In recent days, voice actor David Wald accused Crunchyroll of mail tampering, telling his followers on social media that he discovered that fan mail sent his way had been rifled through and opened before we had the chance to receive it. On top of this, Wald also claimed that Crunchyroll not only had opened his private mail but that the company had also passed out items to staff while also disposing of fan mail sent to him. In response, the streaming service has released a new statement ensuring anime fans that they are taking the necessary steps to get to the bottom of the incident.
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For Wald’s full statement, here’s what the voice actor had to say, ““Dear friends: if you sent me anything care of Funimation or Crunchyroll in the last 5 years, I apologize, I didn’t get it. I learned yesterday that Crunchyroll opened my private mail, threw away your letters, and passed out any included items to their staff.” Wald then took the opportunity to ask that whatever items were taken be returned to him, “Dear fellow workers at Crunchyroll, below is a photo of the complete contents of one of the packages addressed to me that was opened and distributed to employees. If you ended up in possession of any of it, I would very much like it returned to me.”
Crunchyroll Responds
Taking quick action, Crunchyroll released an official statement regarding Wald’s statements, saying that they are working diligently to get to the bottom of the incident, “Anime fans have a special connection with dub voice talent and that emotional expression is important in fueling more love of anime content. We are currently investigating the matter regarding the allegation of undelivered fan mail to a voice actor. We respect the privacy of all of our voice actors and do not intentionally open mail or packages not intended for Crunchyroll. Any fan mail should be sent directly to talent and their management.”
As a follow-up, Wald has stated that several items were returned to him. Shockingly enough, said items were apparently discovered on a “company giveaway table”, adding to the questions of just what had taken place concerning the fan mail. As events progress, we’ll be sure to keep you posted on future developments here at ComicBook.com.
Wald’s Anime Career
In relation to Fairy Tail, David Wald plays the part of Gajeel Redfox, who played a major role in both the original anime adaptation and its current sequel, Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest. On top of the shonen anime adaptation, Wald has also played major roles in Vinland Saga (Askeladd), My Hero Academia (Real Steel), Ranking of Kings (Zokku), and Baki (Spec). Wald has quite the resume in the anime industry and he is sure to have some big roles in his future.
Fairy Tail’s original anime series garnered over three-hundred episodes thanks to the shonen’s popularity, so many were disheartened when the manga ended its long-running journey. Luckily, creator Hiro Mashima wasn’t finished with Natsu’s story and production house J.C. Staff has been working on the sequel anime this year. As the sequel continues, expect voice actor David Wald to have a major role in the 100 Years Quest’s future.
Want to see how this story progresses in terms of Wald, Crunchyroll, and the items that were taken from the aforementioned fan mail? Want to stay updated on all things Fairy Tail and its current sequel series? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the shonen series and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
