This is the page for the email correspondence with Chris Sabat about our petition!
The emails are below. What he emailed me will be brought out without the email addresses and things like that. No reason his privacy should be at risk.
12/12/04 12:13AM
This is Christopher Sabat, the voice actor. I am not a hack online trying to convince you that I’m Christopher Sabat. I am the real Chris, and seeing your petition to have me “removed from voice acting” has me a little more than upset. I am truly sorry if I didn’t live up to your expectations, but don’t you think you’re going a little overboard? Yes, I voiced a lot of characters and yes — some of it I am not entirely proud of. But you have NO IDEA how hard it is to do this work. Imagine screaming in a room for 8 hours a day, with little breaks and even less direction. At the time I was recording most of DBZ, I was also responsible for casting and directing the entire series, a job which took almost EVERY SPARE MOMENT of time I had. I was working 100 hours a week to get DBZ on the air and THIS is the thanks I get?
If you are able to recognize my voice, I’m sorry. If you don’t like my particular characterizations, I’m sorry. But jeez...a petition?? I get TONS of mail from people telling how much they like my work. I’m one of Dallas’ top booking voice talents. I’ve worked HARD my whole life to get to where I am and I am really sad that you are SO disappointed in my work that you would actually take the time to set up a site to have me removed from the industry. I happen to love what I do and respect what people have to say about me, but I am completely distraught by your horrible aversion to me and my voice.
When I’m out of work, I’ll e-mail you again so you feel better about yourself.
Thanks again. Please reply and let’s talk this out.
Chris
12/12/04 1:02PM
Chris,
I'm unsure as to whether your email was supposed to be one of anger, or reversed admiration. In different parts you almost thank me for the petition, which I know was most likely not your goal. In a way, I am honored to have received an email to you. More or less shocked that you took time out of your day, noticed our petition, and emailed us about it. Definitely not what I was expecting to happen, but it shows that you actually do care about the fans.
"Going a little overboard" not exactly. It took me all of 5-10 minutes to come up with the blurb above the petition, and my boyfriend also helped. He is definitely my partner in crime on this one. Unfortunately he is at work right now and cannot help with defending his thoughts also. You’re also talking about the person who has an entire wall filled with DVDs, VHS, CDs, and “toys” of Dragonball, Z, GT, Yuyu Hakusho, and a million other titles. Very addicted to anime, and considerably upset with hearing the same voices over and over again for different characters.
I do know that you voiced a lot of characters, not all of which were necessarily poor, who sounded very similar. You do say that I have “NO IDEA” as to how hard it is to do your job. I have been singing for 18 years. Needless to say a different job that voice acting, but similar. “8 hours a day with little breaks and less direction,” I understand. The weekends would hold 10-hour days in a booth, and there were choir practices, shows, and events also. The casting and direction and voice acting on DBZ were your own choice. If it took every spare moment that you had, you chose to do that. My grandmother would always tell me, “If you bite off more than you can chew, you’re bound to choke!” Your choices made you who you are. You’re famous among the people who watch anime. Just for your voice. I’m not saying that I would ever want your job, nor am I saying I wouldn’t like to do it.
I was actually enjoying DBZ much more OFF the air. I would say the same about Sailor Moon or Yuyu Hakusho. I get really irritated when dubs come around. Sometimes they are very good, like Saiyuki for instance. I have always watched anime in Japanese with subtitles. If I am forced to watch it in English, I always dread the things that are to come. It has nothing to do with your 100 hours of work to get it produced or put on the air. The petition has nothing to do with that. It also has nothing to do with your being one of Dallas’ top booking voice talents. It really had more to do with the fact that we wanted you to know that we thought your job was poor. Obviously telling you straight up to your face wasn’t an option.
Just as a curious statement… if I had written positive things about you, would you have written to me? Do you write to all the people who make positive statements about you?
I am very glad that you worked all your life to get to where you are, and that you are happy with your choices. It’s good to see voice actors, or anyone else for that matter, who likes their job as much as you do. It would also be nice if voice actors would mingle with the crowd more often. I don’t know you at all. I know your voice. I have never met you, although I have tried many times at conventions. Unfortunately, at a convention you can’t really get on a personal level with someone at a panel, signing, etc. There are also a million and two people in line and I don’t think waiting that long to have you sign something and say hi to me is really rewarding.
