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NEWS: Voice Actor David Wald Leaves Role as Gajeel in Fairy Tail, Will Not Return to Crunchyroll Fol


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Flash33



Joined: 06 Jun 2024
Posts: 71
Location: Florida
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 1:26 pm Reply with quote
Sad to hear he won't be returning as Gajeel but assuming CR management did indeed open his packages without his permission not only is that very scummy but also illegal from my understanding. If he has enough evidence then he could potentially sue CR for this since according to comments mail theft is not something companies like the USPS take lightly. It's also possible they did this to other employees too without their knowledge, so it could not just be David that's a victim in all of this.
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FanGamer24



Joined: 10 Apr 2024
Posts: 90
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 1:28 pm Reply with quote
I mean it seems weird that it only happened to him. I personally don't buy it, just seems unlikely that such a serious crime would occur and go unnoticed for years.
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tboy1992



Joined: 13 Sep 2020
Posts: 7
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 1:35 pm Reply with quote
As much as I'm going to be sad with David Wald not appearing in Crunchyroll dubs anymore (especially Gajeel), it's pretty much clear that the damage has long been done regarding the bullshit with Crunchyroll. He made the right call in leaving a toxic and possibly illegal situation. I hope that he continues to work with other companies. Crunchyroll really dropped the ball with this one.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is not a separate incident because for this to go on for over five years is just wild to hear.
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malvarez1



Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 2102
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 1:45 pm Reply with quote
It stinks, but I’m glad he’s setting up boundaries.
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el_morris



Joined: 09 May 2018
Posts: 267
Location: Tijuana, México
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 2:06 pm Reply with quote
I would like an investigation inside the company towards behaviors like this. And again this man, if he's sure on what he is saying and has evidence on this, he can file a lawsuit versus Crunchyroll, but all he has done so far is only ventilate what happened which for me is not enough.
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Flash33



Joined: 06 Jun 2024
Posts: 71
Location: Florida
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 2:09 pm Reply with quote
FanGamer24 wrote:
I mean it seems weird that it only happened to him. I personally don't buy it, just seems unlikely that such a serious crime would occur and go unnoticed for years.

With large companies like CR it's not all that surprising or unusual that a major issue wouldn't go public or would go unreported for years for various reasons. Maybe other people this happened to have attempted to bring this up with management before and nothing else was done to address it either because they didn't want to lose their jobs and/or because it stopped happening to them so they felt like it wasn't their problem anymore. It's also possible people who saw this happen didn't report it because it wasn't happening to them and/or saw no issue with it.

We don't know all the details, and we also don't know if it only happened to him or not, but assuming it wasn't then usually a high profile/well known public figure speaking openly about an issue encourages others to do the same. We'll just have to wait and see if more people come forward in the future and if David and/or someone else actually files a lawsuit against CR for this.
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penguintruth



Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Posts: 8500
Location: Penguinopolis
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 2:20 pm Reply with quote
I don't blame him for a second. Shame on Crunchyroll. They're always finding new ways to screw up. It makes me not want to buy official releases, and my money has gone into quite a few over time. But I will be reluctant to spend on Crunchyroll products in the future.
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MyMasterMatthew



Joined: 16 Nov 2008
Posts: 180
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 2:21 pm Reply with quote
I wish there was a way to hold Crunchyroll accountable for all the shit they've pulled in recent years, but like elections, it feels like there's nothing one person can do that makes a difference. It's hard to hit a company where it hurts without massive coordination, and I don't think most people care enough.

  • The employees are given crap pay.
  • The company is so anti-union that they'll throw people under the bus for something as simple as requesting a meeting.
  • They've made it clear that AI will be the future for their subtitles.
  • They rarely fix subtitle errors unless it goes viral (I've been trying for almost 2 years to get them to fix the Bilibili subs used for Link Click S1, and each time, I've been told the team is notified, but nothing ever happens).
  • Price increases...
  • They seem unwilling (in most cases) to accommodate voice actors who can't travel to the studio... even though the pandemic showed it's possible to do that...
  • They've discontinued services, perks, and features that made Crunchyroll unique - no more user reviews, no more comment section, very few (if any) free episodes are offered these days.
  • When it comes to delivering fan mail, the company is either grossly incompetent, completely oblivious, or just doesn't care.


