Greetings from Vancouver!
I know it's been forever since I last updated (namely just Willow's birthday but still), but I've been hella busy in the last couple of months that I hadn't really had the chance to update. That being said, let's get to the main point behind this post.
After a much needed vacation and spending time with friends (namely my best friend) here in my happy place, I've had the chance to reflect and think about a lot of things. Seeing as my life has taken a much more serious and committed direction both career and academic-wise, I'm finding less and less time for updating this site on a regular basis than when I first started this site almost six years ago. As much as WJ.net has been a fun practice website to keep my web authoring skills sharp over the years, I'm feeling that the time has come to move on to other things and will only update this website only when I need to update the scripts and other backend stuff, or when Willow does in fact come out with new voicing projects, but I will otherwise not be adding any new pages to this site in the future and will for the most part leave it as is.
I've also had the chance to sit down and catch up with Willow over a drink while I was here in town, and she too has--for the most part--moved on to other things as well. She will continue voicing new projects as soon as new roles come her way, but for the time being has other things going on in her life--job-wise--to keep her pretty occupied. So given the circumstances, I think my decision to update the site with less frequency makes all the more sense.
The good news is I have no intentions of shutting this site down since it's still pretty useful to me whenever I need to learn any new skills for another client's website, or if I just need to update myself on the latest web authoring trends. Also, this site is my baby. As any other webmaster who prides themselves with the work that they do, it's hard for me to let go of some of my best work, or in this case, a website that has taught me so much about what it means to be a web developer and the progress I've made since my earlier web authoring days in high school. It's even been a determining factor in deciding with what I want to do for the rest of my life.
As for future plans for this website,I am planning on revamping the entire website sometime either later this year or next year when I get a new computer and upgrade all of my software. Right now I'll only be updating the overall format of the website, namely the backend stuff such as databases and scripts; I also have a new layout in the works which I will use later on in the revamp. For the most part I'm just going to leave it as a regular fansite that provides information on Willow's voice work, but I will still keep the fanlisting active at least, and I'll keep updating it if more entries come in.
Anyway, this is it for now. When I come around to revamping the site sometime later in the year or early next year, trust me, you'll know!
Take care everyone! And thank you so much for supporting this site for as long as you have. ;)
The Webmaster
I know it's been forever since I last updated (namely just Willow's birthday but still), but I've been hella busy in the last couple of months that I hadn't really had the chance to update. That being said, let's get to the main point behind this post.
After a much needed vacation and spending time with friends (namely my best friend) here in my happy place, I've had the chance to reflect and think about a lot of things. Seeing as my life has taken a much more serious and committed direction both career and academic-wise, I'm finding less and less time for updating this site on a regular basis than when I first started this site almost six years ago. As much as WJ.net has been a fun practice website to keep my web authoring skills sharp over the years, I'm feeling that the time has come to move on to other things and will only update this website only when I need to update the scripts and other backend stuff, or when Willow does in fact come out with new voicing projects, but I will otherwise not be adding any new pages to this site in the future and will for the most part leave it as is.
I've also had the chance to sit down and catch up with Willow over a drink while I was here in town, and she too has--for the most part--moved on to other things as well. She will continue voicing new projects as soon as new roles come her way, but for the time being has other things going on in her life--job-wise--to keep her pretty occupied. So given the circumstances, I think my decision to update the site with less frequency makes all the more sense.
The good news is I have no intentions of shutting this site down since it's still pretty useful to me whenever I need to learn any new skills for another client's website, or if I just need to update myself on the latest web authoring trends. Also, this site is my baby. As any other webmaster who prides themselves with the work that they do, it's hard for me to let go of some of my best work, or in this case, a website that has taught me so much about what it means to be a web developer and the progress I've made since my earlier web authoring days in high school. It's even been a determining factor in deciding with what I want to do for the rest of my life.
As for future plans for this website,I am planning on revamping the entire website sometime either later this year or next year when I get a new computer and upgrade all of my software. Right now I'll only be updating the overall format of the website, namely the backend stuff such as databases and scripts; I also have a new layout in the works which I will use later on in the revamp. For the most part I'm just going to leave it as a regular fansite that provides information on Willow's voice work, but I will still keep the fanlisting active at least, and I'll keep updating it if more entries come in.
Anyway, this is it for now. When I come around to revamping the site sometime later in the year or early next year, trust me, you'll know!
Take care everyone! And thank you so much for supporting this site for as long as you have. ;)
The Webmaster
03/04: Happy 34th Birthday Willow!
As tradition has it, it is the birthday of our favourite Canadian voice artist. Hope all is merry and full of love over on Willow's side of the planet, but most importantly, I hope her day is accompanied by friends, family, and cake. ;)
So you've clicked the link expecting to find news on Willow's next live action appearance.
