Voice acting in Japan

A seiyū (Japanese声优) works in radio, film or video games as a synchronous voice for foreign films, narrator or voice for characters from anime or video games. Usually be denoted by seiyū only the voice actors of a Japanese series or film.

2003 Japan produced 60 % of the animated series around the world. Because the animation industry is so versatile, seiyū are nationally famous and make a career by speaking roles. Seiyū can make their career stronger tackle as a speaker in other countries. Japan has 130 seiyū schools and speaker troops who work for certain broadcasters or talent agencies, institutions to promote this career path. Only South Korea, where the broadcasters also adjust speaker troops is another country with a similar system for voice actors ( Hangul: 성우; revised: seong - u; Hanja :声优).

Seiyū often go into the music industry and were film and television actor. Exactly these programs are often seen by their own fans who want to hear and see as their spokesman. Popular seiyū, especially female as Kikuko Inoue, Megumi Hayashibara and Aya Hisakawa, often have devoted fan clubs with members from around the world.

Japanese publications typically use CV (of English. Character voice) as an abbreviation for Speaker, the figures lend their voice. This term was introduced in the 1980s of anime magazines such as Animec and Newtype.

• 3.1 a member of a radio drama troupe
• 3.2 child actor
• 3.3 theater actor
• 3.4 students a seiyū training school
• 3.5 Other member of the entertainment industry

• 4.1 Synchronous Talk 4.1.1 Anime
• 4.1.2 Synchronization into Japanese
• 4.1.3 Video Games

Actor and seiyū

Originally voice acting and voice overs was no longer than the performance of an actor who uses only his voice. During this work they were " voice actor " (声 の 俳優koe no HAIYU ). For convenience, the term was shortened to the first and last kanji声优( seiyū ). After this work was booming, this term spread. For this reason it lean older speakers to be called from seiyū, because in their time this term had a different (small -causing ) connotation. The respected Chikao Ōtsuka, inter alia, the Charles Bronson synchronized, said in a special issue of Animage: " We are actors. Even if the performance desires only our voice, we still remain an actor, and that's why it's wrong to us can only be described as a seiyū, right? ". This was to be separated by the new trend of actor and seiyū opposed, especially in the face of Genzo Wakayama, who learned to use only his voice and never did set foot in a theater.

There are three main reasons, started by the actor and seiyū to differ:

History

Since the first radio there were speakers in Japan. But it was only in the 1970s with the enormous success of Space Battleship Yamato, the term seiyū came into general use. In a newspaper interview, a voice actor - manager said: "With the Yamato boom the word seiyū was ' known instantly. If imagine beforehand actor as seiyū, they have often been asked, ' Does that mean you work for the seiyū supermarket chain ?' ".

Era of radio plays

1925 launched the broadcasting company Tōkyō ( the forerunner of the public NHK ), the radio broadcast. In the same year, 12 students who had focused exclusively on performances with the voice, the first speaker, as a radio play was broadcast. Although they called themselves seiyū, this occupation was described by the newspapers as "radio actor " (ラジオ 役者rajio yakusha ).

The next period began in 1941, when the NHK a training program for actors offered to specialize in radio plays. This was (东京 中央 放送 局 専 属 剧 団 俳 优 养成 所, dt training center for actors of the troupe of the radio station Tōkyō center) called Tōkyō Chūō Hoso Kyoku Senzoku Gekidan HAIYU Yōseijo. In 1942, this radio play troupe their first performance. This was the second time that the term " seiyū " was used for speaker and from then it has established itself.

There are other theories, such as the term " seiyū " was born. According to a Yomiuri Shimbun reporter of invented this term for another Tatsu Oka, a producer of entertainment broadcasts by NHK.

First were seiyū, like those of the radio play troupe Tōkyō and similar companies specializing only on radio plays, but with the advent of television took the concept further meaning of a speaker who synchronized for animated films. When the radio was still a mass medium, the speaker had already their fans, such as were the main characters of love radio radio plays the radio play troupe Nagoya regularly many fan letters.

1960: first seiyū boom

1961, in the early days of commercial television, made ​​the five- company agreement for a cessation of the supply of Japanese Television Japanese films. As a result, in the 60s a lot of foreign films and programs imported and synchronized for television broadcasting.