I do have one positive thing to say about your work. This might sound a little funny, but I will not lie. I have no reason to lie. It does bring a smile to my face when someone is playing Budokai 3 and the screaming of “Welcome to Super Vegeta’s Big Bang Attack” comes howling across the speakers. I giggle just as much as I do when the Saibaimen do their little noises. I usually sneak into the PS2 late at night just to do that attack to make myself giggle for hours. Then again, I’m very easily amused. Greg Ayres signed an empty beer bottle and hung out with my boyfriend and I at Anime USA and I was completely ecstatic to find out that, “Voice actors are real people, they’re not just people who fall from the sky, do a voice, and go to conventions to talk about it.” There were other voice actors there too, but I was too shy to talk to them. I’m not someone who will really hang out with someone like that if I know they’re a “celebrity.”
Feel better about myself? You sending me another email is supposed to make me feel better about myself? I’m really not sure how that statement at the end is supposed to work, so maybe you could explain it to me.
I did reply, because I understand you are interested and value everyone’s opinion of you. Though I am still not sure as to why you would care about what some little 23-year-old girl who has been watching anime since birth has to say about you. I would like to understand you better. Understand why your voices are the way they are. Who knows? Your everyday voice might sound like Vegeta!
You can email me back at any time. I am always online. If you would like to instant message me (Otakon Fairy), you could do that too. I am always willing to discuss my opinion with you. If you want to attempt to sway my opinion, you have already put yourself up pretty high on the list of mind changing. Just your email alone has made my opinion of you change drastically. If you are making the effort just to get me to take my petition down, you are barking up the wrong tree. I still feel strongly about the situation. Having you removed from the industry is not the big problem right now. As long as you know that someone thinks all your voices sound the same and that you would try to change that is commendable enough for me.
No problem with talking this out. I think somewhere in my head I should be thanking you for emailing me. Unfortunately, I realize you are just a normal person trying to get the scoop from the people as to what the people think!
Write back if you like,
~Diana
12/12/04 9:41PM
*The (D) is what I wrote in the previous email that he is responding to with the (C) portions.*
(D) I'm unsure as to whether your email was supposed to be one of anger, or reversed admiration.
(C) Naturally, I’m not angry. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, so I can’t be angry about that. Reversed admiration? Am I supposed to admire you for attacking my characterizations, essentially attacking my work for the last 10 years? Well, that’s a little tough to do. I’d say I was more upset that you would not only be satisfied disliking my work, but would have to go so far as to justify your feelings by creating an online petition to keep me from working. But pointing out only me does not makes me more upset than it does anything else.
(D) In different parts you almost thank me for the petition, which I know was most likely not your goal. In a way, I am honored to have received an email to you. More or less shocked that you took time out of your day, noticed our petition, and emailed us about it. Definitely not what I was expecting to happen, but it shows that you actually do care about the fans.
(C) Yes, I do care about the fans. I was the first person at FUNimation to care about the fans. It was because my interest in keeping the anime community happy that I worked tirelessly on Blue Gender to make sure that it had the original music, sound effects, names and stuck as close to the translations as possible. It was the first purely Okatu-friendly release from FUNimation and it proved to the executives that there was a way to make a quality show without having to dumb it down to a 7th-grade level. I was proud to have paved the way for more purist FUNimation shows like Fruits Basket (I played Ayame — which I’m sure you hated), Kiddie Grade (I played D’ Aurtriche — sure you hated it, too) and others. Certainly, I don’t thank you for you for the petition. I’m sure you’d feel the same way if I set up a petition to have you banned from conventions because I didn’t like your personality. Or if I heard your vocal performances and chose to get as many people as possible to stand behind me to tell you how much YOU suck. (Not that you do, but I’m setting up hypothetical situations here.)
(D) "Going a little overboard" not exactly. It took me all of 5-10 minutes to come up with the blurb above the petition, and my boyfriend also helped. He is definitely my partner in crime on this one. Unfortunately he is at work right now and cannot help with defending his thoughts also. You’re also talking about the person who has an entire wall filled with DVDs, VHS, CDs, and “toys” of Dragonball, Z, GT, Yuyu Hakusho, and a million other titles. Very addicted to anime, and considerably upset with hearing the same voices over and over again for different characters.
