale" voice to communicate Fran's confidence, she carefully and deliberately enunciates every word to give the impression of someone who is more knowledgeable -- wiser, even -- than her companions. Most notable, however, is the unusual accent she's chosen. I couldn't identify it for the life of me; Skypirates members seem to think it's Norwegian, Adam Sessler calls is Icelandic so we're going to go with Scandinavian-Peninsula-And-Then-Some...dic. Regardless, this voice works surprisingly well for the role, and helps to set Fran apart as someone from a place -- and even a generation -- apart from anyone else we meet.
Of course, it should be noted that I'm not from the Scandinavian Peninsula -- or anywhere in Europe, for that matter -- so I'm impressed by any accent. I'm very interested in seeing how this game and its cast is received across the pond.
- Rica Fukami: "ぼうや お渡しなさい" (Kid, hand it over)
- Nicole Fantl: coming eventually (I only remember to do this at obscure times at night/in the morning; I can't do that to my neighbors).
This as-of-right-now-nameless site designed and maintained by Stacey Anne and is not to be duplicated in any way. Final Fantasy XII , Itadaki Street, Balthier, and Fran are copyright Square Enix and Sony; no infringement is intended in the making of this site.