Category Archives: convention

[Anime Central 2025] An Interview with Pili, the Puppet Studio Behind Thunderbolt Fantasy

Posted on by

At Anime Central 2025, I received an opportunity to interview Pili, the Taiwanese studio that co-produced Thunderbolt Fantasy. I hope that fans of Thunderbolt Fantasy, fans of Pili, and anyone curious about unique media and entertainment can learn from the in-depth answers they gave.

1) Taiwan has a celebrated tradition of puppet theater, something that is likely unfamiliar to much of the English-speaking audience. What are some of the special aspects of Taiwanese puppetry, and how do you incorporate them into your work?

Pili puppetry has a unique advantage: puppets have no facial expressions. This means that all emotions are conveyed through the atmosphere of the scene, the performance of the voice actors, and the impact of the music. As a result, regardless of culture or language, emotions can still be conveyed through the puppets.

About how we incorporate them into our work, we can share how Thunderbolt Fantasy entered the Japanese market as the example. Although the genre is Wuxia fantasy, Urobuchi-san naturally incorporated various elements of Wuxia into the story, which allowed Japanese audiences to easily understand and appreciate it.

2) Given that Thunderbolt Fantasy has both Japanese and Taiwanese dubs, have you found it a challenge to work with two different languages and styles of speech?

The production of Pili puppet performance always begins with the audio. The puppeteers always perform based on the pre-recorded voices. For Thunderbolt Fantasy, once the Japanese script was delivered to Pili, it first had to be translated into Chinese, then dubbed in Taiwanese. The puppeteers would then perform based on the audio data.

However, because there are language differences between Chinese and Japanese, Urobuchi-san would need to revise the script and communicate with every voice actor about how the characters should be performed after watching the filmed version. For example, in puppet theater there are many actions similar with Japanese Kabuki movements and gestures. To voice properly for such movements, Urobuchi-san had to discuss with voice actors to provide guidance and suggestions in person.

3) Do the puppeteers treat their performance as akin to live theater when recording, or is it more like a movie or television show production?

Our production now is closer to that of films and TV dramas. The biggest difference is that traditionally Pili puppet performance was live on stage. In this case, the puppets’ heads must face the audience. However, now in a studio setting, the puppets’ heads must face the camera, so the concentration and ways of expression become different. In addition, we use narration, jump cuts, and other techniques to change settings and transition the scenes.

4) I must ask, how did a giant robot end up in Thunderbolt Fantasy? It was an unexpected choice, but speaks to the fun and unpredictability of the series.

Robots are one of Urobuchi Gen’s personal interests. He is also a big fan of Kamen Rider and Tokusatsu, so he came up with the idea of including them and designed that robot. Pili also filmed similar things before, such as scenes where puppets battled a giant gorilla. In our Su Huan-Jen movie, we collaborated with Japanese studios to create the monster Qilin. We really enjoy Tokusatsu filming style, so Urobuchi-san took the opportunity to design and incorporate more of these elements into the work to make it fun.

5) Are there any plans to bring more of your shows to English-speaking audiences? I ask simply because I would love to see more.

Of course, we do have plans. We are working with Urobuchi-san on other projects, and both now and in the future, we will be working on scriptwriting and concept design for works that appeal to a wider fanbase, especially to those who are not fans of the Wuxia genre.

6) I’ve read that one thing you had to learn from making Thunderbolt Fantasy is that Japan is more accustomed to a slower pace for action scenes. Could you elaborate on how you changed things to accommodate this?

From the very beginning, we have been constantly adjusting the pace. Especially when shooting the first episode of the first season, we studied how to present the puppets’ body movements in greater detail so that the audience could better appreciate their performance. We knew that the fight scenes in puppetry always switch too quickly, like in seconds, and the puppets have no facial expressions. The audience would need more time to process the information and understand the plot. That’s why we kept adjusting the pace. I must say that we rely on puppeteers’ live performance and improvisation as well as the director’s guidance and arrangement.

7) How do you puppet the characters relative to the voices? Does voice come before the puppetry, or vice versa? Or perhaps there’s a back-and-forth process between the two stages?

First, we record a reference track in Taiwanese, and the puppeteers perform based on that. Next comes the official dubbing. Since the official dubbing could involve various adjustments and changes, we need to reshoot and revise the makeup. This back-and-forth adjustment continues until everything is finalized. Once finalized, we proceed to the last phase of handling Japanese dubbing.

8) Are there unique aspects of specific characters that require puppeteering them in special ways? For example, is controlling Shang different from controlling Lin?

One of the biggest advantages of Thunderbolt Fantasy is that the script and character designs were developed simultaneously. This allowed our puppeteers to imagine the personalities of the characters more concretely and design unique gestures based on the script since there was sufficient information. For example, Shang scratching his nose, or Lin carrying a smoking pipe in his mouth, which looks humorous. Because we had enough prerequisites and Urobuchi-san could provide explanations in time, the puppeteers were able to enrich the characters as best as they could.

9) Is there anything unique to the technical process of making Thunderbolt Fantasy that differs from your other series?

At this point, Pili’s puppet drama series updates every week, like Shonen Jump in Japan, so the production schedule is extremely tight.

