How do you feel about voice actor changes?

[nekokaburi]

It is truly saddening whenever a voice actor is replaced, for whatever reason.
Although I know I have to accept it, I often find myself torn by the situation.

 

[yuriia]

Personally, I'm not against voice actor changes. Generally, new voice actors will intentionally mimic the previous actor's voice and speaking style to maintain the character's image and prevent players from feeling a significant sense of incongruity. After all, a character doesn't belong to any one person; voice actors are simply doing their jobs, and different actors will bring out the character's charm from different angles, sometimes even making the character more compelling and complete. Therefore, I don't really pay much attention to whether the voice actor has changed. However, if I like a particular voice actor, I might listen to more of their work rather than abandoning the games or radio dramas I currently enjoy.

 

[エブリン]

I'm generally okay with voice actor changes.
It can be a little jarring at first, especially for characters I've known for years, but I understand that these things happen. As long as the new VA delivers a solid performance and stays true to the character, I don't have any major complaints.

 

[fr4pp3cinn]

I don't mind it too much, unless the voice is way too different! I usually don't play games from the same franchise in sequence, sometimes I don't even notice if the VA changed! ;b

 

[Shuyi🤍]

Just no.... I can't handle it, that is exactly what makes otome an otome game for me.. i pick up an otome based on if my fav VA is in there but also to discover other VAs. The character's entire personality depends on the VA and for the VA to be replaced basically feels like the character is written all over again from scratch. Once I've familiarized myself with their tones then that's how I know them. If they get replaced they'll feel like an entirely new person.

 

[ceeceelemon]

if they are problematic, then yeah it unavoidable, but if they just change it then i'll definately be quite sad and have to take some time to get used to it

 

[OtomeR18]

Mad and problematic

 

[elysa]

Oh I had a familiar experience a game I played before stopped updating Japanese voice acting so I started playing with other languages, seeing my favorite character but with a completely different voice felt a little strange and disappointing to me. I quit the game after a few days.

 

[sagiscor11]

I'm sure the company and the voice actors don't want that either. But what is done has to be done. I have to accept it :) Most of the time, it's okay-ish...

 

[koko36]

I'm not a big fan of VA changes, especially when I've already become attached to a character's voice. I'm a fan of seiyuu and voice acting in general, so the voice is an important part of how I experience a character, whether it's in an anime, game, drama CD, or anything else. I understand that some changes are unavoidable because of retirement, health, aging, or unfortunately the VA passing away, but scandals are a bit different imo. (´•ω•̥`)

I tend to separate the seiyuu from their work. I became attached to the character and their performance, not necessarily to the person behind the microphone. So if a VA is accused of something but hasn't been found guilty, I don't really understand why they should automatically be replaced. And even if they did something wrong, if they've faced the consequences, apologized, and have been forgiven, I don't think their entire body of work suddenly loses its value.

Of course, there are situations where replacing someone is completely understandable, especially in serious cases. I just think every situation should be judged individually rather than treating every scandal the same way. You can hold someone accountable without necessarily erasing the work they contributed to. (´・ω・`)

And even if the new VA is talented, it can still be difficult for me to adjust. In Japanese media, they usually aren't trying to imitate the previous VA—they simply bring their own interpretation to the role. That's completely fair, but it also means the character can genuinely feel different. After hearing a certain voice for years, it's hard not to feel like something is missing (╥﹏╥)

So yeah, I'd rather keep the original VA whenever possible, but I don't blame the new VA if a change happens. I just wish these situations were handled individually, with a little more room for both accountability and forgiveness ~

 

[sorene]

I really dislike voice actor changes, but I understand that sometimes they're unavoidable. Still, I wish they would choose a replacement whose voice sounds as similar as possible to the original, because a huge difference can be really hard for me to get used to.

 

[anibroco]

Lately, I've been spending all my time listening to the voice acting. I think voice acting is a fundamental part of games. But I don't think I'll stop playing the game. I'm still not used to the voices, but I can keep playing

 

[sumin23]

If the voice actor changes, it's hard to join in Especially when the voice actor who was playing that character was replaced, it was really hard to get immersed I really liked the voice actors of the twins in Alice of Heartland in Otome Game, but when they appeared as Alice of Spade, the voice actor changed, and I was so sad

 

[ynnaliaa]

I'm usually a little disappointed when a voice actor changes, especially if I'm already attached to their portrayal of the character. It can take some time to get used to the new voice because the character can feel different. But if the new voice actor fits the character well, I can eventually get used to it.

 

[motyu]

I feel the same way. I've gotten so used to associating a character with a particular voice that when the voice actor changes, the character can almost feel like a completely different person.

I understand that there can be many reasons for recasting, and I don't blame the new voice actors at all. But even if I understand the reason, I don't always find it easy to accept the change. I don't think we should have to force ourselves to get used to it.