(C) When I said “going a little overboard”, I meant that you were going beyond simply not liking my work, but disliking it so much that you had to petition to have me removed. I was not responsible for casting myself in the roles I voiced, but I can tell you that the talent pool in Dallas is limited, so it improved my chances of getting a role.
(D) I do know that you voiced a lot of characters, not all of which were necessarily poor, who sounded very similar. You do say that I have “NO IDEA” as to how hard it is to do your job. I have been singing for 18 years. Needless to say a different job that voice acting, but similar. “8 hours a day with little breaks and less direction,” I understand. The weekends would hold 10-hour days in a booth, and there were choir practices, shows, and events also. The casting and direction and voice acting on DBZ were your own choice. If it took every spare moment that you had, you chose to do that. My grandmother would always tell me, “If you bite off more than you can chew, you’re bound to choke!” Your choices made you who you are. You’re famous among the people who watch anime. Just for your voice. I’m not saying that I would ever want your job, nor am I saying I wouldn’t like to do it.
(C) I was an opera major at the University level. I understand the stress of singing in ensembles, choirs and even alone on stage. Though the concept is the similar, voice acting is a completely different bird altogether. I bit off a lot, often times more than I could chew. But in the early days of FUNimation, we had no choice. We had to get TONS of episodes out in short periods of time or else they couldn’t be released.
(D) I was actually enjoying DBZ much more OFF the air. I would say the same about Sailor Moon or Yuyu Hakusho. I get really irritated when dubs come around. Sometimes they are very good, like Saiyuki for instance. I have always watched anime in Japanese with subtitles. If I am forced to watch it in English, I always dread the things that are to come. It has nothing to do with your 100 hours of work to get it produced or put on the air. The petition has nothing to do with that. It also has nothing to do with your being one of Dallas’ top booking voice talents. It really had more to do with the fact that we wanted you to know that we thought your job was poor. Obviously telling you straight up to your face wasn’t an option.
(C) Sounds like you don’t like dubbing in general. Why you chose only me to pick on is a curious thing. I guess you liked all the other voices.
(D) Just as a curious statement… if I had written positive things about you, would you have written to me? Do you write to all the people who make positive statements about you?
(C) If you had dedicated a website to how much you liked my work and I saw it, of course I would have written. Half the reason I enjoy doing this work is getting positive feedback from people who like my work. I can’t write all the people back who write me because I am extremely busy and I get about 200 e-mails a day from different people. If I had the time, though, I would. I am shocked that anyone has noticed me at all. It is a huge honor to have voiced the roles I’ve voiced and I deeply respect the people who come to conventions to meet me.
(D) I am very glad that you worked all your life to get to where you are, and that you are happy with your choices. It’s good to see voice actors, or anyone else for that matter, who likes their job as much as you do. It would also be nice if voice actors would mingle with the crowd more often. I don’t know you at all. I know your voice. I have never met you, although I have tried many times at conventions. Unfortunately, at a convention you can’t really get on a personal level with someone at a panel, signing, etc. There are also a million and two people in line and I don’t think waiting that long to have you sign something and say hi to me is really rewarding.
(C) I think your statement about voice actors not mingling with the crowd is completely unjustified. The voice actors I know (Scott McNeil, Monica Rial, Laura Bailey, Greg Ayers etc...) are GREAT with people! You haven’t met me, obviously, so you have no idea how I am with people. Since my very first convention, I have made it my philosophy to give personal time to EVERY person who comes to a signing. Because of this, each person takes a little bit of energy from you and after a 4-hour signing, it leaves you exhausted. I love people, and I am honored that they come at all. Naturally, I can’t spend all my time mingling with fans, because I have a personal life as well and I try to enjoy it, too.
