We have some sad news this month, 2nd voice actor for Sazae-san’s Norisuke Namino, Taro Arakawa, has passed away on last Thursday, Nov. 15 due to multiple organ failure. He was 56 years old. He is survived by his wife Atsuko Satō, and our hearts and prayers go with her. Taro Arakawa was born in Tokyo by the name Yasuo Satō. Taro Arakawa started his career as a Voice Actor in 1977 in the original Yatterman as Cha Manjū and Nikuman-Mecha and Gasshin Sentai Mechander Robo as Dan Gorobee. He was also Col. Lando from the 1989/90 Anime Series Bubblegum Crash sequel of The Bladerunner’ish OVA Bubblegum Crisis.

His career comprised of voicing a number of background roles in series such as the Dirty Pair, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Magical Princess Minky Momo, Doraemon, Crayon Shin-chan, Wedding Peach, Yū Yū Hakusho and Speed Racer. Arakawa also played Matsuchiyo-sensei in Nintama Rantaro and he also voiced in several episodic characters in the Great Detective Conan series. He’s also known to be a great asset as a voice actor for Japanese dubs of European and U.S. Media. Arakawa voiced Norisuke Namino from July 1998 to July 2000, after fellow voice actor Ichirô Murakoshi stepped down because of health issues. At this point now, Yasunori Matsumoto currently is voicing the role.I also saw Twilight Breaking Dawn Pt. 2, which is not bad on the whole just a real mindf**k of a movie. The whole experience was just wow, really? It was like that? Geez, I need some aspirin *again* but also it did explain and few things. The ending credits were a nice touch I will not spoil it but I do suggest you sit through it all to the very end.

Finally received closure over what was at one point a decent online friendship till over the recent 5 to 6 years. I won’t go into details, I’ll just say ties are finally broken and neither one will contact the other under –no- circumstances even if life threatening information is available and could save the other. It was agreed I even went as far as asking the proper and required channels to see if said information was expunged from place of origin. Since then I have heard nothing from or about said place, which is where I will leave it at. The Podcast Nov. 16th was pretty bad, so bad as a matter of fact, that I am going to each guest and will record the segments and have them sent to the editing department for corrections audio balancing and let them insert the segments in the order they deem fit. This would have/could have been avoided had someone on the crew denied access to the trolls in the first place to begin with.
This is not an emotional reaction but more of a logical one, due to the fact that the perpetrator is guilty of said actions in the past. His actions as well as his accomplice were not only unwanted, but embarrassing and disrespectful not just the guests, but to the group as well as their selves and I would have expected that they would have learned from the last time this happened on an entirely different podcast early this year. The perpetrator in question is nothing more than a young unruly man-child who should go back to their X-Box controller and attend conventions for trolling rather than acting like such a tween with a sugar VS Ritalin condition. Most of my concerns were heard but were not taken with a more serious reaction or reply.

I sometimes wonder why I even bother to offer my input or to attempt to rescue the situation with the proper courses of action. It’s like “I’m” the wrong one “I’m” at fault the people am looking at me with astonishments upon their faces, and all I can do is look at them and say “You really can’t see it?” I know the podcast is for fun and that is more of a hobby and a way to relay things of interest and have cool guests like Robert Woodhead the CEO of AnimEigo and One the Greater Political Figureheads in EVE Online. If I ever decide to get involved in that MMO you know whose Political Party I’m in! But also guests like Amanda Rush and LB Bryant both remarkable journalists from ani.me one the recent websites to come out for fan created by fans to relay the anime and manga and convention related news as it happens.

But when stunts like what happen on Nov 16th? It makes me cautious on whom to bring on the show. I love podcasting myself, its great and when I got the chance to pop on the current crew I’m casting with, I was like wow, ok yea this would be fun and enlightening and a bit educational from a fan’s point of view. So after a half a year of being with the crew I thought I’d ask some of the people I have met in the media industry on the show and to get some insight from the creators of series, voice actors and how they work and have fun at the same time while doing the voice tracks for characters, the odd things that happen in media at conventions and expos. Its disheartens a person when things like trolling happen to a point where you can’t even use a recording you spent 90+ minutes on 55 of it with the guests themselves. Am I angry? Yes I am because the people that ruined the podcast don’t care and personally I would ban them myself especially if it was a second offense which it was in this case, but I’ve been told to leave it alone, so I am left to blog an entry on it and that’s all it will be.

The office Thanksgiving get together went well. Fun and good eats were had by all and the wife and I shopped for a bit after the raffle, and no, I didn’t win anything this time, but there were some pretty awesome prizes the best and last one was a 61 inch Plasma flat panel TV. We were also able to get some food items for this Thursday’s turkey feast. Been bidding on a certain platform hand held console for our eldest daughter, who had her first one stolen out of her backpack because she took it to school and left in the locker unlocked and unattended. Normally I’d be “Sorry” your screwup,  your loss, but I’ve think I’ve let go on far enough. She still misses her console and I think she may have learned her lesson finally. So I am doing what I can to try to get her one used off listia. Sure I know, I still Halo II for the PC but what’s more important? Game or Family? Derp no brainer…… so I get to see her smile, which is far much better than fragging someone in Halo II OH WHO AM I KIDDING I WANT BOTH but our daughter “is” more important. It’s close to getting off work and heading home and I’ve been working on this on breaks and lunch.

So here’s to you readers! Remember, reading doesn’t meant crap unless you can walk away having learned something.