But...April Fools! ;)
Other than that, have a wonderful day!! And if you do manage to prank someone today, feel free to share in the comments below! :)
- The Webmaster
But...April Fools! ;)
Other than that, have a wonderful day!! And if you do manage to prank someone today, feel free to share in the comments below! :)
- The Webmaster
Since the dubbing of Inuyasha Kanketsuhen is probably nearing completion at this point, I felt like doing a review of the original series before I go on to review the dub of the final series when it gets released. At least this way we can make note of any changes in delivery, especially considering that it's been years since all of the voice actors last visited these characters (this includes the original Japanese voice actors as well). ;)
Normally I would start at the beginning of the series, but given that Kikyou's story with Inuyasha doesn't begin with episode 1, I felt it was more appropriate to begin with the episode that chronicles her history with him before the main events of the series.
Since Willow's portrayal of the character is considerably less complicated to describe than Noriko's, I'll begin with her first.
Normally I would start at the beginning of the series, but given that Kikyou's story with Inuyasha doesn't begin with episode 1, I felt it was more appropriate to begin with the episode that chronicles her history with him before the main events of the series.
Since Willow's portrayal of the character is considerably less complicated to describe than Noriko's, I'll begin with her first.
I ran into this clip of the English dub Animax did for episode 148 of Inuyasha, and I found it quite fascinating when juxtaposed with the Ocean Group dub.
Although the Animax dub actress is rather flat in her delivery compared to Willow (who's more expressive and uses emotion in her voice), I do think it's interesting that both actresses depict Kikyou using a more melancholy tone of voice. What do you guys think?
I honestly think the Animax dub isn't bad at all, but I do like the quality of the Ocean dub better.
Although the Animax dub actress is rather flat in her delivery compared to Willow (who's more expressive and uses emotion in her voice), I do think it's interesting that both actresses depict Kikyou using a more melancholy tone of voice. What do you guys think?
I honestly think the Animax dub isn't bad at all, but I do like the quality of the Ocean dub better.
I have seen this get brought up so many times that it actually warranted a post of it's own here. But I just want to clarify one big misunderstanding that some fans seem to have regarding the correct spelling of Kikyou's name, which is often subject to debate.
As far back as I can remember, when Inuyasha was starting to pick up here in the West (and this was before Viz even licenced it for official US release), fan translators often romanised Kikyou's name with a 'u' at the end of her name, and this was the spelling most people went with at the time. When Viz acquired the rights to the series and started publishing an official English-translated version of the manga, fans of the Viz release became familiar with their romanisation of Kikyo's name without the 'u.' As a result there has been considerable debate as to which is the actual correct spelling, and not everyone who engages in this conversation is qualified to answer this question.
So which version then, IS the correct spelling? Well, as someone who's been studying Japanese writing and grammar for eight years and excels in the English language, I can safely say BOTH are correct, and here's why:
Kikyo without the 'u' follows the English standard for romanising Japanese words and names, whereas Kikyou with the 'u' is the actual correct transliteration of the kanji spelling of her name.
To help explain this better, I have a more detailed explanation with pictures below:
As far back as I can remember, when Inuyasha was starting to pick up here in the West (and this was before Viz even licenced it for official US release), fan translators often romanised Kikyou's name with a 'u' at the end of her name, and this was the spelling most people went with at the time. When Viz acquired the rights to the series and started publishing an official English-translated version of the manga, fans of the Viz release became familiar with their romanisation of Kikyo's name without the 'u.' As a result there has been considerable debate as to which is the actual correct spelling, and not everyone who engages in this conversation is qualified to answer this question.
So which version then, IS the correct spelling? Well, as someone who's been studying Japanese writing and grammar for eight years and excels in the English language, I can safely say BOTH are correct, and here's why:
Kikyo without the 'u' follows the English standard for romanising Japanese words and names, whereas Kikyou with the 'u' is the actual correct transliteration of the kanji spelling of her name.
To help explain this better, I have a more detailed explanation with pictures below:
As the title suggests, Kelly Sheridan confirmed on her facebook that Inuyasha: Kanketsu-hen is in fact being dubbed right now.
It is unknown at the moment as to whether or not Willow will be returning as Kikyou, but I am on it! I do have a gut feeling she will be since Kikyou only has six episodes total, and this isn't including any of the flashbacks. So she *should* be able to fit it into her schedule. :)
When I do get official word on Willow returning, I will post it on here.
Stay tuned!
[Edit]: I heard back from Willow, and she is returning as Kikyou! She starts her first recording session later today. How very exciting! :)
It is unknown at the moment as to whether or not Willow will be returning as Kikyou, but I am on it! I do have a gut feeling she will be since Kikyou only has six episodes total, and this isn't including any of the flashbacks. So she *should* be able to fit it into her schedule. :)
When I do get official word on Willow returning, I will post it on here.
Stay tuned!
[Edit]: I heard back from Willow, and she is returning as Kikyou! She starts her first recording session later today. How very exciting! :)
21/04: Animazement 2010
Hey guys!
