It should come as no surprise that I'm a dub fan. I not only speak English, but I also appreciate the talent and passion that goes into so many English dubs. In some cases, like with Cowboy Bebop and Baccano!, you can make the case for the dub being superior! Clearly, there’s something to be said for the existence of dubs. But I’ve already written on that for Infinite Rainy Day...
Anyway, FUNimation Entertainment recently announced that they were re-dubbing the 90’s series The Vision of Escaflowne. Previously dubbed under the Bandai Entertainment/Ocean Group label, it was criticized for taking the beloved series and hack-editing it for television. I can’t say much about the acting, having never seen it, but I do know one of its biggest changes, aside from the "90’s-esque" opening, was moving the focus of the story from one character to another. That alone should should clue you in. So to have a dub that promised to be faithful was promising for the uninitiated (like myself.) And with FUNimation’s crowdfunding goals being met and then some, it seemed like this was a go.
Currently, FUNimation's been listing their casting and directing for the dub. Again, I can’t say much about who they cast, I’m happy they even have one, but if you were to look at the casting call, well…this particular decision would be a point of contention:
Vic Mignogna as Folken Fanel.
For those who don’t know, Vic Mignogna has gained a reputation lately, and not a good one. While the reports and rumours can’t all be verified, Vic has been called a creeper, a pervert and an aggressor, harassing his fans and causing his fellow VAs to not want to work with him. He’s been touted as whiny, hard to work with and all-around unpleasant. While these allegations are nothing new, he’s been divisive for years, the recent allegations of also being homophobic have caused outcry from the anime community and open boycotts of his work. So to see him listed in The Vision of Escaflowne as the main antagonist has made many people unhappy.
Where do I stand? Well, it’s tough. I’m not one to discredit any claims against Vic, regardless of any real truth, but that doesn’t mean I’ll automatically discredit the dub because he’s in it. For one, I don’t hate his work. I don’t think he’s fantastic, but he’s voiced characters in some of my favourite shows. I honestly think, for example, that his performances as Edward Elric and Tamaki Suoh in Fullmetal Alchemist and Ouran High School Host Club were some of his best, with both standing out because of his presence.
On that note, I’m not opposed to Vic Mignogna voicing a villain. He’s done so before, see RahXephon, so this isn't that much of stretch. Is it ideal casting? Maybe not. Could he have been picked for a different role? Probably. But I’m game because, honestly, he might surprise us!
Besides, I’ve been surprised before by dub castings. Remember when Bryce Papenbrook was announced as Eren Jaeger in Attack on Titan? Remember how people were taken aback by this, claiming that he “can’t act” and that he’d “ruin the dub with his presence”? Remember how that turned out to not be true? Remember how his performance was actually serviceable? How is it any different with Vic Mignogna, a veteran VA, being cast as Folken Fanel?
I think we forget that a bad performance isn’t always the fault of the actor or actress, but sometimes the director. Star Wars Ep. II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: The Clone Wars both had Daniel Logan as a young Boba Fett, yet the difference in the performances were night and day; the former, being a George Lucas Prequel film, had Logan sounding awkward and out-of-place due to bad directing and line-reading. The latter, however, was a vocal performance under the guiding hand of Dave Filoni, and the end-result was infinitely superior. You simply wouldn’t be able to tell it’s the same person because of the actor’s age difference.
People are also forgetting that an actor or actress can be talented and still be awful/contrarian in real-life. I like Mark Ruffalo as an actor, even though I think he frequently looks at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with tunnel vision. Marlin Brando was frequently cited as being a nightmare to work with because of his ego, and yet he’s regarded as one of the greatest actors ever. Even Gwyneth Paltrow and Natalie Portman, both annoying for different reasons, are incredibly talented actress with Oscars under their belts. And lest we forget Quentin Tarantino, Hollywood’s biggest cry-baby? Yeah, how many good movies is he responsible for?
