Tokyo Sky Tree open
The world’s tallest tower is now open to the world to visit after almost 4 years of construction with 580000 workers costing a total of roughly 65 billion yen for the tower alone.
The construction of the tower actually finished on the 29th of February earlier this year after a two month delay due to the earthquake but it’s today on the 22nd of May that they have actually allowed people to enter.
The main attractions are the two observation platforms at 350 meters (1148 feet) and 450 meters (1476 feet) as well as the restaurant with the best view of Tokyo, in fact, even better than Tokyo Tower which is only 333 meters (1093 feet) and only served as an observation tower to the public.
Since they are expecting to see about a hundred thousand visitors every week for the time being they have implemented the idea of having their visitors reserve their tickets rather than show up only to find out that it’s full. So, the only way to get a ticket for the Tokyo Sky Tree until the 11th of July this year is by reserving one on their website.
The truth about seiyuu
Before I start this wall of text, I’d like all of us to understand one point:
Being a seiyuu is hard. Very hard.
The anime industry is a very difficult one; workers are overworked, underpaid, and overworked some more. But that’s a story for another time. It is fitting for this to be the first true article — I have taken over this position from Mirage — as the focus of this week’s Seiyuu Spotlight is not on just one, but on them all.
Being a seiyuu is hard. Why is this, you may ask? It is because of the following reasons:
• They are underpaid.
Seiyuu receive about 2000-3000 yen per episode. That is roughly $AUD 23-36 at the time of this article. Veterans may receive up to 50000 yen per episode, but this pales in comparison to someone who pursues a desk job and receives promotions and benefits. Part-timers and casual workers at fast food chains earn anything from $AUD 8-20 per hour depending on their position, so as a full-time profession, seiyuu are heavily underpaid compared to their typical white-collar salarymen counterparts whose income are in the seven or eight digit range (this is yen, of course). In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to find a seiyuu at Mcdonalds or a convenience store because many have casual jobs to supplement their low income.
Some seiyuu even turn to adult series or hentai as — believe it or not — it pays higher than regular anime. Many create an alias in order to earn enough to pay off their rent and electricity bills. For example, Itou Shizuka (Hinagiku @ Hayate, Haruka @ Amagami SS, Wilhelmina @ Shana) is also known as Misaki Rina and lends her voice to visual novels and H-anime. Similarly, Imai Asami (Kurisu @ Steins;Gate, Chihaya @ iDOLM@STER, Yuuzuki @ Kiss x Sis) is also known as Eriko Toyama and Keiko Horikoshi. Some may shun them for doing this but at the end of the day, when one struggles to meet ends and put food on the table, who can honestly blame them?
The sad truth, however, is that the really obsessed fans will make a big deal if you’ve been involved in the adult industry in any way. Hirano Aya (Haruhi @ Haruhi, Lucy @ Fairy Tail) receives much harassment from fans on her Twitter and blog solely because she has an active sex life. Some fans have this twisted perception that seiyuu must swear a solemn oath of celibacy and never date a guy, and if they break this vow of chastity then they are filthy and unworthy of their attention. Another example is Miyamura Yuko (Asuka @ Evangelion) who was involved in the AV industry before she joined the voice acting industry, but is denied roles because the media uncovered her past and now no company wants her. A talent is now left unable to blossom due to a mistake she may have done on her past and I believe that is really, really sad.
Azu-nyan and Taketatsu Ayana being stabbed for betraying a fan’s trust.
• They are overworked.
One episode may take anywhere from one hour to several hours to record. If it is a dialogue-heavy episode or series (e.g. Katanagatari, ef, Spice and Wolf), you may either receive a slightly higher pay or none at all depending on your talent agency. Yes, that could possibly mean you will have to say ten times more lines than a side character but still receive a similar income for your efforts. If you have more than one show to work on then you may have to commute to several studios a day and spend many hours at each one. The process will be slower if you or another seiyuu are new to the industry and stuff up your lines more often.
Furthermore, if you really want to earn an income, you will have to participate in radio shows, drama CDs, character songs, idol groups, fan events, concerts and audition for new shows as often as possible. Seiyuu who can truly live off of their voice will always have a packed schedule.
• They cannot find work.
