Voice Actor Norio Imamura Arrested for Indecent Pictures

flyingteapot

~~Sorry beforehand if this was posted before but I couldn't find a thread on it nor it was in the voices thread.. If it was posted, please delete this thread.~~ edit: ok, seems like it wasn't posted

Police arrested 56-year-old voice and stage actor Norio Imamura on Monday for allegedly posting pictures of his lower body on his blog. According to the police, Imamura posted indecent images on his blog for two months starting this past April. Imamura runs a bar named Toh where tattoo enthusiasts gather in Tokyo's Shinjuku ward, and he has adorned his own entire body with tattoos. According to the police investigation, Imamura said in a deposition that he has been tattooing himself for about a decade, and was wanting to show off the fact that he finished tattooing his entire body.

As a voice actor, Imamura is best known for playing Emporio Ivankov in the One Piece television anime series.
Sources: TBS, Mainichi Shimbun
Update: Imamura's public blog does not currently have images of his lower body posted in the time period described by the police.
Update 2: Imamura reportedly spent 40 to 50 million yen (about US$450,000 to US$560,000) on his tattoos and publicly posted four images between April 26 and June 17. Source: Sankei Shimbun

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-07-12/voice-actor-norio-inamura-arrested-for-indecent-pictures

Tijnn.

Lmao .

culcul la praline

he looks like a pervert

Sano

How will us Candy Boys in our souls will surivial. WHY!!!

Bamind

It's really a bad news.

Just a quote from my blog post:

Imamura just participated the dubbing work for Episode 462 of One Piece anime (which will be broadcasted on August 15) on July 8. He mentioned this on his blog (in Japanese) on the next day.

But how will Ep. 463 be?!

Venomous Warden

Hee-haw!

I coulndt resist, but that sucks though, i wonder how this will affect his presence on the show. First Jimbei's voice actor is gone (RIP Mr. Satan), then Mihawks voice actor is replaced because of his hospitalization, and now this.

He could always use Death wink to escape i guess

Yonkou255

At least it wasnt anything really bad.Kinda weird.

goty

So that's the boulder-faced okama that Oda mentioned and inspired Ivankov. At least we get to see his face.

@Yonkou255:

At least it wasnt anything really bad.Kinda weird.

Japan is weird.

Bamind

@goty:

So that's the boulder-faced okama that Oda mentioned. At least we get to see his face.

Japan is weird.

His face on his blog is… well... much better than the one on ANN. = =|||

Sano

Just saw the pics myself. Very interesting… Very interesting...

goty

@Bamind:

His face on his blog is… well... much better than the one on ANN. = =|||

Any idea on who are the two va's in the middle? Garp and Sengoku, maybe?

Just noticed that Tanaka's wearing an OP t-shirt. She's awesome as usual.

Bamind

@goty:

[qimg]http://stat.ameba.jp/user_images/20100709/16/4iwabotan/4f/24/j/t02200165_0320024010630939451.jpg[/qimg]

Any idea on who are the two va's in the middle? Garp and Sengoku, maybe?

It seems that the photo cannot be quoted directly??

Maybe they are Sengoku and White Beard.

goty

Yeah, looks like it. Garp's va is fairly younger.

culcul la praline

so this is the pic?

http://4-suug.blog.so-net.ne.jp/_images/blog/_9d5/4-suug/E5888020002-1abea.jpg

Bamind

Now his blog is full of accusing comments. Talk about sad.

CoralSnake

so he got arrested for posting his naked lower half that was tattooed? that's… it? :/........ people post SO MUCH MORE HORRID pictures than THAT on DeviantArt and they're so popular they get faved by everyone on the site... I guess I just don't get it unless he was playing with himself or shoving his wang into young girls faces to show off his tattoos... I'm not sure how it could be so bad? I dunno...

EDIT

ok just saw the pic... wtf? how can anyone be arrested for THAT? is confused wtf

goty

This post is deleted!

Bamind

@culcul:

so this is the pic?

http://4-suug.blog.so-net.ne.jp/_images/blog/_9d5/4-suug/E5888020002-1abea.jpg

More than this one. And some of them are… well I don't know how to say...

culcul la praline

@Bamind:

Now his blog is full of accusing comments. Talk about sad.

16 characters of not mine

Bamind

I have to say that the law in Japan is IMPENETRABLE.

I just want to delete the news in my blog, because I really feel sad about this and I really hate the accusing comments by those Japanese people.

Captain Hypersock

That's hilariously ironic. Funniest news I've read all week.

o-chan

Is it just me or does it seem like this is a BAD year for anyone voicing an important role in One Piece.

O-chan

XMURADX

@o-chan:

Is it just me or does it seem like this is a BAD year for anyone voicing an important role in One Piece.

O-chan

I was about to say this.

