Voice actress Yuko Miyamura, widely recognized for voicing Asuka Langley Soryu in Neon Genesis Evangelion, recently shared her experiences in a column for Japanese online magazine Hanasone. She discussed the challenges of being an otaku in Japan during a time when the subculture was not yet mainstream. Miyamura also spoke about some of the difficult moments she faced while being a public figure in the seiyuu industry.
During the 80s, when Miyamura was a teenager, anime began to evolve from a medium primarily for children to one that appealed to diverse audiences. This shift mirrored the popularity of manga at the time, and together, they fueled the rise of the “otaku” movement across Japan. However, otaku were still seen as social outcasts, and openly expressing enthusiasm for anime and manga was often frowned upon.
Miyamura remembered that anime merchandise stores, such as Animate, were tucked away in older buildings rather than on main streets. Despite being able to purchase items like bromide prints and sakuga cels from her favorite artist Shingo Araki, she felt a sense of pressure to keep her “otaku side” concealed.
Miyamura’s career as a voice actress took off in the mid-90s, coinciding with anime culture’s gradual shift toward mainstream acceptance. Studio Ghibli films attracted new fans to the subculture, and Neon Genesis Evangelion, a project she contributed to, became a hit among otaku. Nevertheless, the perception of otaku as peculiar, tech-obsessed outsiders persisted, and mainstream media frequently mocked such behavior. This placed voice actors, who were gaining prominence, in a precarious position.
“Whenever we were invited to appear on popular TV variety shows, we voice actors were treated like rare specimens. We were regarded as a novelty and spoken to condescendingly. They mocked our otaku fans and showed us discrimination,” Miyamura revealed.
Miyamura cited a specific “incident” where media covered her public radio show, initially claiming it was about the “current boom in anime radio culture.” However, the coverage ended up focusing on “techno addiction,” portraying otaku negatively as a socio-pathological issue. “I felt like I was tricked. It was so horrendous I actually asked them to shelve the recording. Back then, appearing on TV was a constant trauma for me,” she wrote.
Miyamura also recounted another distressing experience during a kickoff meeting for a well-known TV show. The director proposed a concept that clearly mocked her otaku fans and the anime community, calling it “something that will be entertaining to see on TV.” “I remember being taken aback, thinking – Wow, does everyone in the TV industry have such a bully mentality?, ” she wrote.
She declined the initial offer but agreed to appear on the show only if the production team revised its concept entirely. However, they failed to keep their promise, and Miyamura was forced to comply with the original outline. “I felt like I was tricked. It was so horrendous I actually asked them to shelve the recording. Back then, appearing on TV was a constant trauma for me,” she said.
Despite these challenges, Miyamura expressed gratitude for the progress anime culture has made in recent years. “Recently, many celebrities and TV production staff openly discuss their love for anime. Thanks to them, voice actors have secured their status, and I’ve been fortunate enough to work in environments where I’m treated with respect,” Miyamura wrote.