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I'm afraid I'm not much of a gamer, so I couldn't really comment too much on videogame dubbing, though there are some very good dubs coming out in that format, often employing some of the same voice actors from anime.
In 2005, FUNimation released the 2003 anime series Gunslinger Girl, based upon the ongoing manga series by Yu Aida. In 2008, a second series continuing to adapt the manga was produced in Japan (though by a different animation studio) and was also licensed by FUNimation. Under the subtitle Il Teatrino, it was released in DVD format here in North America in August 2009, and has just recently been released in Blu-ray format as well. This review is based upon the Blu-ray edition, which includes the OVA episodes that were released separately on DVD.
Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino
Dubbed and Released by FUNimation Productions, Ltd., Flower Mound, TX.
Line Producer and ADR Director (Episodes 1-13): Mike McFarland
ADR Director (OVA 1 and 2): Caitlin Glass
Head Writer: Eric Vale
Remembrance of Things Past
The first series of this show was reviewed by my predecessor, Way Jeng, before AnimeonDVD was integrated with Mania.com. For those who would like to read his thoughts on the first season's dub, which I am largely in agreement with, please feel free to follow these links to archived versions of his reviews of the three individual volumes:
Series Description: (Please Note—There will be spoilers, and it is also assumed that you have seen Gunslinger Girl, Season One)
Picking off fairly shortly after the point at which the first season stopped (I do not say ended, since the show did not come to any sort of definitive conclusion), we again find the operatives of the Italian Social Welfare Agency's Section 2 hard at work. For those who need a slight refresher, the Italian Government, in this mythical alternate reality that has echoes of the real world, but is clearly not our world, created a special agency to help disadvantaged folk, especially children, who are always the most vulnerable members of society. As far as the general public is aware, the Social Welfare Agency takes care of those who can least take care of themselves.
The reality, however, is quite different. The Social Welfare Agency is a front for a top-secret black ops intelligence agency, which makes use of advanced cybernetic technology to create nearly unstoppable killing machines which are unleashed against the government's enemies. They discovered that young minds are more pliable and easy to control, so the Social Welfare Agency has taken advantage of its dealings with children in order to select prime candidates for major reconstructive surgery and drug-reinforced psychological conditioning. Once these little cyborgs are created and properly primed, an experienced operative (usually with a police or military background) is assigned to be their trainer and handler, teaching them to become tiny killing machines with no hesitation.
Yes, it is little cyborg girl assassins with guns.
In this series, the action is centered for the most part on the operations of the Social Welfare Agency against a terrorist organization that wishes to separate Italy into autonomous provinces: the Five Republics Faction, also referred to as Padania (after the Po River region in the North). Interestingly, this does reflect a very distorted picture of the real regional tensions in the real Italy of today, as the Northern League, a real political party in the real Italy, wishes to create a federal state and has at times flirted with secession, intending to create a new state called "Padania" in the north. The real "separatists," however, have not made use of terrorism or violence in their campaign for a federal or separate state. In these episodes, the focus is mainly on the activities of one FRF group leader in particular: a man named Cristiano Savonarola (a very evocative name), who employs the bomb makers Franca and Franco, seen in the first season, as well as a particularly effective young male assassin named Pinocchio.
Key Performances:
No one character or characters dominate this show, which makes it somewhat difficult to write a review that can be limited in space. In some ways, it was easier in the old days when shows were released in singles, as the large number of characters would be limited by there being fewer episodes. Since it can get rather complicated, I will discuss the major players not in any plot order, but divided by their "faction" in the show. One cannot really talk about "heroes" and "villains" in this show, since the alternate Italy that is presented is not a place with clear "white hats" and "black hats" running around. The Government is interested in maintaining law and order for the general populace, but it is also willing to employ extremely immoral methods in order to maintain its own power. The Prime Minister of this Italy is presented as a rather ruthless, and despicable, media tycoon, who believes that he has the power to determine what is true and what is not. Echoes of reality? You will have to judge that for yourself.
Unlike the Japanese version, which had different actors take on the various roles (likely because of the change in animation studio), FUNimation has the same voice actors from Season One reprise their roles.
The Social Welfare Agency
The major characters from the Social Welfare Agency (SWA), the fratelli (each girl and handler is referred to by the Italian word fratello, which means "brother" or "sibling," though here it refers to a pairing), all largely pick up where we last heard them in the previous season.
Cute little Henrietta is still voiced in a very cute, and believably childish manner, by Laura Bailey. Henrietta continues to show a needy side to her, as she seems desperately to require Jose's love and approval. In Episode 9 in particular, when she is having a regular session with a SWA counselor, her plaintive demeanor comes across well. Her handler, Jose Croce, played by John Burgmeier, is not too much different in voice and range from the first season, though now the character seems to have a little more confidence in himself and his situation, and that is reflected in the performance.
Likewise, there is no great change in the performances or dynamics of the relationship between Jose's older brother Jean Croce (Eric Vale) and his happy and docile cyborg Rico (Luci Christian). Mr. Vale continues to be cold towards Rico, whom he sees as little more than a tool in his quest for personal vengeance against terrorists. Ms. Christian does a very good—and somewhat creepy job—of making Rico sound very cheerful, almost ebullient, even when the character is involved in killing people and torturing others.
