Krystal

I unfortunately wouldn't call it "criticism," since that implies you can improve based on the comments.

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Most people go into acting because they want to make their audience happy. With voice acting for anime, that's no different but the fanbase is a lot harder to please, and usually writes their "criticism" as a personal attack on the actor. "I didn't like this," becomes "he sucks," or "she didn't try," or something that places a lot of negativity on the actor without explaining how/why the person feels that way.

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And as someone new, the fear that the fans will be so vocal about their hatred for your performance that the studio will never hire you again is never that far from mind. I'm sure it's a silly one, but it exists.

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And also, a lot of people say a lot of horrible things about voice actors just because they don't like their work, and when people put those horrible things online, it shows up in searches. And some of us may want other jobs at some point.

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If criticism in the entertainment industry were like criticism in other industries, then worrying would be silly. But it gets taken too far a little more often here.

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I have a few.
1. Practice, practice, practice.
2. Don't audition if you KNOW you aren't ready. You may not always get a role, but if you are well-prepared the reason is usually just that you're not right for that role. But the first impression you make on a director is very important, and can help you get roles you ARE right for.
3. If you are an anime fan and want to go into anime voiceover, I hope you do a very good job hiding your identity if you constantly complain about/bash the work of the studio you plan on one day auditioning for. We read reviews and comments, talk to a lot of other people, and have very, very long memories for especially cruel words.
4. Live where the work you want is. You can be the next Derek Jacobi, but if you live in Maine you might not get cast in a lot of Texas dubs.
5. Try your best to avoid letting bad reviews make you doubt yourself. A lot of self-titled expert "fans" do nothing more than complain about anything in English for absolutely no reason, and if you seem to get a lot of hate, it's usually only one or two people with too much time on their hands and hate in their hearts. Just remember that the only person who needs to like your craft is your director when you are in the booth

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An AMAZING illustrator. The Daily Zoo books have some of the most whimsical art in childrens' books I have ever seen. He combines a realistic anatomy with humorous situations to create larger-than-life images.

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Nah, you were right with Chris Ayres, I'm just a joker. I think Chris Ayres, the actor/director, is one of the most fantastic people you could ever meet. In college I read a lot of philosophy, and the one lesson that always stuck with me was Aristotle on friendship. Basically, there are three kinds;

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1. ones based on utility,
2. ones on pleasure, and
3. the truest kind, ones based on virtue.

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In friendships based on virtue, people continue to know each other simply for the desire to see the other become a good person. I feel like Chris is like that for everyone he meets. He rarely gets sucked into drama, but always will be the first to point out when someone is being cruel. He tries to understand problems other peopke are having despite how trivial they may seem to him. He is so respectful of anyone, regardless of where the rest of society places them. He cares more about the integrity of his actions more than the result they bring, and it really shows in his work. He's got a work ethic I really admire, and while I don't envy this, there has never been a time I've seen him where he wasn't stressing out over making his next show perfect.

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I think he's talented as an actor. I haven't heard him a lot other than DBZ, Speed Grapher and Gantz, but I loved all those roles.

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I've obviously worked way more with him as a director, and it's been a real treat. He has WAY more faith in his actors than we tend to have in ourselves, so I'm always surprised where I'm going with the characters he's cast me as, and really humbled when he explains what I did in a previous show that made him think of casting me. He also seems to get wonderful work out of everyone, and even when we've been stuck on one line for half an hour, I don't feel nearly as talentless as the internet says I am. ;p

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However, he wears Hawaiian shirts to much. Life is not a vacation, Ayres. Get a freaking polo.

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Okey dokes. So you ask any voice actor this, and they're going to give you the same answer; get training and experience. Take classes, try online seminars, read books on acting, do some community theater or other kinds of stage work.

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But, you said you want a voice acting career. You won't find that in voice acting unless you are one of about a handful people in the US working on the highest end projects. If you want to use your voice for your career, look at voiceover in general. Commercials, audio books, videogames, anime, web services. Look into all of that, because you'll need a LOT of work to sustain yourself.