Such a toxic company, and yet, there aren't many alternatives if you're an anime fan who wants to support the industry.
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MarshalBanana



Joined: 31 Aug 2014
Posts: 5504
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 2:35 pm Reply with quote
I hope he doesn't have to retire from voice acting because of this. When it says Crunchyroll, does this meant eh streaming service, or the company formally called Funimation? I'm not always sure when one ends and the other begins.
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RommieSG



Joined: 10 Feb 2004
Posts: 147
Location: Hokuei High School
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 2:35 pm Reply with quote
This situation has been exposed since October 25, at least here on ANN. In the last 17 days, has there been anyone else coming forward with this happening to them? I'm with previous posters on this, you'd think if this was happening to him, it was happening to others and they would speak up.

I think the only reason that anyone wouldn't speak up in support would be for fear of their own jobs.
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Kougeru



Joined: 13 May 2008
Posts: 5578
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 2:42 pm Reply with quote
Sounds like he's retiring from voice acting then, given nearly all his roles were through CR.

As for the concerns suggesting that since it only happened to him he must be lying.... I don't think so. He very well may have been targeted. We can't really say one or the other way
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Key
Moderator


Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18443
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 2:53 pm Reply with quote
MyMasterMatthew wrote:
I wish there was a way to hold Crunchyroll accountable for all the shit they've pulled in recent years, but like elections, it feels like there's nothing one person can do that makes a difference. It's hard to hit a company where it hurts without massive coordination, and I don't think most people care enough.

  • Price increases...


Some of the other points you bring up are valid, but don't think it's fair to include this point among them when periodic price increases are pretty much the norm for the streaming industry; anyone who thinks prices will always remain the same for these services is being unrealistic. Now, if the recent price increase were above and beyond what other major streaming services have done in the last year, that'd be a different story, but I haven't seen that.

Kougeru wrote:
Sounds like he's retiring from voice acting then, given nearly all his roles were through CR.

Pretty sure DanMachi isn't a CR dub, since that's a Sentai title.
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pirateaddict
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Joined: 20 Dec 2017
Posts: 202
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 2:56 pm Reply with quote
I'm so disappointed and sad that David felt he had no other choice, other VAs have spoken up and supported his stance and have spoken of their own issues with CR. I don't doubt for a second that what David has spoken of is the truth, as to whether he was the only one targeted or whether there are others I doubt we'll know unless they also speak up. Shame on CR for not dealing with this sooner.
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4625
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 3:35 pm Reply with quote
I can see a scenario where it was happening to other people, and they didn't know. It sounds like David only found out because he happened to talk to someone who sent him something and be able to verify it was sent. Fans, especially newer ones, tend to think voice actors work for places like Crunchryoll, and they might not think to look to see if the actor has their own place for fan mail. In that scenario, it would be even weirder if only David's mail didn't get delivered.

Not only would others have to feel comfortable speaking up about it, but they would have to know whether it even happened. As of right now, I don't think it's so much that it was happening to David specifically, and more that he is the only one so far to have something to make him think it happened.

I also have a hard time chalking it up to incompetence or a lack of a policy from above about it. How hard would it be to contact the intended recipient to come get it? Or if it keeps happening, then start returning mail to the sender. At some point, not doing a simple/obvious thing is a choice.

In the end, this is a really stupid way to lose access to someone who has been working with them for a very long time.
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Cardcaptor Takato



Joined: 27 Jan 2018
Posts: 5176
PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2024 3:39 pm Reply with quote
RommieSG wrote:
This situation has been exposed since October 25, at least here on ANN. In the last 17 days, has there been anyone else coming forward with this happening to them? I'm with previous posters on this, you'd think if this was happening to him, it was happening to others and they would speak up.

I think the only reason that anyone wouldn't speak up in support would be for fear of their own jobs.
This is the same company who harbored Vic Mignogna for decades knowing what he was going and y’all really be on here trying to accuse David Wald of lying based on nothing.
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