Fairy Tail actor leaves show due to “numerous abuses” from Crunchyroll

As a seasoned gamer with decades of anime fandom under my belt, I must say this latest turn of events between David Wald and Crunchyroll has left me quite disheartened. Having followed Fairy Tail since its inception and being a die-hard fan of Gajeel, voiced by the talented Mr. Wald, this news is a bitter pill to swallow.

David Wald, who previously voiced the character Gajeel in Fairy Tail, has declared that he is no longer associated with the role because of reported “misconduct” by Crunchyroll.

In the popular anime series Fairy Tail, the character Gajeel has been voiced by Wald since 2012, even earning him status as a beloved rival to the main character Natsu. However, things have recently shifted – Wald will no longer be voicing this role in the ongoing series Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, which began this year.

On Twitter, Wald shared that he’s no longer lending his voice to Gajeel due to his decision not to collaborate with Crunchyroll anymore. He alleges that there have been excessive abuses, which he finds unsuitable for public discussion on social platforms.

Friends, I won’t be rejoining Gajeel in Fairy Tail. I also won’t be returning to the Crunchyroll studio. The mistreatment I experienced there is excessive and too many to detail here. However, I will share all of it with you soon, right here:
— David Wald (@DavidWald_VA) November 11, 2024

In the gaming world, I’ve found myself right smack dab in the middle of a heated controversy between me (Wald) and the folks at Crunchyroll. Back on October 25, 2024, I publicly accused them of intercepting and opening fan mail supposedly meant for me, then sharing the contents with their staff. Quite a pickle, isn’t it?

To friends: If you’ve ever sent me something through Funimation or Crunchyroll within the past 5 years, I must apologize as I never received it. It was recently brought to my attention that Crunchyroll had access to my private mail and discarded your letters, distributing any accompanying items amongst their staff.

After this, there appeared an image showing a package that, according to Wald, had been seized by Crunchyroll. He requested that whoever has these items return them to him.

Hey Crunchyroll Colleagues!
— David Wald (@DavidWald_VA) October 25, 2024

October 29th, an actor shared that Crunchyroll hasn’t reached out to him regarding a certain issue. “No apology, no assurance of recovery of items… nothing. So, maybe there’s a problem here, or maybe it’s just me continuously sounding the alarm. But either way, these inconsiderate actions are bound to be exposed,” I shared.

As a gamer, I’d put it this way: “Hey folks, on October 29th, Crunchyroll came out saying they’re looking into the claims about missing fan letters. They value the privacy of their voice actors and never intentionally open mail or packages not meant for them. They suggest sending fan mail straight to the talent and their management directly.

Responding to the claim, Wald stated this was a recently implemented policy from the service. He explained, “During the period when this package was delivered, we were advised to redirect fan mail to the studio, and I haven’t received any fan mail since before Sk8 The Infinity premiered in 2021.” This suggests that this practice has been ongoing for at least three years since the show’s premiere.

On November 11th, 2024, Wald publicly declared that he would not hold any official position with Crunchyroll. In his own words: “I’m terminating my professional ties with them. Although you might still hear my voice in some of their offerings, those will be recordings made at a different studio. I consider Crunchyroll to be an abuser, and I refuse to be a victim anymore.

We’ve reached out to both Wald and Crunchyroll, and will update if we hear more.

2024-11-12 15:48

Fairy Tail actor leaves show due to “numerous abuses” from Crunchyroll

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