Its ok, I only really know a little. Could you explain it? The end of the song goes "The Wizard, and I~"(note held out) And the japanese goes, "I dream"
This number's importance is how much oz is important to elphaba. Japanese translation just say "my dream". I understand the languages are different.But i think this is too far:( well, the singer is pretty good though.
To have a deep female voice in Japan is seen as an off characteristic. This is why Elphaba sounds this way here. Culturally, I get it. But that just defeats the purpose of how Elphaba isn't supposed to be an evil role in Wicked.
Notmatt Not really. In the American standard she looks like the stereotypical “bad witch” for the same reason as her low voice here: the audience must be TAUGHT that Elphaba isn’t evil. The story revolves around a person everyone assumes is evil based on misconceptions. The audience isn’t supposed to know she’s good right off. They have to learn her story.
It seems all the Japanese Elphabas don't project that much power, live or in studio. I think they're directed not to. And shame on those of you who voted them down for an opinion!
I think she's a bit rubbish. She may be way better live, but where Menzel and Verkaik project their power even in the studio, this woman has none. It might be a language thing too... this might be the Japanese idea of the perfect Elphaba. To me, she's awful. I hate that weird vibrato and she seems to wimp out on high notes.
thelovepigeon It is the Japanese idea of the perfect Elphaba. Her voice is supposed to be low and menacing, even bombastic, as that is seen as stereotypically “evil” in Japan. In America, it doesn’t sound quite as good because our musical tastes are different. IMO, this woman is fantastic, not only in raw vocal skills, but in portraying a foreign character in a fashion her people can understand well.
@Nogi Gin Megumi Hamada is one of my favourite performers. Her Rem in *Death Note* is genuinely awe-inspiring to me. If there were ONE cast member from the Japanese productions I'd want to see brought over for an English production, it's either her as Rem or Teppei Koike as L. Or Takeshi Kaga as Soichiro. Okay maybe I just love the whole 2015 cast.