Some seiyuu believe it is a blessing to be overworked rather than not being able to find work at all. As veteran seiyuu Nabatame Hitomi stated in her blog, “You’re extremely lucky if you acquire five roles out of one hundred auditions.” As newer seiyuu flock into the industry, competition is bound to rise and they bring with them talent, a new range of voices and youth. Fans are more likely to idolise the younger and more attractive rather than the middle-aged who are gaining more wrinkles by the year.
Remember that people who voice side characters or supporting roles need to earn money too, and if you only have one line in the whole episode, you aren’t in a very good situation. You have essentially wasted an hour or two commuting to the studio and waiting for your line to come up, and now you must drag yourself to the next studio where you will hopefully have more lines. And who can you blame when you end up having to cancel your phone plan? Yourself, for not having a unique enough voice to score a main role, and the more talented, for being born with a naturally identifiable voice.
• They need luck, or put in a lot of hard work.
There are only a few ways to enter the voice acting industry, and none of them are easy.
You could be extremely lucky, win a competition in a magazine or held by talent agencies and be signed to one immediately. Notable seiyuu who entered this way are veteran Horie Yui and the rising Sawashiro Miyuki. Of course, you would have to undergo some rigorous training if you take this path to make up for the several years you missed.
Another way would be to transfer in from another industry, such as theatre actors, or from within the entertainment industry. For example, Miyano Mamoru (Okabe @ Steins;Gate) was originally part of the cast in the Prince of Tennis musicals; Matsuoka Yuki (Evangeline @ Negima, Inoue @ Bleach) was a former news reporter; and Nakata Joji (Kirei @ F/SN and F/Z) came from movies that rely heavily on special effects.
The bread and butter way to enter would be to undergo a voice training school. This is quite expensive and requires years of work in dubbing, acting, singing and dancing — all of which are necessary if you happen to make it to the big time. Of course, this isn’t a sure-fire way to get in and only 2-3 new seiyuu are selected by talent agencies every year. For your information, there are over 1500 seiyuu in Japan –that’s a 1% chance of making it. Notable seiyuu who have taken this path are veterans Shimizu Ai, Tanaka Rie, Tamura Yukari, Nakahara Mai, Kikuko Inoue and Hayashibara Megumi.
Eggplant, from the AnimeSuki forums, gives his insight on the process of being a seiyuu:
An aspiring seiyuu will usually have to endure 2 years of basic acting training at a vocational school, then enter an agency in Tokyo as a trainee for another 2-3 years of acting lessons before he or she can do any acting work. And that is if the said person is talented enough which is a 1% chance. Even then, such roles for newcomers are sparse, and the prospective seiyuu must win through auditions.
And what is his/her paycheck for this? 12,000 yen (appoximately $110) per episode minus tax deduction and agency commissions, assuming the seiyuu is a member of the Japan Actors Guild. And don’t think that such a union is for the mutual benefit of the seiyuu, as it simply stipulates the unique classification system which is the basis for their appearance fee.This fixed rate is applicable whether you have one line or a thousand (though there are variable factors that are taken into account), and one’s rank will not be re-evaluated until after 2-3 years, where he/she can only step up to the next level.
The ten tier rating system starting off from Junior (15,000 yen per episode prior to deductions) to Veteran (45,000 yen), plus the special Non-Rank reserved for mainly 60 year olds and above, has hardly any leeway in terms of money. Essentially, a longtime veteran will make only maximum three times that of a rookie per episode. In fact, there are many seiyuus that resist on being promoted to a higher class, as a higher fee will lead to lesser jobs.
Put that into the rookie seiyuu’s shoes. He/she can only earn 60,000 yen per month without stipend, and it is likely that that role is the seiyuu’s only one. No wonder why seiyuus have to resort to other ways to make a living, by appearing in events, doing narration work, dubbing games or commercials, and that’s if there’s such an offer. Otherwise, it’s a continuation of the part-time job he/she did during the trainee days in order to make a living. Since you can only do seiyuu work in Tokyo, and if you’re out here on your own, you must take part time jobs to keep a roof over you.
Seiyuu who are not a union members are forced into worse conditions. Some studios or advertising agencies often hire non-union seiyuus due to budget constraints or animosity towards the union, and there are people who will due whatever it takes to grab a role. There are also seiyuu agencies that are not Management Association members, who exclusively handle non union member seiyuus, although it is up to the individual seiyuu whether to join the guild or not.