As an example, there is this exchange in Episode 4 between Rico and another one of the cyborgs whom we met in the first season, Angelica (voiced by Monica Rial):
Dialogue:
Angelica: Rico, could I ask you a favor?
Rico: Sure, what is it?
Angelica: Will you let me kill one of the bad guys tomorrow?
Rico: Of course, it would be my pleasure.
Both Ms. Rial and Ms. Christian deliver these lines with such childish earnestness, without the slightest trace of adult awareness in their vocal performances of what a gruesome conversation they are actually having. It is something that you might not normally notice, but it actually takes some acting skill to be able to deliver such rather cold, heartless dialogue convincingly in such a snappy, crisp, and cheerful manner. You would think these two young girls were talking about dressing up their dolls the next day.
Having mentioned Ms. Rial's Angelica, again, it is a performance that picks up where the first season left off. Her handler, Marco is voiced largely in the same manner as in the first season by Jim Foronda. There is a cold professionalism in his manner and tone which suits the character well. Also providing seamless continuity with the first season is Alese Johnson's Claes, the one girl cyborg without a handler (you will need to see the first season to learn what happened to him), who continues in her deadpan, unfeeling way.
While there are a couple more who could be mentioned, I will end with the pair who perhaps receive the most focus in these episodes: the former German policeman, now turned Italian secret agent Hilshire (J. Michael Tatum), and his slightly older (looking, at least, though appearances are deceptive in this show) than the other girls, blonde assassin Triela (Caitlin Glass). While their performances, again, are in line with their appearances in the first season, compared to the somewhat more robotic or slightly one-dimensional other girls, Triela has a somewhat greater range of emotion, part of it stemming from Hilshire's reluctance to increase the level of psychological conditioning that Triela receives. Near the end of Episode 3, Ms. Glass gets to let loose a little, as Triela is shocked by her inability, though a cyborg, to take down a human (the assassin Pinocchio), and it seems that her failure really throws her for a loop. She lashes out, not at anyone else, but more at herself, providing Ms. Glass with an opportunity to yell and cry a bit. She sounds convincingly testy and hurt, like a scared little girl. Which is what she really should be inside.
Five Republics Faction
The most important figures from the Five Republic Faction whom we meet are Cristiano (John Swasey), the leader of a terrorist group; his foster son and cold-blooded assassin Pinocchio (Jerry Jewell); and the bomb-making pair of Franca (Stephanie Young) and Franco (Mike McFarland). Mr. Swasey is somewhat cold and villainous in his tones, much as one would expect. He does get to show his somewhat softer side near the end of the show, as happens for most of the "villains." Ms. Young and Mr. McFarland, while they appeared only briefly in the first season, continue on from those performances, though they get to expand on their characters quite a bit, as they have much more attention devoted to them in this season. Ms. Young projects a sexiness, as she often does in many of the characters she has voiced before, but she combines it with a certain steely determination, especially as we learn a lot more about her reason for becoming a freelance terrorist and bomb maker. Mr. McFarland's Franco is the voice of weary experience made determined and confident again, having been a weary man who was slowly drowning in drink only to discover a life preserver: Franca. Together, they work very well on screen.
A focal point for this season, however, is a new character, the young foster son of Cristiano who was trained to be an inhuman asssassin: Pinocchio. Found half-dead in a basement hiding place by Cristiano while a small boy, Pinocchio has been trained since youth to be a heartless assassin. Thus, he should be nearly emotionless, and Mr. Jewell certainly provides a voice that feels like the life has been drained from it. Appropriate and well done. Near the very end, Mr. Jewell has a quiet moment where he actually gets to show a little emotion, as Pinocchio reveals that he hesitates at killing little girls. It all stems back to his first time killing anyone, where he had to kill a little girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I guess we are supposed to see that he is not a complete monster, a humanizing moment before it is made all too clear that he is a mere human.
Other notable roles
There are almost too many minor and incident roles to do them all justice, so a list with brief comments follows.
Aurora, a young girl and Pinocchio's neighbor, who obviously likes him, is played by Carrie Savage in her standard issue, but no less adorable, cute way. Cole Brown has a nice turn as Bruno, a "cleaner" (disposer of bodies) for the FRF, providing him with a wise, mature male voice, one that is well chosen for his role.
Patricia (Meredith McCoy), Marco's ex-girlfriend, is voiced in a somewhat flat and dead manner, reflective, perhaps of the character's personality. The somewhat smarmy and slimy reporter Leo(nardo) Conti is portrayed very effectively by Phil Parsons, who gives the character some intelligence along with that sliminess. A weary FRF member, Nino, is provided with a memorable performance by Bryan Massey. In a rough and raspy voice, Nino's weariness, borne from experience and disappointment, is well in evidence.
