the Japanese portal Josh Spa! published an interview with the researcher Hiroko Yamazakiwho explained that the influence of anime in Japanese society ultimately led to the popularization of the “high voices‘, leading many women to attempt to match this tone in order to fit in while at the same time hiding their true voice.
«“Japanese women have very high-pitched voices,” says music journalist and voice researcher Hiroko Yamazaki (山崎広子). In the first part of our interview, she told us that in countries with a large gender gap, women use a higher voice to find “their authentic voice”. In the second part of the interview We asked Ms. Yamazaki about the factors that explain the increase in vocal clarity in womenespecially around the year 2000, and what she wants to say to women who tend to speak high-pitched to strangers». [Para este artículo, nos centraremos en la segunda parte].
«[La Sra. Yamazaki escribe en su libro que la voz de las mujeres ha cobrado especial importancia desde aproximadamente el año 2000] The voice was also high until about the 1970s, but temporarily dropped somewhat during the years of the bubble economy. However, a poll of voices on the street shows that the rate has been high again since about 2000. As a social phenomenon, animation culture has moved from subculture to mainstream, female voice actors have become more popular, and high-pitched, feminine voices are increasingly used in fields other than animation. Around this time these voices were also consistently listed as “preferred voices”. In the past, it would have been strange for a normal adult woman to have a so-called “anime voice”, but as these voices became more common and could be heard all over TV and other media, I guess young women in particular were unwittingly inspired to speak in a higher voice“».
«[¿Qué significan las voces femeninas muy agudas?] Infant voices, both human and animal, are high-pitched. This is because they are small and have short vocal cords and vocal cords. In other words, a high-pitched voice indicates that the organism is still young and immature. In some anime series, I’ve seen female characters whose voices represent immaturity, weakness, and childhood, while only their bodies are portrayed as sexually mature. Of course, not all anime series are like that, but if these images of women are needed, we should be aware of our depictions of women in Japan.».
«[Quiero que las mujeres vivan con su propia voz] Women of my generation were oppressed by the gender division of labor and had to play the “woman’s role”. But I want that to end with my generation. I want women to live with their own voice and live more comfortably “alone” without inventing a suitable voice. And whether you’re a mother or not, I want you to speak in your own voice, without inventing your voice, and be a role model for your children. Tell the girls that they don’t have to force themselves to be “pretty.” In fact, it is said that deep voices are calming and that we can be happy where we are ourselves. I believe that if more women can live their lives and express their individuality in this way, it will change the social consciousness of Japan and make life easier not only for women but also for men.».
Font: Otakomu | Japan
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