I'm super interested to see how this works out. I liked the original voices well enough, and I was initially kind of worried because I wasn't sure what to expect, but having heard the Arena voices I'm much less worried.

For Teddie's voice I just sort of remembered that I found Teddie as a character annoying (he's the mascot character, isn't that kind of the point?) so a voice change isn't too huge of a problem.

For Chie, her original voice was great, but having heard the original Japanese voice, the new voice in the Arena trailer just seems like a better fit. Besides, she can always re-record AHA IS THIS OUR CHANCE since she's (most likely) going to be reading the same exact script.

Besides, this is a huge change for both characters! Sure a character may have different voices between games, but how often does it happen in a re-release of the original game? It can't be that often, right? It's totally fascinating to me!

Always be Japanese language track in anything Persona 4.

Chie didn't have a great voice anyway, she sounded waaaaaaaaaaaay older, then again so does Yukiko, but to a lesser extent.

Not sure if posted, but this was the new trailer from E3 for Persona 4 Arena.

May be an old joke but this is pretty much my reaction to this-

@Mutley: Bit of an overreaction.

@Wudz: I thought one of the great things with Teddies first voice was that he made him sound a lot less annoying than he could have been. The Arena tutorial voice is the polar opposite, just grates non-stop.

@Sooty: Not everybody have voices that "fit" perfectly with their age / appearance in real life. With Chie I think her first voice was very appropriate and endearing given how she's supposed to be awkward and "unfeminine". A more polished performance and stereotypical teen girl voice type will loose some of those qualities.

@Cloudenvy said:

Always be Japanese language track in anything Persona 4.

I'll give it a chance.

While I don't think super highly of how Chie sounds in the original game I do feel like Teddie's old VA was much less annoying than he could have been, especially considering how obnoxious Japanese KumaKumaKuma is.

Either way, I wasn't planning on buying a vita, like ever, and if it annoys me too much in Arena I can go the weaboo route and just switch it to JP.

Based on the E3 P4A trailer (the above one), the new voices seem totally fine.

No sale.

Classic Chie's voice is so ingrained in my head that when I think about her new line in the P4 Arena trailer, I still hear it in Chie's old voice. Based on that one line, I do not like Chie's new voice. Of course, it's silly to judge it entirely on that... so, Atlus, release more English footage! If you don't want us to base our judgments on the tutorial video and the trailer, then release more!

@Gerhabio said:

NO

NO

NO

WHY?!

NO

Not Chie, why couldn't it be Yukiko?

Because Yuri Lowenthal, like Troy Baker, will voice pretty much anything if it involves any kind of money.

New VA's for characters can be really off-putting at first but I bet most people will get used to them once some time passes.

@BlackLagoon: That's true, Teddie was sort of unique in that his voice was totally inoffensive compared to what it could have been. I guess I sort of see his new voice like I see Chie's new voice in that it seems more accurate to his Japanese voice somehow. I think it's sort of replacing his ending a sentence with -kuma with a straight up grating voice.

On the other hand, I imagine that once the voice actor isn't having to do exaggerated fight announcer voice like he was for the Arena trailer, he'll sound a lot more natural. We'll have to wait and see how he sounds in a more natural speaking context before we can really come to many conclusions.

Also re-watching the trailer, a few more thoughts: Chie's voice sounds a lot more similar to her original voice than it did the first time hearing it. Yeah it's slightly higher, but within reason. As for Teddie, his voice sort of has the opposite problem I had with his original voice; it didn't really fit Human Teddie, while this one doesn't seem like it fits with Teddie Teddie. Again, will just have to wait to see what it sounds like in action I guess.

It will take awhile for me to get use to this new teddy voice. Quite squeaky and obnoxious sound.Chie's was a bit high pitched in the trailer but it might get better.

@WilltheMagicAsian said:

@Gerhabio said:

NO

NO

NO

WHY?!

NO

Not Chie, why couldn't it be Yukiko?

Because Yuri Lowenthal, like Troy Baker, will voice pretty much anything if it involves any kind of money.

Even a character he never voiced in the first place?

But she was perfect!

Footage from Persona 4 Arena:

Listening to this, he definitely sounds much better than he did in that first English P4A video.

THEY'RE RUINING MY MEMORIES

@FluxWaveZ: Ok, yeah! That's a much better reference, and you're right, he sounds much better in action.

@Video_Game_King said:

@WilltheMagicAsian said:

@Gerhabio said:

NO

NO

NO

WHY?!

NO

Not Chie, why couldn't it be Yukiko?

Because Yuri Lowenthal, like Troy Baker, will voice pretty much anything if it involves any kind of money.

Even a character he never voiced in the first place?

My bad, I read that as Yosuke. I was tired!

Man, I want Teddie back so bad!

@DonutFever said:

Man, I want Teddie back so bad!

Man, I want Chie back so bad!

It always sucks to have the voices change, but honestly they sound fine, you'll get used to it.

@InfiniteGeass said:

Good thing I don't give a shit about Chie. As long as Yukiko has the same voice then all is right in the world.