Initially NHK subtitled most foreign shipments only, but soon were synchronizations standard. This increased the popularity of seiyū. The focus of the first boom were actors like Nachi Nozawa, which were known by repeatedly voice acting foreign actors - in Nozawas case Alain Delon, Robert Redford and Clint Eastwood. Because of the five- company agreements, problems arose with the payment of film actors, was waived this with synchronizing foreign films for television. TV actor were also bound by a similar agreement. This prompted the studios to turn to actors from the radio time and the Shingeki style. During this time, the synchronization of foreign cartoons rakugo storytellers, Asakusa comedians and the like was left. Seiyū synchronization talents were ( with talent are referred to in Japan Stars, see also Idol ) if they relate to synchronizing specialized, while those of the figures lent a voice as Ateshi (アテ 師) were designated. During this time, the actor Cooperative Tōkyō (东京 俳 优 生活 协同 组合Tōkyō HAIYU Kyodo Kumiai Seikatsu ), short Haikyō, was founded. Later seiyū manager left the Haikyō and founded their own management agencies.

The first synchronized broadcast on Japanese television was a result of the U.S. animated series Superman, on KRT (today TBS) aired on October 9, 1955 the first non- animated series Cowboy G-Men 1956 also on KRT. Both were synchronized live. The first broadcast of recorded synchronization was Terebi Boya no Boken (テレビ 坊や の 冒険) on 8 April 1956.

1970: Second seiyū boom

During the late 70's that allowed the boom in the animation world to be good looking male Anime Seiyūs very famous. Akira Kamiya, Tōru Furuya and Toshio Furukawa were the first who formed a band, slapstick, and appeared live. Many other seiyū released their own albums. In 1979, radio programs, such Animetopia, could occur the seiyū as DJs very popular and at the same time, the first anime magazines were published. The former editor in chief of Animage, Hideo Ogata, was the first of Editoriale about the transformation of seiyū published in idols. Following him created other magazines " seiyū corners " who attended in each issue with information and rumors about seiyū. This was one of the main reasons of the young fans then longed to become a seiyū. In specialized seiyū schools to increased student numbers and those began to focus on certain fields. For the first time anime seiyū young people who dreamed of were to be exactly this, instead of members of troupes and theaters who did this as a hobby. This boom lasted until approximately the first half of the 80s.

1980: An interim

1989 formed the seiyū of the five main characters of the animated series Ronin Warriors, Nozomu Sasaki, Takeshi Kusao, Hiroshi Takemura, Tomohiro Nishimura and Daiki Nakamura, a singing group called NG5. This group was so well known that it was the subject of a special documentation at MBS. The unusual popularity of NG5 but did not spread to other seiyū groups.

During this time the seiyū production companies began specialized training courses in local schools to offer for animated synchronization.

1990: Third seiyū boom

The boom of the 60s and 70s focused mainly on general public media such as television. The new boom of the 90s focused more on personal communication, such as radio broadcasts, OVAs, Fernsehquizze, public events and the Internet. Furthermore, the first specialized seiyū magazines such as the seiyū Grand Prix and Voice Animage were issued. Seiyū got thanks to the radio in droves of new fans and their CD sales increased dramatically. It has begun to hold concerts in major halls. During the second boom seiyū as DJs were known, the record companies supported the radio broadcasts of the seiyū and large sums of money began to flow. Megumi Hayashibara, Hekiru Shiina and Mariko Koda were the first examples of this new trend. Another radical change to the previous boom and another cornerstone of transformation of seiyū idols was that record companies and seiyū established schools and began to explore new ways to young seiyū to national notoriety to help.

As a seiyū were introduced in television dramas, their existence became known throughout the country. As a result, the same seiyū had more to do with the world of the television game in which he appeared in radio programs on these games and took part to attract the fan base.

In the second half of the 90s, the boom resulted in the animated world to a sudden increase of animes that were shown in the Tokyo area. Through the Internet, the fans could easily gather information about their Lieblingsseiyū and seiyū started in Internet radio broadcasts occur.

Ways to become a seiyū

If the careers of the best known seiyū you look at striking that the vast majority of this was in one of six ways.

Member of a radio drama troupe

Trained by radio theater companies, they specialized in speaking roles that required more skills with the voice as an announcer, especially roles in radio plays radio.

Former members of the radio drama troupe Tōkyō have included Ryō Kurusawa, Kazue Takahashi, Masato Yamanouchi, Katsuta Hisashi, Akira Nagoya and Kiyoshi Kawakubo.

Seiyū who came from privately funded drama troupes, for example, Tōru Ohira and Tadashi Nakamura of the Rajio Tōkyō Hoso Gekidan (ラジオ 東京放送 劇団, German radio drama troupe Radio Tōkyō ), Junpei Takiguchi, Nobuo Tanaka Mariko Mukai.

Local radio stations also helped many seiyū in the early days of her career, when television was limited with its overseas shipments to the space Tōkyō. Examples are the already mentioned Genzo Wakayama from NHK Sapporo Hoso Gekidan (札幌 放送 剧 団, German radio drama troupe Sapporo ), Kenji Utsumi of NHK Kyushu Hoso Gekidan (九州 放送 剧 団, German radio drama troupe Kyushu ) and Joji Yanami of RKBs Mainichi Hoso Gekidan (毎 日 放送 剧 団, German radio drama troupe Mainichi ).

