Discussion about saving the old VAs

[Alabaster.j.cat]

SOVA hasn't had a snowballs chance in hell since it started and for it to continue is a total waste of everyones time. There are more important causes to worry about, like last I heard AIDS was spreading, and there was war going on everywhere, so I'm sure newspapers and Major US television news programs have nothing else to do except give a hundred or so teenagers a 10 minute spot on how their favorite anime VA's have been changed and how they can't accept it an move on.

Yeah i'm done now.

 

[Archaic]

"4Kids contracts the buy out agreement for our voices, that I explained to you earlier, so that we cannot do the characters’ voices for anyone else for up to two years from contract. So that means that none of the voices of Pokemon as you know them now, are legally allowed in Season 9. It will be recast."

"I am contracted to do my Pokemon voices only for 4 Kids. I can work for other people, I just can’t say “Oh, here’s my Officer Jenny voice”- in other words, I’m contracted so I can’t play Officer Jenny for anyone else for at least the next three years. This is because my contract expires (assuming I don’t sign next year) in one year, and the contract states I can’t play Officer Jenny for anyone else without 4Kids permission for at least 2 years from contract expiration. So let’s say I lived next door to you and you asked me to go to your birthday party and play Officer Jenny. I wouldn’t technically be allowed to… at least I couldn’t walk around and say, “Hey, listen to me play my Officer Jenny voice”. That’s how I understand the contract."

This matches up to the PUSA story on how they could not get 4Kids' permission to use them.

So legally, nothing can be done, SOVA.

That matches up to statements I've recieved at conventions from 4Kids voice actors, including Darren Dunstan. Actually....I've got that Darren Dunstan interview on a CD somewhere. Pretty large video, but I might be able to get a clip out of it.

 

[Habunake]

I think that's pretty screwed up, having your voice "owned" by another company. I don't see how doing it for random people, for no pay, would really hurt business. But hey, I'm not a lawyer, but we have so many annoying laws now a days.

 

[Kazamatsuri]

Speaking of contracts, I want to clear a few things up that have been going around for quite a while. First of all, Erica Schroeder (Luffy) DID NOT voice Ash in the Mastermind special. The cast list at Anime News Network is not accurate (big surprise), especially since they credit two different people to the same character separately on many occasions. Take a look and scroll down to the bottom. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=6258.

Here's the new cast list for season 9 as far as I know.

Sarah Natochenny
(Ash Ketchum)

Bill Rogers
(Brock)

Michele Knotz (most likely) or Diane Stillwell
(May, Jessie)

Jimmy Zoppi, now credited as Billy Beach
(James, Meowth)

Kayzie Rogers, now credited as Jamie Peacock
(Max, Ash in the original Mastermind Special)

Ken Gates, now credited as Rodger Parsons
(Narrator)

A couple of notes. We know for certain that Natochenny and B. Rogers play their respective roles.As for the rest, I'm not entirely sure, but I'm going by the list at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokémon_(anime) again scroll down towards the bottom) since it seems to be straight forward for the moment. Also, Zoppi and K. Rogers no longer do work for 4Kids, and Maddie confirmed this on the original New Voices topic at Serebii Forums.

Anyway, since you brought this up WPM, I'd like to ask you a question. Since you said that the VAs could not voice the exact same characters under Pokemon USA, could they possibly work for the company by voicing different characters? For example, could Veronica Taylor voice Jessie or Maddie Blaustein voice Brock? I'm just wondering if that was ever a possibility, even though it won't happen.

 

[Rocketshipper]

lol, so Jimmi Zoppi played meowth originally, and now he's playing Meowth again? I wonder how recently he stopped doing stuff for 4kids. His voice was in "The Blue Badge of Courage". Did he still do Gary during the Aeorodacytle chronicles episode?

 

[Kazamatsuri]

Don't forget, "Pokemon Chronicles" was produced sometime early last year. It aired in the UK before it came to the US.