Remember, acting is a strange and quirky industry. It, therefore, attracts plenty of strange and quirky individuals. And some can be really nasty and/or difficult to work with. That doesn’t mean they all are, but a good chunk are probably more controversial than we realize. We simply don’t see or hear about it because it’s not deemed “relevant”.
Which leads back to Vic Mignogna: we may never know if he’s as awful as he’s been touted, but it doesn't matter. Or it shouldn’t matter nearly as much as it does. Because he’s talented, helps garner attention and has proven himself on multiple occasions. Getting upset over his casting, even if it’s a miscasting, simply because it’s Vic is childish. You don’t have to like him, or even agree with his behaviour, but the backlash isn’t warranted if it means losing a potentially solid performance.
Not to mention, boycotting The Vision of Escaflowne over one actor means hurting the other actors and actresses. Like it or not, boycotts hurt the workers more than the companies, and FUNimation Entertainment is run almost entirely by VAs. By boycotting The Vision of Escaflowne, there’s no doubt FUNimation will survive, but you’d be robbing these VAs of a potential paycheque. And the anime dubbing industry is bleeding enough from piracy and lack of real interest/competition, so is that really fair?
Sufficed to say, I’m incredibly excited for The Vision of Escaflowne’s new dub. Like Yuri Bear Storm, it’s a chance to experience something from a part of the anime world that I’ve never experienced. Except this time, unlike Yuri Bear Storm, it’s not a new show, but an old show being redone. I only hope it lives up to its reputation. Or, rather, I hope I can watch it without FUNimation’s video player lagging every 3-5 minutes. (Seriously, you’ve updated your site HOW many times? Fix your streaming service, dammit!)
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Vic's attitude towards queer characters and women has been pretty infamous for the past few years. Zach's argument is just one take on this, and I allowed it to be published because this isn't a defense of Vic's actions and behavior.
However, you also have the absolute right to be disgusted with the man and not want him to act in dubs. Make no mistake, Vic Mignogna is a pretty obnoxious and troubling person in this industry, and it's perfectly understandable to not want him to be a major face in the western dubbing industry scene. It's not unlike having some of gaming's biggest names being sexist dude-bros. Like, they aren't being criminal, but they reflect on us. And that's shitty.
Anyway, FUNimation Entertainment recently announced that they were re-dubbing the 90’s series The Vision of Escaflowne. Previously dubbed under the Bandai Entertainment/Ocean Group label, it was criticized for taking the beloved series and hack-editing it for television. I can’t say much about the acting, having never seen it, but I do know one of its biggest changes, aside from the "90’s-esque" opening, was moving the focus of the story from one character to another. That alone should should clue you in. So to have a dub that promised to be faithful was promising for the uninitiated (like myself.) And with FUNimation’s crowdfunding goals being met and then some, it seemed like this was a go.
Currently, FUNimation's been listing their casting and directing for the dub. Again, I can’t say much about who they cast, I’m happy they even have one, but if you were to look at the casting call, well…this particular decision would be a point of contention:
Vic Mignogna as Folken Fanel.
For those who don’t know, Vic Mignogna has gained a reputation lately, and not a good one. While the reports and rumours can’t all be verified, Vic has been called a creeper, a pervert and an aggressor, harassing his fans and causing his fellow VAs to not want to work with him. He’s been touted as whiny, hard to work with and all-around unpleasant. While these allegations are nothing new, he’s been divisive for years, the recent allegations of also being homophobic have caused outcry from the anime community and open boycotts of his work. So to see him listed in The Vision of Escaflowne as the main antagonist has made many people unhappy.
Where do I stand? Well, it’s tough. I’m not one to discredit any claims against Vic, regardless of any real truth, but that doesn’t mean I’ll automatically discredit the dub because he’s in it. For one, I don’t hate his work. I don’t think he’s fantastic, but he’s voiced characters in some of my favourite shows. I honestly think, for example, that his performances as Edward Elric and Tamaki Suoh in Fullmetal Alchemist and Ouran High School Host Club were some of his best, with both standing out because of his presence.