Child actor

Some seiyū were talented high school students who joined the children's and youth theaters ( Gekidan Himawari, Gekidan Komadori ), ground on their acting skills and a career as a full-time Seiyū smashing after they had completed high school.

The first who followed this path were, inter alia, Ryusei Nakao, Tōru Furuya, Shuichi Ikeda, Yoku Shioya, Hiromi Tsuru Mina Tominaga and Katsumi Toriumi.

More modern examples are Daisuke Namikawa, Maaya Sakamoto, Mayumi Iizuka, Akeno Watanabe, Saeko Chiba, Yuka Nanri and Kaori Nazuka.

There were also cases in which young people who still went to the middle school, seiyū roles assumed, for example, Ryusei Nakao, Tōru Furuya, Miyu Irino, Eri Sendai, Ayaka Saitō, Aya Hirano, Subaru Kimura and Miyu Tsuzurahara.

Theater actors

Sometimes were theater actors who have not yet completed or go to the high school, college or university, discovered by scouts of the anime industry. This happened with the actors from the Shingeki theater companies ( Bungaku Company, His Company, Troupe Pleiades, Theatrical Group EN and Theatre Echo). Actor smaller theaters were occasionally discovered by members of the sound production of the theater or managers of seiyū -led management agencies. It is also common for actors of seiyū -led theater groups such as Nachi Nozawas Gekidan Bara -za (剧 団 蔷薇 座) or Kaneta Kimotsukis Gekidan 21- seiki Fox (剧 団21世纪FOX ), even seiyū were.

Romi Paku was discovered by the director Yoshiyuki Tomino cartoon, Fumiko Orikasa closed the Super Eccentric Theatre from and Sanae Kobayashi, Gō Aoba, Tetsu Shiratori, Akino Murata and Rieko Takahashi were discovered by Kazuya Tatekabe in local theaters.

Remarkably Hitomi Nabatames career. Shortly after the formation was the part of the aniradio broadcast SOMETHING DREAMS Multimedia Countdown ( SOMETHING DREAMSマルチ メディア カウントダウンSOMETHING DREAMS Maruchimedia Kauntodaun, shortドリカンDorikan ) of the radio station Nippon Cultural Broadcasting in the Dorikan Club, a seiyū group, entered, showed they so much potential that she got a role in Maburaho, shortly after she graduated from seiyū training school and at the same time acted as a theater actress.

Students a seiyū training school

Many seiyū had her debut shortly after they learned their craft for years by observation on a seiyū training school which they attended after they finished or while they had just vacation in high school, college or university. This is the way that most young people take, see the anime and myself want to become a seiyū. At the beginning it is probably the easiest way, but the chances of a breakthrough are very low. For example, each school that belongs to the Yoyogi Animation Academy, a seiyū talent department with hundreds of new students each year, but from which it creates only a very small minority has to be seiyū. Many who are unable to do this, simply visit another seiyū training school and try again.

Older examples are Megumi Hayashibara, Koichi Yamadera, Kikuko Inoue, Kotono Mitsuishi, Toshiyuki Morikawa and newer Ai Shimizu, Rie Tanaka, Yukari Tamura, may Nakahara and Kenichi Suzumura.

Some young talents were a seiyū after they won magazines or production companies advertised nationwide competitions. Nevertheless, they had seiyū training schools to visit to learn the craft. Examples of such winners are Asami Sanada, Masumi Asano, Yui Horie, Miyuki Sawashiro and Sakura Nogawa.

Other member of the entertainment industry

Junko Iwao and Noriko Hidaka are examples of idols, the seiyū roles assumptions ( the latter already had experience as a child actress ). Former " Gravure Idols" ( bikini models ), which made ​​the breakthrough to the seiyū were among others Marina Ōno, Ryoka Yuzuki and Chiemi Chiba. Yumi Kakazu and Yuki Matsuoka had previously reporter. Owarai ( TV comedian ), who retired from the business, sometimes had their comeback as a seiyū as Yuko Saitō. Yuichi Nagashima was well known as an actor of the main character of the series Chō Exploring My Town (たんけん ぼく の まちrefueling Boku no Machi ) of the formation of the channel NHK.

Activities

Voice acting

Speak one role and take the main object of a seiyū.

Anime

The role of a seiyū in an anime is to synchronize voice recording with the images on the screen. There are two possibilities. In Japan, is usually getting started with recording, after all episodes have been completed, although it can occur in tight production schedules, that is not the case.

