I had this problem with Kodomo no Jikan. I actually watched it before I read the manga, but then I started reading the manga, and hadn't watched the anime for over a year. Then when I watched a clip from it, it just felt weird...
I'm not really sure what to do about it, because I usually don't watch the anime for manga I read.
I prefer the Death Note manga, but the anime is good. The voices generally fit. L, in particular, is very good in both the original Japanese and the English dub, although there are some people who think he sounds a little deep/mature, with one person I know in particular who was at odds with the fact that he had a voice at all. Mileage always varies, though.
I find I don't read in voices, though, so it's not generally an issue with me.
edited 6th Nov '10 10:54:39 AM by elemcee
I generally go from anime to manga, especially in adapted series that aren't given Gecko Endings or anything. The one exception I can think of off the top of my head is High School Of The Dead, in which I loved pretty much everyone's voice — Hiyama Nobuyuki as Hirano Kohta, for gods' sake.
edited 6th Nov '10 11:49:19 AM by RedSavant
It's been fun.
Reverse the Curse
I thought this was going to be about a new moe series.
Tatsumi 'The Cat' Kazuki is a daring and brilliant criminal mastermind with a huge fanbase in Japan, so it's not surprising when a manga loosely based on him becomes successful enough to warrant an anime.
What is surprising is when the character designs come out and he turns out to have been replaced in this 'adaptation' by Mikazukin, a moeblob who will obviously do no favours for his reputation.
Using some magical science, he successfully pulls off his most astonishing caper yet; the theft of a fictional character into the real world.
The Cat and the Catgirl proceed to have wacky adventures for a few episodes, until who should show up but manga!Tatsumi. And with him, he brings a warning - taking concepts directly from the world of stories into reality has consequences. Consequences like suddenly attracting the attention of every fictional detective ever written, most of whom have over the years formed a sort of loose association with one another, the full might of which they now intend to devote to catching the real Cat!
Join The Cat, Mikazukin and Tatsumi-kun on their whirlwind adventure of fanservice, crime and explosions in Manga to Anime no Pet Peeve - and don't be surprised if a semi-incestuous love-triangle pops up along the way!
Like that.
... what, you'd rather I bitched on about the Samurai Deeper Kyo anime again?
edited 7th Nov '10 12:16:29 AM by FurikoMaru
A True Lady's Quest - A Jojo is You!
Fund it!
Consequences like suddenly attracting the attention of every fictional detective ever written, most of whom have over the years formed a sort of loose association with one another, the full might of which they now intend to devote to catching the real Cat!Oooo.
Yeah. Begin production immediately, please.
It's been fun.
Sounds like a very publishable concept, but...back on-topic! 
So, is there a way to cure this?
I'm glasses.
No. Same thing probably happens with any animated adaptation of anything written. Hell, the same thing probably happens to live-action movie adaptations of written things.
Also tell me what the Death Note voices sounded like in your head and then I'll tell you whether the voices in the English dub sounded anything like that (I never watched it subbed because the voice of dub L is the best thing ever, but I am planning to rewatch it in Japanese).
Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.
The funny thing is, it doesn't really happens with live-action movies, probably because books and film are two remotely different mediums than anime and manga. However, seeing a book adapted into a graphic novel (a la Artemis Fowl) is slightly strange.
I'll try the best that I can to tell what I imagine the Death Note character's voices.
Light: Normal, slightly high. Slightly similar to the potato chip meme (I ran out of the room when I heard it. I needed Brain Bleach to drain the voice from my head).
L: Normal, but more dull than Light.
Near: Sounds like a 10-year old boy, but dull and snarky like Ls.
Mello: Normal but slightly high (esspeically when he first appeared), with some bitterness and snarkness.
Misa: High, hyper, girly.
Rem: Sounds like a girl with a raspy, low voice.
Matsuda: Sounds like a hyper college student. 
Watari: British old man.
Notice that I don't render L's and Near's voices as Creepy Monotone, as they are describe as in the Death Note Character page.
That all that I can think of for now.
EDIT: I'm thinking of watching Death Note in subtitles, in Japanese. Should I turn the speakers off?
edited 6th Nov '10 7:37:44 PM by chihuahua0
I'm glasses.
That's stupid. The epic-as-shit soundtrack is like 25% of what makes the anime so awesome IMO. The Japanese voice acting is pretty good from what I've heard anyway so you might enjoy it. In English, at least, I know I had a great time hearing Light occasionally ham it up.
edited 6th Nov '10 7:51:59 PM by Sporkaganza
Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.
Watching it with the speakers off is just a bad idea. Why not just reread the manga again? You'll get the same experience — lots of text and silent pictures.
It's been fun.
Well, Ls voice is kind of deep (most like it but some find it too deep, as I said). Mello's voice is deeper than you seem to be imagining, too, as they wanted to further define him as male, apparently.
I Necro this thread!
So, I'm thinking of whipping out the headphones (so my sibling don't find out I'm watching it and start watching it to) and attempt to watch Death Note without cringing. Advice?
Góðberit Norðling
Watch the English Dub? 
Okay, sub or dub?
Góðberit Norðling
Dub. Do it or i will take a potato chip and...
... Marry it?
Why not sub?
'Cause the dub's better.
I'm glasses.
I've never watched the sub, so I don't know how it compares, but I've always liked the dub. The dub voice of L is absolutely perfect, in particular, but good performances all around.
Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember them, you are not alone.
I like the sub, too, though. I thought that Misa's voice in the dub didn't live up to her voice in the sub. Most of the dub voices were spot on, though.
Necro O Doom! BOOM!
...So, I'm watching Ouran High School Host Club right now (in the middle of the first episode), because it seem interesting. I fear that from just reading about an anime, I would start to develop voices for each character and...so I'm also thinking about watching Haruhi Suzumiya too, since I been skimming over my friend's copy of the manga adapation at lunch.
Also, if the name for this condition doesn't already exist, I called it "Adaptation Voice Dissonance".
...and I just decided to jump into Haruhi Suzumiya before it was too late. So far, no cringing. Maybe it's just when I decide to watch an anime adapatation of a manga that I had read for a long time.
Sorry if this is the wrong sub-forum or if there is already a thread about this:
I have this strange pet peeve concerning manga and anime. When I read manga for a long time and then watch the anime adaption, every character's voices sound wierd and awkward. Maybe because what I imagine each character voice to be right is already etched into my mind. When I watched an episode of Dragon Ball Z after reading the manga for several volumes, I could hardly stand it. However, I didn't have the same problem with Bobobo-Bobobobobo because I only read it for a few chapters (Beauty's voice seemed too high but I got over that quick).
Because of this pet peeve, I am afraid to watch the Death Note anime. Does anyone else have this problem, and is there a way to treat it?