During the technical process, for example, creators often need to design characters based on only a few lines of description, while voice actors must imagine the voices of the characters before even seeing the actual designs. When these two processes run at the same time, mismatches are likely to occur. Just imagine they designed an old lady, but voice was like Rie Kugimiya’s tsundere tone. 

Producing weekly episodes is very demanding. Ding Bi, who is sitting beside me, works on the weekly-updating drama. His team often found that even after finishing filming and wrapping up, they would still discover parts that needed reshooting, which was stressful and frustrating.

On the other hand, Thunderbolt Fantasy is different. Since both the script and pre-production details were ready in advance, everything was clear, which made filming much easier. Moreover, our Pili team has developed such a strong teamwork spirit over the years that we can almost instinctively know the best way to shoot a scene, so the whole process was quite smooth.

10) How involved was PILI with the overall story and the character personalities in Thunderbolt Fantasy? What was it like to work creatively with NITRO PLUS?

Pili’s involvement is very high. Although most of the character designs from NITRO PLUS are for protagonists, we are in charge of classifying characters by levels of importance. Pili also contributed a lot to the character design. For example, many of the demon realm generals and lieutenants and other organizations were designed by us after internal discussions. 

NITRO PLUS trusted in Pili’s puppet-making, so their feedback was generally positive with few comments on things that need to be corrected. For the process of converting 2D character designs into 3D character models, we also communicated with NITRO PLUS frequently, so our interaction with them has been very close. 

NITRO PLUS is a highly disciplined and experienced company. Even though its core business is gaming, its creative strength and design framework are astonishing. Pili really needs to learn from them because our style in designing sometimes tends to be loose and irregular, so working creatively with NITRO PLUS was previous experience.

11) Looking back on your long history with Thunderbolt Fantasy, are there any important lessons you’ve learned from making it?

To be honest, ten years have not been easy. Collaborating with Japan was a huge challenge for Pili.

The first lesson is cultural differences in language. For example, in Japanese texts or messages, expressions like sumimasen can sound indirect or ambiguous for us considering the seriousness, but they could be a very clear refusal from the Japanese side. We might think the level of that dislike from them was not strong at all, but in fact their rejection was much stronger than we expected. What’s more, when we said something like “Okay, we can consider this proposal and maybe give it a try”, the Japanese cast sometimes understood it as a clear decision to move forward along this plan. 

Another big lesson is in the character market and community management. In Japan, these aspects, as well as production details, are treated with great importance, while Pili had not given them as much consideration before. After we started working together with Japanese people, we learned a lot from them in these areas.

About technical skills, we also learned tremendously. Through Thunderbolt Fantasy, we had the opportunity to learn from Japanese creators and companies other than NITRO PLUS, such as monster design just mentioned, sound production, etc. In particular, the sound director Miwa Iwanami gave us invaluable advice on how to strengthen the use of voice performance to make puppet theater characters more powerful.

Once the interview was over, one of the puppeteers demonstrated the way they control the puppet of yandere princess Cháo Fēng. 

The staff also asked me how I got into Thunderbolt Fantasy. And then they even gave me the chance to hold Cháo Fēng’s puppet myself!

It’s literally one of the best things I’ve ever gotten to do.

The Voices Called for Me: Anime NYC 2025

Posted on by
A spacious view of the Jacob Javits Center from the inside, with people walking and standing around. In the distance is a large banner that says "Anime NYC."

Anime NYC 2025, held from August 21 to 24, was the second time since the New York–based convention moved its dates to take place in the summer. The decision allows it to use more of the Jacob Javits Center, but comes at the cost of being stuck in a crowded con season, as well as the risk of unpleasant heat and humidity. Luck was in Anime NYC’s favor this year, however, as the weather was pretty much ideal despite the weeks prior being pretty dire.

As always, the convention is very concentrated on its Exhibit Hall and its events. There are plenty of panels featuring industry insights and announcements of upcoming plans, but they tend to be geared more towards promotion, with a few less business-focused gems here and there. For me, because Anime NYC has become a big event for VTubers, I’ve found myself dedicating more attention in that direction.

The Takahashi Yoko Concert

I don’t always attend the concerts at Anime NYC, which require an additional ticket purchase. But there was almost no price that would keep me from seeing Takahashi Yoko, the singer of the Neon Genesis Evangelion opening. The series has been such a part of my life over the course of decades that I jumped at the chance to hear her sing live. 

Curiously, her tickets didn’t sell out that quickly, and there were plenty still available even after a small group purchase. I could see people not making the connection between Takahashi and the evergreen “Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” or that we’ve hit a point where Evangelion is considered more history than anything else among newer generations of anime fans. More for people like me, I guess.

Takahashi performed songs found in Eva such as “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Soul Refrain,” but her set was not just limited to music from the franchise. She was also accompanied by two young backup dancers, who were quite impressive. A part of me hoped that Hakos Baelz, the hololive VTuber who specializes in dance and was in NYC at this time, was in the audience and could see them. Naturally, Takahashi capped off the concert “Cruel Angel’s Thesis.”

