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-   -   Ash's voice actress: Veronica Taylor vs Sarah Natochenny. (https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=361828)

Palamon January 22nd, 2016 6:01 PM

Ash's voice actress: Veronica Taylor vs Sarah Natochenny.
 
I'm only taking the English dub in account for now, since I'm barely familiar with the original... anyway, in your opinion, who was the better voice actress for Ash? Veronica or Sarah? Why?

Hikamaru January 22nd, 2016 6:35 PM

I know the nostalgia freaks are gonna bash me for this, but I actually liked Sarah Natochenny's Ash voice. Her accent made him sound mature (even if BW Ash was the most immature Ash since OS) and it really showed in DP and XY, where he was stepped up a lot as a character.

Horn January 22nd, 2016 7:26 PM

I personally don't like either of them. I started to watch Pokémon with Czech dub, who had real young boy to voice Ash. And he did very good job with him. Unfortunately, they stopped airing Pokémon here after season 4 and I had to switch to watch English dub and I was horrified about Veronica Taylor's portraying of Ash. Ash with her voice sounded like raspy girl and her acting wasn't that good either. This got even worse in Hoenn, where she also got the role of May (BTW the second worst cast decision 4Kids did in Pokémon, only surpassed by Eric Stuart's James) and she tried to differentiate them by voicing Ash to be older, but she failed and had Ash as even raspier girl now and May as squeaky version of Ash. None of this worked for me. Unfortunately, Sarah Natochenny took over the same voice, but added really bad (or more precisely, practically non-existing) acting until mid-Sinnoh saga, when she finally got a grasp of the role and now, actually, she is a little better than Veronica Taylor used to be, but not exactly where I want Ash to be. I may surprise many of you, but Kayzie Rogers in first Mastermind dub was my ideal voice for Ash. She was the only one from Ash's English VAs who did not sound like raspy girl and I am sure if she got chance to improve, she would be on par with both Rika Matsumoto and Czech Ash in OS, which neither Veronica nor Sarah are for me.

RailgunSkye January 29th, 2016 7:04 AM

I only began to like Sarah late DP onward. Actually I was shocked she was doing Ash during BW and XY since she sounds so different. Funny thing is in one of the DP eps for a few seconds she sounds so much like Veronica it is weird :)

VisualJae January 29th, 2016 12:15 PM

I'll take Rica Matsumoto any day.

Never mind. I saw the word dub. Therefore I shall refrain from further commenting.

Sirenita55 January 29th, 2016 1:20 PM

I always thought Ash sounded cute with Veronica voicing him, it was one of his most endearing qualities IMO so I'm going to choose Veronica.

BH February 4th, 2016 11:48 AM

I prefer the first german and the first polish VA

alisaie February 5th, 2016 8:57 AM

I actually like Sarah's voicing of Ash more than Veronica's. After she settled down and got comfortable with voicing him, anyways. Veronica was a good VA for Ash, yeah, but I dunno I guess it's a lot like what Hikari said. Personally she's also better at bringing out certain emotions too iirc.

The Phantom Starfish February 26th, 2017 1:00 AM

TL;DR, I like both, Sarah's better at battling (BW onwards). I don't know why people are STILL complaining about Sarah, it's time to just let it go.
SN: Why can't the internet be more like this thread? A reasonable discussion about the differences in VA's of an anime with no name-calling or anything immature.

To be perfectly honest, I like them both equally. Yes, Battle Frontier wasn't great but Best Wishes was when Sarah really got it (could've been during Sinnoh, but I haven't got that far yet). With her current Ash voice, I think Sarah is better in high-octane, fast-paced battles, case-in-point, the Kalos League Semis and Finals. My experience of the change was on Netflix, I'd finished the OS and about half of the Orange Islands and started watching Best Wishes, so to me, it was't as jarring as it could've been and I liked Sarah's Ash since I first heard the Best Wishes voice. And Sarah's been the voice longer than Veronica now, so if you (general sense) hate her so much, you have two options: 1. Stop watching. 2. Watch the subs

Pokelitfam February 26th, 2017 4:38 AM

I think they're both great, and I don't know how people can still compare them, Sarah has been doing it for so long I've forgotten what Veronica sounds like. That being said, I do think that Sarah's version is slightly better, Ash just sounds a bit older which I like. However, who voiced Ash in season 9 when the 4kids team had to go and all that, it wasn't Sarah was it??? Whoever voiced season 8 or 9 (I cant remember) was horrible, it sounded like Ash had throat cancer. If that was actually Sarah, then she stepped up her game big time since her debut season because she's great now.

