Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

What kind of voice do you read Usagi as having?
In my mind, Usagi doesn't have a really deep voice; not high pitched, but not gravely, like Batman, either. He doesn't really have much of any specific accent. I do like the scenes where he gets mad, like the one where he fights the two Neko ninja that knock out Jotaro. His voice definitely got deeper and scarier there (in my mind):"If the boy is harmed in any way, you will pay with your lives." Usagi can be a scary guy when he wants to be! That's one of the reasons I like this book so much; Usagi's a really nice guy and is one of the most likable characters in fiction, but he's also an incredible fighter and can be terrifying when he wants to be.

When Usagi first guest-starred on the TNMT cartoon we tried to imagine his voice. We considered everything from a thick Brooklyn accent to having him speak Japanese with subtitles to badly dubbed English (where his voice and mouth are completely out of sync). We finally settled upon the voice of Splinter, except slower paced and a little gentler. There still has not been a voice I am completely happy with.

When I asked Sergio what kind of voice he imagined for Groo he replied, "First of all, in my mind Groo speaks Spanish."

I'm not sure that Usagi's voice in my head matches any particular person I can think of. The voice they went with in the TMNT cartoon is not at all what I imagine, so they really missed the mark for me.

It's interesting how once a specific person gets the role of a book character, my mind changes to read the book in their voices. I don't recall what Frodo Baggins sounded like in my imagination before the LOTR movies, but now when I read the books I hear Elijah Woods' voice. I sort of wish I could imagine Middle Earth again without the influence of the movies (though I really do like the movies as well). Fortunately, Usagi's role in TMNT is small so the voice they went with wasn't pervasive enough to stick in my mind when I read the comics.

Dear Readers,
When i read Usagi Yojimbo stories i hear Usagi's voice sound like Toshiro Mifune.
Best wishes to all.
go

In my mind, the voice of Usagi is a soft spoken, gentle voice (until he is angered).

The closest thing I can come up with would be David Carradine's character of Kwai Chang Caine in the Kung Fu TV series. It's not the actual voice I imagine, but it is in part the manner of speech that I imagine.

Toshiro Mifune is what I imagine Gen to sound like.

Yeah...Toshiro Mifune.

Good no-brainer.

I'm with Maichan.
Toshiro Mifune is how I imagine Gen talking. I don't have any comparison at hand, but I imagine Usagi's voice softer as well.

Stan Sakai wrote:We considered everything from a thick Brooklyn accent to having him speak Japanese with subtitles to badly dubbed English (where his voice and mouth are completely out of sync).

Oh God, trying to imagine Usagi sounding like a New Yawker or a fugitive from a cheapo Hong Kong dub is hysterical.

I always imagined Usagi as...Whoever did the voice (dubbed or Japanese) of Kenshin Himura from Rurouni Kenshin. And seconding Toshiro Mifune as Gen.

I got another voice...Dean Elliot...he did the voice of Jubei Kibagami in the English dub Ninja Scroll.

Gemma, burn in your golden Hell!

I recently watched some Usagi footage from the TMNT cartoon and yeah, that's not how I hear his voice.

I'm not sure of any actual person to relate to his voice, but I do 'hear' a quiet, reserved, calm yet inquisitive tone to his normal speech.

Mifune is a great choice for Gen. How about Michelle Yeoh for either Kitsune or Tomoe?

My mind's version of Usagi's voice is pretty close to Hiroyuki Sanada, from Twilight Samurai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mC2Fklexeo

Jennifer Hale as Chizu and/or Inazuma, please-and-thank-you.

Okay, I don't know if I'll get flamed for suggesting this, but for some reason, I think Yuri Lowenthal would be good for Usagi's voice. He is most popularly known for playing Sasuke in Naruto.

He pronounces Japanese words well, and has a higher voice, but can be quite versatile. His battle cries are quite good as well, and I think he could do a good "RYAAAAAAA!!!"

(Spoiler for Tales of The Abyss) Here's a clip of one of my favorite dialogues of him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbYU0YPqdk8

dhfujii wrote:Okay, I don't know if I'll get flamed for suggesting this, but for some reason, I think Yuri Lowenthal would be good for Usagi's voice. He is most popularly known for playing Sasuke in Naruto.

He pronounces Japanese words well, and has a higher voice, but can be quite versatile. His battle cries are quite good as well, and I think he could do a good "RYAAAAAAA!!!"

(Spoiler for Tales of The Abyss) Here's a clip of one of my favorite dialogues of him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbYU0YPqdk8

For what it's worth, I listened to the video and I personnally think he would be a very good choice. Usagi's voice in my mind is very close to his.

I hear the voice of one of Japanese cinema and television's greatest actors in my head when I read Usagi Yojimbo.

Toei Studios superstar OKAWA HASHIZO (1929 - 1984)

He joined Toei in 1955 where he was eventually to appear in 114 movies. He later turned to TV and acted in the series "Zenigata Heiji" from 1966 until his death in 1984, appearing in 888 episodes. It was one of the longest lasting TV drama with the same actor playing a single role.