Voice Animage, a magazine about all things seiyū.

A seiyū, seiyuu or seiyu (声優, seiyū, seiyuu or seiyu^?) is a Japanese voice actor. Seiyū work in radio, television and movies, perform voice-overs for non-Japanese movies, provide narration, and work as anime and video game character actors. Conventional usage among American fans is to use "seiyū" to refer to the Japanese actor and "voice actor" when speaking of a character actor in a series translated into English. Image File history File links Voice_Animage-cover. ... Image File history File links Voice_Animage-cover. ... A voice actor (also a voice artist) is a person who provides voices for animated characters (including those in feature films, television series, animated shorts), voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed. ... // A scene from Cowboy Bebop (1998) Anime ), which is short for the English word animation, in the western world most popularly refers (but not limited) to the medium of animation originating in Japan, with distinctive character and background aesthetics that visually set it apart from other forms of animation (e. ... Computer and video games A screenshot of Tetris for the Nintendo Game Boy A console game (better known as a video game) is a form of interactive multimedia used for entertainment, which consists of a moveable image displayed on a screen that is usually controlled and manipulated using a handheld... A character actor is an actor who predominantly performs supporting parts, often in similar roles throughout the course of a career. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Japan currently produces 60% of the animated series in the world. ^[1] Because the animation industry in Japan is so prolific, seiyū are able to achieve fame on a national level and are able to have full time careers performing voice overs. Seiyū are able to take greater charge of their careers than character actors can in other countries. Japan also has the institutions to support the career path, with around 130 seiyū schools.^[2] and troupes of voice actors that work for a specific broadcast company or talent agency. Korea is the only country with a similar system for voice actors (성우) where the broadcasting stations employ voice actor troupes.

Seiyū frequently branch into music, and many have also branched into live action film and television acting as well. They often attract their own appreciators and fans who will watch shows specifically in order to hear that actor or actress. Popular seiyū, especially female seiyū such as Kikuko Inoue, Megumi Hayashibara, and Aya Hisakawa, often have devoted fan clubs that have memberships from all over the world. // Kikuko Inoue Kikuko Inoue ) (her maiden name is 井之上 喜久子, pronounced the same) is a popular seiyÅ« and singer born on September 25, 1964 (though she frequently says I am 17 years old) in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. ... Megumi Hayashibara ), born March 30, 1967 in Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan) is a very popular voice actress (seiyÅ«) and singer in Japan. ... Aya Hisakawa Aya Hisakawa (久川 綾 Hisakawa Aya, born November 12, 1968) is a popular seiyÅ« and J-pop singer; born in Kaizuka, Osaka Prefecture. ...

"CV" is a common notation used in Japanese publications to denote a "character voice" in one of the roles listed above. This term was first used in the 1980s in anime magazines such as Animec and Newtype. Cover of NewType USA Magazine from November 2003 Newtype is an anime and manga magazine. ...

Actors and seiyū

Initially, dubbing and doing voice-overs was nothing more than the performance of an actor who used only his voice. When doing this job, they would usually be called "voice actors" (声の俳優, koe no haiyū^?). For convenience, the term was shortened to a new compound consisting of the first and last kanji to make seiyū (声優, seiyū^?). It was only after the seiyū booms however that this word became widespread. For this reason, elderly voice actors resent being called seiyū, because during their time the term had a different (and minimizing) connotation. For example, the renowned Chikao Ohtsuka, who dubbed Charles Bronson among others, was quoted in a special issue of Animage saying "We are actors. Even if a performance only requires the use of our voice, we still remain actors, and it is therefore incorrect to refer to us as just voice actors, isn't it?". He was strongly opposed to the new trend of separating actors and seiyū, even in the face of emerging seiyū like Genzō Wakayama, who only learned how to act using their voice and never set foot in a theatre. Chikao Ohtsuka (大塚 周夫 ÅŒtsuka Chikao, born July 5, 1929) is a veteran seiyÅ«. He is the father of Akio Otsuka, another seiyÅ«. Otsuka, as of 2005, is currently represented by Aoni Production. ... Charles Bronson This is about the actor. ... Genzō Wakayama (若山弦蔵 Wakayama Genzō) is a Japanese actor, voice actor, and disc jockey. ...

There are three main causes that set seiyū and actors apart.

1. Their professional upbringing by the Tokyo Broadcasting Drama Troupe (東京放送劇団, Tōkyō Hōsō Gekidan^?), formed by NHK and other private networks during the golden age of radio dramas.
2. The increasing popularity of the television: due to the lack of Japan-made movies and dramas, TV networks were forced to air foreign shows, and that demand for seiyū raised exponentially.
3. The boom in the anime world market, which produced a wave of young talents whose aim was to become a seiyū rather than an actor.

NHK (日本放送協会, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), or the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, is Japans public broadcaster. ...

Substance of the job

Voice-over and dubbing

This is the core of the seiyū's job: speaking a role and recording it.

