Thread by @CATACLYSMICEVIE

Initial serious thoughts on the first episode of the English Dub:

the HUGE stand out for me is Howard Wang’s performance. While (like any dub) it isn’t perfect, to me, his voice encapsulates Xie Lian’s personality extremely well.

For me, while maybe there are moments where it feels a little stiff (it’s the first episode, so I think it’s more than fair to be generous), he captures the calm and gentle vibe VERY well, while also showing moments of iron underneath the soft exterior.

My FAVORITE line from him the entire episode was, “Well? What’s wrong? Are we fighting?”

The second stand out to me was DEFINITELY Lucien Dodge as Fu Yao/Mu Qing. Once again, a case where the VA COMPLETELY understood the assignment when it came to the character’s personality.

My favorite line was actually the one where he says, “Mind your own business next time—people bite the hand that feeds them. You should KNOW that.”

The scripting for Mu Qing was excellent here too—it adds SO MUCH DEPTH when you know the context of his story through the novels.

The only criticism I have of the first episode as a whole isn’t about any of the voice actors individually, but more about the directing/editing. There are weird pauses in the middle of lines from multiple actors that don’t feel natural, but that’s clearly a direction choice!

Finally: while we only got to hear James Cheek for MAYBE two minutes at the end of the episode, from what I can understand—this is his debut as a leading voice actor on a major production, and WOW, what A WAY TO DO IT!

There was something SPELLBINDING about his narration. You can just TELL that he understands the mindset behind the character, and that he actually cares about the story and getting it right.

The way his voice got breathless when he said, “Tales of his valor were often told…” I literally just could not look away from my TV. I probably rewatched JUST his narration three times. I wish him ALL of the success in the world, because THAT is talent. I’m officially a fan!

I’m someone who has sensory processing issues, so watching anything with language barrier makes it VERY difficult for me to take in any form of visual media, because my eyes miss a LOT when I’m struggling to take in the subtitles. This really did feel like a new experience!

I noticed SO many frames in the Donghua that I never saw prior to this, was able to take in so much more of the characters and their reactions. So, I’m REALLY grateful to the English cast and to funimation for making such a beautiful story more accessible to everyone!

REALLY excited for episode two, and so happy I get the opportunity to feel fully immersed in the experience for the first time 🥰 thank you @Funimation !