Sugoi-Con - Matt K. Miller

	Tenchi Masaki nearly was James Bond Jr. That's what fans at Sugoi-Con learned from Matt K. Miller, the actor who performs the English-language version of the lead male character from the Tenchi-Muyo series. Miller (left) appeared on a panel discussion with Doug Smith, artist and actor. A couple of years before he got the Tenchi role, Miller auditioned for the lead role in the short-lived James Bond Jr. animated cartoon - and to her him say it, Miller nearly got the role. That led to some incidental roles and more auditions, and then the Tenchi lead role that lasted for seven years of dubs over 66 30-minute episodes and three movies.
	Some voice actors always sound like their characters, but not Miller. His regular speaking voice is pitched far lower than the adolescent Tenchi voice. "It becomes second nature to you, even months later," Miller said about voicing Masaki. He has a secret to generating those energetic performances: in the recording booth, Miller absolutely must have a water bottle and something to fidget with, usually a paper clip.
	One fan tossed the sub-versus-dub question at Miller. "It's just a matter of preferences," Miller answered. "I hope we do a good English version and there are no jarring inconsistencies." Making the dubs work requires someone who knows how to write a decent script, such as Jack Fletcher, who worked on the Tenchi scripts (and other dubs considered among the best in the industry). Even so, the actors still need to make the script fit in the limited time offered by the original animation - and talking fast doesn't always work.
	The Tenchi characters have been treated as a reperatory troupe of actors by AIC, the production company which has made several separate Tenchi series with the same characters but different continuities. Will there be more Tenchi in the future? Miller isn't the closest person to the situation, but he said he's heard there may not be any more Tenchi series.

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