Anime

A seiyū's role in anime consists of timing the recording of their character's voice with the picture on the screen. Before completing the recording of the role, there are two different methods of prescoring. In Japan, the most popular method is to perform the dubbing after the animation has already been completed (although, depending on the production schedule, the dubbing may be recorded before all of the animation is complete).

In order to keep to the limits of the production budget, less well-known and younger seiyū are often used. However, for original video animation and fan-oriented productions and products, famous seiyū are often used as a selling point. Original Video Animation (OVA) is an acronym used in Japan for anime titles that are released directly to retail sale, without prior showings on TV or in theaters. ...

Dubbing into Japanese

In the case of foreign dramas, movies, news and documentaries, the localization voice-over requires more exact timing in relation to what appears on the screen. In order to perform voice-overs, the volume of the original language voice track is lowered, leaving only a faint sound remaining. Voice-over work is primarily performed for news and original foreign dramas. Auditions are held in order to determine who will take on the various roles, and popularity rankings can play a large role to determine who is employed.

Video games

Unlike in anime or dubbing roles, in a video game the voice tracks are often recorded separately due to the way individual voice tracks are selected and played depending on a player's progress. Typically a seiyū uses a script with only a single part's lines and matches it to the timing of the recording. Because of this, many collaborating seiyū in a production have never seen each other in person. Popularity rankings may play a role in video game casting, but it is also possible to negotiate fees when a client requests a particular cast. A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ...

Radio drama or CD drama

With a radio drama or CD drama there is more freedom given in voicing because there is no need to match a dub to the original actors, or to match an animated character. Because of this a seiyū's particular interpretation of an act or acting ability are considered. If the drama is based on an anime or manga then the seiyū from the anime are used. However, original drama or works based on literature rarely employ typical seiyū or younger seiyū. Auditions are rarely employed, and the cast is directly selected by the production staff. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Audio theatre. ... For other uses, see Manga (disambiguation). ...

Puppet and kigurumi shows

In puppet shows, the seiyū must time the voice-over in relation to the puppet movements. While timing is of the essence in kigurumi shows as well, in this case the seiyū's voice acting is recorded beforehand, and it is left to the kigurumi entertainer to move and act based on the spoken lines. A puppet is any controlled character, whether formed by a shadow, strings, by the use of a glove, by direct mechanical contrivance (for example a cable-controlled figure for film or TV) or electronic guidance (such as a radio or infrared remote controller). ... Animegao style Kigurumi Kigurumi is the Japanese name for costumed animal characters. ...

Narration

Seiyū are also commonly employed as narrators in radio and television commercials, radio and television programs, press release videos and other kinds of media that require the voice actor to read text that clarifies what the program is about from a script. Even though the narration role falls within a seiyū's area of expertise, it is not uncommon for popular regular actors, young talents or announcers to be chosen instead. The fee is proportional to the popularity of the person employed, and veterans are usually preferred for this role due to the high acting ability it requires. Candidates are required to send a short sample recording as a demonstration, and these samples play a large part in the selection process. It has been suggested that Third person limited omniscient be merged into this article or section. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... A news release or press release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Theatre acting

It is not uncommon for Shingeki actors and actors performing in small theatres to take a voice acting course in specialized schools and become seiyū, considering the small difference between actor and seiyū. Those who successfully become seiyū sometimes take stage acting roles of their own choosing, and the seiyū's agency takes no part unless the theatre management requires it.

Singing

Goddess Family Club

Some seiyū branch into music, releasing albums in their own name and becoming full-time singers, although this is not considered to be strictly part of a seiyū's job. Image File history File links Goddess_Family_Club_cover. ... Image File history File links Goddess_Family_Club_cover. ... The Goddess Family Club is a seiyu trio consisting of Oh My Goddess! voice castmates Kikuko Inoue (井上喜久子) (as Belldandy), Aya Hisakawa (久川綾) (as Skuld), and Yumi Touma (冬馬由美) (as Urd). ...

However, it has become common for seiyū to sing the opening or closing themes of shows in which their character stars, or participate in non-animated side projects such as audio dramas (involving the same characters in new storylines) or image songs (songs sung in character that are not included in the anime but further develop the character), releasing CDs in the character's name rather than their own. Sometimes the singing style of an anime character is quite different from that of the seiyū, and tracks sung using the style of the character are often included in CDs the seiyū release in their own name. This made singing a central activity for many seiyū, especially the ones who do voice overs for anime characters.

The limitations imposed on singer seiyū by their recording companies are also less strict than the ones imposed on regular singers. This allows seiyū to release CDs in their character's name with different companies.

Radio personality

Radio talks (so called aniradio) further extend seiyū popularity. Initially the vast majority was aired by local broadcast stations only, but after the communication boom of the 1990s the metropolitan radio stations began to also employ them. While such programs last only as long as the anime or game is popular (usually no more than one year), some aired for over ten years due to their popularity among fans, who regard radio talks as a way to get to know the seiyū as human beings rather than just voices for the characters they play.

