Fran and Balthier?

[Miriel]

I'm sorry...but if none of you have played (or, at the very least, seen extensive sections of) the Japanese version of FFXII, I don't think you're in a position to compare Balthier's voice actors.

His Japanese VA is just far better: less affected, less foreigners'-stereotypical-idea-of-what-an-English "cool guy"-sounds-like, more natural, more nuanced, and, most importantly, MUCH sexier.

It's sad, because, by and large, I think they've done a decent job on the English localization. The lip sync is, of course, much worse; the general sound, as many others have pointed out, has a peculiarly tinny quality - as though it was recorded inside a phone box; Basch, Vaan, Penelo and Ashe have VAs that are about as good as their Japanese counterparts (though the latter three are considerably less emotional); so does Larsa; Vayne is poor - his speech to the people of Rabanastre was painfully lacking in charisma; rest of the cast is patchy; dialogue is overwritten - at times amusing, at others embarrassingly pretentious - and misses some of the subtleties present in the Japanese game, e.g. Vaan and Ashe's "don't call me you" conflict.

All in all, it's okay. The only two real sore spots for me are Fran and Balthier's voices. Fran sounds less like a centuries-old spirit-of-the-woods, and more like a poor imitation of Bjork - her every pause calculated. Balthier sounds like an errant public school boy; like Prince Charles, trying to be hip. Every time he speaks I want to knock his pompous, toffee-nosed lights out...instead of swooning, as I do when I hear his Japanese voice.

...Those are just my opinions. *shrugs*

I guess I'm just gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you completely.

I've heard Balthier's Japanese voice acting via clips on YouTube. I found his voice to be deeper and more monotone. Lacking the sly charm and humor that's in the NA version of the game. Balthier's voice shouldn't be so grave and deep as it is in the JP version. The more casual, "hip" accent as you call it, fits his personality much better in my opinion.

As for Fran, a poor imitation of björk? What are you talking about? She sounds EXACTLY like björk and it's so awesome. The accent is not one you hear everyday and it's different but it works. I find myself wishing that Fran would speak more because I love hearing her voice.