There were some issues with the audio that took time to resolve. The acoustics of the main event space aren’t ideal for concerts in the first place, and there was something about the setup that drowned out her voice to a degree. I brought ear plugs, but had to take them out at first because I couldn’t hear her well enough with them in. There was also a tech flub on one song that forced them to restart it. In spite of all that, Takahashi’s voice was simply sublime; it sounded even better in person. 

During the concert, Takahashi gave a speech in English, reading from some prepared notes. She talked about how she basically grew up with music and was going down the path of the classically trained, but various issues kept her working as a session musician. She was initially hired to sing one of the versions of “Fly Me to the Moon” for Evangelion, knowing nothing about it. At her first recording, she was accompanied by just one bespectacled man in a sweatshirt and sweatpants—Anno Hideaki. After this, she was asked to sing the opening as well.

Takahashi described her relationship with Evangelion as a complicated one, but also something she’s overall grateful for. It boxed her in, but without it, she would not have been able to achieve such success or have so many opportunities. She talked about how her favorite episode of Eva is actually 26 because of one scene in particular: In the “abstract sketch” space seen in the finale, Shinji is shown floating through an empty void with total freedom, but the lack of any boundaries makes it intimidating. He is then drawn a ground, limiting his freedom in one way. However, the boundary that exists now allows Shinji to do what he couldn’t before, which is walk and find a way. Takahashi basically feels the same way about Eva.

hololive 

The VTubers of hololive have become a staple of this event. Returning to the Exhibit Hall was the large booth featuring convention-exclusive panel streams, as was the hololive World Tour (more on that later). Curiously, while past Anime NYCs have also included a big hololive panel as well, that wasn’t the case this time around.

The Booth

One big change from previous years was that the panels were spaced further apart on the schedule, which I found very welcome. It gave me an opportunity to check out other things, and helped mitigate the potential fire hazard that forms with the enthusiastic crowds. I didn’t attend every panel, but every one I did see was fun in its own way.

Takane Lui, along with Shirakami Fubuki on the hololive booth screen. Fubuki is wearing a Yagoo mask and has two fake muscle arms flexing.

I’m a fan of all the holoX ladies, so I really wanted to see Takane Lui. She did not disappoint, especially when it came to karaoke, but the antics of her panel partner, Shirakami Fubuki, made it even better. The fox would bust out a 2D Yagoo mask and a pair of muscular arms on occasion, which culminated in their fitting presence during the song “Onegai Muscle” from the anime How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?

Mori Calliope and Koseki Bijou on screen. Above them is the question "Would you rather lick a subway pole for 30 seconds or drink a whole vat of hot dog water?"

The Tombstone panel, so named because Calliope Mori is a grim reaper and Koseki Bijou is a living gemstone, had them answering “Would you rather” questions related to New York City. The NYer heavy crowd naturally had a lot of opinions, and it was entertaining to hear the VTubers try to twist logic to suit their choices.

Airani Iofifteen performing karaoke on screen.

I also went out of my way to see the hololive Indonesia karaoke relay, which had Kobo Kanaeru, Airani Iofifteen, and then Pavolia Reine. You could tell that people really love Kobo’s singing because the normally boisterous crowd was almost pin-drop silent as she covered “Mayonaka no Door,” “Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” and other tunes. Kobo was going to sing “Dragostea Din Tei” too, but a technical mishap prevented her from finishing it. Iofi amazed me by singing “Do You Remember Love?” and I even got noticed by the camera when she was looking around for holo merch.

If I had any big complaints, it would be that standing on concrete for extended periods is really tough on my feet, even though I have good shoes. It’s possible to have better flooring for a booth, and I think Cover Corp can afford it.

The World Tour

Cardboard standees featuring the official art from hololive STAGE World Tour '25, featuring Nerissa Ravencroft, Kureiji Ollie, Mori Calliope, Momosuzu Nene, and IRyS.

Anime NYC was selected as one of the stops on the world tour, which is officially titled ‘hololive STAGE ‘25 World Tour -Synchronize.” This is not to be confused with the hololive EN 3rd Concert, All for One, which took place the same weekend. You can read my review of that here.

The different lineup from last year brought a different energy that was less “pop diva.” With Calliope Mori, IRyS, Nerissa Ravencroft, Momosuzu Nene, and Kureiji Ollie on stage, you had a combination of dedicated singers and all-out entertainers. Personal highlights included the covers of “Shijoshugi Adtruck” and “Don’t Say Lazy,” as well as the world tour official song, “Live It Loud!” which I think does a good job highlighting the strengths of each performer.

I do have a few complaints. The first two are ones I’ve already mentioned, namely the whole “standing on concrete for hours” thing like at the booth, and the iffy acoustics of the Main Events hall. The third is what I’d consider a very mild gripe: a good amount of the songs performed were also at Breaking Dimensions last year. However, I know I pay a great deal of attention to the musical performance side of hololive, and this is less of an issue for those who watch events less often.

Each stop includes two additional guests, and New York City’s were Natsuiro Matsuri and Haachama, aka Akai Haato. Matsuri is a nice middle point between singer and entertainer, and I’m a big, big fan of Haachama in general. I was a little sad that I couldn’t see the entirety of Haachama’s panel last year at Anime NYC, and I consider myself very fortunate that I managed to purchase a ticket to Synchronize. I even brought my Haaton wearable head towel so I could represent, and spotted other Haatons (i.e. Haachama fans) while waiting in line. For the concert, she performed her first original, “RED HEART,” and its simplicity is something that goes back to the very core of VTubing in a way I enjoy immensely.