On that note, I’m not opposed to Vic Mignogna voicing a villain. He’s done so before, see RahXephon, so this isn't that much of stretch. Is it ideal casting? Maybe not. Could he have been picked for a different role? Probably. But I’m game because, honestly, he might surprise us!
Besides, I’ve been surprised before by dub castings. Remember when Bryce Papenbrook was announced as Eren Jaeger in Attack on Titan? Remember how people were taken aback by this, claiming that he “can’t act” and that he’d “ruin the dub with his presence”? Remember how that turned out to not be true? Remember how his performance was actually serviceable? How is it any different with Vic Mignogna, a veteran VA, being cast as Folken Fanel?
I think we forget that a bad performance isn’t always the fault of the actor or actress, but sometimes the director. Star Wars Ep. II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: The Clone Wars both had Daniel Logan as a young Boba Fett, yet the difference in the performances were night and day; the former, being a George Lucas Prequel film, had Logan sounding awkward and out-of-place due to bad directing and line-reading. The latter, however, was a vocal performance under the guiding hand of Dave Filoni, and the end-result was infinitely superior. You simply wouldn’t be able to tell it’s the same person because of the actor’s age difference.
People are also forgetting that an actor or actress can be talented and still be awful/contrarian in real-life. I like Mark Ruffalo as an actor, even though I think he frequently looks at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with tunnel vision. Marlin Brando was frequently cited as being a nightmare to work with because of his ego, and yet he’s regarded as one of the greatest actors ever. Even Gwyneth Paltrow and Natalie Portman, both annoying for different reasons, are incredibly talented actress with Oscars under their belts. And lest we forget Quentin Tarantino, Hollywood’s biggest cry-baby? Yeah, how many good movies is he responsible for?
Remember, acting is a strange and quirky industry. It, therefore, attracts plenty of strange and quirky individuals. And some can be really nasty and/or difficult to work with. That doesn’t mean they all are, but a good chunk are probably more controversial than we realize. We simply don’t see or hear about it because it’s not deemed “relevant”.
Which leads back to Vic Mignogna: we may never know if he’s as awful as he’s been touted, but it doesn't matter. Or it shouldn’t matter nearly as much as it does. Because he’s talented, helps garner attention and has proven himself on multiple occasions. Getting upset over his casting, even if it’s a miscasting, simply because it’s Vic is childish. You don’t have to like him, or even agree with his behaviour, but the backlash isn’t warranted if it means losing a potentially solid performance.
Not to mention, boycotting The Vision of Escaflowne over one actor means hurting the other actors and actresses. Like it or not, boycotts hurt the workers more than the companies, and FUNimation Entertainment is run almost entirely by VAs. By boycotting The Vision of Escaflowne, there’s no doubt FUNimation will survive, but you’d be robbing these VAs of a potential paycheque. And the anime dubbing industry is bleeding enough from piracy and lack of real interest/competition, so is that really fair?
Sufficed to say, I’m incredibly excited for The Vision of Escaflowne’s new dub. Like Yuri Bear Storm, it’s a chance to experience something from a part of the anime world that I’ve never experienced. Except this time, unlike Yuri Bear Storm, it’s not a new show, but an old show being redone. I only hope it lives up to its reputation. Or, rather, I hope I can watch it without FUNimation’s video player lagging every 3-5 minutes. (Seriously, you’ve updated your site HOW many times? Fix your streaming service, dammit!)
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EDITOR'S NOTE: Vic's attitude towards queer characters and women has been pretty infamous for the past few years. Zach's argument is just one take on this, and I allowed it to be published because this isn't a defense of Vic's actions and behavior.
However, you also have the absolute right to be disgusted with the man and not want him to act in dubs. Make no mistake, Vic Mignogna is a pretty obnoxious and troubling person in this industry, and it's perfectly understandable to not want him to be a major face in the western dubbing industry scene. It's not unlike having some of gaming's biggest names being sexist dude-bros. Like, they aren't being criminal, but they reflect on us. And that's shitty.