Many people are interested in entering the seiyuu industry because of successful seiyuu artists like Nana Mizuki, so there are many schools for voice lessons (both dubbing and singing) and guarantee from these schools for debuting. Unfortunately, according to a producer of a TV anisong program, this constant cycle of new seiyuu entering the industry makes the "consumption cycle" progress faster. Even if they are able to debut, more new seiyuus debut, and it becomes difficult to develop the popularity of those who debuted earlier.
The Oricon editorial published on Sunday warns that the "Fourth Seiyuu Boom" has resulted in a saturation of industry. Music activity by seiyuus dates back to the anime boom of the 1980s with the popularity of Uchuu Senkan Yamato. The 1990s also saw the emergence of "female idol seiyuus" as the number of seiyuus who take on multiple jobs outside dubbing increased. Another anime boom occurred in the second half of the 2000s with hit shows like K-On!. This has led to the current boom of "seiyuu artists."
In a survey conducted by Oricon Style last year on the use of media personalities (tarento) to dub anime, half of respondents expressed that the voices usually do not match the characters well enough for the fans to enjoy the animated work. "It's not a problem if the voice fits the character and the person has talent though. I think Studio Ghibli is a successful example," said a 40-year-old male respondent from Tokyo.
Despite the opinion that seiyuus are being robbed of their dubbing roles, the editorial also points out that seiyuus should also remember to focus on their "home." As the number of seiyuus increases, fans of anime expressed concern that some are neglecting their dubbing roles and multitasking on singing, etc. What the world wants from the seiyuus is good dubbing skills and potential before taking on multi-talent jobs like Nana Mizuki and Mamoru Miyano.
Source: Oricon
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Anime