Lately, due to lower costs and the increase in the number of listeners, more and more of these radio talks are hosted on the Internet.

Other jobs

Apart from other performances related to the characters they play, such as press conferences, anime news programs or interviews, seiyū are also hired for company-internal training videos, supermarket announcements, bus route information broadcasts, ring announcers for professional wrestling and other fighting disciplines, and even train station route announcements - tasks usually performed by professional announcers, even though the seiyū's employment or name are not always made public. A joint press conference by U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House. ... Exterior appearance of typical American supermarket (a Safeway) A supermarket or grocery store is a store that sells a wide variety of food. ... The Wrestlers from Uffizi Gallery, Florence. ... Passengers bustle around the typical grand edifice of Londons Broad Street station in 1865. ...

Agencies and management

Relations between seiyū and music, movie and anime companies in Japan are regulated by seiyū management agencies, each with its specialization. In exchange for a fee from the seiyū, they take care of all the business affairs and sales promotions. These agencies can also act as a bridge between entertainment companies and private agencies the seiyū may be affiliated with. Sometimes the producers leave it to the agencies to recruit seiyū for minor roles, or handle their schedule. A seiyū's job opportunities are usually tied to the particular agency they choose, even if they're extremely popular as anime seiyū. For example, it is unlikely they will get dubbing roles if their agency is not specialized in that particular field.

Some examples of agencies and their specializations:

• Anime: Arts Vision, I'm Enterprise
• Dubbing and voice-overs: Mausu Promotion, theatrical companies (Bungaku Company, Seinen Company, Theatrical Group EN, Troupe Pleiades etc.)
• Narration: Aoni Production, Sigma Seven
• NHK programs: 81 Produce
• Commercials: Studio Ōsawa
• Train station announcements: Haikyo

Seiyū for child roles are often selected from renowned juvenile theatrical companies, such as the Troupe Himawari. Arts Vision (アーツビジョン) is a Japanese talent agency that employs a large number of high-profile seiyÅ«. SeiyÅ« currently affiliated with Arts Vision Kotono Mitsuishi Soichiro Hoshi Yui Horie Yuri Amano Masumi Asano Natuko Kuwatani Masayo Kurata Tomomiti Nisimura Hekiru Shiina Kumiko Watanabe Toshiyuki Morikawa Wataru Takagi Yu Asakawa Nobuyuki Hiyama... Im Enterprise is a seiyÅ«, or voice talent, management firm in Japan. ... Mausu Promotion (マウスプロモーション),formerly known as Ezaki Productions,is a Japanese talent management agency representing a fair number of prolific seiyu. ... Aoni Production (青二プロダクション) is a Japanese talent agency representing a fair number of seiyÅ« and other Japanese entertainers. ... NHK (日本放送協会, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), or the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, is Japans public broadcaster. ... // 81 Produce logo 81 Produce (81プロデュース) is a seiyÅ«, or voice talent, management firm in Japan. ... Haikyō (俳協, an abbreviation of its full Japanese name: 東京俳優生活協同組合, which translates as Tokyo Actors Consumers Cooperative Society) is a Japanese talent agency which represents a fair number of seiyu. ...

Seiyū history

Voice acting has existed in Japan since the advent of radio. However, it was only in the 1970's that the term seiyū entered popular usage because of the enormously popular anime "Space Battleship Yamato". According to an newspaper interview with a voice talent manager, "Since the Yamato boom, the word "seiyū" has become instantly recognized, before that actors and actresses who introduced themselves as seiyū were often asked, "You mean you work for Seiyu supermarket?"" ^[2] Space Battleship Yamato (宇宙戦艦ヤマト UchÅ« Senkan Yamato) is a Japanese science fiction anime series created by Leiji Matsumoto, and the name of its eponymous space craft. ...

The radio drama era

In 1925, the predecessor to the NHK, Japan's public broadcasting system, the Tokyo Broadcasting Company started radio broadcasts. In that same year twelve students who were specializing in voice-only performances became the first voice actors in Japan when a performance of a radio drama was broadcast. They referred to themselves as seiyū, but In those days the term "radio actor" (ラジオ役者, radio yakusha^?) was used by newspapers to refer to the profession. NHK (日本放送協会, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), or the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, is Japans public broadcaster. ...

The next era began in 1941 when the NHK opened a training program to the public in order to prepare actors to specialize in radio dramas. This was called the "Tokyo Central Broadcasting Channel Actor Training Agency" (東京中央放送局専属劇団俳優養成所, Tōkyō Chūō Hōsō Kyoku Senzoku Gekidan Haiyū Yōsei Sho^?). Then in 1942 the Tokyo Broadcasting Drama Troupe debuted its first performance. This was the second time that the term "seiyū" was used to refer to voice actors and from this time on, this word was used.

