And so it begins.
Just a few weeks after Japanese voice actor Toru Furuya publicly admitted to infidelity and emotionally abusing his secret lover, who was one of his fans, his career is already winding down toward an early retirement.
Atlus has announced that he will no longer be providing the voice for their upcoming RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is set to be released for PC (Steam/Microsoft Store), PS4/PS5, and Xbox Series S|X on October 11. The game is directed by former Persona series director Katsura Hashino.
However, Toru Furuya, who was originally slated to voice a character in the game, will no longer be part of the project following his recent scandal.
Furuya is renowned for voicing iconic anime characters such as Amuro Ray in Mobile Suit Gundam and Yamcha in Dragon Ball Z. He also provided the voice for Mario in Super Mario commercials and movies in the 1980s. However, due to his recent admission of infidelity and emotionally abusive behavior toward a fan, along with allegations of physical violence and coercion into an abortion, his career appears to be ending prematurely.
Given Japan’s strict societal stance on scandals involving affairs, it is likely that Furuya will be blacklisted by the industry.
On May 22, Furuya released a statement on his Twitter account, which went viral. He addressed a magazine report by Shukan Bunshun about his affair, confirming the details publicly.
The rapid downfall of Furuya’s career is reminiscent of the scandal involving Vic Mignogna, an American voice actor known for his roles as Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist and Broly in the Dragon Ball series. Mignogna was accused of sexual harassment and misconduct in 2019, with allegations spreading widely on social media.
These included unwanted hugs, kisses, and other forms of physical contact with colleagues and fans. The #KickVic movement emerged, leading to Mignogna being effectively blacklisted by the industry, with companies like Rooster Teeth and Funimation severing ties with him.
In response to the allegations and subsequent professional fallout, Mignogna filed a defamation lawsuit in April 2019 against Funimation, voice actors Monica Rial and Jamie Marchi, and others he claimed were responsible for damaging his reputation. He lost his case and his appeal.
Despite the lack of substantial proof and no charges being filed against him, Mignogna’s career suffered nonetheless, he is possibly the most canceled voice actor in the business, and yet fans adore him all the same. Probably because he had talent, which is rare for dubbed anime.
Interestingly, many companies that severed ties with Mignogna, such as Funimation and Rooster Teeth, have since faltered, with Funimation merging with Crunchyroll and Rooster Teeth dying on May 15, 2024.
The key difference between Mignogna and Furuya is that Furuya has admitted to his misconduct, while Mignogna continues to deny the allegations against him. Regardless, both cases highlight how allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct can lead to severe professional repercussions, as companies avoid collaborating with individuals deemed problematic.
This trend underscores the influence of movements like #MeToo and the evolving societal expectations for accountability and conduct.
Unless your name is Jason Schreier, in such a case it’s acceptable to avoid addressing the sexual misconduct at Activision Blizzard, which he reportedly knew about for years before the story became public. One wonders if things might have been different had he spoken out sooner. Should he be held accountable for potentially putting various women in jeopardy? Guess we’ll never know. But one must never judge the last “decent” game journalist in the field.
