The line
between admiring a celebrity and crossing the line of harassment seems to be
increasingly blurred for some people. Renowned voice actress Kaori
Maeda and her representatives had to issue a strong official statement
on August 20 to demand an immediate halt to a series of obsessive behaviors
that are affecting the artist's mental health and safety.
Through the
statement, the actress's agency detailed that, although the vast majority of
followers behave in a respectful manner, unacceptable situations have been
detected. Among the behaviors pointed out are ambushes and chases in event
venues, filming locations, airports, train stations and even taxi ranks. Added
to this is the continuous stalking in places where she is, the taking of
photographs and videos without her consent, and noisy interruptions during her
live performances that end up ruining the show for the other attendees.
Likewise,
fans were strongly asked to avoid posting information on social networks about
casual encounters, exact locations or the actress's next destinations.
Management emphasized that the fact that an incident appears to be a
coincidence does not justify the constant repetition of these acts, which take
a huge emotional toll on Maeda and disrupt work schedules. In view of this
situation, the organizers warned that anyone identified committing these acts
will suffer the cancellation of their tickets for future events without the
right to refund, in addition to being expelled from the venues and permanently
banned.
Kaori
Maeda is a
prominent Japanese voice actress who is widely loved in the entertainment
industry. Among her most emblematic roles is her performance as Shizuku Osaka
in the Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, as well as her
role as Nice Nature in the popular game and anime Uma Musume Pretty
Derby. Her charisma and talent on stage have positioned her as one of the
most active figures in recent years.
Considering
the Growing Reports of Harassment of Voice Talent in Japan
