Forum - View topicNEWS: 80% of Seiyū Take Part-Time Jobs to Make Ends Meet
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Mistypearl
 Posts: 517 |
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Interesting information, thanks
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sunflowerseed
 Posts: 106 Location: South Texas |
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I have noticed on researching who is talking in a show that a lot of the same actors do the same shows together for the same company. It seems lots of them in Japan who do popular Anime shows are in with the company already. The shows looked up you see the same key 4 or 5 voice actors doing all the leading parts again and again.
So it seems they are the lucky ones with contracts or working with the voice actor agency who has the contracts with the Anime Studios. Seems to me there are a lot of Real Life shows from other countries that still need dubbing in Japan, so a lot of the left out ones could still get work. |
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fxg97873
 Posts: 211 Location: Houston, TX |
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I wonder what kind of jobs they take on?
Perhaps small theater, store promotional appearances, and other field related activities? Maybe also service and hospitality industry jobs such as restaurants, hotels or even Maid Cafes?! mk2000 |
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Nebs
 Posts: 386 Location: University of Illinois |
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As anime conventions have taught me, many American anime voice actors also work part time jobs to support themselves & their families. A VA is considered lucky if they have enough roles available to them to work just as that. Though there are many actors like Steve Blum & Yuri Lowenthal who do just fine with voice over work alone.
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RedHotFunk
 Posts: 67 Location: Ontario |
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VAs in North America also tend to put food on the table by crossing over to other markets, like the video game industry. Voice acting in video games pays a lot more then Anime, as the market is much more lucrative here (though I cannot say overseas in Japan).
With Seiyu, I've noticed a few actually do singing for songs within whatever series they take roles in. With that, I wonder if it would be wise for them to take part in singing? If you've got the whole idol thing going, it could make for quite the interesting career provided one can handle the stress. |
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penguintruth
 Posts: 8502 Location: Penguinopolis |
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I hate to think of Romi Paku working in a supermarket.
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animefan1254
 Posts: 15 Location: Northeast |
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also other tend to go in the media; commercaials, radio, other TV shows and things of that nature. it is hard to be a VA in these times hopefully things will smooth out in the coming years. |
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Kit-Tsukasa
Posts: 930 |
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If anything, Japan releases far more games with voice acting than the US. Many seiyuus I think will take up either singing along with their seiyuu role (like Rie Kugimiya, Rie Tanaka, Aya Hirano, Nana Mizuki, etc...). Others probably are trying to take up acting roles since its the next easiest department based on their given talent. As for others, I don't know what other jobs could be available. |
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senbei
 Posts: 16 |
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Isn't this the same as with manga-kas?
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enurtsol
 Posts: 14889 |
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So, just like any aspiring actor.
Heh, I actually knew about this already. There also was a now-defunct website that put out figures about the Japanese anime industry (can't recall the URL at the moment). There's the reason why seiyuu have to sing theme songs to sell CDs and pose for merchandise. They need the extra money (same boat as Japanese animators). The anime/manga industry doesn't pay well generally unless you're a superstar like Rumiko Takahashi (or like Naoko Takeuchi was).
Though that's changing as game innovation has shifted to the West, where the pay is still better.
There doesn't seem to be many crossovers though as once you're ghetto-ized in Japan as an anime seiyuu, you don't get to move on to the much more lucrative live-action TV career. Last edited by enurtsol on Tue Jan 06, 2009 12:40 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Murasakisuishou
 Posts: 1469 Location: NE Ohio |
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-chokes on beverage laughing at the mental image- I could so see her being a singing waitress at a bar somewhere, though...or maybe that's just 'cause of what I picture every time I listen to Kasabuta. Although I think she's actually a stage actress or something in her spare time. -shrug- |
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bayoab
Posts: 831 |
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Some of them are very public about what side jobs they work. Shirashi Minoru (from Lucky Star and many other things) frequently mentions that he works in a CoCo's (a family restaurant) and one other job which I am blanking on. |
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Calathan
 SubscriberPosts: 9113 |
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Zac, I really have no clue what you are talking about here. I'm thinking we interpreted Chan Wai's comment totally differently or something (he obviously didn't say much). When I read the article, I thought it was pretty sad too. I mean, 80,000 people at any one time dream of becoming seiyū, but only a tiny fraction of those ever succeed. Of those, only 10% ever really make it not even to the point of being famous, but just to the point of being able to support themselves from that profession. Furthermore, I find it sad that many of the people who make the shows I love can't manage to make a living off of it. Now, mind you, I know that most voice actors have to do other work to make a living, and I know that the economics of the anime industry would never allow for all seiyū and American voice actors to be well paid, and I know many of these people are probably thrilled that they even got the chance to work on anime, but still in my ideal world everyone who works on anime (or at least those who do a decent job at it) would be well paid, and I can't help but feel sad that they aren't. I think you are too much of a realist (or perhaps I just don't understand your comment). |
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GeneralArrow
 Posts: 225 Location: United States |
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IMO people generally take this job because they consider it fun. Not because it pays well.
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enurtsol
Posts: 14889 |
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More fun than a nurse, I suppose.... 
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