Two of the last-minute unannounced additions to the Katsucon Guest list were Scott Simpson and Juliet Cesario, the English voice actors for Keiichi and Belldandy in the new AnimEigo dub of AH! MY GODDESS. Dub haters take note: these two are a very interesting pair who show that there really is promise for the future of American dubbing.
Neither had a significant amount of prior experience with anime before they landed the two plum roles in GODDESS. Simpson had previously played lead Koji in METAL SKIN PANIC MADOX-1, but the lead in one-shot OVA is quite different from a full-fledged series. Cesario was slightly greener, her previous role being Iris in AD POLICE FILES 2. With four female roles to pick from, Cesario did in fact audition for the role of Belldandy, having been drawn to the role for pretty much the same reasons as fans are: Belldandy's gentleness, her integrity, and her affinity to others. This perception was further reinforced by casting director, Scott Houle's selection of the temple restoration scene from the first volume to use for the audition. Belldandy displays a concordance with nature in this scene and this is what really inspired Cesario to try to win the role.
Interestingly enough, though this is a romantic series, both the audition scenes for Belldandy and Keiichi were standalone. That is, they involved scenes in which only one of the two characters was speaking. While this is no doubt a reflection of the way US animation is made, it is still somewhat surprising since AnimEigo should "know better," having seen the Japanese approach to voice acting firsthand. In the typical American style, each of the actors would go in the studio separately to record. Usually, Simpson would record his Keiichi lines first, then later, Cesario would have a chance to hear Simpson's performance while recording her own lines. In fact, throughout the recording of all five OVAs, there was only one scene where they recorded their lines together; numerous voices overlapped so much that it was easier to bring everyone into record all at once rather than attempt to layer and mix the voices manually and make it sound realistic. Simpson and Cesario are, in fact, a couple, but without any chance of interplay in the auditioning process, it is only Houle's good fortune (and maybe his own talent as a casting director) that he found a Belldandy and Keiichi with some natural chemistry.
Their dedication is a testament to their respect for the product and their desire to do a great job. Recording sessions were typically three to four hours each with a possible additional two hours for fixes. But, in addition, Simpson and Cesario went above and beyond by literally "doing their homework," practicing and rehearsing with each other during evenings and off hours.
Both are theatrical actors, and found the raw expressive emotion in anime a breath of fresh air compared to the subdued, sometimes stoic approach in American film. To quote Simpson, "There's nothing more restrictive than American film for the actor." Anime is just the opposite, a wonderfully refreshing alternative.
Both Simpson and Cesario were warned beforehand that they would be replacing or competing with (call it what you will) two very popular Japanese voices. Their response has been to leave the comparisons to the fans and do the best job they can. They hope the English version will speak for itself and can be viewed independently from the Japanese original. Simpson added, "There is no one more critical of our voices than us because we always think we could have done more." It is this frank honesty and wonderful attitude that is refreshing to see, and may help turn the tide for English dubbing.