Forum - View topicINTEREST: Funimation Voice Actors Discuss Discrimination Against Asian American Talent
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Kusakabe
Posts: 95 |
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So much respect for these actors! There's no reason why there shouldn't be asian actors in cartoons about ASIAN people. It's great seeing them showing up as much as they have. They're so great <33
This is a bit of a tangent, I defend the casting of A list actors in Ghbli films however. The Japanese casts are also typically film actors, are they not? So why shouldn't that carry over? I don't really like the attitude that people should only stay in their lanes. |
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taster of pork
 Posts: 594 Location: My House |
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If they can get “qualified,” Asian voice actors to voice Asian Characters then they should make the effort. But every time the subject of Characters should only be voiced by some someone who’s the same race I often think that no one complains about Phil LaMarr doing the voice of Samurai Jack
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MFrontier
Posts: 11178 |
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I'm just thinking of the dub for Only Yesterday where Dev Patel plays a rural Japanese farmer with a British accent... |
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El Hermano
 Posts: 450 Location: Texas |
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A lot of people did when Phil LaMarr made a statement on certain cartoons replacing white voice actors with black voice actors like Cleveland from Family Guy, but he said it wasn't applicable to him because he was black and not white so him playing an Asian character was fine. So I guess it depends if the issue is about casting actors accurate to the character of it's just about having less white people in the industry. I grew up on Spanish dubs for all kinds of shows myself and no one really said anything about Homer Simpson or Son Goku being voiced by Mexican actors. |
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iamthevastuniverse
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I've seen their VO work I consider them to be run of the mill performers but If they're truly good enough actors then their current performances may earn them more roles in the medium down the line only time will tell.
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FireChick
 Subscriber Posts: 2390 Location: United States |
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Apparently the actual article twisted things in ways the voice actors didn't intend, as Emi Lo says in her tweets here: https://twitter.com/KitsuneSqueak/status/1397688896536842240
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Cutiebunny
 Posts: 1747 |
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While I think it's strange that any company, especially one located in a predominantly cosmopolitan area with a multiracial populace, doesn't have a workforce that reflects this, I've never watched a dub and asked myself what ethnicities are voicing which roles. TBH, I don't care. I watch for the story. I want whomever is cast to do a good job in whatever role they're playing.
It wouldn't bother me to see any person of any ethnicity or sexual preference as Black Widow, Captain America, any Disney Princess, etc. as long as they can do a good job as that character. It feels strange to even need to say this in 2021. That being said, for those that are bothered by the lack of diversity, simply don't support the product. Don't subscribe to services or buy movies until you feel that the studio more accurately reflects how you feel. And yes, it also feels strange to even need to say this in 2021. |
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coates32
 Subscriber Posts: 44 Location: USA |
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I agree with what you said regarding the voice casting. While I would always will support opportunities for diverse voice casting, I still think it is important that voice casting should remain color blind. For one thing, without color-blind casting, it would be considerably more difficult to encourage diverse casting. And second, it would be pretty stupid and regressive to expect a voice actor to only characters of their own race. If the industry starts going down the insanity of only voice actors voice characters that match their race, then I'll just stick to manga. This whole movement of enforcing "race-accurate voice casting" is irritating and problematic, and needs to go away. |
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Cutiebunny
Posts: 1747 |
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I think there are two issues here. The first issue is that the industry, as a whole, needs to reflect a more multicultural world than it does. This has been said for years and I agree. I would love to see some more Asian men cast as love interests in Hollywood movies. I would love to see more LBTQ+ representation but as many countries that have a large consumer market, like China, edit/ban media showing these relationships, this may be a hard sell for Hollywood. China's handling of the recent Friends reunion was quite telling on this matter. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57277952 (If you're curious about the Friends special in China) The second issue is that if we expect animated characters to be voiced by the same race that the character they're playing represents, will more harm than good come from characters having to express their race, preferred gender, sexual preferences, etc. at some point during the animated feature or season? And, in the case of characters like Homer Simpson or Bob Belcher from "Bob's Burgers", why can't they be anyone? Part of the beauty of characters like Homer is that they might remind you of people you know. I get that people want to see characters that reflect how they look and feel. I was like this when I was 5 and wanted to see more redheads in my cartoons. But at some point, don't we as adults mature to where we don't need our TV and movie heroes to be our perfect reflection? Personally I find the idea of needing to have more characters that share my looks and beliefs to be limiting. I'd rather appreciate everyone, in all shapes and forms, as my heroes. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15305 |
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Bunny: They tried casting Henry Golding as a romantic lead in Last Christmas, and it tanked. Maybe he'll be luckier with Snake Eyes, but my point about consumer loyalty still stands.
Edit: It tanked here, but made global box office. My bad. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt8623904/?ref_=bo_se_r_1 Last edited by GATSU on Sat May 29, 2021 10:16 am; edited 1 time in total |
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DavetheUsher
 Posts: 505 |
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This is more about Asian Americans than native Japan. Japan doesn't care who other countries cast in their works. Which is probably for the best. Trying to appease Asian-Americans and Japan would be a tricky thing to do. Just look at how badly Hollywoods been doing with balancing appealing to Asian Americans and China with films like Shang Chi and Eternals. Dubbing studios have an easy job to fix this by comparison since all they have to do is cast more Asian actors and not worry what Japan would think. |
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Haterater
 Posts: 1727 |
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I would like to think of just giving minorities more of shot in that region, not necessary having 1:1 ratio, especially if its not feasible. Just helping them get well know and the likes. Even a lesser version, not having too many of one actor, like "Troy Baker" for example, do everything. |
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Whitestrider
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The reason why some voice actor "do everything" is that they are either good, popular or both, just like hollywood actors.
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Kusakabe
Posts: 95 |
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As opposed to a rural Japanese farmer with an American accent?
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Haterater
Posts: 1727 |
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Which is a shame, especially if they only let them do "The" voice and not even get the actor to do other ranges. I remember back in the day so many complained about that. Many big companies don't want to take a chance. Always respect the ones that do or like The Simpsons, Hank Azaria stepping down and giving others to do some of his roles. |
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