The Stamp Rally and Other Merch

There was a great deal of hololive-related goods available at the con. They had very visible representation in the Artist Alley, and the official booth gave away a con-exclusive trading card featuring the participants of the world tour, as well as a card for a stamp rally. The prize for completing the rally was a sticker set with all the ambassadors from hololive MEET ‘25, the general umbrella for conventions and other events around the world. However, it required participants to make purchases at specific booths, and if you got there on later days like I did, it meant making more expensive purchases. This is exactly why I ended up caving and getting the Hakos Baelz hoodie from Ohmonah. I had been eyeing it since July, and the quality and comfort (on top of the stamp for the rally) was too much for me. It’s so good, man.

Other VTubers

Likely because of hololive’s presence every year now, Anime NYC has also become a focal point for VTubing on the east coast. Merch-wise, big names like Sameko Saba, Nimi Nightmare, Dooby3D, Mint Fantôme, Dokibird, and Shylily were all over the Artist Alley. Ironmouse and CDawgVA also had a panel promoting a new game. 

Additionally, the Exhibit Hall had a couple booths featuring Meet & Greets with smaller VTubers all weekend long. I used this opportunity to talk to Pillowdear, and complimented her for doing fun and creative ASMRs like her Easter stream. This was my second ever Meet & Greet, and I found it fascinating that you really get the gamut of participants. I saw someone who was clearly a dedicated fan of Pillow, but also people who literally had no idea about or even VTubing in general. I guess I fall somewhere in the middle.

A package of Ember Amane Custom Roast coffee, with a picture of Ember on it.

There was also a Phase Connect karaoke event that I ended up not attending, but I did finally buy coffee from their booth. I got the Ember Amane beans, and while I also wanted Dizzy Dokuro’s, I foolishly forgot to take into account that her blatantly shilling-oriented original song made it a hot commodity. (Expect an Ember coffee review at a later time.)

Other Panels

Tsuda Kenjiro and Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th Anniversary

I attended the Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th anniversary panel, which featured the Japanese voice of Kaiba Seto, Tsuda Kenjiro. These days, Tsuda is everywhere, but this was basically his first really big role. For those who grew up on the English dub, I still think it’s worth listening to his portrayal of Kaiba, because it gives a similar yet different flavor to the character. For the panel, he did a live reading of a scene from the Yu-Gi-Oh! movie The Dark Side of Dimensions.

There were a few stories Tsuda told that I found particularly interesting:

  • Back when Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters was airing, the voice of Yugi (Kazama Shunsuke) was still in high school, and he would sometimes come to the recording studio in his school uniform.
  • When Tsuda recorded a voice-over for a Yu-Gi-Oh! video game, he saw a lot of comments online about how “Kaiba sounds so old now.” This made Tsuda want to show that he could still voice the character, and when he was asked to come back for Dark Side of Dimensions, he relished the chance.
  • Tsuda talked about how unlike most other shounen series, where the characters get amped up and then calm down, Yu-GI-Oh! characters are basically dialed up to max at all times. It makes recording for other series way easier by comparison.

One-Punch Man and JAM Project

I could not attend the entire One-Punch Man panel due to having to leave for All for One, but I do want to make sure story in particular is told for posterity. The guests for the panel were the members of JAM PROJECT, who do the One-Punch Man openings. In recounting the creation of the first opening (“THE HERO!!”), leader Kageyama Hironobu recalls going to his bandmates and vaguely humming the lines of the first verse without any lyrics, including the part that would eventually go Nandatten da? Frustration!/Ore wa tomaranai!—which Kageyama recreated as a series of ambiguous squeals and yells. Apparently, the other members looked at him funny and basically replied, “Are you serious?”
I later found out that they played “SKILL” from Super Robot Wars in addition to One-Punch Man music. I wish I could have been there, but alas.

The Food Is Too Expensive

Like so many other convention centers, the Jacob Javits has never been cost friendly when it comes to food options. For anyone looking to save money, I never recommend anyone eat the con itself, and I do it because I see trying out different overpriced meals to be part of the experience—kind of like gambling in Las Vegas or Atlantic City. However, even I felt that the prices were getting beyond ridiculous this year. Things were close to if not exceeding $20 when they weren’t that way last year, and I will definitely bring food with me next year. Moreover, there were certain options available last year that weren’t present for 2025: Korilla and its Korean dishes were sorely missed, as was the Indian section in the food court area. 

A salmon bento, including salmon, rice, potato salad, shumai, pickled vegetables, a small omelet, string beans, and seaweed.

If I had to recommend one place, it would have been the BentOn stall in the Exhibit Hall. While the prices are still not great, the bento options (fish or fried chicken) are the best bet for getting a well-balanced meal at Anime NYC.

