Forum - View topicAnime News Nina! - 09-10-08
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Yuxing
Posts: 25 |
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Well... I'm a huge (Japanese) seiyuu fan myself. In fact, my seiyuu obsession is much greater than my anime obsession, so I can understand why so many people would line up to meet a VA.
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Nei
Posts: 24 |
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I think the language barrier IS a big difference. Because at the end of the day, the autograph or picture is just a marker of the experience. What you remember is the communication. You can actually chat with an American VA about aspects of a show or the industry even while in an autograph line. Otoh, I voiced to Mamoru Yokota (Death Note, chara design Rune Soldier manga) that I was disappointed the English adaptation of RS manga was never finished here and I have no idea if the translator (if she even was his translator) conveyed the message, Didn't seem like it. Dead, awkward air. Best parts of the whole exchange was he seemed genuinely excited someone had brought him something other than Death Note to sign, and he sketched Louie as part of his autograph (which illciited a true fangirl moment from me). Ended on a great note, but otherwise kinda frustrating. I'm sure it is for the Japenese guests too who speak no English.
As others have also alluded to, the sheer number of workers in the Japanese industry greatly reduces the number of people a big chunk of oversees fans would get excited over. Who they'd even recognize in person. On the flipside, while some fans complain about having only a handful of American VAs working over and over again, it does easily breed familiarity. And then those VAs start doing scripting and directing. Three industry angles for the price of one. In more ways than one. The non-actors analogy was good one. Unless you do culture-changing work, how many American directors get name recognition? And they're high up on the food chain. How about script writers? Let's name five famous Western theatrical composers other than John Williams. And so on. Nei |
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sena_h_dei
 Posts: 32 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada |
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Power Rangers!!! Yay, I get some praise! . . . Yeah, I'm a weirdo. Sidenote: New show out called Flashpoint has the chick that played the pink Power Ranger in it. |
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mrsatan
 Posts: 911 Location: Olympia, WA, USA |
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Huh, this is what an anime con is like? I'm not really a "con" person; I hate crowds.
Strangely, this cartoon sort of makes me want to go to one. It makes it seem like I might actually have time to talk with the creators at some length. I never watch dubs, so I could care less about some guy that did the dub voice of some flavor-of-the-month-anime that I never saw in the first place. I've been to a Star Trek convention once and there were armed guards that would beat you down if you even thought about asking Mr. Shatner for an autograph. When I lived in Japan, Leiji Matsumoto came to speak at the local Science Museum once and you weren't supposed to talk to him either. Don't know if that's normal there or not. |
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sdsyukichan
 Posts: 93 Location: Ontario, Canada |
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This is so true, it's kind of sad....
Generally, when I go to a con and there's xxx manga artist there, if I'm interested in their stuff, I'll go. However, the only VAs we get here are dub actors, and I don't watch enough dubs to even know who does what. If we had some Japanese VAs come in (ones that I'm interested in, anyways) I would check those out in a heartbeat. It seems that the US gets everything I want to see (I regret missing Hidenobu Kiuchi the most.... *sigh*. |
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mrsatan
Posts: 911 Location: Olympia, WA, USA |
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I guess that's the other part of it. Sakuracon (the con closest to me that I've considered going to, but can never get any friends into going with me...) does get Japanese talent, but they're usually from the newer anime that I'm not familiar with. (I guess I'm mostly into '80s stuff.) I'll even look through the guests' entire filmography to check to see if I've seen anything they've done. But I can't fault them for doing that because probably nobody else in the Pacific Northwest but me cares about Mobile Suit Gundam seiyu. |
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MorwenLaicoriel
 Posts: 1617 Location: Colorado |
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YES. Either of these! Also, honestly? I'm going to NDK--the "Colorado con" that's hosting those Japanese voice actors--and I'd be happy to meet them, but...I'm not really familiar with their work much at all. ^^' So that might be one reason why I might not wait a long time in line to see them. |
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tsukikage
 Posts: 68 Location: Champaign, IL |
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This is just making me more excited to meet ABe this month.
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Richard J.
 Posts: 3367 Location: Sic Semper Tyrannis. |
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We've clearly got more than a few very insecure sub fans on this thread! I just love the "it's sad" comments and the faux "surprise" at the popularity of English dubs.
Oh my sweet lord! There are anime fans who -GASP- like to watch anime in their own language! 
