An Incomplete Japanese dream cast for Mass Effect “Shepard vs. Reapers” Trilogy
Chapter One Crimson Eyes
Verse Two Representatives at the Capital
Ah, attempting to do some creative work in a cosmopolitan city. Nothing makes one aware of the so-called classes they are in like that. Take a lowly clerk like yours truly for example, when they think about voice cast, the most they can do is humble blogs, whether it’s in words like this or in video form on sites like Youtube or Bilibili. When someone high up at miHoyo global headquartes think about that same bunch, they see bait for hunting Genshin Impact whales.
Even in science fiction set in deep space, that class difference is still there even in works not as class aware. Citadel in Mass Effect trilogy is essentially the cosmopolitan capital of the known galaxy, Tertiums systems not withdrawn. The different spices there not only represent their different civilizations but also their classes.
There are 2 characters yours truly consider important to the story and 3 alien party members. No reporter lady who just does not know how to quit roasting a death commando. No Conrad either, yours truly did not even see his storyline through until Legendary Edition, and their 31 years old cynic ass just did not like comic relief done like that.
Mentor
Akio Otsuka as David Anderson
In the fields of both military science fiction with high word count and video games inspired by Golden Eye, Metal Gear Solid series is a predecessor to Mass Effect. So I found it only fair to have the mentor figure in Mass Effect, David Anderson to be voiced by MGS star and Hideo Kojima collaborator Akio Otsuka. If all else fail, Mr. Otsuka simply is a pitch perfect Japanese counterpart to Keith David. Yours truly had pretended that a character voiced by Otsuka just is Keith David in two separate occasions.
First occasion took place when I played Death Stranding. At the risk of being accused for not able to tell one black man from another, yours truly simply pretended that Die-hard Man waas played by Keith David and had af much more fun time with the game.
Second occasion being Yakuza Like A Dragon, Otsuka voiced the weeks from retirement cop Koichi Adachi. Whenever the character’s face is not on screen, I just envision Keith David grinning ear to ear.
While Anderson was the first commanding officer of Normandy SR-1, I find it more fitting to place him on Citadel. After all his apartments on the gigantic space station book end this first circle of Mass Effect products, an apartment appeared in 2007’s prequel novel Revelation, then probably a new one is where the part is at in 2013’s Citadel DLC. Either way, Otsuka is quite the must have for a Mass Effect Japanese dub.
A politician’s obvious heel turn
Takaya Hashi as Donnel Udina
Okay, from a notable Hideo Kojima collaborator to one that is less so. Takaya Hashi is the voice of Skull Face, the rather forgettable antagonist in Metal Gear Solid V. He is quite a mainstay in playing heavies, probably due to the rather twisted feeling in his vocal performance that helps one to envision the gesture of mustache twirling.
Udina is the typical bad politician in stories more agreeable with the military and he play the part until his bitter end in Mass Effect 3. Mr. Hashi is a rather fitting voice for this archetype.
Pepping in some “Northy” on that cop
Yoshitsuka Matsuoka as Garrus Vlakraian
Northy, or the Best Nolan North Performance in A Game, was a mainstay category of Giantbomb GOTY between 2009 and 2012. Funny enough, during that time, yours truly did not hear that many Northy performance as lead probably because they only played on an Xbox 360. Shadow Complex and Spec Ops the Line are all I remember. I played Assassin’s Creed games back then, but let’s face it Desmand Miles ain’t major part. So I guess it’s natural that I want to hear Japanese “Nolan North” as everyone’s favorite alien “Dirty Harry”.
I stated before why I think Yoshitsuka Matsuoka is the Japanese Nolan North. This is more about his career. Mr. Matsuoka does not have a lead in an action comic for boys in his resume to point to. While he played supporting roles in those, there is just no Goku, Luffy or Naruto of the world. The closest two being Kirito, aka Mr. Fuckboy himself in Sword Art Online, and the titular hero of Shokugeki no Soma: Food Wars! The latter being a cook and no Under Siege style former commando turned cook. If Jojo anime continues with Steel Ball Run, maybe he can play Johnny the Jockey.
Having him as Garrus against Sawashiro as Shepard is kinda have justice for the latter. Sawashiro as Sinon was someone worshiping Kirito at his feet in Sword Art Online. Perhaps it’s time a Sawashiro character puking fun at a Matsuoka character like how the Commander hooks up with her cop boyfriend.
The Heart of Sliver
Kazumoto Sugita as Urdnot Wrex
From someone who still does not have a comic book lead under his belt to someone who has a couple, it’s your old friend Kazumoto Sugita. If you watched Jojo along with Jeff Jeff’s Bizarre Adventure podcast, you already heard Mr. Sugita here as young Joseph Joestar. To yours truly, he is the hero of Gintama.
Imagine Mad Magazine wants its own Usagi Yojmbo, researches to create a world of 1800s Japanese with some aliens and still drops pop culture parodies, then you got the idea of Gintama. It was seen as a comedy book, but because it’s on Shonen Jump magazine, action-packed melodramatic arcs ensue. I mean even a romcom series like Nisekoi got action arc on that magazine, so it’s only fair for samurai story to have those as well.
Like the show he stared in, Mr. Sugita’s performance can switch between dramatic and comedic rather easily. Also much like our dinosaur looking squad mate in Mass Effect trilogy. Wrex might not get too big a role in sequels, but he still steal the show in scenes he is in no matter what the tune is. I think Sugita is a very fitting dub in Japanese.
Beauty Kept at a distance
Ai Kayano as Tali’Zorah
Ai Kayano is on this list also because she was a Shinning Resonance cast member playing a elf girl with brown hair and a impulse to hug anyone or anything on her path. Ms. Kayano also played Alice, a technological singularity in Sword Art Online. And unfortunately, even machine intelligence has crush on Mr. Fuckboy in SAO. Though with Tali and Garrus cuddling before the final battle if you leave them alone and keep them alive, the casting of Kayano and Matsuoka maybe implies that yours truly wants to see Mr. Fuckboy there ends up with a robot.
Ms. Kayano operates in 2 types of attitude, one to hold you tight, the other to hold you back. Tali’Zorah being a masked figure surely requires the latter. I think the bit in Mass Effect 3 when Tali got drunk is also where Ms. Kayano can shine.
(To be continued in Givers of Galaxy Quests)
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