That excitement will hit you again!
The Space Battleship Yamato whirlwind across Japan!
Yamato is forever immortal!
In the first work, Space Battleship Yamato, the story revolved around a trip to Iscandar for the Cosmo Cleaner blueprints to save Earth from the attack of Gamilas. The second film, Farewell to Yamato, was a story steeped in deep love for humanity with Susumu Kodai and Yuki Mori rushing into the White Comet with Yamato.
These moving masterpieces will be screened in theaters together this summer. Space Battleship Yamato is an unsurpassed masterpiece, forever immortal for the peace of the universe! (from July 14)
Furthermore, following Space Battleship Yamato 2, which ended in April, a 90-minute special program will be broadcast on Fuji TV on the evening of July 21. It is an important program that holds the key to “Part 3,” which will be released in theaters next summer. If you’re a fan, you definitely can’t miss it!
Youth talking jockey
I want to value “compassion”
Kei Toyama is the number 1 most popular voice actor in Japan. We asked him about his job as a voice actor, and he also told us his impressions of interactions with fans. My impression of Mr. Toyama is that he is a very kind person…
Kei Toyama: Born in Tokyo on October 31, 1938.
After working for the Toho Children’s Theatre Company and the Reeds Theatre Company, he joined Aoni Pro. He is best known for the role of Susumu Kodai in Space Battleship Yamato. His many other works include Sabu & Ichi’s Arrest Note, Grendaizer, and Hawk of the Grand Prix. Today, he is very active with six shows a week, including The Ultraman.
The main character is my alter ego…
People often say, “Don’t you play so many different roles that you get the voice of the main character wrong?” You might say that, but voice actors are just like regular actors. You can’t make a mistake because you become the main character.
During Space Battleship Yamato, I became Susumu Kodai. For Starzinger, I quickly changed to Sa Jogo. And just because I’m in an anime doesn’t mean I can just open my mouth and make sounds. The hands, feet, and other parts of the body move in accordance with the movements of the main character. In other words, it’s the same as doing a play.
During Tiger Mask, the main character Naoto Date and the little kids in the orphanage are teasing each other. There was a scene where Naoto cried as he was blowing into the air. I really cried too. I had become Naoto in body and soul. Naoto of Tiger Mask is one of the main characters in my memories.
The one that left the strongest impression on me was my first leading role as a voice actor, Sabu from Sabu & Ichi’s Arrest Note. Not only because it was my first leading role, but because I could relate to the way Sabu lived and thought.
He grew up downtown, he has a strong sense of justice, and absolutely no mercy toward bad people. But he doesn’t just punish people because they’re bad, he gets them to think about their background and why they started doing bad things. He’ll guide you in the right direction. In other words, he shows kindness or love for humanity. Sabu had that. I think it’s important not to just assert your own position, but to also consider the other side.
In the roles I’ve played so far, there were a lot of righteous people and so-called heroes. I’ve been thinking lately that I’d like to try my hand at playing a villain. Everyone has a desire for conquest and material goods, and will go to any lengths for their own benefit. I feel that there is something profound in villains that the good guys don’t realize. I’m hoping to express that through a villain role.
I like kindness more than anything else
Whether due to this recent anime boom or not, a lot of fans have been saying to me, “I want to be a voice actor!” or “Please make me your apprentice!”
But voice acting is not as glamorous a job as young people today think. Even if you belong to a production company, you don’t get a monthly salary. If you don’t get a job in a month, your income will be zero. Even if you do, if you don’t do the work well, you won’t get another job. In other words, there’s no guarantee of livelihood. It takes about ten years to become a full-fledged worker. That’s why I’m so happy when I receive cheers from so many fans these days. I think, “At last, we voice actors are being recognized.”
But some fans send me tapes, and they’re selfish enough to ask me to record something and send it back. Others wait for me outside a recording studio until around 10pm, still in their school uniforms. I’m happy, but on the other hand, I’m also worried about whether they’ll be okay being alone that late at night. As for my feelings, I’d like to talk with each fan at leisure, but in reality I’m too busy to do that.
So if I receive a letter saying, “I don’t need a reply or anything, just keep up the good work!” I think, “Oh, she knows I’m busy.” I’m very happy to see a child’s compassion in the text. I guess that’s true of everything. Isn’t it necessary to be considerate and kind, to consider the other person’s point of view? I’d like to be like that myself. I also like people who have that kindness and compassion.