Cosplay

A cosplay of Kureiji Ollie in her Goddess of Death and Rebirth outfit.
A cosplay of Koganei Niko from hololive Flow Glow.
A cosplay of Cyber Akuma from the Street Fighter VS series.
A cosplay of Spike Spiegel pointing a gun.
A cosplay of Ouro Kronii in a maid outfit and a punk-rock Raora Panthera.
A cosplay of Boa Hancock from One Piece and Elias Ainsworth from The Ancient Magus's Bride.

Final Thoughts

Anime NYC has long been trying to be the Anime Expo of the east coast, and it has succeeded in essence. It gets big guests from Japan and around the world, has a major industry presence, and it looks and feels big. If you want to attend events and see things you wouldn’t be able to otherwise, this con is generally a good place to be. However, that comes at a price, in that it can sometimes feel overwhelming the same way one might get bombarded by neon signage. The difference is that Anime NYC is like a less extreme AX, where there are fewer good things (AX being on the west coast gets it a lot more opportunities for interesting guests) but also fewer bad things (Anime NYC almost never has the really bad crowding issues of AX).

I think this is why I’ve come to enjoy the VTuber side of Anime NYC so much. While it’s definitely part of the “corporate” presence due to hololive (and other VTuber companies to a lesser extent), that side still feels very fan driven. I would like to see some of that spirit and energy on the anime and manga side as well.

[Anime Central 2025] The Global Anime Challenge Panel

Posted on by

Anime Central 2025 featured the Global Anime Challenge, what is described on ACen’s official site as “a three-year program funded by the Japanese government’s Agency for Cultural Affairs. Its goal is to nurture the Japanese anime industry’s next generation of creators. The program participants aim to develop brand new and exciting contents for the ever increasing global anime fans.”

While it’s not entirely clear how the GAC plans to accomplish this, their panel at the convention gave some basic ideas. Essentially, the animators do internships abroad with the eventual goal of making pilots or short films to be presented at Annecy and AX. They’re also involved in participating in and even creating events, such as a lecture by animator Inoue Toshiyuki, who worked on Ghost in the Shell and The Eccentric Family, among numerous other works.

The guests at ACen were Sato Keiichiro (director of Frieren), Nakame Takafumi (producer of Frieren), Tanimoto Kaoru (calligrapher and animator whose brush work was used extensively in Sengoku Youko), and Kudo Mana (animator on the Cardfight!! Vanguard franchise). The panel began with introductions from all the guests, where they showed things they’ve worked on, as well as drawings and other items of note from childhood. It was a nice window into how these creators discovered the joy of creating.

  • Nakame’s early drawing was of him capturing a stray cat as a pet, and his first manga he ever bought: Vols 3 and 10 of KochiKame. He showed the opening to Witch Watch, a show he helped produce. 
  • Saito showed the dream of his five-year-old self, to become a truck driver selling toys. Another drawing was a perspective shot looking down at the school yard from a window in 4th or 5th grade. (It looked extremely good for elementary school.) His hometown is known for getting a lot of snow, but the only reason the drawing had lots of it is because he didn’t want to color it. His featured video was from Bocchi the Rock!
  • Kudo Mana’s childhood art was of a stuffed pheasant in her grandmother’s house. She then showed some clips from Cardfight!! Vanguard will+Dress of a character freaking out and hitting her shin on a bench.
  • Tanimoto’s first drawing was a very crude one of him with his mom and dad. He also made a picture book with his mom. His showcase was of his calligraphy used in attacks, episode titles, and the end-of-series image for Sengoku Youko. In one case, there were numerous talisman papers, and despite it being the same words written over and over, it was not a copy-and-paste job. Instead, Tanimoto actually wrote separate ones for each piece of paper. 

After the introductions to each creator, they had a Q&A mixed with a live drawing. Saito drew Kikuri from Bocchi the Rock! Kudo decided on Yuyu from Cardfight!! Vanguard crossdressing. Tanimoto did two girls from Sengoku Youko, and Nakame didn’t draw.

  • Tanimoto was asked when he was satisfied with the storyboard, and he said he would try to get it good enough initially and then spruce it up during the QC stage.
  • Nakame wants to learn what people love overseas through the Global Anime Challenge. He works domestically in Japan, but wants to co-produce with great animators abroad.
  • Saito’s favorite part of Frieren is the introduction and how it feels like both an epilogue and the beginning of a story.
  • According to Nakame, the challenge of making the Frieren anime is that both the action sequences and the everyday life parts need a lot of work.

They all collaborated on artwork to be used on various merchandise, such as t-shirts and even alcohol. “Chicago” is written on the shirt and poster using the official kanji to spell it:  市俄古.

[Anime Central 2025] Nakamura Eriko, Voice of Amami Haruka in The iDOLM@STER

Posted on by

I am not a hardcore fan of The iDOLM@STER, but I understood what a big deal it was to have Nakamura Eriko and Imai Asami as guests, aka the respective voices of first-gen “765 Pro” members Amami Haruka and Kisaragi Chihaya. I was able to attend one of the panels for Eriko, but sadly couldn’t make it for any of Imai Asami’s.

Because I’m not an iM@S Producer or anything, there are things I probably got wrong. Nevertheless, I still want to post my notes from this panel. In this day and age, simply having information out there on the internet to find can be difficult. Also, The iDOLM@STER just celebrated its 20th anniversary, so I figured it would be a good time to post this.

