Voice actor Kamiya Hiroshi forced to apologise for marriage; may affect future roles in games

Last July 12, the magazine, FLASH revealed a paparazzi photo of the popular voice actor, Kamiya Hiroshi (41), who was carrying a child (later revealed to be his own child). On the 17th of the same month, Kamiya has issued an apology in the radio show he hosts.

Here is the excerpt from his apology:

“In line with that [magazine article], I would like to sincerely apologize to the fans whose hearts may have hurt because of me. I’m truly sorry…we stayed silent about this matter until now as we did not have any time to announce it, and there were very few people who intrude in my private matters…if everybody will give me permission, I would like to continue working through my voice and performance."

However, not all of his fans can handle the said situation. There are people who graduated from being a Kamiya Hiroshi fan and start reselling his goods out of shock, and many have speculated the marriage might negatively affect his career as an anime/game voice actor.

Aside from Levi in Attack on Titan, he is known to be the voice of Terry (Dragon Quest Heroes II), Zeri (Valkyria Chronicles 2), Chalcedony Arcome (Tales of Hearts R), and Machina Kunagiri (Final Fantasy Type-0).

[rdgneoz3]

"many have speculated the marriage might negatively affect his career as an anime/game voice actor."

... Getting married may affect getting voice acting roles for animes/games? Sad... I know you have the creepy lonely guys that want their female idols to remain "single and pure", but are the little girls going to be crushed that a 41 year old guy is married and has a kid?

[Yi-Long]

Yeah, seems to be a bit of a problem in Asia when it comes to idols/celebs getting into a relationship or whateber, and fans who somehow can't deal with it.

I know Jackie Chan talked about news coming out he had a GF or wife, and some Japanese girl committed suicide over it.

[Critic4l_Strik3]

da fuq????

[pinkcrocodile75]

Why in the blue F**K is this story important?... Oh it isn't.

Last time I checked, most straight guys are SUPPOSED to eventually meet a woman and probably knock her up. It's sort of their job description. Please note the word "most".

If Japanese girls are stupid enough to kill themselves over THIS then they aren't really contributing to the gene pool. Sort of natural selection really.

Leave the guy alone, let him waffle on games to his hearts content, though I care as much about this as I do about all fox news anchors being found dead tomorrow morning.

Ok, on to something that matters

[rainslacker]

Very sad really, because people place their own expectations on public celebrities, and then their actual quality of work becomes second to what those people's expectations are.

I don't feel he did anything wrong with getting married, or having a child, and being a celebrity, I'd understand if he wanted to keep it private from those who feel they have some stake in the mans overall life.

Same happens here in the US with Hollywood celebrities, and at times, they even use such relationships as publicity. I doubt he'll have to stop working if he's talented enough. People who actually care about him or his work will be able to accept he is a person, who has his own wants and needs, and hope he is happy. It's only the shallow people who will take offense that he wasn't open about it IMO.

[dcbronco]

He may not have to stop working but might have to move on to work with a far lower young female demo. It's unfortunate it works that way, but he was hiding it for a reason. Hopefully he was paid well enough to have time to get into something new.

[NotEvenMyFinalForm]

You never heard of the fujoshi?

[drizzom]

Bingo

[donwel]

Idols have it rough man, whether they be female or male.
I was more surprised to learn that he's 41 though, when I saw the thumbnail I thought he was in his 20s :/

[donwel]

@Cobra951 I meant all of the restrictions that are put on them. Imagine being told that you're not allowed to date or get married or you'll lose your job. It's pretty fucked up man.

[FamilyGuy]

So... Be rich, have sex with tons of your fans without them having any expectation of commitment and be adored for what is basically a sleezy lifestyle? Guess he was supposed to wait till he was 50+ to settle down?

This story makes zero sense to me. I knew there were cultural differences but having to publicly apologize for getting married and having a child. That's insane.

[donwel]

@FamilyGuy Ah, I think that's another stipulation actually, that they're not allowed to have sex. They have to remain pure for.... whatever reason.
I remember there was a female idol from an idol group (I think it may have been AKB48) who apparently was discovered to be having a relationship. Anyway when she was found out she shaved her head as a show of apology. I think it was only last year or the year before this happened, so it wasn't long ago.
It's bonkers man, but I'm not even sure it's a cultural thing, it just seems to be idols that get the bum deal.

[Dixiedevil]

That's some weird shit, right there.

[donthate]

Cultural differences, but a thing I hope will change. That said, I highly doubt it.

[Dixiedevil]

Me: Gal Gadot isn't just Wonder Woman, she's MY Wonder Woman and she'll always be pure and only mine.
Friend: Dude, you don't even know her. You sound like a mental patient.
Me: No, I'm just really into Japaneese culture.
XD

[ziggurcat]

Uh... Why is he apologizing for getting married?

[Forum_Pirate]

Because while asian cultures have a lot going for them in some places, their idol culture is ****ing disgusting. It's like a step or 2 beyond beiber fever, but it's all major idols

[InMyOpinion]

Because Japan.

[s45gr32]

I do not know nor understand

[TheColbertinator]

Japanese pop culture makes me more uncomfortable than American pop culture at times

[spicelicka]

Seriously, people don't hesitate to praise Japanese culture when it comes to tentacle porn and boob pillows, but there are many things wrong with it too, like all cultures.

[frostypants]

At times? When is it NOT more messed up?