Due to the efforts of senior seiyuus, the road for incentives is open, mainly income based on re-runs, but royalties stemming from DVD sales have yet to be in implemented. Simply based on the information laid down here, for example, a 5 year veteran seiyuu with a base wage of 20,000 yen per show who does 4 shows a particular season will earn 240,000 yen a month on anime seiyuu work alone, which finally brings it up to normal living standards.
I could elaborate on this unknown side of the supposed seiyuu glory, but I believe that I have gotten the point across. The bottom line is that they are worked very hard, and do not receive enough recognition for their efforts. Hence, the Seiyuu Spotlight series aims to bring you coverage on different seiyuu every month so that at least their legacy may be made known to some.
TL;DR: Being a seiyuu is hard. Very hard.
-Dan
Tokyo Sky Tree is finished
Construction is finally over for the Tokyo Sky Tree! Although it did go through a rough patch when the earthquake hit which lead to the two month delay but it is finally done.
Now that construction is finally over it is the tallest freestanding tower in the world at 634 meters or 2080 feet. The purpose of the building is to act as a broadcasting medium (television and radio), and it also serves as a restaurant and an observation tower at the same time. When this is built, it is expected to be a tourist attraction. It is confirmed that it will be opening on the 22nd of May in 2012.
This was built in the Asakusa district intended to increase tourism in the area. A university is also being planned to be built near the Tokyo Sky Tree sometime in the future to attract more young people.
It was said that it costed 65 billion yen for the tower (not including the 580000 workers they hired).
More facts about the Tokyo Sky Tree here
Time lapse of the construction of the Tokyo Sky Tree
Steins;Gate
The fated encounter.
I recently re-watched this spectacular series with Jeff a little over a month ago, and I felt compelled to find something to fill up a post write about it’s glory in a post. Sure, I may be one of the thousands of people who have been barking about its glory and you may just be thinking that it’s another overrated series like Madoka or Angel Beats. Yeah, maybe it is. Maybe it is just another Back to the Future wannabe and is probably going to be really predictable for you. Well, here I am telling you that Steins;Gate’s use of the time travelling concept and introduction of parallel worlds or ‘World Lines’ grants it infinite possibilities and I highly doubt you will be able to unveil its intricate plot in the first episode.
The story itself is very unpredictable and I was still guessing character identities and how the plot would unfold up to the last episode. Every episode has a purpose, even the first one which is usually just character introduction and setting establishment; you’d have to have a pretty keen eye to pick up on some things, which doesn’t help since you’re probably watching anime to relax and unwind. Introduce an enigmatic mad scientist, a tsundere that is not voiced by Kugyuu, a Jun Watarase-tier trap, Kanazawa with her HHHHNNNNGGGGGHHHH-inducing “Tuturu’s”, and a slew of side characters whose origins and motives are shrouded in mystery and you have one heck of a story. Much of the story involves unveiling the pasts of the many side characters which means that there will be a very intertwined, complex and tangled-up mess to sift through before you even get to the halfway point of the series.
For seiyuu fanatics, Miyano Mamoru does an incredible job as Okabe and portrays him as a great ‘mad scientist’ with his awesome laughs to disguise the fragility of his real self — Okabe, regardless of his tough exterior, is just a normal human being. He delivers a gamut of emotions that will make you laugh and cry at times, and without his seiyuu, Okabe wouldn’t be half as awesome as he is. It’s also impressive to note that Miyano Mamoru originally branched off into voice acting from being a cast in the Prince of Tennis musicals, yet he is honestly one of the best seiyuu I’ve heard. Imai Asami as Kurisu(tina) also helps add dimension to her character. Kurisu wouldn’t be Kurisu without her sharp tsukomis and her heart-melting tsundere moments — a stark contrast to the usual annoyance that you hear from Louise, Shana or Nagi (see what I did there?). Asami has pretty minor roles and she has done one or two H-titles so it’s good to see her score a main role in a popular series. Other notable staff are Kanazawa (Shiori @ TWGOK), Yukarin (Nanoha), Kobayashi Yuu (Sa-chan @ Gintama) and Seki Tomokazu (Shinichi (lolwut?!!) @ Nodame).
I am mad scientist.
