Shredder's voice in the new show

[RiseAbove873]

Does anybody else here hate Kevin Richardson's take on Shredder's voice in this series? He makes no attempt to make him not sound like a black guy. Every time I hear him talk I cringe. Nickelodeon really should have went with a Japanese voice actor, or at least somebody who can sound Japanese.

[The Stryker]

Yeah because Shredder always sounds so japanese in the cartoons.

I'd take gravelly and threatening over some fake accent.

[RiseAbove873]

Yeah because Shredder always sounds so japanese in the cartoons.

I'd take gravelly and threatening over some fake accent.

Why can't he sound Japanese, gravelly, and threatening?

[The Stryker]

Sure he could. But why should that be a requirement? Not every japanese person has a thick accent.

Unless you want a cartoonish 'Me So Solly' accent.

[Jester]

This thread: Me no rikey.

[RiseAbove873]

Sure he could. But why should that be a requirement? Not every japanese person has a thick accent.

Unless you want a cartoonish 'Me So Solly' accent.

I never said it had to be a thick accent. He's Japanese. Make him sound Japanese. Splinter's Japanese too. You wouldn't give him an English accent.

[The Stryker]

I've known a bunch of Japanese people that don't 'sound japanese'.

[RiseAbove873]

I've known a bunch of Japanese people that don't 'sound japanese'.


And I'm sure that's because they were born in America. Oroku Saki did not.

[The Stryker]

Actually no. Born and raised in japan.

Don't assume things yo.

[RiseAbove873]

Actually no. Born and raised in japan.

Don't assume things yo.

Yeah. I'm sure you know a bunch of people who were both born and raised in Japan and have no accent whatsoever. And I don't have to assume, I know.

[ToTheNines]

I thought he was miscast originally, but The Gauntlet completely sold it.

[TurtleTitan97]

Nope. I'm liking his take on Shredder more than the 2k3 version.

[The Stryker]

Yeah. I'm sure you know a bunch of people who were both born and raised in Japan and have no accent whatsoever. And I don't have to assume, I know.

Right. You know nothing.

I know one japanese guy that just sounds like a black dude. It's not some crazy idea.

[RiseAbove873]

Right. You know nothing.

I know one japanese guy that just sounds like a black dude. It's not some crazy idea.


Let me guess. His name is Kevin Richardson. :lol:

[The Stryker]

Let me guess. His name is Kevin Richardson. :lol:

Wouldn't that be the other way around or something? Either way. Bad attempt.

[RiseAbove873]

Wouldn't that be the other way around or something? Either way. Bad attempt.

Nope! It was awesome! And I'm right and you, and everybody else that disagrees with me, are wrong.;)

[Gyt Kaliba]

Nope! It was awesome! And I'm right and you, and everybody else that disagrees with me, are wrong.;)

...And...that just completely ruined any point you thought you were making. Yowza.:o

I honestly can't judge Richardson's Shredder too well yet, as I'm a few eps behind now and haven't yet seen 'Gauntlet'. I'll admit, I was a little thrown off by what I'd heard before that in clips and small parts of other episodes, but it had nothing to do with him sounding 'black' and not sounding 'Japanese'. I just felt like it was way too obvious of a casting. Shredder's big and bad, let's get KMR who's pipes can cause tremors on a faultline. It just seems so...cliche.

But I'm hearing good things about him now, so hopefully he'll surprise me when I get to see that episode. It's not that I don't like KMR at all, he's a great actor, so all it takes is him to impress me here.

[CyberCubed]

The voice seems fine so far.

[RiseAbove873]

...And...that just completely ruined any point you thought you were making. Yowza.:o

http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/customavatars/avatar3890_2.gif


The voice seems fine so far.

It would be, if Shredder was a black man. But he isn't.

[CyberCubed]

It would be, if Shredder was a black man. But he isn't.

Shredder was voiced by a black man in the original cartoon too.

[Gyt Kaliba]

Not sure what you think you're saying by replying to me with my own avatar...but whatever.

Shredder was voiced by a black man in the original cartoon too.

Indeed he was, and it. Was. Awesome.

[RiseAbove873]

Shredder was voiced by a black man in the original cartoon too.

Yeah, but he didn't sound black. He almost had a "universal" voice. He sounded like he could have been a variety of ethnicities.

[TurtleTitan97]

Nope! It was awesome! And I'm right and you, and everybody else that disagrees with me, are wrong.;)

:trolleye: Dude. Seriously? You can't just go around insulting people just because they disagree with your opinion.

[RiseAbove873]

:trolleye: Dude. Seriously? You can't just go around insulting people just because they disagree with your opinion.

Sure I can. I just did. Besides, I didn't voice my opinion, I stated a fact.:)

[Vivi]

It would make sense if he had a Japanese accent, yes. Especially as he and Yoshi have known each other up to and during the war - and Splinter has an accent.

But I'll write this off as another non-sequitur of a kids show.

[Jester]

Yep. It's a precedent. Japanese born animated Shredders must be voiced by large black men.

Does it really matter? I always saw Shredder's "non accent" as just one more thing he did to for his betterment. He demands excellence in everything he does...including ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE!

[Cure]

He demands excellence in everything he does...including ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE!

I believe it.

[Avatar Yuffie]

I like Richardson's take on the Shredder. The end.

Here's for hoping the Shredder gets more character. I wasn't really impressed with how 2K3's handles their Foot villains (Shredder, Karai, whatshisname in BTTS *facepalm*).

