Somebody sent this message to me in order to help get the word out, so here ya go:
What I am about tell you is an event that will affect the Pokemon franchise for the worse in the future. After acquiring most aspects of the Pokemon franchise from 4Kids Entertainment, it was revealed that the old veteran cast of actors who have voiced Pokemon for the past eight years will be replaced by newer unknowns from the ninth season. This is a colossal disappointment and the TV series will never be the same as a result of the new voice change. The following letter you're about to read is from Veronica Taylor on March 21st. Taylor is known to anime fans as the voice of Ash Ketchum and May from the Pokemon TV show:
"Unfortunately, this is very real. We have been informed that Pokemon USA has already made plans to do the Anniversary special with substitute voices. Apparently, they haven't made a firm decision on the next season yet. None of us have been formally asked to do the show, we've simply been told we'll be replaced. Pokemon USA has made no effort to negotiate with 4kids, simply feeling that getting a cheaper rate to dub the show is enough. They care nothing for the quality. They will be using new script writers, voices, music, etc. We (the voice actors and those at 4kids who work so hard on the show) are all extremely upset as we care very much for Pokemon and what we've worked to create. However, there is nothing that we can do. It seems that the only recourse is for fans to write to Pokemon USA and tell them how wrong their decision is and how it will adversely affect the show.
Thanks for your concern. Please spread the word and let's all try to work together to right this wrong before it's too late."
Veronica
If there is a voice change, then it will affect not just the TV show but also future pocket monster game titles that will carry the same voice. This has to be stop as no one wants to see anyone other than the original cast voice their favorite Pokemon characters. Even if the new voice actors are just as good as the original counterparts, it was the original cast, the same cast that voiced everyone's favorite Pokemon characters for the past 8 years that were the hearts of the show. Nobody is ever going to react positively to a Pokemon character voiced by someone different from a member of the original cast. There comes a time when a voice or acting defines a character, live action or animation. We have all seen that in anime as diverse as Lupin III, Inuyasha, Cowboy Bebop, Full Metal Alchemist, Trigun, Digimon and most obviously, Pokemon, shows that were vocally successful in American and Japanese, a scenario that rarely happens. That is what happened when I watched the first
Pokemon movie back in 1999, to the dismay of my father who, let's face it, is not into animes or cartoons that much. I still loved Pokemon to the point that I convinced him to see it. When I saw Ash Ketchum turn to stone by Mewtwo and Mew's attacks against each other, I was in tears when Pikachu futilely tried to save him. It might seem embarrassing since I was 13 years old back then but because of Veronica Taylor's excellent voice acting of Ash Ketchum, I was attached to the character and that is why I felt emotional when I thought Ash was gone for good. It is reasons like that why the show was such a huge phenomenon and continued to run in its original formula, as opposed to a similar shows like Digimon, which repeatedly changed plots and formulas to survive. The voice acting, not the animation, made the characters. With Pokemon, it just so happened that both the US and Japanese vocals made the characters.
And now Pokemon USA are doing everything in their power to get rid of those who got us fans involved with the characters and for what? For money? Pokemon USA is a multi-million dollar conglomerate and they are telling us they cannot spend some cash on several talented voice actors? I speak for every Pokemon fan out there, who are rightfully upset and angry about Pokemon USA's decision of replacing voice actors like Veronica Taylor, Eric Stuart and Rachel Lillis, with new ones for an upcoming Pokemon special and possibly the next season. The voice actors themselves, especially Veronica Taylor, are upset about their decisions but no way do they want to burn bridges with them. They have inhabited the role of these Pokemon characters for so long that having them discharged would be a punch in the gut to the show, the voice actors and devotees of the franchise. The actors want to resume their roles. I want them to resume their roles. But most importantly, the fans want them to res
ume the roles. The fans, specifically, want to watch a Pokemon episode and hear Ash Ketchum sound the same as he always have been for the past eight years. The fans are most vital to the franchise because without them, Pokemon would never become as successful as DragonBall Z or Sailor Moon. And if Pokemon USA thinks that this change is going to benefit a lot of fans, they are so sadly mistaken.
So that's why anime, internet and Pokemon fans out there, we need your help. We need you to tell those money-loving fat [censored] in New York that we want the original US cast to stay, not the new ones. We want Veronica Taylor as Ash, Rachel Lillis as Misty and Eric Stuart as Brock, no one else. Those actors made the characters special and it would alienate the fanbase if they were discharged. I have sent mails to 1up.com and gamespy.com, two of the largest sources for the video game industry, an industry that benefited greatly from Pokemon's phenomenal sales performances and hopefully they will get my message and reply back to me. I don't care how you do it but if you want Veronica and her pals to stay, take action. Do it in any fashion: Spread the news, write letters or e-mails to Pokemon USA on feedback@pokemon.com, post it on your blog, your friend's blog, any other blog, sign a petition. Most importantly, spread the news. A piece of news information to a public audience will
encourage everyone to support the original voice actors and the Pokemon fans that oppose Pokemon USA's decision. This could even persuade Pokemon USA to change its mind. It might seem like exaggeration but millions of people who have been loyal to the franchise will never react positively to a character voiced by someone different from a member of the original cast. Please help them. Veronica Taylor is a sweet person in real life and one of the nicest people in the industry and the last thing she needs is to be discharged because Pokemon USA wants to save some [censored] money. Eric Stuart, the voice of Brock and James, is a straight-out, friendly guy and he is very respectful to his fans. It kills him that he might be rejected because of greed. Everyone out there, anybody...please support us and put a stop to this idiocy that Pokemon USA will show. Pokemon fans want Veronica, Eric, Rachel Lillis (voice of Misty and Jessie) on future episodes. Because they ARE the voice of Pok
emon and they need OUR help.
We can do it people. We can make them change.
For sources of information and way to join the campaign, go to
http://www.pokemonpalace.net
PNN Save the Dub
Go to google.com and type Save the Pokemon Voice Actors.
or visit Veronica Taylor's e-mail address at veronica@anime.com.
We must save our voice actors. We must be heard.
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