Bandai Namco has recently been getting called out for the voice acting in Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections, causing the voice actors to demand some answers from the company. The fighting game Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections was officially released on November 17 and as the Naruto fans keep entering the game, they keep coming up with even more questions that need to be answered about the game’s voice acting and why it’s so strange.
One clip featured a scene in the game in which Naruto’s voice entirely changed in the middle of the sentence when he said “wake you up.” In response to this clip, voice actress Maile Flanagan stated that she doesn’t recall saying that line like that in the recording booth. She further claimed that she, as well as, the voice directors wouldn’t find this acceptable either.
She said on her X/Twitter account, "I can guarantee I did not say that line that way. What’s that from? And I guarantee no voice director of Naruto or the games would have me do that in that way." As it turns out, Flanagan wasn’t the only voice actor who spoke up regarding this issue.
Michael Schwalbe, the voice actor who played Kawaki in Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections also replied to a similar post that seemed to have criticized the voiceover of one of his lines. The post claimed that the voiceover made it sound like the actors had absolutely zero context as to what they were saying. On his X/Twitter account, Schwalbe said:
You've got good ears, we weren't. They give you a list of lines and we go down the page and do two takes each, and it might say 'final attack', 'small pain', 'attacking'. But I swear to god I do not remember this being the line for that attack because there's ain't no way I'd do myself like that.
The voice actor also replied to a post from X user Storm Master, who placed one more clip beside the previous fighting game Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4. The attacks that can be seen are the same, but there’s a weird shift in the voiceover in Connections, where the character says “god” but it sounds like he said “gahd.” Schwalbe stated in another post:
Okay, this needs an explanation as soon as possible. I sent a couple of these clips to a friend. He ran the audio through an AI detection programme and look at the results. First is "wake you up", then "power of ghad". This is a union game. Generative AI use is supposed to be forbidden.
However, there’s no way to confirm that Bandai Namco used AI while developing voiceovers for Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections. One of the voice actors claiming that the company did use AI can be a serious accusation and Bandai Namco hasn’t yet made a comment on this situation.
What is Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections about?
Developed by Bandai Namco, Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is an action and fighting video game that’s quite popular among Naruto fans. The game features some exciting fast-paced Ninja battles and two different story modes. Players get to choose their character from more than 130 playable character options to battle in epic ninja battles.
On top of an enhanced network battle experience, the game’s latest Simple mode gives players the opportunity to easily perform a wide range of ninjutsu combos. Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is the perfect game for both beginners and experts, allowing them to enjoy heated fights with their beloved ninjas.