There are several theories as to how the term "seiyū" was coined. One theory is that, Oyhashi Tokusaburo, a reporter for the Yoimuri Newspaper, coined the term. Another theory is that Tatsu Ooka, an Entertainment Programming Managing Producer for the NHK came up with the term.

At first, seiyū, like those at the Tokyo Radio Drama Troupe and similar companies specialized in only radio dramas, however, with the advent of the television the term took on the additional meaning of one who does dubbing for animation. Television broadcasting aside, when radio held the chief mass media, actors who played in radio dramas were have not without their fans, for example actors in the Nagoya Radio Drama troupe who played the lead "love-interest" roles often received many fan letters.

1960s: First seiyū boom period

In 1961, during the early days of commercial television broadcasting, the Five-Company Agreement caused the supply of Japanese movies that were available to Japanese television stations to dry up. As a result, in the 60's many foreign dramas and other foreign programming was imported and dubbed into Japanese language for television broadcast. The Five-Company Agreement ) was an agreement signed 1953 September 10 between five major Japanese entertainment companies (Shochiku, Toho, Daiei, Shin-Toho, and Toei). ...

At first, the NHK had mostly been subtitling foreign shows, however shows dubbed in the Japanese language soon became the standard. This increased the popularity of seiyū. At the center of the first seiyū boom were actors like Nachi Nozawa, who gained fame by dubbing the same foreign actor, in Nozawa's case Alain Delon, Robert Redford, and Clint Eastwood. Because of problems with pay guarantees arising from the Gosha Agreement, cinema actors were prevented from dubbing foreign movies for television. Television actors were also prevented from dubbing because of a similar agreement. This caused studios to turn to actors from the radio age and actors from the Shingeki style of acting. Around this time dubbing of foreign animation was done by Rakugo story tellers, Asakusa comedians, and the like, and seiyū were called "dubbing talents" if they specialized in dubbing, while those giving voice to a character went under the name of "ateshi". It is during this golden age for dubbing that the Tokyo Actors Cooperative Haikyo was founded. Later, Haikyo seiyū managers left and opened their own management agencies. Nachi Nozawa is a Japanese voice actor. ... Alain Delon Alain Delon (born 8 November 1935) is a French actor, one of the best known outside his native country. ... Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Kaminarimon is the outer gate of the Sensoji, Asakusas famous temple. ... Haikyō (俳協, an abbreviation of its full Japanese name: 東京俳優生活協同組合, which translates as Tokyo Actors Consumers Cooperative Society) is a Japanese talent agency which represents a fair number of seiyu. ...

The first dubbed show broadcasted in Japan was an episode of the American cartoon Superman, on October 9, 1955, on KRT (today TBS), and the first non-animated dubbed show broadcasted was Cowboy G-Men, again by KRT, in 1956. Both were dubbed live; the first show to be broadcasted with pre-recorded dubbing was The Adventures of Television Boy (テレビ坊やの冒険, Terebi Bōya no Bōken^?) on April 8, 1956. This image of Superman appeared at the beginning of each of the cartoons. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (283rd in leap years). ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tokyo Broadcasting System, Incorporated ) (TYO: 9401 ) or TBS, is a television network in Tokyo, Japan. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

1970s: Second seiyū boom period

During the late 1970s, the boom in the animation world allowed seiyū of particularly attractive male anime characters to become extremely popular. Akira Kamiya, Tōru Furuya and Toshio Furukawa were the first to unite into band Slapstick and perform live. Many other seiyū published their own albums. In 1979 radio programs featuring seiyū as DJs such as Animetopia became widely popular, and at around the same time the first anime magazines began to be published. The then editor-in-chief of Animage, Hideo Ogata, was the first to publish editorials on the ongoing transformation of seiyū into idols. Following his lead, the other magazines created "seiyū corners" with information and gossip about seiyū every new issue: this was one of the main causes of young anime fans yearning to become seiyū. This led to a sudden increase in the number of students in seiyū specialized schools, which also grew in number and began to specialize in single fields. For the first time, anime seiyū were young people who grew up dreaming to become exactly that, as opposed to being members of drama troupes or theatre actors who performed as a hobby. This boom lasted roughly until the first half of the 1980s. Akira Kamiya (神谷 明 Kamiya Akira, born September 18, 1946) is a veteran seiyū who was born in Yokohama. ... Tohru Furuya (古谷 å¾¹ Furuya Tōru, born July 31, 1953) is a veteran seiyÅ«. Notable voice roles Mamoru Chiba (Darien Shields) in Sailor Moon Amuro Ray in Mobile Suit Gundam Kyosuke Kasuga in Kimagure Orange Road Seiya in Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac) Kosaku in One Pound Gospel Yamcha in... Toshio Furukawa ) is a veteran seiyuu who was born on July 16, 1946 in Tochigi. ... Slapstick was a punk ska fusion band formed in Chicago by a group of friends from the Elmhurst area. ... DJ or dj may stand for Disc jockey, dinner jacket The DeadJournal website, or Djibouti. ... September 1997 cover of Animage, featuring artwork from the Studio Ghibli film Princess Mononoke. ... A Japanese idol (アイドル; aidoru) is a celebrity who achieves widespread popularity and fame in Japan largely by virtue of her looks. ...