Eriko was in Chicago for the first time, and the panel was a Q&A. She turned out to be quite the jokey type, or at least that’s how she presented herself. She mentioned getting lost trying to get to the Opening Ceremony, and that her dream was to be “more biggest,” i.e. taller, so she can see further back.

When asked how she decided to become a voice actor, Eriko said she thought it was the field where she thought she could stand out most as a performer. She described her path there as being haran banjou, a Japanese term that means a life of many ups and downs, but can also mean life is something where surprising things can happen. Someone followed up by asking what it was like to audition for Haruka, to which she first pretended she couldn’t remember, then elaborated that it actually didn’t involve any singing. She received a script and a storyboard, and played Haruka looking out from the train. She said that this was the first and only time she had such a free-feeling audition. 

Later, Eriko elaborated on being a part of that first generation. They recorded their parts individually: just her, the script, and the sound engineer. Back when it was just that original game, she had to imagine what it was like for everyone to be together, and the first time she heard it all together, it was like 765 Pro had come to life.

When she got the chance to perform songs from a different branch many years later, and for others to perform songs from hers, she responded that seeing others build on the foundation they laid was a valuable experience.

The audience of fans got her to say the line, “Producer-san, Dome desuyo! Dome!” in reference to Haruka being an idol and the importance of the Tokyo Dome as a major landmark for idol performers. Eriko said the last time she was able to say that was in fact  two years ago at the Tokyo Dome.

When asked what advice she would give a voice actor, Eriko revealed that there’s a concert in August, and her answer is in that pamphlet.

As for what has changed, Eriko mentioned that she chats a lot more with people after recordings because she’s been doing it for 20 years with all the staff and everyone else supporting them. Eriko is also always sending messages on LINE, especially stickers, to the point that the others tell her to stop. The members of Million Stars tell her that they need to sleep.

One person asked Eriko what she thinks about when she’s out there as a major representative of The iDOLM@STER. Her response: “I don’t think about that at all. Haruka is just a 15-year-old girl, she can’t have the wait of the franchise on her shoulders.”

[Anime Central 2025] The Anne Shirley Interview ft. Inoue Honoka and Nakayama Yoshiko

Posted on by

Nakayama Yoshiko is the producer of the anime Anne Shirley, based on the Anne of Green Gables novels, and Inoue Honoka is the voice of the titular heroine. This interview was also conducted after I had already attended the Anne Shirley panel at Anime Central 2025.

Hello, thank you for coming to this interview. I really enjoy Anne Shirley; I’m a fan of Anne of Green Gables as well, so I was happy to see this new anime being created, as well as Ms. Inoue’s portrayal of Anne. 

Inoue: Thank you!

Between the beloved 1979 anime and the general popularity of Anne of Green Gables in Japan, as well as the numerous adaptations around the world, was it intimidating to create a new Anne anime? How did you overcome this pressure?

Nakayama: I was a fan of the original novel, and I think this applies to everyone who loves Anne of Green Gables, but I think Anne exists in all of us. As for me, I saw the story a little differently, and that’s exactly why I wanted to make this anime. 

So that’s why I wanted to start this project. I’m aware of Director Takahata’s anime from 1979 but I haven’t seen it myself. When the project was greenlit, I was excited. However, the rest of the production staff was probably a little nervous.

For Nakayama: I believe female anime directors are relatively rare, and female producers even moreso. Do you have any advice for other women who might aspire to do the same thing?

This is my first time as the main producer for the project. As for advice, you need a lot of stamina, a lot of love for the project, and have a strong heart, and to not give up.

My next question is directed towards Inoue-san. I actually interviewed your mother, Inoue Kikuko, back in 2019. Getting to interview you now is amazing, just because I’ve gotten to talk to both mother and daughter over the years. Back then, she told me that she practiced with you at home. Is there any advice that you really took to heart from your mother?

Inoue: I’m honored to meet you as well—thank you very much! My mother always tells me to give it your all. It’s been a while since I debuted, so we haven’t practiced for a while, but with Anne Shirley, it’s different. My mother is a very big fan of Muraoka Hanako-sensei’s translation of Anne of Green Gables, so every episode, she asks if she can watch it with me. I think the Anne Shirley–esque qualities in my mother might be an influence on my performance.

Inoue-san, Anne is such an expressive, talkative character, that playing her must be a real feat. Is there anything you try to keep in mind as you voice Anne Shirley? 

Inoue: I don’t particularly keep anything in mind, and I don’t really have a specific way I go about a role, but I do think a lot about how I want to express Anne’s lines when I perform her role.

This next question is to both: What messages do you think Anne Shirley the show carries for a new generation discovering Anne of Green Gables for the first time?

Inoue: I think the message is to not lose things like your imagination and your hope, and to continue living as yourself. Also, within our daily lives, there’s just beauty everywhere and it all has meaning, and I think that’s what Anne is trying to tell us.

Nakayama: I have a similar answer, but I think if you approach things with imagination and courage, you can make it through even when times get tough or you feel trapped, and you might even change life for the better. That’s what I want to convey through this work.