NO! You take that back you.....bad person....... whatever

For some reason, if Teddie didn't have his own voice, I imagined it being a stereotypical New Yorker accent.

I'm gonna play devil's advocate here and say that I liked the new VA's just as well. Solid performances, in my opinion.

@mrpandaman said:

For some reason, if Teddie didn't have his own voice, I imagined it being a stereotypical New Yorker accent.

Amusingly enough, there is a character in P4A that sounds like she's from New Jersey.

Disappointing, but I understand. I like Chie's new voice, but I'm still adjusting to Teddie's.

not to sidetrack the topic but noone will awnser on the persona 3 board, and assuming ppl here are persona fans and played P3, early on when you get to the 16th floor and theres a barrier, chick says "ok thats all i wanted good job for now" and the barrier is still there days later, even tho the characters keep going "yo lets go in the tower!". Im like "dude I want to the fucking thing is still blocked"

so, do i just keep doing social links and odd jobs and shit and eventually the thing will unlock or what? what am i missing?

@Rhaknar: You can't pass the barrier til you fight that month's boss if I recall correctly.

after Hearing the voices more then a minute or two in P4A there not bad. teddie is mostly the same and chie is different but ive basically gotten used to it

I got used to both pretty fast. The new voice actress for Chie hit her mannerisms spot on.

After going through Persona 4 Arena I have to say that I like how the new VA's sound. I'm still going to miss the old voices though, especially Teddie's.

Chie's new VA is better then her old one, and you'ld have to be wearing rose-colored glasses to deny it (her old one sounded TOO OLD), while Teddie's tries to retain his high voice, but isn't doing it well enough. However, I'll get used to it/

Chie's new voice is still jarring. On the other hand, I can actually no longer tell the difference between teddie's old and new voice without really thinking about it for a minute.

@Turambar said:

Chie's new voice is still jarring. On the other hand, I can actually no longer tell the difference between teddie's old and new voice without really thinking about it for a minute.

one thing I noticed is that he does a slightly different voice when he takes off the bear suit.

I got used to Chie after playing her story, but to be honest I didn't even realize Teddie had a different VA.

I think it'll be fine. In fact, to me it's another reason to play through the game again, I'd love to hear a different take on those performances I know so well. And I was never SO in love with the performances of those two characters that I can't bear them being replaced. The only actor I think I'd really have trouble with being replaced is Kanji, because there's just something about that performance that I think would be so difficult to get right again.

In any case, I don't think this should discourage anyone from getting the game - clearly, they wouldn't have spent hours and hours of studio time re-recording those performances if they didn't have to. They tried, it didn't work out, so they re-cast the parts. Let's not over-react.

Teddie's voice is actually slightly more annoying this time. A little screeched than soft.

Chie... I like both. Erin Fitzgerald's Chie sound appropriate for the character, it's active, feisty, sounds like you would expect a kung fu tomboy to sound like. Tracey Rooney's Chie on the other hand has some bad line readings and lacks that feistiness, but on the other hand there's a 'normal' quality to it. She sounds like a regular girl rather than an anime archetype.

Also, Chie hardly says Sheesh in P4A! Other characters say sheesh more than Chie! This is egregious!

I think Naoto has also changed(?) but I can't hear much difference. Still sounds like a woman, even doing her man voice.

@ljbrewer said:

@Rhaknar: You can't pass the barrier til you fight that month's boss if I recall correctly.

Pretty much. The next floors unlock at the end of the lunar month. You should get a message from Elizabeth when the new floors open.

I just listened to the first 10 minutes of teddie's story mode. He sounds fine. Very similar, actually. He's not doing an impression, but he's clearly playing the same character. Chie's voice is harder to get used to, because it just is very noticeably a different sort of timbre, but once you hear that the mannerisms are intact, it's fine. I guess what I'm saying is that I'd rather have 40% extra voice in the game with these new guys, than the same amount with the old guys.

Haven't gotten around to getting P4A yet, but hearing Chie's new voice is just a bit too much. As with Jeff and Vinny, Chie was hands down my favorite character of P4. I wasn't planning on getting a Vita ever, but if I did P4G was going to be one I would. Atleast I still have my PS2 and P4 game!

@Brodehouse said:

I think Naoto has also changed(?) but I can't hear much difference. Still sounds like a woman, even doing her man voice.

No, I'm pretty sure Naoto is the same VA.

Has Yukiko's voice changed or is her voice acting different? I really don't like it either way. As a main Teddie player, I love the new voice.

@Phatmac said:

Has Yukiko's voice changed or is her voice acting different? I really don't like it either way. As a main Teddie player, I love the new voice.

Same voice actress. She just uses her Shadow "Princess" Yukiko accent at times when the hallucinations are in effect in P4A.

@Phatmac said:

Has Yukiko's voice changed or is her voice acting different?

In P4 she could sound really different depending on the situation.

Still can't get used to Chie. I'm totally fine with the new Teddie, but new Chie is a little too anime-ish for my tastes now.