1980s: An interim period

In 1989 the seiyū of the five main stars of the animated television show Ronin Warriors (Nozomu Sasaki, Takeshi Kusao, Hiroshi Takemura, Tomohiro Nishimura and Daiki Nakamura) formed an all-males singing group called "NG5". The group became popular, to the extent that it was featured as the subject of a special documentary program on MBS. The atypical popularity of NG5, however, did not spread to other seiyū groups. DVD cover of Ronin Warriors. ... Nozomu Sasaki (佐々木 望 Sasaki Nozomu, born January 25, 1967) is a seiyÅ« who was born in Hiroshima. ... Takeshi Kusao (草尾 毅 Kusao Takeshi) is a seiyÅ« who was born on November 20, 1965 in Saitama. ... Hiroshi Takemura ) is a seiyÅ« born on October 24, 1953 in Tokyo, Japan. ... Nishimura Tomohiro(西村 智博) is a seiyu who was born on February 2, 1961 in Hokkaido. ... Nakamura Daiki (中村 大樹) is a seiyu who was born on December 25, 1962 in Tokyo. ... MBS may stand for: Mortgage-backed security - A bond backed by mortgage payments. ...

In this period seiyū production companies also began to provide specialized courses at on-site training schools specifically for training in animation dubbing.

1990s: Third seiyū boom period

The 1960s and 1970s booms were centered mainly around general public types of media, such as the TV. In the 1990s a new boom centered around more personal ways of communication, such as radio shows, Original Video Animation, television quizzes, public events and the Internet, gave way to the publication of the first seiyū-specialized magazines, Seiyū Grand Prix and Boys Animage. Seiyū acquired a score of new fans thanks to the radio, and their CD sale figures increased drastically. Concerts began to be held in the bigger halls. While the second boom also saw the seiyū become popular as DJs, this time the recording houses backed the seiyū radio shows as sponsors, and large sums of money began to circulate. Megumi Hayashibara, Hekiru Shiina and Mariko Kōda are the first examples of this new trend. Recording companies and seiyū forming schools began to devise new ways to raise young seiyū to nation-wide popularity, another radical change from the previous booms and one of the cornerstones of the ongoing transformation from seiyū to idol. Original Video Animation (OVA) is an acronym used in Japan for anime titles that are released directly to retail sale, without prior showings on TV or in theaters. ... Megumi Hayashibara ), born March 30, 1967 in Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan) is a very popular voice actress (seiyÅ«) and singer in Japan. ... Hekiru Shiina (2004) Hekiru Shiina (椎名 へきる Shiina Hekiru, born March 12, 1974) is a talented seiyuu and J-pop singer who was born in Higashi-kurume, Tokyo. ... // Cover of Vitamin Punch!, one of Kōdas 2005 albums. ...

When voice acting was introduced in television games, the existence of seiyū became known throughout the entire country. As a consequence, the same seiyū would perform in a series of events related to the television game world, making appearances and participating to radio programs based on the television games to attract the fanbase.

In the second half of the 1990s, the boom in the animation world led to the sudden increase of anime shown in the Tokyo area. With the newly acquired ability to connect to the Internet, gathering information on their favourite seiyū became very easy for fans, and seiyū began to appear in Internet-based radio shows. Rather than just the spur of the moment, these changes appear to have become solidly established.

Six ways to become a seiyū

By looking at the career of today's most popular seiyū, the vast majority of them became famous treading one of the following six paths.

From Broadcasting Drama Troupe member to seiyū

Trained by Broadcasting Drama Troupes, they specialized in roles requiring voice acting other than announcing, particularly radio drama acting.

Former members of the Tokyo Broadcasting Drama Troupe include Ryō Kurusawa, Kazue Takahashi, Masato Yamanouchi, Hisashi Katsuta, Akira Nagoya and Kiyoshi Kawakubo. Yamanouchi Masato (山内 雅人) is a seiyÅ« who was born on April 3, 1929 in Tokyo, Japan and died on April 7, 2003 due to complications from lung cancer. ...

Examples of seiyū coming from privately funded drama troupes are Tōru Ōhira and Tadashi Nakamura from the Tokyo Radio Broadcasting Drama Troupe (ラジオ東京放送劇団, Rajio Tōkyō Hōsō Gekidan^?)), Junpei Takiguchi, Nobuo Tanaka, Mariko Mukai. Toru Ohira , born September 24, 1929 in Tokyo) is a veteran seiyÅ«. He graduated from Meiji University School of Political Science and Economics. ...