(D) I do have one positive thing to say about your work. This might sound a little funny, but I will not lie. I have no reason to lie. It does bring a smile to my face when someone is playing Budokai 3 and the screaming of “Welcome to Super Vegeta’s Big Bang Attack” comes howling across the speakers. I giggle just as much as I do when the Saibaimen do their little noises. I usually sneak into the PS2 late at night just to do that attack to make myself giggle for hours. Then again, I’m very easily amused. Greg Ayres signed an empty beer bottle and hung out with my boyfriend and I at Anime USA and I was completely ecstatic to find out that, “Voice actors are real people, they’re not just people who fall from the sky, do a voice, and go to conventions to talk about it.” There were other voice actors there too, but I was too shy to talk to them. I’m not someone who will really hang out with someone like that if I know they’re a “celebrity.”
(C) Voice actors are real people. I am a real person. We have real feelings and they can be hurt. And you hurt mine.
(D) Feel better about myself? You sending me another email is supposed to make me feel better about myself? I’m really not sure how that statement at the end is supposed to work, so maybe you could explain it to me.
(C) No. You have me wrong on this one. What I’m trying to get you to understand is that if your petition works and I am banned from voice acting completely, I’m wondering how you will feel. Will you feel good? Will you feel like you have done something positive to have destroyed someone else’s dreams? What will you have proven?
(C) I did reply, because I understand you are interested and value everyone’s opinion of you. Though I am still not sure as to why you would care about what some little 23-year-old girl who has been watching anime since birth has to say about you. I would like to understand you better. Understand why your voices are the way they are. Who knows? Your everyday voice might sound like Vegeta!
(C) I wrote, not knowing or caring about your age, because my parents look at the Internet. My friends look at the Internet. Colleagues look at the Internet. I’m sure you’d feel the same way if the 2nd link that came up when you searched for your name come up with something so spiteful. I voiced the characters the way I felt and was cast based on my ability to do them exactly as the director specified. Just today, I spent all afternoon at the Fort Worth Public Library, taking my day to spend it with anime fans. They seemed perfectly happy with my voices and we all got along. 99% of the feedback I get is positive, and in the times when people have said they didn’t like my voice on a certain show, I respected it. I never had someone so openly attack me online before, so I thought I would write to get to the bottom of what seems to be a serious problem.
(D) You can email me back at any time. I am always online. If you would like to instant message me (Otakon Fairy), you could do that too. I am always willing to discuss my opinion with you. If you want to attempt to sway my opinion, you have already put yourself up pretty high on the list of mind changing. Just your email alone has made my opinion of you change drastically. If you are making the effort just to get me to take my petition down, you are barking up the wrong tree. I still feel strongly about the situation. Having you removed from the industry is not the big problem right now. As long as you know that someone thinks all your voices sound the same and that you would try to change that is commendable enough for me.
(C) As and actor, I am consistently trying to improve. I try to inspire all the actors who work with me to improve. I don’t do it by telling them they suck, though. I don’t try to ban them from working or try to convince all my friends that they shouldn’t work. You can leave your petition up, even though you’ve spoken to the source of the problem and have made your feelings known. Just understand that it you are hurting another human being’s feelings.
(D) No problem with talking this out. I think somewhere in my head I should be thanking you for emailing me. Unfortunately, I realize you are just a normal person trying to get the scoop from the people as to what the people think!
(C) Take care, and best of luck in your singing career. I hope everyone likes you.
Chris
12/22/04 12:22PM
I haven’t heard back from you, so I guess our conversation is over. Oh well, I guess there is nothing more I can do. Regardless, I hope you have a Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you may celebrate) and a great New Year. Keep listening, though. I’ll be working on new characterizations JUST FOR YOU!
C
12/24/04 9:50AM
Chris,
Sorry for the long time wait on this reply. After receiving your Christmas email, I figured I would sit here for a few hours and get that reply out to you. The kids could wait a little while for their anime today. They will understand! Children are so understanding on Christmas for some reason. Especially orphans.
As of right now you are the only voice actor I can say I have a problem with. There are many other voice actors in the world, and you are the only one who sticks out to me. I didn't watch Blue Gender or Kiddy Grade (you spelled it incorrectly and I'm sure it was a typo), Fruits Basket I watched in Japanese. You honestly believe that someone is going to not hire you for something because of my petition? Please?! Even I know that petition isn't going to do anything. You should have no fear for your job at all. I don't think even the executives at FUNimation would blink an eye at it. So people tell me I suck! It really doesn't phase me much at all. I do get people who say I suck. Everyone has their own opinions of music. The difference is that not one person likes the same thing musically that another person likes.