The soundtrack is quite good. There’s always this recurring ‘Gate of Steiners’ that really helps add suspense to the scene but when you hear silence in the background, you know shit is going to go down.
One thing that the series does that might confuse viewers is mixing up real theories and facts with their own ones to make it fit to the storyline. John Titor did exist in real life, but I didn’t find anything about a man in the wall. Quantum Leaping is involved in the story at one point, which should be impossible because of the excessive time travelling but is neglected and made possible. Of course, this didn’t detract from the enjoyment for me and actually made it more interesting. Also, their explanations are easy to understand and make sense which helps the audience not get too engulfed by the theoretical side of time travelling and actually pay attention to the more minor details in the story.
Hopefully I haven’t spoiled too much for you in this post and that you may now be more inclined to watch this series. Of course, it’s your life — I won’t tell you what you should watch and what you shouldn’t — but I highly recommend you checking out this gem and thousands of others have already. It may not be logical at times, doesn’t have the best soundtracks nor contain the most fluid animation, but it is realistic in character portrayal and interactions and will keep you guessing at its grand plot all the way up to the conclusion.
This was quite a lengthy post but alas I have finished it. Together, we have crossed the 1% divergence barrier and reached the Alpha timeline, Steins;Gate. I would like to thank all of you, fellow readers.
El.
Psy.
Congroo.
Warning: Massive spoilers
-Dan
Jeff’s Entry – Japanese Language Schools
Almost a month ago, out of no where, Dan just asked me what I thought about going abroad to Japan to attend a Japanese Language School. I’ve seen Ciaela’s videos of her attending NILS (a Japanese Language School in Japan) so I’ve considered the option but I haven’t given it much thought. So when he got home we got on Skype and we started to research. Finding a good JLS (Japanese Language School) was tough considering we can’t really learn much from a webpage and when we googled “Japanese Language School” it came up with schools based in Australia which isn’t exactly what we’re looking for.
After about half an hour of searching we sort of gave up. We DID find one JLS that was based in Japan but it was last updated in 2010 so we considered it as unreliable. We eventually gave in and looked up NILS and despite it’s dodgy website URL, it looked great (http://www.ulearnjapanese.com/). It had a range of programs which pretty much just varied in duration. There’s also tonnes of information on school itself as well as visas and basic living information. It was very helpful and definitely the best one we’ve found yet. Dan actually sent in an inquiry to NILS and got a very detailed respond later that day from Tanaka.
The reason why the both of us thought that attending a JLS in Japan would be a great idea was that we were going to apply for a Japanese course in University in Australia but where’s a better place to learn Japanese than Japan? There’s that reason along with the fact that we have absolutely no idea what sort of course we’d like to pursue in University that could lead to a job that we’d enjoy. Even though we do have almost an entire year to decide, we’ve got our minds set on the idea of a JLS in Japan.
With the thought of being away from home for 2 years (our desired length for the program) we knew that we’d have to think it through. Being the person I am, I already started to work out the plausibility of the idea and whether or not we would be able to live there without worries about money. So I plotted out living expenses using the information on the website and the information Tanaka sent us and worked out we needed around $10000 AUD a year. Possibly more since it’s pretty unpredictable on the matter of how much money we’d splurge on random crap but that was the idea. We’ve been told through the inquiry that we’re allowed to work there and most students actually earn quite a hefty amount of cash from it. Seemed like a great idea but none of us have actually worked outside our family businesses, let alone a factory but I suppose we’ll be willing to try that in order to lighten the burden of our parents paying for most of the expenses.
Speaking of parents, being away for two years. I’m pretty sure we’ll need to consult our parents on our decision of what we want to do after High School in terms of education. Dan was set on the thought that he has to tell his parents as soon as possible. Since he knows they won’t approve, this way he’ll have a longer period of time to persuade them. Little did I know, he told them the night that we set our minds on going to a JLS in Japan. I didn’t really understand the hurry to get it out that early especially before thinking of good reasons to persuade them first. Oh well, I’ll tell my parents eventually but like hell I’m going to tell them now.
So that’s pretty much the story but we still have a lot of thinking to do, I mean, we’re going to Japan a few months before JLS classes start. Does that mean anything? Is it going to some how affect our plans? We’re not sure yet but it going to a JLS in Japan is unmistakably a great idea.
-Jeff