Local broadcasting stations also helped many seiyū in the early stages of their careers, before the television age and the advent of foreign drama series concentrated most of the seiyū business in the Tokyo area. Some examples include the aforementioned Genzō Wakayama from NHK's Sapporo Broadcasting Drama Troupe (札幌放送劇団, Sapporo Hōsō Gekidan^?), Kenji Utsumi from NHK's Kyūshū Broadcasting Drama Troupe (九州放送劇団, Kyūshū Hōsō Gekidan^?)) and Jōji Yanami from RKB's Mainichi Broadcasting Drama Troupe (毎日放送劇団, Mainichi Hōsō Gekidan^?)). Sapporo scene Sapporo White Illumination Sapporo (札幌市; -shi) is the fifth-largest city in Japan and it is the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture. ... Kenji Utsumi (内海賢二 Utsumi Kenji, born August 26, 1937) is a veteran seiyū who was born in Fukuoka. ... Kyushu region, Japan Kyushu (九州) is the third largest island of Japan and most southerly and westerly of the four main islands. ...

From child actor to seiyū

Some seiyū are talented middle-school children who joined juvenile theatrical companies (Himawari Company, Komadori Group) and honed their acting skills with them, then took up a career as full-time seiyū after graduating from high school.

The first to follow this path include Shūichi Ikeda, Ryūsei Nakao, Tōru Furuya, Yoku Shioya, Hiromi Tsuru, Miina Tominaga and Katsumi Toriumi. ShÅ«ichi Ikeda ) is a veteran seiyÅ« born on December 2, 1949 in Tokyo, Japan. ... Ryusei Nakao (中尾 隆聖 Nakao RyÅ«sei, born February 5, 1951) is a veteran seiyÅ« who was born in Tokyo. ... Tohru Furuya (古谷 å¾¹ Furuya Tōru, born July 31, 1953) is a veteran seiyÅ«. Notable voice roles Mamoru Chiba (Darien Shields) in Sailor Moon Amuro Ray in Mobile Suit Gundam Kyosuke Kasuga in Kimagure Orange Road Seiya in Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac) Kosaku in One Pound Gospel Yamcha in... Yoku Shioya (塩屋翼 Shioya Yoku), born June 24, 1958 in Kagoshima, Japan, is a veteran Japanese Voice Actor. ... Hiromi Tsuru Hiromi Tsuru (鶴 ひろみ Tsuru Hiromi; born on March 29, 1960) is a veteran voice actor (seiyÅ«) who is best known for the following voice roles: Ukyo Kuonji in Ranma ½ Meryl Strife in Trigun Madoka Ayukawa in Kimagure Orange Road Bulma in Dragon Ball (all anime incarnations) Bra a. ... Miina Tominaga (冨永 みーな Tominaga Miina, née Yoshiko Tominaga or 冨永 美子 Tominaga Yoshiko) is a seiyuu who was born on April 3, 1966. ... Katsumi Toriumi (鳥海勝美 Toriumi Katsumi) is a Japanese seiyu born on 6 November 1963. ...

More recent seiyū include Daisuke Namikawa, Maaya Sakamoto, Mayumi Iizuka, Akeno Watanabe, Saeko Chiba, Yūka Nanri, Kaori Nazuka. Daisuke Namikawa , born April 2, 1976 in Tokyo) is a seiyÅ« who is affiliated with Haikyo. ... Maaya Sakamoto (坂本 真綾 Sakamoto Maaya, born March 31, 1980) is a Japanese seiyu (voice-actor) and singer who made her debut in 1996 as the voice of Hitomi Kanzaki in the hit anime series The Vision of Escaflowne. ... Iizuka Mayumi (飯塚 雅弓) is a seiyÅ« and J-pop singer who was born on January 3, 1977 in Tokyo, Japan and grown up in Taiwan and Yokohama, Japan. ... Akeno Watanabe (渡辺 明乃 Watanabe Akeno, born November 18, 1982) is a seiyÅ« who was born in Chiba. ... Saeko Chiba (千葉 紗子 Chiba Saeko) is a prolific seiyu (voice actress) and singer who was born on August 26, 1977 in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, and grew up in Tokyo, Japan. ... Yuuka Nanri ), born March 13, 1984 in Nagasaki, Japan) is a seiyÅ« and also a well-known singer. ... Kaori Nazuka , born April 24, 1985 in Tokyo) is a seiyÅ« who is currently not affiliated with any companies. ...

There have been cases of young people who started appearing in seiyū roles while still in middle-school. Miyu Irino, Eri Sendai, Ayaka Saitō, Aya Hirano, Subaru Kimura and Miyū Tsuzurahara are a few examples. Miyu Irino(入野 自由 Irino Miyu, born February 19, 1988) is a seiyu (voice actor) who was born in Tokyo. ... Sendai Eri (仙台 エリ) is a seiyu who was born on October 30, 1981 in Tokyo. ... Ayaka Saito (齋藤 彩夏 Saitō Ayaka, born on June 2, 1988 in Tokyo) is a relatively new seiyÅ« who voiced Momiji Sohma in Fruits Basket, Tomoka Rana Jude in Girls Bravo, and Mitsukuni Haninozuka in the recently aired Ouran High School Host Club. ... Aya Hirano (平野 綾 Hirano Aya, born on October 8, 1987) is a seiyu who has had roles in several anime series. ... MiyÅ« Tsuzurahara , born October 30, 1994 in Saitama) is a seiyÅ« and child actress who is affiliated with Gekidan Himawari. ...