Those are all my questions. Thank you very much!

[Anime Central 2025] The Anne Shirley Panel

Posted on by

One pleasant surprise from Anime Central 2025 was the presence of the new Anne of Green Gables adaptation, Anne Shirley. The convention had two staff members as guests of honor: Producer Nakayama Yoshiko, as well as the voice of Anne, Inoue Honoka. Inoue is actually the daughter of veteran voice actor Inoue Kikuko (Belldandy, Aina Sahalin, various mom characters throughout the years).

Both guests did commentary over a screening of the first episode, providing a lot of insight into the production process. These are my notes from their Anne Shirley panel, but I will also be posting my interview with Nakayama and Inoue in the next few days as well!

  • They actually had the full animation done for the recording, a rarity. Inoue couldn’t stop being absorbed by the beauty of the animation.
  • She did the fish-eye lens scenes over and over. 
  • Marilla’s voice actor has pretty much no anime experience before this, and is actually primarily a stage actor. Inoue once worked on dubbing a film with her and felt at ease.
  • Nakayama wanted to convey just how talkative Anne is to both people who are familiar and unfamiliar with her character.
  • They went to a great big lake the day before just like in the show. Specifically, Lake Michigan.
  • When Anne first spots the Cuthberts’ house, the yellow color of it is meant to show how Anne sees the house in her head. 
  • For Nakayama, Anne walking into the house while crying is a really funny contrast. For Inoue, Anne going from crying to not crying all of a sudden left an impression.
  • Nakayama feels bad that Honoka has to keep up with a character like Anne who flips moods all the time.
  • Nakayama: Marilla is kind of tsundere. Matthew is strong and silent but has to go along with what Marilla says.
  • Honoka was told she could do Anne’s gestures while she was recording (like covering her face), which is unusual.
  • Nakayama: Anne’s personality and maturity for her age means she doesn’t try to make fun of anyone even if they are being hard on her. 
    • Honoka: “I couldn’t do that.”
    • Nakayama: “Same.”

The screening was followed by a Q&A, which continued the look into their process.

  • The biggest challenge was finding a studio to actually do the show; the trends right now are isekai, action, and otaku-oriented works. The 1979 version also looms large and studios thought it would be difficult.
  • Inoue watched the old anime as a kid, and in middle school she learned about Lucy Maud Montgomery. That made her really want to land the role. She thought it was as unlikely as winning the lottery.
  • While Nakayama and the staff had to cut a few scenes due to time and money, the basic story remains unchanged. There is one thing she technically changed: adding a stoat. 
  • Inoue prepared for the role by rewatching the 1979 anime. She also read the Japanese translation of the original books by Muraoka Hanako (apparently a very famous and beloved translation), and even reread it again after landing the role.
  • For Anne, Matthew, and Marilla (but not Gilbert), Nakayama had a clear idea of how she wanted them to sound, and Inoue was in top 3 for Anne.
  • At the audition, Nakayama pushed for Inoue. There was someone else who was in the top running but she can’t remember who it was, and another who would have been too busy.
  • A lot of the cast members are similar in age, and they go out for food after recordings, to get Korean food and such.
  • In June 2023, they all went to Prince Edward Island (where Anne takes place). The art director’s suitcase got a large crack, but nothing was stolen.
  • As a kid, Honoka didn’t name everything like Anne does, but she could feel the life force from nature, and thinks Anne is similar. 
  • Some Japanese fans took issue with the color of Anne’s clothing and such, but they have experts who look at this stuff, and they hope the fans understand that not everything can be as they want. 
  • One of the hardest things for Inoue was having to match the lip flaps, but it was fun actually getting to see Anne’s expressions. It’s like she really is in Green Gables.

Afterwards, everyone attending the panel got a piece of promotional art autographed by both Nakayama and Inoue. I noticed how above and beyond Inoue seemed to go to appeal to her fans, and I think she’s going to be a very beloved performer in the years to come.

[Anime Central 2025] Thunderbolt Fantasy Red Carpet Gala and Q&A

Posted on by

Anime Central 2025 was home to the United States premiere of the final Thunderbolt Fantasy movie. I reviewed the film, but because there was so much other stuff, I didn’t want to cram it all into one post. So here we are with Part 2, which covers things that happened both before and after the screening. Note that much of what’s written below contains SPOILERS for the finale.

Red Carpet Gala

Before the screening, ACen actually set up a red carpet of sorts and allowed photographs of the puppets. Some cosplayers were also there—one who later turned out to be PILI puppeteer Osmond Pi Ting, and a couple who were just really dedicated fans.

Live Demonstrations

After the screening, the staff also put on demonstrations of the puppets as they went around the room. Music and sound of different characters played, and the puppeteers moved the puppets with grace and beauty.

Osmond (cosplaying as the Enigmatic Gale) also participated, and at one point even “fought” the Demon Lord.

Panel Q&A Notes

PILI also provided lots of fascinating information about their process in a Q&A section. 

