User blog comment:Lemursrule/BLEACH episode 305 review...and now for something completely different/@comment-3344282-20110122104042

I really don´t mean to offend you, but I think evaluating the acting ability of the original japanese voice actors (as well as the quality of their script) is really difficult if you are not a native speaker, or at least have thorough knowledge of the language and culture. Therefore I think it is quite possible that you might underestimate the ability of Kaya pulling off emotional scenes because you will not get all the nuances which may be hidden between the lines.

I totally agree that Rangiku is the most emotionally complex character in Bleach, given her past and present situation. And Megan captures this quite well in the dub - for a western audience, that is. But the mentality of our western audience is quite different from the original one - it may be interesting to look up a japanese bleach fansite and see what they have to say about the quality of the original actors.

Also, don´t forget that Bleach is a mainstream series which is running for a decade now. The quality of the script and animation varies constantly, which is especially true for the filler episodes, some of which are almost insultingly bad. Over the years I imagine the staff behind the scenes has changed a lot, as well as their dedication for quality. Given the popularity of the series, it almost doesn´t matter if a single episode is good or bad, the fans will watch it anyway and eagerly wait for the next one.

Ah, one last point: personally I do not picture Rangiku as a woman in her early 20´s, but rather more adult. So I think the mature voice of Kaya fits her character quite well. As for emotion, the lack of it might well represent her responsible position (if there is a lack of at all, see above). Actually, she is required to hold it together. Knowing her past, I think that her lewd personality and affection for sake are mostly a facade to disguise her true feelings.

That being said, let´s wait for the upcoming act in the anime when you-know-what will happen, and how (and if) it will be a convincing appearance.