If the talent pool is limited then you should make yourself the best there is. If you didn't cast yourself, why couldn't other people be brought in. I know hundreds of people who would have flown themselves to Dallas to do voices, and have the renditions of the characters sound exactly the way they do in Japanese. It completely changes a character when the voice is different. There's a different meaning, nature and character overall that way.
It's fine that you had to work hard to get things out before their releases were vaporized. That's understandable. That doesn't have much to do with the voice acting though. I have seen fan-dubs sound better than any production I have seen by a large corporation or company. It's not like these fan-dubs have many people working for them, expensive technology, or studio time. Many times it's a person and a few friends who translate it, edit the show, and lace the track overtop of the original voice.
It's not a matter of not liking dubbing in general. I don't have much of a problem with Saiyuki in English. I am just starting to check out Chrno Crusade in English "On Demand" and Yuyu Hakusho isn't that bad in English. Aside from Kuwabara sounding older than he should. I usually can't read the subtitles very well from my TV because it's only a 19" and it's, well it's definately not a new TV put it that way.
Why are you so shocked about people noticing you? You do voices for a good amount of characters and I know there are millions of viewers. You do a voice for one character in each genre of anime I think don't you? How you could say that you are shocked about it is beyond me. There's also conventions who practically advertise for you by saying the voice of so-and-so or from this anime.
The only interaction I can say that sticks out in my mind is one person in particular. I have a report from someone stating that "I was at a convention... I got in line for the area that Chris had been in and waited a short time. When I got up to Chris himself there was no one in line behind me.. I asked Chris to phone a friend of mine because he loves Vegeta... short phone call, nothing too elaborate just a 'Happy Birthday' in Vegetas voice... something simple. Chris said 'I am too busy to do something like that for you' I turned around to look behind me to see if there was a long line. It was empty. I walked away, sat within viewing distance of his chair and not a single soul came up after me. Chris just sat there BS-ing with some person at the table with him. No one came up to the table after I did. More than an hour past. I got up and asked again... got the same reply and was asked 'Please don't ask me again, can't you see I am busy?' I was heartbroken and still have yet to recover..." This was from someone who didn't really have much of a problem with your work at that time. Then more and more of your voices came past this persons ears and they noticed more and more that each voice you did sounded very similar if not exactly the same. After a while it really irritated them. They signed my petition.
I understand you have a personal life, that's fine, we all do outside of work. The difference is that if you are at a convention and someone asks you for something simple for a huge fan, when there is no other soul around, you would think that it would have been an easy task to complete. It wasn't even like you had to use your own cell phone, make a long distance call, anything like that! You also have to remember... if you are for the fans, the place they do that at is a convention. Fans go to a convention for the interaction with people who make their favorite animes possible in English.
Not saying that it's good I hurt your feelings, but it's a start. My feelings are hurt everytime I listen to Yuyu Hakusho or Dragonball in English. I loved those both in Japanese. Still do! Difference being, I feel like the new people who watch it are being jipped on the real meaning of the characters and the anime itself because of the voices you provide.
As stated before, you honestly think this petition is going to do anything? I could feel good about it if it did something. There's the possibility that if you were banned from voice acting I could feel like I did something positive, or destroyed someone's dreams. If it came to pass that action was taken, I will have proven to people who watch anime that if someone is making a character differently than the artist and original production, there is hope. There are a lot of people who really cannot stand English dubbing. I think that is sad. There's no reason that people who cannot read have to suffer through bad voices or different "feelings" a voice actor has for a character. I have little or no talent when it comes to drawing, and I know this. I do not try to pawn it off on someone as something good.
To be very honest with you. I do not use google.com. I had no idea it was the second link to come up. My question is... how does google.com work? I have heard that it's how many hits your site gets that produces that order of the listing. Does that mean there are many people who have looked at my site?
Your parents, friends, and collegues should all know that the opinions of someone else don't usually have an impact on someone's work. The difference being, I am really hoping this does have an impact on your work. I know deep down that you have the potential to be a good voice actor. Are you just not trying hard enough or haven't you seen the original production to be able to mold yourself to it. I understand that you don't want to completely copy the original actors voice, and that's fine. Your emphasis on things in your rendition of the script changes who the character is. So far, it has been for the worst.
