Keiko Han: Returning to Space Battleship Yamato
Thoughts on her daughter Megumi Han, who inherited the role of Sasha
Published April 13 by Mantan Web. See the original article here
Keiko Han is appearing as Mother Dezarium in the remake series of the popular anime Space Battleship Yamato. In the third animated film Be Forever Yamato released in 1980, she played the popular character Sasha, and after more than 40 years, she’s appearing in Yamato again.
In the latest installment of the remake series, Be Forever Yamato REBEL 3199, her daughter Megumi Han plays Sasha, and it has also become a hot topic that she took over the role from her mother. We asked Keiko about her thoughts on her daughter Megumi and her reappearance in Space Battleship Yamato.
Keiko Han at Anime Japan 2025 (March)
The importance of caring for others
Mother Dezarium, played by Keiko, first appeared in the two-part Yamato 2205, which was screened in theaters in 2021 and 2022. Keiko was strongly urged to appear in Space Battleship Yamato again by Harutoshi Fukui, who is not only the series writer for 3199, but also the general director.
“I have fond memories of Sasha, and I couldn’t take on two roles in one work, so I initially declined. I’m getting older, and I didn’t want to risk anything, so I thought I’d pass on new roles. There were many people who wanted me to do it, so I felt bad. But then Fukui-san contacted me. I told him, ‘I’ve already done it once,’ but he said, ‘This is a remake, so it’s different,’ and ‘It’s an AI role.'”
Encouraged by Fukui’s passion, Keiko “returned” to Yamato. Mother Dezarium is the mysterious being who reigns at the top of the Dezarium.
“AI is developing rapidly these days, and I thought that in the future, AI would probably speak normally. So at first, I tried to make it sound like a normal human being. However, Mr. Fukui told me, ‘It must be from a superior perspective. Without any emotion.’ I recalled my previous role in Queen Millennia. It was the image of a human who sold her body to a machine in pursuit of eternal life. But since I worked on Queen Millennia, I had this mindset of ‘Don’t lose to machines! Don’t lose to AI! Humans will definitely defeat AI!“ That resonated with me, but Mr. Fukui might say, ‘That’s not it.”
Keiko also feels that the existence of Mother Dezarium and the grand theme of Space Battleship Yamato are connected.
“I don’t know how 3199 will end, but when I think about what can defeat AI, I think it’s a heart that cares for people. Love, parent-child relationships, friends…we have the desire to do something for someone, the feelings we have for people, and we can be grateful. Can AI do that? I think the theme is people caring for others, and it’s wonderful that this continues to exist without changing.”
She hasn’t shown her acting face to her daughter
Following 2205, Keiko appears as Mother Dezarium in 3199. She heard directly from Fukui that her daughter Megumi would also be appearing.
“I wondered if it would end with 2205, but it never ended. (Laughs) One day, when I was having dinner with Fukui-san, he brought out a storyboard. He said, ‘We’d like to ask Megumi to play Sasha.’ I remember saying, ‘Can Megumi do it?'”
“Sasha in Be Forever Yamato is fragile, but girls are strong nowadays. Sasha has a strong will, but at the time, fragility was what was wanted, so I think it was a product of the times. My daughter is stronger than me. She has a strong will, stamina, and spirit. I was 26 when I played Sasha, and I wondered if my daughter could portray the fragile feeling of 14 to 17 years old. But after seeing the storyboards, I thought maybe she could do it for this version of Sasha.”
Megumi, her daughter, made her voice acting debut in 2011 as Gon Freecss, the main character of Hunter X Hunter, and is a popular voice actress who has appeared in numerous anime. Keiko reveals that she “doesn’t like” acting with her daughter.
“It’s fine for us to sit together at events and stuff, but I really don’t like acting. I play different personalities, and I don’t like showing sides of myself that I don’t usually show to my children. My children have to stand on their own, and as an actor, I don’t want to let my private life out in the open. It would ruin the role. For a voice actor, the character is important, so I think it’s best not to be in the public eye. After all, it’s the character that counts. That’s been my motto since I was little. There was a time when I couldn’t do that, though.” (Laughs)
The role of Sasha was passed down from mother to daughter, but she didn’t give her any advice.
“I have nothing to say. I’m not worried. I only said something at the very beginning. Before the audition for Hunter X Hunter, I heard her practicing in her room, and I just said, ‘You don’t have a partner to practice with!’ I said, ‘It’s important to have a partner and to know what they think…who is your partner?’ Once I said that, it seemed she understood. Space Battleship Yamato is also filled with feelings of caring for others. That feeling never fades, no matter what.”
“Even though we do the same job…” she speaks of her feelings for Megumi.
“We only really talked about work at the beginning. We ended up living apart. Actors are special, so we can’t live together. Even after my daughter was born, the moment I closed the door to go to work, I became a different person. I decided that when I got home, I would become a mother. I have to be a normal mother. I’ve never taken her to the studio, and I’ve never shown her my acting face. When I stand in front of the microphone, it becomes my own world, so I don’t want to show it. When acting, you have to watch the timing and have a calm side. It takes a lot of concentration. If you don’t get absorbed, you can’t create a role.”
When she heard Megumi’s voice as Sasha in 3199, she said, “She’s more into it than I am.” (Laughs)
“When I played Sasha, I was a newcomer, but my daughter has built up a lot of experience, so I felt her growth and I’m not worried. During Be Forever Yamato, I felt the love in the line “Sasha!” from my senior, Kei Tomiyama (who played Susumu Kodai). It was a line filled with so much love that I thought he loved me! I was raised in a wonderful environment. My daughter is also learning from the support of everyone on set, rather than from me saying anything.”
There are still many mysteries surrounding Mother Dezarium and Sasha, so let’s all keep an eye on future developments.