I think the reason that seiyuu are generally better quality than dubs is because there's so much more competition in Japan, and hence a better crop of the best. My grandfather taught at one of those seiyuu academies you're talking about later in his life. He star-spotted and recruited a couple of people then; including Tanaka Mayumi, who has become successful indeed! She was always such a funny person.

Hino - I'm not sure I would describe it as necessarily ... fun? Like anything in Japan, it's very hard work, quite stressful, not very well paid, often at ridiculous hours of the day. Not to mention the vertical society which means absolute deference to your senpai. There was a lot of fun sometimes, but also a lot of rivalry and nastiness in the studios. People would literally shove people out of the way of the microphone if they didn't move fast enough :(
One of my babysitters was an out of work voice actor and he said sometimes he survived on cat food.

(they were all nice to my sister and I though... We were kids :P)

Update time!
http://www.catandfiddlecomic.com/comics/channelling/

Aww, someone who like Kieran.
I get the impression that most of my readers like Sir Alex, or Sigsworth or Logi better for looks (but then again, the poll I put on the website is really surprising me!)

Jessicat wrote:Aww, someone who like Kieran.
I get the impression that most of my readers like Sir Alex, or Sigsworth or Logi better for looks (but then again, the poll I put on the website is really surprising me!)

I do like the first two for their looks but also because I find them interesting or funny. I did think Kieran looked cute blushing.

New comic!

http://www.catandfiddlecomic.com/comics/success/