From theatre actor to seiyū

Sometimes theatre actors, whether they be in high school, specialization schools, university or having just graduated, are scouted by people in the anime industry to become seiyū. This happens to actors affiliated with the major Shingeki theatre companies, which include the Bungaku Company, the Seinen Company, the Troupe Pleiades, the Theatrical Group EN and Theatre Echo. Actors performing in minor theatres may sometimes be spotted by the theatre's sound production staff or by managers affiliated with seiyū management agencies. It is also common for actors affiliated with seiyū-led theatre companies, such as Nachi Nozawa's Rose Company or Kaneta Kimotsuki's 21th Century Fox Company, to become seiyū themselves. Nachi Nozawa is a Japanese voice actor. ... Kaneta Kimotsuki (肝付 兼太 Kimotsuki Kaneta, born November 15, 1935) is a veteran seiyu who was born in Kagoshima. ...

To name a few, Romi Paku, spotted by animation creator Yoshiyuki Tomino, Fumiko Orikasa, graduated from the Super Eccentric Theatre, and talents discovered in local college theatre groups by Kazuya Tatekabe: Sanae Kobayashi, Gō Aoba, Tetsu Shiratori, Akino Murata and Rieko Takahashi. Romi Paku (a. ... Yoshiyuki Tomino (富野 由悠季 Tomino Yoshiyuki) (b. ... Fumiko Orikasa (折笠 富美子 Orikasa Fumiko, born on December 27, 1974 in Tokyo) is a seiyÅ«. Voice roles Chise in Saikano Chiyoko in Millennium Actress Ciel in Shingetsutan Tsukihime Sherie in Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Meyrin Hawke in Gundam SEED DESTINY Pacifica Casull in Scrapped Princess Seras Victoria in Hellsing Ruki Makino... Sanae Kobayashi (小林沙苗 Kobayashi Sanae, born January 26, 1980) is a seiyÅ« who was born in Shizuoka. ... Shiratori Tetsu(白鳥 哲) is a seiyu who was born on March 21, 1972 in Tokyo. ...

Worthy of note is Hitomi Nabatame's career. Shortly after entering the Dorikan Club, a group of seiyū in the making, part of the aniradio program SOMETHING DREAMS Multimedia Countdown (SOMETHING DREAMS マルチメディアカウントダウン, SOMETHING DREAMS Maruchimedia Kauntodaun^?, shortened to ドリカン Dorikan) on radio station Nippon Cultural Broadcasting, she showed so much potential that she earned herself a role in Maburaho right after graduating from the seiyū training school she was attending, while also performing as theatre actress. Nabatame Hitomi (生天目仁美) is a seiyu who was born on August 4, 1976 in Yokohama. ... Nippon Cultural Broadcasting, Incorporated (QR, 株式会社文化放送, Kabushiki Gaisha Bunka Hoso) is a Japanese radio station in Tokyo, amd broadcast in the Kanto area. ... Maburaho ) is a romantic school comedy manga series by Toshihiko Tsukiji and illustrated by Miki Miyashita. ...

From seiyū training school student to seiyū

Many seiyū made their debut after attending seiyū training schools for several years after graduating from high school, specialization schools or university, or even just between school terms, and learnt the trade by observation. This is the path most young people who watch anime and want to become a seiyū take. This is probably the easiest path at its beginning, but breakthrough chances are very slim. For example, each school affiliated with the Yoyogi Animation Academy has a seiyū talent department with hundreds of new students each year, but only a very small minority of them manage to become a seiyū after graduating. Many who do not make it enter a different seiyū training school and try again.