 

[Water Pokémon Master]

Anyway, since you brought this up WPM, I'd like to ask you a question. Since you said that the VAs could not voice the exact same characters under Pokemon USA, could they possibly work for the company by voicing different characters? For example, could Veronica Taylor voice Jessie or Maddie Blaustein voice Brock? I'm just wondering if that was ever a possibility, even though it won't happen.

I have no idea. I don't think 4Kids would let them in any case.

Wait, so is the original Meowth really playing the new Meowth, or is this just another "Luffy doing Ash" thing?

 

[Habunake]

So, could Maddie Bluastein and them play filler characters?

 

[Water Pokémon Master]

Doubt it. She probably wouldn't even want to work for PUSA.

 

[The Big Al]

I doubt they'd even want to touch her with a ten foot pole either after the crap she pulled eariler this summer.

 

[Harold the Wonder Dog]

From the SOVA thread...

I believe that WPM has been telling what he thinks is the truth all along. I also believe that PUSA are using him for their own agenda and he still has a lot of life skills to learn. If people don't want to listen to the VAs for their "immaturity", I don't see why anyone should be expected to listen to WPM either.

Hmmm...*does some word replacement*

I believe that SOVA has been telling what they think is the truth all along. I also believe that the old VAs are using them for their own agenda and they still have a lot of life skills to learn. If people don't want to listen to PUSA for their "bias", I don't see why anyone should be expected to listen to SOVA either.

^_^

 

[Trainer-c]

Didn't Maddie say on SPPf that the first Meowth was someone named Matt Sussman?

 

[NoDot]

Harold, I haven't laughed so hard at a word replacement since I read Nick Lowe's essay, The Well-Tempered Plot Device.

</blant-and-pointless-but-still-funny-advertising>

As to SOVA, their chances of success are about the same as Misty returning to the main group as a side character. (i.e. slim to none, favoring none)

 

[Cybersai]

So, could Maddie Bluastein and them play filler characters?

She wouldn't do it, anyway. She's said on SPP time and time again that she won't abandon her friends, which are the other VA's and the production staff at 4kids. I understand her about that, but it shows that she won't do the show as there is too much pride involved in this as well as with the other VA's. (Veronica and Eric in particular share the same view Maddie does, so they wouldn't do it either unless the dub was back under 4kids staff)

 

[Nomekop Oen]

I can't really say that I've lost respect for the original VAs.While they obviously have to take some responsibility for what they did,their actions could also be blamed on 4Kids.We know that there was an attempt to keep the original cast intact from two sides,both from the VAs and Pokemon USA.It was 4Kids that didn't want to collaborate or compromise in anyway,it was either 4Kids' way or the highway.




And if somehow,someway the original VAs were able to work for Pokemon USA,I wouldn't say that they would NEVER hire them...




I mean,let's say that the Big 4 (Taylor,Lillis,Stuart,Blaustein) do leave 4Kids.If they genuinely feel sorry for what they did,apologize to Pokemon USA,and ask if they can work on the new dub,I'm pretty sure Pokemon USA would consider hiring them.For starters,Pokemon USA would look even more great than it does right now.They're building themselves a good reputation with fans,and then they would be credited with "saving" the original VAs.And on the otherhand,this would more or less become a PR nightmare for 4Kids,they'd ultimately end up looking like the bad guy in the whole situation.I doubt that Pokemon USA would so easily pass up the opportunity to screw 4Kids over.



But yeah,the possibility of the original VAs returning to the series lies solely on the decisions they make.SOVA or any other outside group isn't going to influence anything.If SOVA wants to keep trying,that's fine by me.But like how other people have said,just don't make the rest of us look stupid. =/ That one show 'Everwood' just got cancelled and there's a group of people trying to make a difference out there as well.They ended up doing some stupid crap like setting up a ferris wheel in front of the UPN President's office. (at least that was their original plan,don't know how it worked out exactly...)