In order to keep production costs down, is often resorted to lesser known and young seiyū. For OVAs and fanorientierten productions and products famous seiyū are often the selling point.

Synchronization into Japanese

For foreign series, movies, news and documentation a more accurate getimete synchronization is needed to in locating what is seen. To speak the voice-over, the volume of the original language track is lowered to the extent that only you can hear a faint sound. Voice - overs are made mainly for news and series. With the help of auditions will be decided who will take over the respective roles, and the reputation rankings play a big role in the award.

Video Games

In contrast to Anime or synchronous speaking roles the voice tracks are often recorded separately, as the individual language tracks will be played depending on the progress of the player in video games. Typically a seiyū uses a script that reads a few lines in front of it and adjusts the timing of the recording. Thus, it is very common that never see the seiyū in a production persona. Reputation rankings may play a role in the audition to play, but it is possible that negotiations over salaries, if the customer requests a specific occupation.

Radio and CD audio plays

In a radio or CD audio play more freedom is given, since it is not necessary to adjust the timing of an original actor or an animated character. So here is the importance of the interpretation of a scene by the seiyū or his acting skills. If the radio play based on an anime, the spokesman of the anime are used. Original radio plays or those based on literary works rarely provide a typical or younger seiyū. Likewise auditions are rarely held and the cast is selected directly from the production staff.

Puppet theater and Kigurumi shows

In puppet theaters of seiyū must adapt his voice to the puppet movements. While the timing in Kigurumi shows ( people in animal costumes, such as the mascot in amusement parks ) is important be added the lines of the seiyū before and the Kigurumi - performer has chosen to remember only move this and act accordingly.

Narrator

Seiyū are also often set as the narrator in radio and television commercials, broadcasts, press videos, etc., in which a speaker has to read text from a script. Although such roles actually fall within the expertise of a seiyū, it is not uncommon for well-known, regular actors, young talents or announcers are taken. The salary depends directly on the notoriety. Veterans are commonly used for such roles that require high acting skills, preferred. Candidates must submit a short demo recordings that play a large role in the selection.

Theater Acting

Due to the small difference it is not uncommon for Shingeki actors and those that occur in small theaters, to attend special classes or schools to talk a seiyū to be. Those who were successful seiyū, their stage roles can select the seiyū agencies are left out unless the theater management requires this.

Singing

It has become common for seiyū the opening or closing credits music of the consignments to sing, where their voice of the main character is to participate in offshoots such as audio radio plays ( with this same figure in new subplots ) and image songs ( songs that are not in the actual mission occur, sung by this figure to him further ) and CDs under the name of the character, instead of to publish its own. Sometimes the singing style of the anime character very different from that of the seiyū, and pieces with this style of singing often find themselves on CDs, as published by the seiyū under his name. All this made singing a central activity for many seiyū of Anime characters.

The restrictions that are imposed on a singing seiyū from their record companies are less strict than for regular singers. This allows seiyū CDs of their roles at different companies to publish.

Radio personality

Radio calls - so-called aniradio - further promote the awareness of a seiyū. Originally, the large part was broadcast by local stations. But after the communication boom of the 90s, even the larger radio stations began to hire them. While such programs last only as long as the popularity of the corresponding anime or game ( usually one year) were aired some more than 10 years. This depended on the popularity among their fans, who in the radio talks one way saw the seiyū as a person, instead of the voice of the character they play, learn.

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

Other works

Apart from performances, related to the character spoken of them, seiyū are supermarket, bus and Zugbahnhofsansagen and adjusted for in-house training videos, as an announcer for professional wrestling and other martial arts. These are usually tasks of professional announcers, and is not always communicated to the setting of a seiyū, or its name.

Agencies and management

Relations between seiyū one hand, and music, movie and anime companies in Japan on the other hand are regulated by seiyū management agencies. Each is dedicated to something else. For a fee, they take over all business affairs and advertising from seiyū. These agencies can also serve as a bridge between the entertainment companies and private agencies in which the seiyū employed. Sometimes, the producers left it to recruit the agencies seiyū for minor roles or to manage their schedule. The job offers that gets a seiyū depend usually on the selected agency, even with very well-known anime seiyū. For example, it is unlikely that they will get synchronized speaking roles if their agency does not specialize in this field.

Some agencies and their specializations:

• Anime: Arts Vision, I'm Enterprise
• Synchronization and voice-over: Mouse pad Promotion, theater companies ( Bungaku Company, His Company, Theatrical Group EN, Troupe Pleiades, etc. )
• Narratives: Aoni Production and Sigma Seven
• NHK broadcasts: 81 Produce
• Ads: Studio Osawa
• Station announcements: Haikyō

Seiyū for children's roles are often taken from recognized youth theaters, such as Gekidan Himawari.

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