Voice acting in Japan

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Voice acting in Japan is an industry where actors provide voice-overs as characters or narrators in media including anime, video games, audio dramas, commercials, and dubbing for non-Japanese films and television programs.

In Japan, voice actors (声優, seiyū) and actresses have devoted fan clubs due to a crossover with the idol industry, and some fans may watch a show merely to hear a particular voice actor.^[1] Many voice actors have concurrent singing careers^[2] and have also crossed over to live-action media.

There are around 130 voice acting schools in Japan.^[3] Broadcast companies and talent agencies often have their own troupes of vocal actors. Magazines focusing specifically on voice acting are published in Japan, with Voice Animage being the longest running.

The term character voice (abbreviated CV) has been commonly used since the 1980s by such Japanese anime magazines as Animec [ja] and Newtype to describe a voice actor associated with a particular anime or game character.