Is the high rate of ill health due to pay…? The “Sad Structure of Modern Society” conveyed by the rapid increase in voice actor absences

In recent years, there has been no end to the news of voice actors taking a leave of absence due to health problems. It was announced that Yume Miyamoto, who plays the role of Nika Nanaura in “Mobile Suit Gundam: Witches of Mercury,” was forced to take a temporary leave of absence due to health problems, and Haruka Shiraishi will fill in for her.

Marika Takano, who plays Silence Suzuka in “Uma Musume Pretty Derby,” has been diagnosed with an adjustment disorder that limits her activities, and Sachika Misawa, who plays Kuroyukihime in “Accel World” and Sakura Bakushin-O in “Uma Musume,” has returned to work after a brief absence. The frequency of news related to the health of voice actors has been increasing.

Why do so many voice actors fall ill compared to entertainers and actors, who have similar jobs? There are several possible reasons, but the primary reason may be the diversification of roles. In the past, voice actors often worked behind the scenes, doing voice-over work for animated films and dubbing for foreign films and TV dramas, but nowadays, in addition to these jobs, there is an increase in singing, live performances, dancing, and other physically demanding work. In addition, they are now required to play the role of a celebrity by giving talks and appearing on the radio and at events.

Popular and successful voice actors are probably overworked, with a tremendous amount of work to do on a daily basis, and it is not unusual for them to fall ill at any time.

Why is it that so much work is concentrated on certain voice actors when so many new voice actors are born every year? One reason, of course, is that they are popular, but another reason may be that the spread of the new coronavirus has led to the hiring of experienced voice actors who know how to do the job in order to get the recording done in as little time as possible. Before the COVID-19 crisis, postrecording was done by a mix of veterans, mid-level staff, and newcomers, and acting instruction was given to newcomers on the spot.

Naturally, it took extra time, so at most, two or three scenes could be visited in a single day, but now only the most talented voice actors are on set, which allows for smoother recording and increases the number of scenes that can be visited in a single day.

In addition, from the standpoint of those who request work, if a leading voice actor is used to spread information about a work via SNS, this alone has the enormous merit of directly delivering information to tens of thousands of dedicated fans. This is why there is now a demand for work information dissemination and fan service through SNS.

In addition to being required to do so much work, the work of voice actors is highly unstable. With the exception of exceptional veterans such as Masako Nozawa, the time available to voice actors tends to be short. Furthermore, there are more than 80 voice actor training schools throughout Japan that are constantly sending out new voice actors one after another.

Even for those voice actors who have won over the fierce competition and achieved popularity and success, it is not easy to keep securing work. It is natural for them to want to cram their schedules to the very last minute while there is still work available.

One scriptwriter who is familiar with the state of the animation industry said, “When a voice actor gets sick, it’s hard for him or her to keep up.

I think the reason voice actors get sick is partly because of the pay. In many cases, voice actors’ salaries are determined by the rank system, which is a collective agreement between the Voice Actors Association and Nichi-Ha-ren.

Simply put, the rank system is a system in which the fee and diversion fee increase as one’s career progresses. The fee is the performance fee, and the diversion fee is the so-called royalty paid each time a film in which the actor appears is released on DVD or other recorded media. However, since newcomers do not join Nichi-Hauren, they start out with a 30-minute film for 15,000 yen and no diversion fee. Under these conditions, the producers do not have to pay the transfer fee, so they try to use newcomers as much as possible. Therefore, in order to be hired, voice actors do not dare to raise their ranks and try to work under the conditions of newcomers.

In addition, the fees for games, commercials, narrations, and event appearances can be negotiated individually, and are much higher than those for animation or dubbing. Therefore, young voice actors not only try to increase their animation and dubbing work, but also try to perform live and event work. However, live performances and events are very physically demanding, and this is the reason why people frequently fall ill.

One of the main reasons that voice actors are extremely busy is that it is difficult for them to make a living only by doing voice recorder work, which is their original job, so they have to do other jobs as well.

The voice actor industry views this situation as a problem, and Mr. Katsuaki Ikeda, Senior Managing Director and General Manager of the Sales and Production Division of Aoni Productions, a voice actor agency, commented that “voice actor agencies and Japan Voice Actors Association (JVA) have been very busy with the voice actor industry.

The voice actor agencies and the Japan Voice Actor Agency Association are working to improve the working environment for voice actors by holding seminars to help them adjust their schedules and stabilize their mental health. We are always striving for a bright future for the industry.

It seems that the industry is making efforts to improve the situation.

It is natural that fans are concerned about voice actors who fall ill. However, voice acting is an art form and a demanding world where there are no guarantees. The successful voice actors of today understand this, and they have gone into the business with this in mind, and have won the honor and rewards by passing through fierce competition.

Everyone has the right to be concerned, but no one has the right to stop those who have put their lives on the line to be a voice actor. Everything, including their physical condition, is their own responsibility, and they must take all successes and failures into their own hands.

When you run at full speed, you run at full speed, and when you need to rest, you rest well. This is an ironclad rule that all working people, not just voice actors, should follow to the best of their ability. It is natural to burn yourself out if you keep burning your mind and body. In addition to voice actors, too many people have fallen victim to depression and burnout in recent years. The absence of voice actors may be nothing more than a mirror of modern society.