Oh and for the record, it's not sad that dub VAs get long lines. It's sad that the supposed fans of the Japanese creators who moan all the time about them no being invited or having short lines can't spend the same amount of time and effort going to those same Japanese creator's lines, panels, etc. when they do make the guest list or promoting them. Maybe instead of whining about how "sad" it is that Vic or whoever has a long line you should go stand in the line for the Japanese VA or creator and promote their visit when you aren't in line. Maybe you should try to raise money to help a con bring over a Japanese guest (it ain't cheap!) and maybe, just maybe, you should have a little more respect for other fans. You know, I really wish more sub fans could make a post as perfectly sane as Yuxing's. The poster (I don't know your gender Yuxing) stated their preference for the Japanese without making disparaging comments against dubs or dub fans and even expressed understanding for why people would line up for a VA over a creator. You can even read into this comment an acceptance of dub fans lining up for dub VAs. I apologize for the slight rant but it's just starting to get to me. With all the legitimate issues that have been touched upon dealing with Japanese guests, the snarky anti-dub comments are just pointless and I severly doubt Nina nor her creator would approve! |
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Kimiko_0
 Posts: 1796 Location: Leiden, NL, EU |
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You're right, I shouldn't have said that, at least not the way I did. My apologies. I'll try to do better in the future.
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10425 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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Yeah, they do. The majority of North American anime fans currently listen to dubs. Among this group, most of them are more interested in the actors than the creators. They want the signature of their favorite character, or at least the person who plays that character. This is no different than with mainstream entertainment. Who do you think gets the most autograph requests, actors or writers/directors? With a select few exceptions, it's the actors. At least in anime the writers/directors get a bigger chunk of the fandom than in mainstream entertainment. I think the reason sub-fans tend to gravitate more towards directors/writers is because they can't fully appreciate the abilities of actors in a language they don't speak. Obviously some of the acting comes across to the sub fan, but no where near as much as if they understood the actual language being spoken. Personally, in regards to non-anime, I'm more interested in directors/writers because they are the ones that make the show what it is and give it direction. Not to be little the contribution of a good actor, but I'd take a good director with mediocre actors over a mediocre director and good actors any day. This is pretty much how I feel in regards to anime as well, regardless of whether I watch a show in English of Japanese (with subs). I know many voice actors, some of them are my friends, and while I respect their abilities and the part they play in making a show good, my fan-love is reserved for creators. But yeah, I'm in the minority, as are Nina, Kevin, and Paola. -t |
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enurtsol
 Posts: 14781 |
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Heh, there was a time when those fans were not the type to attend cons, so when you're a dub VA going GoH at a con, you're taking your life into your own hands. 
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Spiked Vash
 Posts: 17 Location: Hand State |
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I totally agree that the language barrier and the fact that US VAs, like movie actors/actresses, get most of the attention from fans than directors/staffs, like movie directors/producers/staffs.
I also think the low ratio of Japanese guests to US guests at most cons exposes US guests more so to fans than their foreign counterparts. Plus, I think because there are more US VAs who has done work for many anime than Japanese directors/staff with a few work on their belts. For example, let's say you go to a con where there are 3 Japanese mangakas, who each has 1 major work you like, and 1 US VA, who has done voiceworks in all the anime adapted from the three mangakas' works. Most likely, people would go for the US VA due to the 2 reasons at the top of this post and the fact the VA has work in all 3 series, not just 1. |
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moonfall
 Posts: 2 |
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Is Jerry supposed to be based on a real VA? I have my suspicions, but I'm not naming names.
I've attended cons for 3 years, and I've been working in the dealers' room for about 6 months (as well as doing some promotional work for an up-and-coming con). I've met a number of voice actors, so at this point, I really cannot fangirl them. Many of them are really cool people, but it's hard to squeal over the guy you were getting drunk with the night before. On the other hand, I get to hear all the gossip about who sleeps with his fans, who's a jerk, and who's really fun to work with. |
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aresgoddess
 Posts: 18 Location: Rio Grande Valley |
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I'm sad, because I've seen that happen. At A-Kon 19, Nabeshin was there. The man is a freakin' genius!
 But everyone was lined up for the autograph session AFTER Nabeshin's...for the North American cast members of Full Metal Alchemist. That line was at least three times the length of the one for Nabeshin. And it was the thrill of my lifetime, but also a sad time. But I got a picture with Nabeshin as well as his autograph on Excel Saga boxset, so I'll have to comfort myself with the fact that I and the rest of the people in line can appreciate his genius.
Now, this isn't saying anything against the FMA cast, I liked the show, and the voice acting was actually pretty good, but they are often guests at cons, while Nabeshin was making a rare appearance at an American convention. Seriously, who could pass that up?? Well, obviously, a lot of people... 
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