After watching three seasons of Trick, some Dragon Zakura, and many misc movies I can say that Hiroshi Abe is, IMHO, the most hilarious mainstream Japanese actor. But what is up with his accent? I can barely understand a word that comes out of his mouth, but I his presence is so commanding that he cracks me up anyway.

Does anyone know which specific accent he speaks with?

*EDIT*

Added thecite's Hiroshi Abe audio collection to megaupload. Free Abe for everybody!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z0AATEQ6

Enjoy

I don't think it's so much about whether or not he has an accent, it is more about the fact that the way he speaks is strictly by mumbling. I know Japanese friends that can sometimes have a few problems understanding him.

I'm not an expert, but to me he seems to speak in clean, perfectly unaccented Japanese, but with the stylistically dramatized consonants of a voice actor playing a rough, masculine character.

@OP

I know what you mean. I didn't even think he was Japanese the first time I saw him. When I heard him speak I figured he must be foreign or something.

Huh? To me he sounds perfectly normal!
And I like him a lot as an actor

I think his accent is perfectly natural, but I know what you mean.
I've dedicated a great deal of time to mastering Abe's voice.
I went through all 3 seasons of Trick, Dragon Zakura, Kekkon Dekinai Otoko, 6 eps of Shinzanmono and a variety of other stuff, recorded every time Abe spoke, then stuck them all in a playlist in iTunes and listened to it for a month.

Now I have him mastered.

I think he sounds like Scooby Doo sometimes. "Ruuhh-roh!"

I can't put my finger on his accent, but it's certainly more than just the mumbling that stands out. I guess maybe he's like a Sean Connery or a Christopher Walken, one of those actors whose accents are entirely unique.

*EDIT* Thecite, I don't suppose you'd mind sharing any of that audio through a file-hosting site, wouldja?

He certainly alters his voice depending on the character.

Sure, you can have the audio:
http://rapidshare.com/files/409536829/Ultimate_Abe.zip

5 hours of pure Abe goodness.
BTW, the Trick audio is really quiet compared to the rest, so you might want to stick them in a different playlist when you find them.

Thanks

I am seriously debating trying to master his voice using what you have given me by devoting the next month and a half or more to it. But I would really love to hear a small 1 minute audio sample or so to see how you managed to do it.

Yonosa Wrote:I am seriously debating trying to master his voice using what you have given me by devoting the next month and a half or more to it. But I would really love to hear a small 1 minute audio sample or so to see how you managed to do it.

Huh? By 'master', I simply meant comprehend. I can understand anything he says now. I'm not trying to do an impression of him or anything (although I do mumble like he does )
If you want to sound like Abe, it's pretty easy. Just mumble incessantly in a really manly Japanese voice.

Sorry, it did sound pretty ambiguous.

I like his accent a lot, never thought it was that strange tho. Thanks for the audio..

It's the contemporary Tokyo accent with a bit of stuffy nose.

thecite Wrote:Sure, you can have the audio:
http://rapidshare.com/files/409536829/Ultimate_Abe.zip

5 hours of pure Abe goodness.

Quote:ERROR

This file is neither allocated to a Premium Account, and can therefore only be downloaded 10 times.

This limit is reached.

To download this file, the uploader either needs to upload the file again or first log in to his/her Premium Account and then upload the file again. The uploader just needs to click the delete link of the file to get further information.

pleeeeeeease?　お願いします。

gfb345 Wrote:pleeeeeeease?　お願いします。

Here, I uploaded it again:
http://rapidshare.com/files/409922633/Abe.zip

Enjoy.

thecite Wrote:

gfb345 Wrote:pleeeeeeease?　お願いします。

Here, I uploaded it again:
http://rapidshare.com/files/409922633/Abe.zip

Enjoy.

どうもありがとう！

Alright folks, I used my megaupload account to host thecite's Abe audio. Free Abe for everybody!

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z0AATEQ6

Enjoy

THX for the audio. I heard some of the clips from kekkon dekinai otoko and i just love how the other characters are cut out... the second they start talking. i frikin hated all of them (especially michiru). that show was really boring and not funny so i didn't finish it. BUT I like abe hiroshi so i don't mind listening to him.