I actually do not have any insight into that, since I don't deal with the dub end of things! I suspect it may simply be a matter of what the voice director wants, or thinks is appropriate for the character*. I don't know whether the client (i.e. the Japan end of things) gets final word on voices, the way they get final word on the dialogue and direction of things.
I am actually the other way around and find a lot of Japanese voice actresses to have incredibly grating voices. (I actually complained about this a while back, while I was subtitling "Dragon Drive"! And then someone responded to say "Yes, I hate it when American voice actors have annoying voices"! Way to not pay attention to what I was saying, chica!**)
I also tend to be a fan of the more boyish voice actresses, so probably it is some residual tomboy thing coloring my perception.
*By "appropriate", I mean... in Japan, higher-pitched voices = cute, whereas in the US it might be perceived as "infantilism, kind of creepy to hear a grown woman talk like that". Compare Tara Strong playing Bubbles to Tara Strong playing Princess Clara or Toot Braustein on "Drawn Together". Or even her voice as Gwen Tennyson from "Ben 10" or Sari from "Transformers Animated" or OH GOD WHY DO I HAVE THE VOICE CAST FROM SO MANY CARTOON NETWORK SHOWS MEMORIZED
*sob*
I also get the impression that the companies that import and dub the anime tend to have stables of voice actors that they draw from, so you see the same voices often. Depending on where the anime is being dubbed, a voice director might be limited in his or her options in that sense.
e.g. Scott McNeil (one of my favorite Transformers voice actors) was in "Transformers: Beast Wars" and "Transformers: Beast Machines", which were recorded in Canada...but he wasn't able to be in "Transformers: Animated" which was made in the US. Even though they imported his character from Beast Wars into the Animated-verse. It made me full of sadness.
**Edited to add: You don't have said chica on your friends list, but on the off-chance that she sees this and recognizes herself... Please imagine me saying the above in a jocular manner!
no subject
I am actually the other way around and find a lot of Japanese voice actresses to have incredibly grating voices. (I actually complained about this a while back, while I was subtitling "Dragon Drive"! And then someone responded to say "Yes, I hate it when American voice actors have annoying voices"! Way to not pay attention to what I was saying, chica!**)
I also tend to be a fan of the more boyish voice actresses, so probably it is some residual tomboy thing coloring my perception.
*By "appropriate", I mean... in Japan, higher-pitched voices = cute, whereas in the US it might be perceived as "infantilism, kind of creepy to hear a grown woman talk like that". Compare Tara Strong playing Bubbles to Tara Strong playing Princess Clara or Toot Braustein on "Drawn Together". Or even her voice as Gwen Tennyson from "Ben 10" or Sari from "Transformers Animated" or OH GOD WHY DO I HAVE THE VOICE CAST FROM SO MANY CARTOON NETWORK SHOWS MEMORIZED
*sob*
I also get the impression that the companies that import and dub the anime tend to have stables of voice actors that they draw from, so you see the same voices often. Depending on where the anime is being dubbed, a voice director might be limited in his or her options in that sense.
e.g. Scott McNeil (one of my favorite Transformers voice actors) was in "Transformers: Beast Wars" and "Transformers: Beast Machines", which were recorded in Canada...but he wasn't able to be in "Transformers: Animated" which was made in the US. Even though they imported his character from Beast Wars into the Animated-verse. It made me full of sadness.
**Edited to add: You don't have said chica on your friends list, but on the off-chance that she sees this and recognizes herself... Please imagine me saying the above in a jocular manner!