[Gamist2dot0]

I see the reverse. In the US, brief or mild nudity - Oh no! We can't have that! But violence is ok. :/

[TheColbertinator]

Understood. The US and Japan have their odd quirks

[Kirchh77]

Not true. U see girls w barely anything on and sex scenes on nearly every channel on tv in America.

[dcbronco]

On pay TV. Most of the world is grown up enough to show nudity on regular television including commercials. Things we would never show are completely normal in other cultures.

If you look at the U.K. teen show SKINS and then see the US version it's not remotely the same. Or look up the New Zealand Nintendo commercial for some Rocker game. Would never come close to airing in America.

[1060FX8300]

A voice actor having to apologise for getting married? Hah, sure, go tell that to Travis Willingham and Laura Bailey.

[BlaqMagiq1]

In Japan their way of things is much different. Like idols dating is a no-no because they have to maintain their "pure image" for their fans. In fact one idol shaved her head in shame because of it. Weird I know.

[stalepie]

lol this is so backwards

[kingdomtriggers]

Ah Japan....

[TXIDarkAvenger]

wat

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

WTF did I just read ?

[Kalebninja]

Is anyone seriously questioning Japanese culture, we all already know how absurd it can be at times so I'm really not surprised.

[tanukisuit]

People generalizing again. No surprise by the usual ppl - North American culture has its issue too - did you not forget that YT celebrity that got stalked and killed by a fan? Idol worshipping is just plain bad.

[spicelicka]

Not that American culture is great, but at least that was an isolated case of a psychotic fan, doesn't really have to do with culture, that guy was just messed up. This guy is publicly apologizing which means there's enough cultural pressure that he felt he had to apologize for getting married.

[FreeSpeech69]

We have people apologize for wearing a shirt or saying "All Lives Matters", we aren't any better sadly. People need to stop apologizing for being human.

[Adrian_v01]

Bieber fever. It was actually recognized as a disease by medical workers. Need I say more?

[donthate]

FreeSpeech69:

He doesn't have to apologize, but he should if he wants to continue having fans....

Nobody is obviously forcing him to apologize.

[tanukisuit]

Hollywood celebrities constantly have this problem - that's isolated!? And if he apologized it was probably due to an overbearing manager or respect for his fans. Either way, since when is an apology a bad thing? Some North Americans can learn to be more tactful.

[spicelicka]

^ I was talking about that particular incident. It's not in any culture to stalk and shoot your idol.

But there are PLENTY of problems with Hollywood, don't know why you're assuming I'm defending it.

I was pointing the problem specifically with music celebrities, in groups and such. There are pop stars that are shunned and humiliated by fans for having a relationship, remember the girl that shaved her head in shame?

[Kirchh77]

An apology in this instance is a bad thing. It makes the ppl think their obsessions are ok. Is he really sorry for being w the woman? Is he really sorry for having a child? The apology itself isn't legit it's the fact he probably feels threatened that one of them could do something to his wife, child or himself. So he's taking the safest route. In America it is isolated. It's not the cultural norm.

[tanukisuit]

Still the guy shouldn't have to apologize for anything.

[DragonKnight]

The only correct response to this whole thing....

http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photo...

[Majin-vegeta]

I cant... http://i.imgur.com/dfN7c.gi...

[feraldrgn]

How old is his wife? I find this a strange thing to be bothered by.

Edit: Ok so she's 32, now I'm really confused.

[Lionalliance]

....what? why?

[2pacalypsenow]

Asians are weird

[DragonDDark]

You're weird too :P

[2pacalypsenow]

Yep

[tanukisuit]

Idol fan bases are weird, but good job on generalizing! Lucky for you the mods would censor people right away if they did the same for you Western blokes.

[andibandit]

Death penalty now!!

/s

[Tzuno]

41 and looks so young, fans are crazy.

[CrimsonWing69]

Yea I'm confused so if you're a voice actor you can't get married in Japan or it's career suicide? I mean this is 2016...

[frostypants]

He got married? And this bother people? WTF?

[Muzikguy]

As petty as the USA seems to be getting, at least I can say with this here it would be a non-issue. Who cares if he's married. Not everyone wants to stay single the rest of their life

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Read this 3 times. Still doesn't make sense. People are very strange in this world. And he a really apologized too. I genuinely can't make sense of this.

[Razzer]

Sorry everyone. I got married 23 years ago. Please don't ban me. I'm really sorry.

Did I do this right?

[Kidmyst]

Do girls or boys actually buy a game just because he does the voice acting to where this would affect his career being married? "Hey did you play the new game?" "No, way since he's married now I'll never play a game again with his voice, Waaah"

[3-4-5]

* Yea it's really not healthy to be this obsessed with anyone.

[jmac53]

I know cultural differences and all, but that is some twisted desperateness and to even apologize to the fans for being married is on a whole different level.

[Casepbx]

So let me get this straight. The majority of this guys fans are virgins, and they found out their role model is not so now they hate him? Huh I guess in all honesty that's not so different from American shit... just you know opposite.

[Tonykid]

It's situations like this that make me question why people hate on American culture when stuff like this happens. I understand it's a cultural difference but a guy just got married why would you idolize someone who just a radio personality/Voice Actor.

[Kirchh77]

The common sense thing to do for his "fans" would be to congratulate him. I'm not sure these ppl understand what a "fan" is. These ppl sound more like cult followers lol.

[MasterofMagnetism]

This is some crazy sh*t. smh

[Dangerous]

Now that's crazy!!
I though South Korea have this kind of stuff now even japan! asian culture are difficult in this subject.