Captain Shmeckie

@CoralSnake:

so he got arrested for posting his naked lower half that was tattooed? that's… it? :/........ people post SO MUCH MORE HORRID pictures than THAT on DeviantArt and they're so popular they get faved by everyone on the site... I guess I just don't get it unless he was playing with himself or shoving his wang into young girls faces to show off his tattoos... I'm not sure how it could be so bad? I dunno...

EDIT

ok just saw the pic... wtf? how can anyone be arrested for THAT? is confused wtf

Alot of Japanese laws like this are kinda insane. They censor their porn, for shit's sake…!

Fire-Fist

WARNING: CONTAINS PICS

! http://blog.livedoor.jp/dqnplus/archives/1505080.html

Greg

So is he in Tokyo Municipal Lockup Level 5.5?

Kinda funny after Oda slurped him in the last SBS.

o-chan

@Fire-Fist:

WARNING: CONTAINS PICS

! http://blog.livedoor.jp/dqnplus/archives/1505080.html

Wow. You can't blame Toei for picking someone who seemed really appropriate for the role. I know a certain pic makes me think of Ivankov's fight with Sadi-chan, I guess the seiyuu really was into some kinky stuff.

O-chan

Sea

I wonder how Oda will react to this. He actually was inspired by this guy to create Ivankov.
Ironically enough, he went to the real Impel Down this time.
@CoralSnake:

ok just saw the pic… wtf? how can anyone be arrested for THAT? is confused wtf

Not just that. Don't click, girls ans kids.
[hide]Don't tell me I didn't warn[hide][hide][hide][hide][hide]

[/hide][/hide][/hide][/hide][/hide]

Fuwa Kitty

Crying Freeman tattoos are epic.

Sick_Fool

@Sea:

I wonder how Oda will react to this. He actually was inspired by this guy to create Ivankov.
Ironically enough, he went to the real Impel Down this time.

Not just that. Don't click, girls ans kids.
[hide]Don't tell me I didn't warn[hide][hide][hide][hide][hide]
http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/dqnplus/imgs/8/7/8731f7a1-s.gif
http://livedoor.blogimg.jp/dqnplus/imgs/6/b/6b45f41a-s.jpg
[/hide][/hide][/hide][/hide][/hide]

Meh. No wonder. :ninja:

Zach Logan

I'm sorry, Japanese law is pretty ridiculous if this qualifies as an arrestable offense. Yeah it's not all that pretty, but I saw more disturbing pictures on the Internet before I was eleven. It's his blog, and the Internet is a mostly free space. You don't have to go to his website if you don't want to and I guarantee you more people are viewing that website now that he's arrested. I really hope that he can get right back to work, because it'd be absurd if we have to get a new Ivankov voice just because of this.

TakinawaTonfa

Ivankov the Yakuza.

Halfmetal-lich

Wow is that fucking ironic lol

Silverblade

They got the wrong person.

I blame Mari Yaguchi.

o-chan

@Zach:

I'm sorry, Japanese law is pretty ridiculous if this qualifies as an arrestable offense. Yeah it's not all that pretty, but I saw more disturbing pictures on the Internet before I was eleven. It's his blog, and the Internet is a mostly free space. You don't have to go to his website if you don't want to and I guarantee you more people are viewing that website now that he's arrested. I really hope that he can get right back to work, because it'd be absurd if we have to get a new Ivankov voice just because of this.

Yeah but part of the problem here is we're seeing this from the point of view of English speakers. I've been lead to believe that Japanese society as a whole is so strict that stuff like this pretty much blacklists you for the rest of your life in that society.

It's not like here were Lindsey Lohan can break her probation a bawl her little eyes out because she's going to jail for 3 months. Her career may be down the toilet but she has opportunities to make a comeback if she chooses to.

From what I understand how Japanese society works. Norio is royally screwed.
(Unless my wishful thinking works and Oda/Toei bails him out just because he IS Ivakov's voice).

His talent agency is probably already dumping him since this is a bad image to be tied into a kids cartoon…
about a gender changing gay man...
who changes himself into a woman and ties up S & M queens...
and all his followers where panties and garter belts...

...

...where was I going with this again?

O-chan

Zach Logan

@o-chan:

Yeah but part of the problem here is we're seeing this from the point of view of English speakers. I've been lead to believe that Japanese society as a whole is so strict that stuff like this pretty much blacklists you for the rest of your life in that society.

It's not like here were Lindsey Lohan can break her probation a bawl her little eyes out because she's going to jail for 3 months. Her career may be down the toilet but she has opportunities to make a comeback if she chooses to.

From what I understand how Japanese society works. Norio is royally screwed.
(Unless my wishful thinking works and Oda/Toei bails him out just because he IS Ivakov's voice).

His talent agency is probably already dumping him since this is a bad image to be tied into a kids cartoon…
about a gender changing gay man...
who changes himself into a woman and ties up S & M queens...
and all his followers where panties and garter belts...

...

...where was I going with this again?

