Forum - View topic

Tales Of The Industry - Oyaji-san Leaves A Gift

As a Japanese who loves both Japan and America, I don't want to believe he is a 100 percent Japanese.

The thing that confused me most about this story was that it seemed to imply that voice actors are the more desirable convention guests ahead of key production members? Really?

Yep. Go to a convention and wander in to a panel for a director, producer or screenwriter; it'll be half full, unless the panel name says it's specifically about a current hit show they worked on (Gen Urobuchi notwithstanding). Japanese voice actors will do a little better.

US voice actors will pack the panel rooms 90% of the time. It's just what the audience apparently wants.

Ringggg! "Hello, is Bruce there?", she chimed for the umpteenth time. "OMG, didn't someone tell you......I hate to be the one to inform you about Bruce but I shall if you insist", I intoned in a somber voice. "What??" "Tell me!" she replied, voice lilting a full-note downward in anticipation of hearing news. "Bruce was involved in a traffic accident recently and is presently in the hospital recuperating. I'm not allowed to divulge any more info than this. He's likely going to be out for several days, in my opinion however."

After the crying stopped she hung up. That cheap shot was almost worth the 3 weeks of solitude. There we were, blissfully keying in coordinates onscreen as CAD professionals without psycho-social interruption. I informed my workstation co-worker that he was now officially dead. Expect no more calls from New York.

Of course there is no greater wrath than a woman scorned but that's a tale for another time. Factory clime......still do not miss it.
.

Quote:

Yep. Go to a convention and wander in to a panel for a director, producer or screenwriter; it'll be half full, unless the panel name says it's specifically about a current hit show they worked on (Gen Urobuchi notwithstanding). Japanese voice actors will do a little better. US voice actors will pack the panel rooms 90% of the time. It's just what the audience apparently wants.

I worked at Tekkoshocon and this question was brought up. The reason for the difference is the fact that since there's no language barrier with the English voice actors, the fans are able to connect with them better. With Japanese staff, you're pretty much reliant on an interpreter which causes some of the "moment" to be lost.

Not to mention that most casual fans will be watching dubbed anime over the hardcore ones that are strictly sub.

US voice actors will pack the panel rooms 90% of the time. It's just what the audience apparently wants.

“Did you know that in addition to being obsessed with model kits, he's a huge Japanese right-winger, who considers Japanese culture to be superior to all others? You should've heard the comments he was making downstairs!” I peered over my shoulder at him. He was an older dude, in his 50s or 60s, and I wondered if he was one of those extreme right-wing Japanese nationalists I'd heard about, the kind that drive down city streets with bullhorns telling people to dress more Japanese, and that they should've won the war.

I guess it's just that there's an overwhelming number of casual fans who either don't know who the Japanese guests even are, or are too impatient to sit through a translator-mediated panel, and don't talk about the con at all until the day it starts.

It's weird, though, because it seems like all I ever see is complaints that there aren't enough Japanese guests.

Maybe, just maybe, there should be a blacklist for guests who get too disruptive in a con, to ban them from all North American cons all together.

So, if a guest turns to their handler and says "I'm going to sign for two hours", they're going to do exactly that. If a guest says "I'm going to draw for everyone", they do exactly that. Yes, it is difficult on their handlers, convention staff and anyone else that has to modify that guest's schedule to deal with this request, however, upsetting the guest is the first and foremost thing that conventions want to avoid. They don't want to risk the potential fallout from that person returning to Japan and talking about their 'poor treatment' could have on their con. This is especially true when it concerns big name guests.

So, in response to your statement, it is very much ok for a guest to blow off their schedule. Short of a criminal action, they can do whatever they want.

Maybe, just maybe, there should be a blacklist for guests who get too disruptive in a con, to ban them from all North American cons all together. It's obvious a guest of this caliber won't care in the end, but I think it's the most a con could do that is both possibly damaging for the guest in terms of reputation and not excessive like legal action. From what I've read so far, I think everybody would be happy in the end. Well, except the diehard fans of that guest.

It's weird, though, because it seems like all I ever see is complaints that there aren't enough Japanese guests. Going by the likes on Fanime's guests page, the Japanese guests seem a lot more popular (Ai Nonaka has almost 3 times as many as the most popular American guest). I guess it's just that there's an overwhelming number of casual fans who either don't know who the Japanese guests even are, or are too impatient to sit through a translator-mediated panel, and don't talk about the con at all until the day it starts.

As for types of guests, the simple fact is that most fans don't know NAMES of guests (actors are generally better promoted/promoters, so therefore better known by name). Also, Shirobako not withstanding, many people frankly don't know what most of the staff of an anime DOES (and therefore why they should care what they have to say).

By the way, the way autograph sessions work at Anime Expo (well, how it works now--I've never been to one until the 2014 one) is that you buy a numbered ticket in advance, then wait at the autograph area until that person's time begins. Then, people with tickets within a certain number range are admitted in bit by bit. They only sell a number of tickets based on the estimated amount of autographs that guest can do in the time they're given.

Since a con-goer purchases something, he or she is legally guaranteed compensation. If the con-goer does not get his or her money back or given something of equivalent monetary value, he or she can sue over it.