The Japanese voice-acting industry (声優, seiyū) is structurally distinctive: voice actors are usually employed by specialist talent agencies, train at dedicated schools, and operate across anime, video games, dubbing of foreign film, radio drama, narration, and increasingly singing and live performance. The seiyū industry's commercial structure underpins much of the modern anime business — particularly idol-anime franchises.
Training and entry
Most working seiyū enter the profession via dedicated voice-acting schools (Yoyogi Animation Academy, Amusement Media Academy, the Nihon Narration Engi Kenkyūjo, among others) and are subsequently signed by talent agencies. Major agencies — Aoni Production, Mausu Promotion, Arts Vision, I'm Enterprise — manage scheduling, audition representation, and increasingly the music careers of their voice actors.
Recording method
Most anime is recorded in afureko (アフレコ, 'after recording'): the animation is recorded first and the voice cast performs to the finished or near-finished picture. Multiple actors record together in one studio session, taking dialogue in turn from individual standing microphones. The method differs from American animation, in which voice tracks are typically recorded before animation begins and actors work alone.
The idol-anime crossover
From the late 2000s, voice actors for idol-anime franchises (The iDOLM@STER, Love Live!) increasingly perform their characters' songs at major live concerts. These concerts have become a substantial revenue stream — sometimes larger than the originating anime's home-video sales. The 'voice actor as performer' model now extends well beyond idol anime.