R. Bruce Elliot makes the Italian Prime Minister an arrogant and commanding presence in his few brief scenes. A young teenage girl, Maria "Mimi" Machiavelli, is given the usual youthful spunk by Kate Oxley, who seems to specialize in these roles, since she does them so well. A brief appearance, in a recounting of events long past, is made by Gwendolyn Lau as Rachelle Belleut, a medical examiner for Europol, who teams up with a German policeman, Victor Hartmann (Hilshire's real name). She is a bit of a starry-eyed idealist, but one whose idealism leads her to trouble.
Finally, as a brief note, the dead younger sister of Jean and Jose, Enrica, appears in various flashbacks, voiced by Brittney Karbowski, in her usual young girl range. Very cute, though not out of the ordinary.
Script Oddities
The script is slightly schizophrenic. For the first four episodes, the dub and the subs do not really diverge too much. At least not noticeably. There are some strange choices, such as what occurs in the opening dialogue of the very first episode. There, in the opening dialogue between Hilshire and Jose, two of the handlers, the dub removes any mention of their names. There names are there in the subs, and there in the Japanese. I assume it was a matter of trying to match lip flaps better. Otherwise, the two scripts seem fairly close for the first four episodes.
Starting with Episode 5, however, things go off in a completely different direction. There are constant differences in the two scripts. Not just minor tweaks, but serious divergences. For example, in Episode 5, from an internal monologue of the Prime Minister:
Sub: Only I need to know the truth, after all.
Dub: How I see the world is truth to me, and that truth is enough.
There is quite a bit of difference between those two sentences. A world of difference.
From this point onwards, the two scripts continue to be further apart than in the first four episodes. Who is responsible for the sudden change is hard to say, as most episodes did not have a separate episode writer listed in the credits. We can only assume that Mr. Vale, the Head Writer, personally oversaw most of the scripts, and decided on the change after episode 4.
Localization Oddities
One thing that is very peculiar to this dub is names. Specifically, how some character's names are rendered in the dub as opposed to the subtitle script. For example, Hilshire is regular referred to as "Hirscher" in the subtitles. The distinction is retained in the end credits, as the English actor is credited as Hilshire, while the seiyuu is listed as Hirscher. Again, Jose is Jose in English, but "Giuse," short for Giuseppe obviously, in the subtitles. There seems to be a debate here over how to render the names. The Japanese original cannot entirely help us here, since the names used there were attempts to render foreign names to begin with.
These are not the only ones. Franca is called "Flanca" in English. While this may well have been mandated by Japan, it completely ruins the natural connection that one is, I would think, meant to make between her adopted name (after all, Franca is an alias) and the name of her partner Franco, who actually gave her that alias. There are a few other examples, but those are not so odd, where we merely have the pure Italian version of a name in the subtitles and the Anglicized version of that name in the dub. It would appear that the subtitle writer made an attempt to reconstruct the actual European names that the Japanese original was attempting to use: thus Giuseppe (Joseph) for Jose (clearly short for Joseph); Hirscher, which is more Germanic sounding than the clearly Anglicized Hilshire (why would a German policeman choose an English-like name? There could be good reasons for doing so, but why not just adopt an Italian name? No one would care); Beatriche instead of Beatrice, Patrizia instead of Patricia, etc. Since many people do not, for the most part, avail themselves of the two audio options given to them in bilingual releases, this issue will likely not be a concern for the overwhelming majority of viewers.
One last thing I would like to mention is that, as with the first season, one respect in which the script feels like a let down to me is that even though this is supposed to be Italy, other than some of the location shots (this time, the visuals were a lot better, as we have animated versions of famous landmarks thrown in for reference—in the first season, the backgrounds looked like a generic city stage lot in Vancouver, not any real city in Italy), I did not feel that there was anything particularly Italian about the show. I was not expecting accents (unless done well, it would have made this farcical), but perhaps more than just one ciao and one or two arrivedercis would at least make me feel a little like I am in Italy.
Final Thoughts
Gunslinger Girl: Il Teatrino picks up largely where the first season left off in terms of the English language dub. Even with the gap of several years in between productions, the actors return to their roles with no signs of awkwardness. The essential innocence of the young cyborg girls, portrayed so well in the first season, continues to be in evidence in this second series. That innocence, of course, belies the brutal reality of their activities and the actions which they are called upon to do for their masters. A testament to the power of these performances is how easy it is to forget that these are little cyborg killers and not sweet, innocent little girls, if all you do is listen to their voices. The handlers are also given a fully fleshed-out portrayal. While there is something one-dimensional about many of them (and most of the characters in action shows do have a tendency to fall into easy characterizations), they manage to impart a small measure of humanity to their, from Jean's cold rage to Jose's sad surrender to his present circumstances to Hilshire's hidden pain born from lost idealism. The same can be said of the antagonists, the members of the FRF, who are not presented as purely inhuman vermin, but have their own human passions and motivations that drive their actions, even if they are, in the end, slightly more reprehensible and immoral than the compromised government heroes assigned to battle them.
I'm afraid I'm not much of a gamer, so I couldn't really comment too much on videogame dubbing, though there are some very good dubs coming out in that format, often employing some of the same voice actors from anime.
This is an excellent feature keep it coming G.B. Smith but can you extend this feature to dubs in videogames?