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Also PLEASE find another hobby that isn't anime related in the slightest. Not that anime isn't positively fantabulouds, but being a voice actor will ruin a lot of the aspects about the anime community you loved for you. The fans online who you admired and considered friends will make fun of you. Friends may become jealous. You will try desperately to convince people you are working really hard to make a product they are happy with, but the per se presumption will always be that you see anime as nothing more than a paycheck. If anime is your biggest love, the way you are treated from a LOT of fans will destroy your self-worth. And it doesn't stop. Ever. You have to turn off your sensitivity to criticism because even the slightest attempt to defend yourself will make people claim you are too sensitive or too mean to "deserve" to be a voice actor, as if it's some accolade bestowed upon people by the theater gods rather than something you acheive by working your ass off. I hope I don't sound bitter, I just want you to avoid the mistakes I made by being too optimistic and trusting. I play the ukelele and take pictures of cats now. I will always love anime, but sometimes watching it or interacting with others in my fandoms now depresses rather than destresses.

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Some of the worst things I've read about voice actors are typed by people who also say THEY want to be voice actors! If you are an anime connoisseur, do be careful with reviews, since they are about your future peers. Not liking someone's choices is natural and expecting. Calling them a whiny bitch, or saying how second-hand embarrassed you are at their voice, or calling them the cancer that is killing the industry is kind of mean. And nothing we say online is COMPLETELY anonymous. While making fun of voice actors is unfortunately a huge part of being a fan nowadays, the day will come when you will have to choose between mocking them and becoming one of them, especially if you use your real name online.

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I hope that helps. Open your options. Get some training. Get excellent self-care techniques. Be mindful of your online conduct with future emloyers/peers. Most importantly though, have fun along the way.

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I could believe it, but a lot of this answer is my own speculation. Anime itself is still very popular, but the job does become more thankless. A lot of fans (not all of course) feel very entitled to constant new material, but can't be bothered to pay for it. So how do you keep up with a social demand for more anime and the desire to keep fans happy? Make more of it, faster, and for less money. Working the industry and animators to death seems like the next logical step. And when you work your ass off in ANYTHING for little to no reward or satisfaction, your passion slowly dies. Newer animation and voiceover companies in other countries have not had to deal with the extent of stress and sadness that working in the anime industry can bring, so they are optimistically going at creating with full force. I wish animators and even Japanese directors could go to more American anime conventions though, because they tend to meet the fans worth creating for there. The fans who spend their time creating costumes and waiting in autograph lines just to say "thank you," and who are very often interested in you as a person. It's hard to ignore sales numbers and reviews, but you need to remember that someone of the meanest "critics" who spend all day on their laptops absolutely hating every single thing you do is not a fan, they are a bully who fuels their only hobby by finding the bad in everything. A real fan is too busy watching the shows than to dissect every stray line and audio click. Anime cons aren't for everyone, but a lot of the people there are really wonderful, and make you realize what you do matters. Of course, I don't know how to get every animator to an anime con. Hopefully everyone has some sort of event that reignites their spark.

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Before I answer, let me preface:

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1. I am ONE actor, and a newbie at voiceover at that. If an actor with more experience in creating demos gives you contradicting advice, listen to them.

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2. I am not a director, and have never had say in any casting decision ever, so if a director gives you advice that contradicts mine, listen to them.

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3. I have the IQ of a bucket of apples. If my advice doesn't make sense don't get mad, chances are it's because I'm a moron.

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So, the first thing I would say is stay away from doing lines directly from anime unless you're using it as an example of official work. At least, don't make it your only source of lines? Directors want actors, and if you show an interest solely in anime, it begs the question whether you want to act, or whether you just want to have a big deal made out of you at anime conventions. That in turn leads to a question of reliability, because if you only want to be a con guest, will you flake out on the second half of a show in a few years when you're frustrated because the invites aren't flooding in? Short bits of monologues may work, and if you go the original route, you can hire someone to write lines and put together a demo that will work with your strengths.

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Length: A minute to a minute and a half. If you have a 5 minute demo chances are they'll look at the first minute of it or skip around. You deserve to have your demo heard in its entirety, so choose only your best minute.

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Sound: A demo on a laptop mic sounds unprofessional. By renting a studio and paying for a professional demo, it shows that you are willing to make an investment in your art, which shows tenacity. It also shows that you appreciate how amazing and one-of-a-kind audio engineers are, because they are unicorns. If you think that fiddling with adobe audition for a few minutes makes you as capable as a good engineer, you are so dang wrong. And hey, the demo also sounds better that way.

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Honestly, there are people who make a living creating anazing demo reels for actors. I 100% reccomend utilizing their expertise over doing one yourself, because you'll get a better product and it feels good to know that you're supporting another artistic audio industry.

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