A morning radio show here in L.A. interviewed some of those people last week.And it obviously wasn't a serious interview,all of it was meant to be a joke in the first place.If SOVA does manage to get on TV or radio,it's most likely going to be seen as a joke too.If we're talking TV,then we'd probably end up seeing SOVA being made fun of on either VH1 or Comedy Central.

 

[Fizz]

A morning radio show here in L.A. interviewed some of those people last week.And it obviously wasn't a serious interview,all of it was meant to be a joke in the first place.If SOVA does manage to get on TV or radio,it's most likely going to be seen as a joke too.If we're talking TV,then we'd probably end up seeing SOVA being made fun of on either VH1 or Comedy Central.

I could see the Daily Show having a field day with this. Having them ask "Are you the Rosa Parks of Pokemon Voice Actors?" would probably make me spit my soda out

 

[Trainer-c]

I mean,let's say that the Big 4 (Taylor,Lillis,Stuart,Blaustein) do leave 4Kids.If they genuinely feel sorry for what they did,apologize to Pokemon USA,and ask if they can work on the new dub,I'm pretty sure Pokemon USA would consider hiring them.For starters,Pokemon USA would look even more great than it does right now.They're building themselves a good reputation with fans,and then they would be credited with "saving" the original VAs.And on the otherhand,this would more or less become a PR nightmare for 4Kids,they'd ultimately end up looking like the bad guy in the whole situation.I doubt that Pokemon USA would so easily pass up the opportunity to screw 4Kids over.

Therein lies the rub. The old VA's would never apologize, they feel that every action they have taken is justified, and have done nothing to curb SOVA's aggresion towards Pokemon USA. The VA's are the only ones that SOVA actually listens to, they could have easily come out making statements that constantly attacking Pokemon USA like they have been is actually counter-productive to thier cause.

 

[Water Pokémon Master]

They barely even TALK to the old VAs. They are just going off of their old posts and e-mails (and I mean OLD). They didn't even know half the time what Maddie was saying on SPPf, as evident by their own posts. Let alone even talking to PUSA....

They have been preaching for so long that they can't go back anymore. If they went back, they'd have to admit everything they did was a waste, so they just continue on, digging themselves a deeper hole. I told them this was going to happen six months ago, and now they are so far in that they will embarrass themselves either way. Too bad they are taking the "more embarrassing" course by deciding to continue this.

I wonder if any of them can honestly say that they can imagine Veronica Taylor and the others working under PUSA. I can't even form the picture in my head.

 

[Water Pokémon Master]

"WPM was furious upon hearing about this. He accused me of slandering his website when I did no such thing, and declared that I was clinging to false hopes since what he had given me was infallible truth. He demanded I put an end to SOVA, claiming I was causing trouble by continuing it onwards. His goals became very clear - for some reason, he was seeing shutting down SOVA as an equivalent of keeping his website reputation in tact, simply because I had doubts about what I had heard. The conflict was only resolved by WPM being banned on Bulbagarden forums for a period of time."

I was furious because you guys were continuing when you had NO CHANCE and were listening to the old VAs like slaves (plus you were leading fans on). Also, I did not accuse YOU of "slandering" my website, I accused that LiveJournal SOVA website, which has several articles bashing both me and my website. It's not an accusation, it's fact.

 

[FabuVinny]

From the SOVA thread...



Hmmm...*does some word replacement*

I believe that SOVA has been telling what they think is the truth all along. I also believe that the old VAs are using them for their own agenda and they still have a lot of life skills to learn. If people don't want to listen to PUSA for their "bias", I don't see why anyone should be expected to listen to SOVA either.

^_^

I hope you realise that you're entirely missing the point.

Also, I did not accuse YOU of "slandering" my website, I accused that LiveJournal SOVA website, which has several articles bashing both me and my website. It's not an accusation, it's fact.

My recollection is that you had to have it forced into you several times before you admitted that it was LJ and not the SOVA site.