I think the only way to openly attack someone, is online. Writing to a newspaper isn't going to get any feedback from fans, neither would TV or radio. Those are also expensive sources of the first amendment. The internet is a free source of personal and public information.
Sometimes telling someone they suck is the best way to get them to try to change. It's usually hurtful, yes, but it's more effective than saying "it's good just change this this this and this." If I did that, I would be lying and writing for a long time.
When you are in the public eye, you have a very high probability of having your feelings hurt. Most times you don't notice it because it's something you have heard before. I get the fat comments all the time. That's someones personal preference in a visual aspect. I'm not going to put myself on a diet and never eat what I like because someone told me I was fat. Granted it is hurtful, but I have come to terms with that myself. I am proportionate in my own way. I wouldn't want to be all thin, with a high metabolism and eat whatever is in sight.
There is just one more thing... the bottom line if you will. With your future voices, please, for the love of anime and the fans, try not sounding the same. Go a little higher, a little lower, something? Just try. That's all I ask. When there is a new work, I will do my best to listen to it. Even if it is not something I would watch, I'll borrow it just to check it out. I do believe everyone has potential to change, as stupid or wishful as that may sound.
I would also like to catch you at a convention. Just for giggles, not to be badgering, or anything of the sort. Just to meet you. Maybe you'll be at one of the conventions this year that I'll be at.
Thank you for the best of luck in my singing. I'm actually going to end up stopping for a while. Pursuit other things for a while. Give my pipes a rest! They deserve it!
Diana
12/26/04 4:26AM
I’m not sure what to say anymore. You hate me. That’s cool. Sadly, you haven’t seen but about 10% of my work, especially if you haven’t seen Kiddie Grade, Blue Gender, Fruits Basket etc.... I know your petition won’t effect my career, but I only have one request:
Place me as the #1 entry on your petition.
C
1/04/05 4:29AM
I noticed you updated your petition page. I’m glad you put me on the list. I’m also glad to know you felt comfortable enough to post our private correspondence on the site as well. I took the time to try and reason with you on a personal level, but it seems like you only used it for your own personal, bitter satisfaction. I’m afraid this will be my last e-mail to you.
I really hope you lighten up someday.
Chris
P.S. Please post some of your singing online sometime, so people might be able to hear some of your work, too. It would only be fair, wouldn’t it?
1/04/05 1:41PM
I updated the entire site. It just so happens that I had some time on my hands and that I had the flu so all I could do was sit in front of my computer and type some stuff out.
You never stated that it was private correspondence. Last time I checked, emails sent to another person are considered their property and can be used in whatever way they decide fit. I didn't want to add your name to the petition and not have proper proof of your signing to my petition. I also didn't want people to think that I wasn't being fair to you by just adding your name for the sake of it. I had to update the page, my cousin said the flame background wasn't registering well, so I changed it. I also decided to add a few names and the second page. I didn't really use it for bitter satisfaction... whatever that is supposed to mean. There was no bitterness involved. I added it, like I said, for the proof of your signature to our document.
Why shouldn't I feel comfortable enough to post our private conversation on my site? It's my site, my thoughts and feelings. I wanted to make sure that other people who were reading the petition, who may have had the same questions you did, had the understanding of what I meant.
To be honest with you, I did forward the conversations we had to a few friends of mine in the anime forums on many different sites. They decided to post them on those forums for others to read. A few convention forums, some anime related sites, actually all over the place. Mind you the email address has been deleted from the messages. The messages have also been printed out and given to a friend of mine at work. He laughed, thought it was hysterical. Thinks it's better than the funnies page of the newspaper. He keeps asking for, "his daily dose." Another anime fan I should say.
Posting my singing online is a lot harder. I do not have the technology to be able to do that. Nor do I know how to do it if I wanted to. Your work is everywhere... you're a lot better than me. It just so happens that people actually pay to hold your work in their hands. Mine isn't so easy that way. I'm also a member of a group. Solos are there, but we all take turns.
I'm sorry that you don't want to write anymore, now that your conversation is online. If you would have asked for it to be secretive, I could have done that.
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