[zodiac brave]

nobody else has taken issue with the idea of "sounding black"???

:lol:

this kid...hahaha!!!

[ToTheNines]

Does it really matter? I always saw Shredder's "non accent" as just one more thing he did to for his betterment. He demands excellence in everything he does...including ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE!

Haha, I like that.

As for his super-bass, his vocal chords might have been affected by the fire that disfigured him after his last fight with Yoshi. That's how I'm chalking it up.

[Jester]

As for his super-bass, his vocal chords might have been affected by the fire that disfigured him after his last fight with Yoshi. That's how I'm chalking it up.
Haha, I like that.

:D

[CyberCubed]

James Avery's Shredder sounded like he needed to. He honestly didn't sound like any racial stereotype, which I thought was good.

[Coola Yagami]

It's funny... as a non-TMNT fan, the first time my girlfriend saw an episode with me (last week's), the moment Shredder spoke she asked me why the Japanese guy has the voice of a black guy.

I guess Splinter is more old fashioned Japanese while Shredder was more modern? In the old show Shredder spoke pretty much all-American to me while Splinter was all ' hmmm this is most strange' and all that jazz.

Wasn't Kevin Clash black? He did an awesome Japanese Splinter in the movies. Didn't know he was black until I saw the guy on the mic on one of the behind-the-scenes specials.

[Powder]

Trolling/idiocy. Rinse, repeat.

[stardustcrusade]

nobody else has taken issue with the idea of "sounding black"???

:lol:

this kid...hahaha!!!

I have and this thread is unapologetic prejudice and insulting towards african americans, japanese american and japanese. :x

[Candy Kappa]

RiseAbove873 is right. Shredder should totally sound like the Japanese in the Disney & warner Bros. Cartoons in the 40's, or else it would be fake sounding.

[Newton Gimmick]

I think his voice is alright. Haven't had much to go on. It's deep and ominous, which is no doubt why it was chosen. I'm sure they see that as the top priority on Shredder's voice, moreso than his Japanese ancestry.

[pannoni1]

I like KMR's Shredder! Its a blend of 2k3 and the first movie, giving him a sense of ruling and fear. The Kraang meanwhile sound a bit like one of Shredder's alternate voices and while they aren't the silly OT (except for those silly animal sounds when the aliens leave the bodies).

[zodiac brave]

its funny...up until the new thundercats from last year came out, i thought kevin michael richardson was the lil white guy with the huge forehead who played the lord of the rings fan in clerks 2. i think their names are similar...? either way when i finally saw what kmr looked like i wasn't blown away or anything. i don't know what "black" sounds like, but i know that i thought this guy had an awesome bass register and could pull off sounding epic, whether he was a white guy or a black guy. i think clancy brown, who does bradford, coulda been a similarly awesome shredder, but thats just cuz im a fan of his from all the way back to the highlander movie. it is cool they're working together again, as im sure many of us know he was grune and kmr was panthro.

[BubblyShell22]

I love KMR's Shredder. He does a great job with the character and makes him sound threatening as he should be. Though Scottie Ray did a good Shredder in 2K3, I always thought his Japanese accent sounded a bit forced in some instances. KMR has the right blend for a Shredder voice, and I love it. Can't wait to see more of him.

[Jester]

I thought kevin michael richardson was the lil white guy with the huge forehead who played the lord of the rings fan in clerks 2. i think their names are similar...?
You mean Kevin Weisman?

Oddly enough, KMR was in Clerks 2....as a cop.

EDIT: You know who else this large black man voices:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/it/c/ce/Lester_Krinklesac.png

[Powder]

Wow, I knew he had range & did voices for TCS, but I had no idea he voiced that character too. I'm impressed.

[BladeEdge86]

The voice actor they chose is one of my favorites voice actors, unfortunately he is NOT the right voice for The Shredder. It just dosen't fit, when I picture the Shredder I usually think of a Japanese warrior but when I hear that voice it sounds like a burly black man. I am not saying the Shredders voice even has to have a Japanese accent the 80's and 90's cartoon Shredder didn't and his voice still fit his character. One thing I will say about his voice though is it does suit his menacing nature.

[zodiac brave]

You mean Kevin Weisman?

Oddly enough, KMR was in Clerks 2....as a cop.

EDIT: You know who else this large black man voices:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/it/c/ce/Lester_Krinklesac.png

well, all kevins look alike to me. ;)

[Jester]

well, all kevins look alike to me. ;)
I find that offensive!

Not really....:P

[Sage Ninja]

I've known a bunch of Japanese people that don't 'sound japanese'.

And I'm sure that's because they were born in America. Oroku Saki did not.

Actually no. Born and raised in japan.

Don't assume things yo.

Actually Stryker is right not all Japanese people have the barely coherent stereotypical accent when speaking english. Some speak the english language very well and could pass for being American born. Listen to this guy Junichi talk in this clip. He is Japanese born and raised, and I didn't know that I would swear he was born here in the USA.

XN6pUQC2oxQ

also, bring your own toilet paper in Japan. :o

[Icebot]

This guy also did the voice of Dark Laser from the Fairly Oddparents who was obviously based on Darth Vador in Star Wars. Shredder used to remind me of Darth Vador ever since I heard him say "I am your father" in the first movie. I think Kevin's Shredder voice is fine.