It's been a while since I last updated this. But, after one hell of a stressful four months, I am in dire need of a REAL vacation. So I have decided to join my mates on a road trip to North Carolina to attend Animazement 2010, my first con since 2008. (I'll once again be donning my trademarked union jack shirt for this con, but only because my mates asked me to, lol).
Among the guests that are going to be present there include Richard Ian Cox and Toshifumi Yoshida who have both worked on the dubbing of the original Inuyasha series. So hopefully I'll be coming back with more dub news since I'm sure that's bound to come up at their panels. So far there's been no word from Willow herself on potential future involvement with the project, though she did say a few months back that if the new series does get dubbed she's sure she'll be a part of it.
Speaking of Willow, sadly she will not be attending Animazement, but Noriko Hidaka (Japanese Kikyou) will definitely be there for anyone who's interested. I'm definitely going to be attending her panels since I've always wanted to meet Hidaka-san in person and she's actually the main reason I decided to go to this con. As a voice artist, she's bloody amazing and there are so many questions I'd like to ask her, especially since I feel they'll help me with my compare and contrast essay on both her's and Willow's portrayal of Kikyou.
I very much doubt I'll have the same kind of one-on-one time with her that I was fortunate enough to have with Willow two years ago, but I'm confident I'll have enough material to cover. ^_^
The bonus is that Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese Inuyasha) is going to be there as well, and he was also at Otakon 2008 when Willow attended a con for the first time since 2001. It'll be interesting to hear what both he and Richard will have to say about the character that they both voice. I'm sure they'll both have a slightly different point of the character, especially given the different reception Inuyasha gets in Japan as opposed to the US.
The rest of the time though, I'll most likely be bouncing off of walls with fangirly joy after meeting Hidaka-san. (Yes I'm a huge fan of Hidaka-san, you can all shut up now). >.>
Either way, roll on end of May! :)
It's been a while since I last updated this. But, after one hell of a stressful four months, I am in dire need of a REAL vacation. So I have decided to join my mates on a road trip to North Carolina to attend Animazement 2010, my first con since 2008. (I'll once again be donning my trademarked union jack shirt for this con, but only because my mates asked me to, lol).
Among the guests that are going to be present there include Richard Ian Cox and Toshifumi Yoshida who have both worked on the dubbing of the original Inuyasha series. So hopefully I'll be coming back with more dub news since I'm sure that's bound to come up at their panels. So far there's been no word from Willow herself on potential future involvement with the project, though she did say a few months back that if the new series does get dubbed she's sure she'll be a part of it.
Speaking of Willow, sadly she will not be attending Animazement, but Noriko Hidaka (Japanese Kikyou) will definitely be there for anyone who's interested. I'm definitely going to be attending her panels since I've always wanted to meet Hidaka-san in person and she's actually the main reason I decided to go to this con. As a voice artist, she's bloody amazing and there are so many questions I'd like to ask her, especially since I feel they'll help me with my compare and contrast essay on both her's and Willow's portrayal of Kikyou.
I very much doubt I'll have the same kind of one-on-one time with her that I was fortunate enough to have with Willow two years ago, but I'm confident I'll have enough material to cover. ^_^
The bonus is that Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese Inuyasha) is going to be there as well, and he was also at Otakon 2008 when Willow attended a con for the first time since 2001. It'll be interesting to hear what both he and Richard will have to say about the character that they both voice. I'm sure they'll both have a slightly different point of the character, especially given the different reception Inuyasha gets in Japan as opposed to the US.
The rest of the time though, I'll most likely be bouncing off of walls with fangirly joy after meeting Hidaka-san. (Yes I'm a huge fan of Hidaka-san, you can all shut up now). >.>
Either way, roll on end of May! :)
03/04: Birthday Wishes
Guess what guys! Today is the holiest of all days. It is Willow's 33rd Birthday!
29/03: This Is It + Dub News
It's finally over guys! The final episode of Kanketsu-hen finally aired, and I have to admit the battle with the shikon no tama turned out a bit more climactic than the manga counterpart. I still however felt it could have been concluded better than just "wishing it away," but I digress. I won't go into details, but I will let you guys watch it for yourself here.
One thing I am happy about though, is that Inu/Kag fans can now be satisfied with this, and I don't have to hear the whole "OMG! NO KISS I'M SO MAD!" like I did back when the manga originally ended in 2007. That was quite a riot back then, but fortunately this evens out the score a bit. I think it's only fair at least, especially since Inu/Kik got considerably more snogging scenes in the anime than what was actually given in the manga. :)
So...dub news now!
One thing I am happy about though, is that Inu/Kag fans can now be satisfied with this, and I don't have to hear the whole "OMG! NO KISS I'M SO MAD!" like I did back when the manga originally ended in 2007. That was quite a riot back then, but fortunately this evens out the score a bit. I think it's only fair at least, especially since Inu/Kik got considerably more snogging scenes in the anime than what was actually given in the manga. :)
So...dub news now!