jjc927 February 26th, 2017 9:08 AM

For me it's Veronica's. Her voice perfectly fit the character IMO. I didn't like how Ash's voice sounded in the first few episodes but after she changed the voice it was totally fitting. She had the emotion the voice needed and the sound of an enthusiastic youth who believes he can do anything. Sarah's Ash is fine and the more mature sound does work because Ash has matured, but even after I got more used to it the voice still sounded off. She doesn't convey the emotion Veronica did and there's times in the episodes I've watched that it sounds a little too husky. Veronica made the voice sound different depending on whether Ash was happy, sad, or angry moreso than Sarah. It sounds like she adjusted it to fit the new character design and personality in the two dub Sun and Moons, but I do think Veronica's version would be a better fit.

Brendino February 27th, 2017 11:20 PM

I've grown accustomed to Sarah Natochenny as Ash (considering she's been voicing him for 10+ years now), but there's a special place in my heart for Veronica Taylor's Ash. I was fortunate enough to meet Veronica last year and chat with her for a little bit, and hearing her speak to me using Ash's voice took me right back to my childhood, so she easily gets my vote, even if Sarah's done a great job in the past few years.

countryemo February 28th, 2017 12:03 AM

I was never a fan of Veronica if I'm honest. It was great for the period, though listening back it feels kinda cringe. Sarah i believe has done a great job, from Hoenn to XY, I can barely tell its the same person sometimes which proves to me she does a great job conveying the arcs.

kitarei February 28th, 2017 2:59 AM

Taylor all day every day.

I don't watch Pokemon very often anymore so I haven't grown accustomed to the voice change - I probably never will since I only catch an episode here or there after work once in a blue moon.

For me, Sarah just sounds wrong. I think she's voicing him well, but I think there is always that "this sounds off" feeling when you're used to one voice and then hear a different one.
In fact ALL the voices of the current Pokemon feel off for me hah :P

Frozocrone February 28th, 2017 7:01 AM

The only good VA is Rica Matsumudo but if I had to choose, probably Natochenny. Taylor is cringe.

Adamw92 March 2nd, 2017 4:19 AM

Veronica all the way.

Hikamaru March 26th, 2017 5:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kitarei (Post 9583593)
For me, Sarah just sounds wrong. I think she's voicing him well, but I think there is always that "this sounds off" feeling when you're used to one voice and then hear a different one.

The one time I feel Sarah Natochenny's Ash voice sounds wrong is the new Sun & Moon series' dub. Ash's new design looks much younger than any of his previous incarnations, and since Sarah tends to perform a very mature voice for Ash, it feels very unfitting now.

Frozocrone March 28th, 2017 4:32 AM

Veronica Taylor got recognised and had her meal customised for her.

Link to tweet

Your move Natochenny.

I preferred Taylor btw

jjc927 March 28th, 2017 7:50 AM

Veronica has a public presence that I haven't seen Sarah have so she is more recognizable. She's identified as being the voice of Ash even though Sarah's been the VA for over a decade.

Hikamaru March 28th, 2017 7:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjc927 (Post 9603819)
Veronica has a public presence that I haven't seen Sarah have so she is more recognizable. She's identified as being the voice of Ash even though Sarah's been the VA for over a decade.

It's definitely weird how Sarah had been voicing Ash longer than Veronica yet somehow Veronica gets all the credit for being the more well-known VA.

pikachurcks March 28th, 2017 8:07 AM

Personally I prefer Veronica Taylor over Sarah as Ash

jjc927 March 28th, 2017 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hikamaru (Post 9603825)
It's definitely weird how Sarah had been voicing Ash longer than Veronica yet somehow Veronica gets all the credit for being the more well-known VA.

Well again the public presence thing and because Veronica's is the voice that fans from the original series grew up with.

Hikamaru March 28th, 2017 9:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjc927 (Post 9603966)
Well again the public presence thing and because Veronica's is the voice that fans from the original series grew up with.

I can definitely understand she was the Ash voice we grew up with, so much to the point fans of her are even trying to get a petition through to have her reprise Ash in the dub of the upcoming Pokemon - I Choose You! movie.

pikachurcks March 29th, 2017 10:46 AM

Well I think she should, that would be great if she did reprise her role as Ash that would be awesome.

jjc927 March 29th, 2017 11:29 AM

I hope so too. Nothing against the current cast, but the movie is to celebrate 20 years and it's based on the first episode, so she should be in it along with Rachel voicing Misty.


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