O-chan

Well I understand that a lot of aspects of Japanese society blacklist this kind of behavior, but on the other side of the coin, Japanese culture has much more open and much more perverted stuff in it. I don't really understand how both can exist and yet neither can exist. As you said, Norio Imamura didn't do anything outside the scope of his character, let's be honest. So it's kind of odd that similar, maybe slightly less obscene, but still similar activities can be depicted on a show aimed at boys aged around 11-16 but gets you arrested and potentially throws you out of the business. To be quite frank, I'm surprised that our supressed-as-all-hell American culture would be more forgiving. That's really where I'm taken a-back.

Dracmeer

Lawls is all I can say … I was hoping to see where the dragon ended ...

MikeyDPirate

Well this is interesting news. I can see that this will most likely lead to some changes as in voices but I hope not. It is going to be very hard to find somebody who can match Ivankov's voice especially since we have heard a lot from him and it is very unique. I hope he stays but Japan seem to be very strict on keeping a clean 'image' on their companies.

Crazy place Japan is, you can buy panties in vending machines but you can't post pictures of your tattoo body with a tiny bit of your privates showing if you look close enough.

Demon Rin

With all of the other VA replacements, we knew they had to be replaced right away.

Like with Mihawk's VA, they said right in the press release that his hospitalization would definitely hinder his voicing of Mihawk, and he would have to be replaced.
In the recent flashback special, they reused the original Voice track for Mihawk in the flashback and Mihawk said nothing in the present (That I can recall) so they wouldn't need to replace him until several episodes from now during the War. I guarantee you Iva will be saying things that soon or sooner.

So if Toei was going to replace him, wouldn't we have heard it already? I mean, this article doesn't even mention that it's a possibility. Until something happens that says to the contrary, I'm going to assume this won't affect his role as Iva.

It may mess things up for him In the Future, which is very very sad, because the stuff he posted (if we truly have seen all of it by now) REALLY weren't bad enough to warrant any of this…

Also, for anyone wondering, I'm skimming his blog now and that picture of him and 4 other voice actors?

He flat out says it's: Whitebeard, Sengoku, Ace, Luffy & Himself (Iva)

The funny thing, and I think he did this on purpose, when he says "And Me" at the end of the sentence, he uses "Vatashi" instead of "Watashi", the way Iva does. In fact, I'm seeing "Vatashi"s everywhere. Now I wonder, did Oda make that up for Iva, and now Imamura is using it to be funny, or did Imamura ALWAYS do that, and that's where Oda got it from for Iva?

If it's the latter, then it really throws a wrench into that scanlation argument that "This is Oda trying to give him a Russian Accent".

Lord Starfish

@Demon:

In the recent flashback special, they reused the original Voice track for Mihawk in the flashback and Mihawk said nothing in the present (That I can recall) so they wouldn't need to replace him until several episodes from now during the War.

Come to think of it, wouldn't it have been more logical to just start using his replacement voice here? I mean, prior to this, it had been years since Mihawk had a single line of dialogue, so I'd say the change would have been far less noticable if they hadn't included his original voice here?

fps_anth

The fact that he voices Ivankov makes this 10x funnier

Simetra

NO! NOT IVA-SAMA!

Like what I've been reading in this thread, there are pictures/blogs/websites more obscene and indecent than this one. This is just a man… err... okama... showing his art to the world. I actually like those tattoos. It was so cool.

I've seen the pictures and at first I was shocked and disturbed but then I tried to be open-minded. This is just a form of art. Indecent to some but art is always misunderstood.

Anyway, I'm really worried now. War is starting and the voice actors who I know would play a major part in the next episodes are slowly being replaced.

Sad.

Hiroy

I wonder if this is how Ivan ended up in ID in the first place.

Anyway…. Nice tattoo. I hope his prison buddies enjoy it.

Demon Rin

@Hiroy:

I wonder if this is how Ivan ended up in ID in the first place.

Anyway…. Nice tattoo. I hope his prison buddies enjoy it.

Is it REALLY a Prison-worthy offense?!

At the worst it's probably a fine and/or probation.

Sakonosolo

His tattoos are cool.

Joe

those are some weird ass pictures.

BatrozX

I don't get what's funny about this…I just find it ridiculously retarded the fact that he gets arrested for such a thing. If this affects the anime...I'm gonna get REALLY pissed off. I don't see who else can replace Ivankov's VA.

Zach Logan

@BatrozX:

I don't get what's funny about this…I just find it ridiculously retarded the fact that he gets arrested for such a thing. If this affects the anime...I'm gonna get REALLY pissed off. I don't see who else can replace Ivankov's VA.

Thank you .

BatDan

We're laughing at the irony. An actor playing a perverted character is arrested for doing something perverted.

Yeesh, overreaction much?

Zach Logan

@BatDan:

We're laughing at the irony. An actor playing a perverted character is arrested for doing something perverted.

Yeesh, overreaction much?

I don't really think that's what irony is.