People who made it in the past include Megumi Hayashibara, Kōichi Yamadera, Kikuko Inoue, Kotono Mitsuishi and Toshiyuki Morikawa. More recent examples are Ai Shimizu, Rie Tanaka, Yukari Tamura, Mai Nakahara and Kenichi Suzumura. Megumi Hayashibara ), born March 30, 1967 in Kita-ku, Tokyo, Japan) is a very popular voice actress (seiyÅ«) and singer in Japan. ... Koichi Yamadera (山寺 宏一 Yamadera Kōichi, born June 17, 1961 in Tagajo, Miyagi) is a veteran seiyÅ« who also hosts Oha Star, a childrens TV show in Japan, and has had a couple of live action roles (namely in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack) in... // Kikuko Inoue Kikuko Inoue ) (her maiden name is 井之上 喜久子, pronounced the same) is a popular seiyÅ« and singer born on September 25, 1964 (though she frequently says I am 17 years old) in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. ... Kotono Mitsuishi Kotono Mitsuishi ) is a seiyÅ«, or voice actor, born on December 8, 1967 in Toda, Saitama, Japan. ... Toshiyuki Morikawa (森川 智之 Morikawa Toshiyuki, born January 26, 1967) is a seiyÅ« born in Kanagawa. ... Ai Shimizu (清水 æ„› Shimizu Ai, born March 26, 1981) is a seiyu. ... Rie Tanaka (田中 理恵 Tanaka Rie, born January 3, 1979) is a singer and voice actress (seiyÅ«) in Japan. ... Yukari Tamura (田村 ゆかり Tamura Yukari, born on February 27, 1976 in Fukuoka) is a popular singer and voice actress (seiyÅ«) who works for Arts Vision. ... Mai Makahara (中原 麻衣 Nakahara Mai, born February 23, 1982) is a seiyū. ... Kenichi Suzumura (鈴村 健一 Suzumura Kenichi, born September 12, 1974) is a male Seiyuu born in Osaka, Japan. ...

Some young talents became seiyū after winning nation-wide contests held by magazines or production companies (although they still usually had to attend seiyū training schools after winning the contest to learn the trade). Winners include Asami Sanada, Masumi Asano, Yui Horie, Miyuki Sawashiro and Sakura Nogawa. Asami Sanada was born 8 September 1977 in Nagano, Japan. ... Masumi Asano (浅野 真澄 Asano Masumi, born August 25, 1977) is a seiyu who was born in Akita prefecture. ... Yui Horie ) is a popular singer and voice actress (seiyÅ«) in Japan. ... Miyuki Sawashiro (沢城 みゆき Sawashiro Miyuki, born June 2, 1985 in Tokyo) is a seiyÅ« who works for Mausu Promotion. ... Nogawa Sakura (野川 さくら) is a seiyu (voice actor) whose birthday is March 1, 1978. ...

From a different role in the entertainment world to seiyū

Junko Iwao and Noriko Hidaka are examples of idols who later took up seiyū roles (the latter having some experience as a child actress). Former "gravure idols" (young girls posing nude for adult magazines) who made a breakthrough as seiyū include Marina Ōno, Ryōka Yuzuki and Chiemi Chiba. Yumi Kakazu and Yuki Matsuoka are two former reporters turned seiyū. Retired owarai sometimes made a comeback as seiyū, like Yūko Saitō. Yūichi Nagashima was very popular as an actor in the role of "Chō", the main character in NHK Educational Channel's Exploring My Town (たんけんぼくのまち, Tanken Boku no Machi^?)). Junko Iwao (岩男 潤子 Iwao Junko, born February 18, 1970) is a seiyÅ« who has also released several CD albums as a J-pop singer. ... Noriko Hidaka (日高 のり子 Hidaka Noriko, born May 31, 1962) is a Japanese voice actress (seiyÅ«). She has acted in the following anime roles: Akane Tendo – Ranma ½ Kikyo – InuYasha Jean – Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water Satsuki – Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro) Namis adoptive mother – One Piece Seta Sōjir... A Japanese idol (アイドル; aidoru) is a celebrity who achieves widespread popularity and fame in Japan largely by virtue of her looks. ... Ryoka Yuzuki (柚木 涼香 Yuzuki Ryōka, born January 10, 1974) is a seiyÅ« who was born in Anjo, Aichi, Japan. ... Chiemi Chiba (Chiba Chiemi, 千葉千恵巳; born 25 February 1975 in Saitama prefecture, Japan) is a SeiyÅ« (voice actress) and J-Pop singer. ... Yumi Kakazu (かかず ゆみ Kakazu Yumi, born June 18, 1972) is a seiyÅ« who was born in Saitama. ... Yuki Matsuoka (松岡由貴 Matsuoka Yuki, born September 13, 1970) is a seiyÅ« from the Hirano-ku ward of Osaka. ... Yasuda Dai Circus, a popular owarai trio Owarai (お笑い, owarai) is a broad word used to describe Japanese comedy as seen on television. ... YÅ«ichi Nagashima (長島 雄一 Nagashima YÅ«ichi) is a seiyÅ« who was born on December 15, 1957 in Saitama. ...

See also

• List of seiyū
• Category:Seiyū management companies

This is a list of seiyū (Japanese voice actors). ...

References

1. ^ 재패니메이션 Japan currently produces 60% of the animated series in the world. (in Korean)
   Google's Translation
2. ^ ^a b Terumitsu Otsu and Mary Kennard. "The art of voice acting", The Daily Yomiuri, April 27, 2002, p. 11.

April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

External links

• Seiyū (voice actor) database
• Miracle Voice Actors & Magical Voice Actresses Seiyū Database (Japanese)
• Les voix des Anges (Japanese)