Quote:
Originally Posted by Vicious108
Well yeah, I haven't read anyone state they chose a certain seiyuu because of their popularity, but I'm sure it is a factor to some extent. Trendy idol seiyuu like Kana Hanazawa are sure to bring their loyal fanbase along with them just by being in a series, so why not cast them and automatically increase the audiences? Same reason Hollywood directors like having the likes of Will Smith or Brad Pitt in their movies - they put more butts in seats.
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My favorite word to use for the entertainment industry: Typecast.
Also, my favorite typecast seiyuu: KugiRie.
I suspect that it can be a bit simpler than attempting to gain a fanbase with picking certain seiyuus. A lot of voice actors (and real actors even more so) get typecast into certain roles. KugiRie is my favorite example because she's synonymous with the tsundere character. People know her for those characters, and she is often cast in those roles. So when a big anime comes along and they have a tsundere heroine, the first person that may end up on the list of people to call for would likely be KugiRie.
My knowledge of the voice acting industry in Japan is negligible though, unfortunately. It certainly ends up working that way in the states.