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The story
Voice actor Takasei Nakao appeared on ABEMA’s “Seiyuu to Yoasobi – Friday” (lit. “Voice Actors’ Night Hangout”) for the first time in about eight years, and revealed that his very first paycheck for voice acting work was just 200 yen — and that his only real bragging right is beating Koichi Yamadera for the role of Baikinman. Reacting to the story, posters on 5channel’s Geinou/Sports Express+ board lined up to compare Nakao’s signature characters, like Frieza and Baikinman, against Yamadera’s dubbing work and knack for juggling countless roles. Opinions in the thread split over who has “more iconic roles” and who leaves “the bigger impression,” turning into a back-and-forth where each actor’s strengths got their due.
Thu 9/17, 6:45 PM
Episode #16 of “Seiyuu to Yoasobi – Friday” (hosted by Tomokazu Seki and Kikunosuke Toya, airing Fridays 10:00-11:30 PM on ABEMA’s Anime LIVE channel) aired on September 11. Takasei Nakao made a guest appearance for the first time in roughly eight years, joining a segment looking back on his acting career along with a “three-generation gap talk.”
Toya, who reportedly requested Nakao as a guest, was meeting him face-to-face for the first time that day. He shared that he grew up watching “Dragon Ball” as a kid, and that his niece is currently obsessed with “Soreike! Anpanman,” saying “Thank you so much, really” with obvious emotion.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Played Carlos Rivera
Been a hit since he was young
Wait, seriously? Now that you mention it, yeah — he was in Igano Kabamaru too
Wasn't it Wakamoto who played Kim Ryong-bi?
Probably around 4,000 yen in today's money
Exactly. Yama-chan's the classic "jack of all trades, master of none"
He can carry a mountain of different bamboo swords,
but he still can't beat Takasei Nakao, who's carrying a few "somethings like a crowbar" (a Japanese meme phrase for a vague, do-anything weapon/tool)
Isn't it Kasumi Kenjirou?
Not sure though
Back in the day he put out a hit song called "Ginga Honey" (Galaxy Honey)
https://youtu.be/jUdzA9iAgAY?si=xm4J42x_ivsbtcem
Now that I think about it, yeah, that voice really is Lord Frieza's
Yamadera went on Oha Suta to give Katori a "thank you" that was really a complaint
An actor whose very first line tells you the whole character
He doesn't really have a super-famous anime role
Donald Duck maybe
I think of Kaji from Evangelion, Ryoga from Ranma, and Butter from Anpanman
Surprisingly he's mostly side characters or villains — not many lead roles
In that sense Spike from Cowboy Bebop might be his defining role
Mr. Zorori
Give him time, he'll voice every single one eventually
probably think of Baikinman first
though I'd guess most old guys think of Lord Frieza
The kids who grew up on Anpanman are the same generation that went nuts over Frieza right after
Deep down I think it's actually Porori from Niko Niko Pun
Just google it, his real name comes right up
Honestly this guy's been good since his child-actor days — you can tell watching old stuff like "Dokkoi Daisaku," where he appeared on-screen in the flesh
He also played Carlos Rivera in Ashita no Joe 2 and was in Igano Kabamaru too
Didn't know he'd been in Zero Tester as well
(I do remember Akira Kamiya yelling stuff like "Sigma Zero Beam" in Zero Tester though)
He's played plenty of non-human characters though
Like Kabao and Donkey Kong, for instance lol
Background and Key Points of the Discussion
“Seiyuu to Yoasobi” is an ABEMA talk show hosted by Tomokazu Seki and Kikunosuke Toya, and this appearance marked Takasei Nakao’s first time on the show in roughly eight years. The story of beating Koichi Yamadera in the Baikinman audition is one Nakao has told before, but the specific figure of a 200-yen starting paycheck drew fresh attention this time around. In the thread, opinions split over whose roles left the bigger impression — Nakao’s or Yamadera’s — surfacing a bit of a generational divide: Yamadera is known for his versatility across dubbing and variety-show work, while Nakao tends to get discussed in terms of intense villain roles like Frieza and Baikinman. Worth noting too: 200 yen back then would be worth something like a few thousand yen today, so it’s best not to assume from the raw number alone that the pay was absurdly low.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5channel (Geinou/Sports Express+) thread “Takasei Nakao’s First Voice Acting Paycheck Was 200 Yen — His Only Bragging Right Is Beating ‘Genius’ Koichi Yamadera in the Baikinman Role Audition.”

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