  • Audio is recorded first, and then the puppeteers at according to the voices and sounds 
  • The giants and monsters (such as the gorilla mecha and the emperor made of magical swords) are played by live actors in suits
  • They actually only use one camera to film for the most part. Two cameras are utilized for explosions and such, though. 
  • The sage who created the swords is actually based on a famous character from PILI’s shows. One of his appearances is in the 2000 film Legend of the Sacred Stone, where he was voiced by Koyasu Takehito in the Japanese dub. Koyasu reprised the role for Thunderbolt Fantasy.
  • Some puppets are heavier and can be harder to puppet. In some action scenes, three people might be needed to puppet
  • Traditionally, PILI lets the sculptors do the creating and go straight into making the puppets. Thunderbolt Fantasy was different because they got the designs from Japan. Simple puppets like Shāng might need two weeks, while more complex ones like the yandere princess might need two months because of all the 3D printing for her accessories.
  • There were two puppeteers among the guests. One was Osmond (the aforementioned cosplayer and puppeteer), who is one of their newest recruits. He likes to handle the female characters because he’s adept at conveying softer movements. The other was Yu-Che Hsieh, a 30-year veteran. He likes to puppet action scenes.
  • Who decides the signature gestures of characters? They’re designed by the puppeteers based on the script, and then go about trying to get their personality down.
  • TM Revolution definitely liked working on the series. In one of his music videos, he had Làng come out to interact with him. Làng allowed him to play a character who actually survived [as opposed to dying quickly like his Gundam SEED characters], which he was happy about.
  • PILI staff sometimes had to come out covered in fake blood when making trips to the convenience store. Bystanders wondered whether they should call the cops.

That’s it for this post! Stay tuned for Part 3: An Interview with the staff of PILI and Thunderbolt Fantasy!

[Anime Central 2025] Kobayashi Hiroyasu, CGI Director on Rebuild of Evangelion and Gundam GQuuuuuuX

Posted on by
A photo of two men presenting on stage. The person on the left is Kobayashi Hiroyasu. The person on the right is Dan Kanemitsu.

At Anime Central, I attended the panel for Kobayashi Hiroyasu, CGI Director at Studio Khara, and I learned a lot.

Kobayashi has worked on titles such as the Rebuild of Evangelion films and Gundam GQuuuuuuX, but until I came to this panel, I didn’t have a good sense of what his job was. While one might imagine a CGI Director as a person in charge of 3D animation or models, his job along with the rest of the digital production team is to create assets and enhance scenes by adding details and intricacies so that the final product has the right character and feel. Along with translator Dan Kanemitsu (who is on the right in the photo above, and who also works for Khara), they described how one thing that sets Khara as a studio apart is the accumulation of small details.

Some examples of his work include the following.

  • Superimposed staff credits and lightning effects in the GquuuuuuX opening. 
  • Monitors, logos, etc in Rebuild of Evangelion. 
  • Superimposed textures like decals on model kits.
  • Making a scene better by adding a mesh walkway onto the floor.
  • Making things look dingier.
  • Dan Kanemitsu also mentioned that he’s charged with finding English assets to avoid “Engrish” issues.

Kobayashi also mentioned that sometimes, they’ll put in a bunch of work into a really nice and detailed background, and then it’ll be almost entirely obscured by extra graphics in the final product. 

They also provided a lot of information about what it’s like working for Director Anno Hideaki.

  • Anno Hideaki used to add details in sharpie to cels, but now that’s Kobayashi’s job to do it digitally. 
  • That attention to little details is characteristic of Anno.
  • Kobayashi and Kanemitsu told a story about how Anno sent them a post-it note with a message about adding locking holes to a scene similar to the ones used on aircraft carriers to anchor the planes. Anno thought it would be an easy copy/paste job but they actually had to create a locking hole model in CG to get the perspective right. 
  • Anno generally wanted all monitor graphics to convey what is going on, which made their job harder. For example, in a scene depicting massive needles injecting EVA-02, they changed it so that the monitors showed the injected liquids going through the EVA’s entire body. 
  • The glittery, shimmering water one used to often see in anime back in the cel animation days is called backlighting cel, and it was something Anno was especially good at. They wanted to recreate that feel for digital animation.

They also talked about working with Director Tsurumaki Kazuya on GQuuuuuuX.

  • Tsurumaki wants everyday life in GQuuuuuuX to resemble modern real life, which is reflected in the choice of cell phones and other details.
  • Spattering is an art technique used in the original Gundam, and the’re incorporating it into GQuuuuuuX as well.
  • The colony Side 6 is a facsimile of current Japan mixed with other cultures
  • In the world of GquuuuuuX, Anaheim Electronics is a glorified appliance maker.
  • Trains are primarily Tokyo style, but the station names take from different cultures.
  • On the subway maps, the stations have very different names. There’s a lot of British station names, and this might be because Tsurumaki is a big fan of British soccer.
  • A particular green subway line is a representation of Tsurumaki’s old defunct train route from his home.
  • The police wear uniforms that say “Military Police” in Japanese, but just “Police” in English because the director wanted signage to be readable at a glance. 
  • There’s a travel book that purposely replicates a series of guides called How to Walk the Earth.
  • Stickers on a particular laptop are from drag racing in current day Tokyo.
  • A box of tangerines alludes to a tangerine box that Tem Ray was using in the original Gundam.
  • The activation key common to mobile suits resembles the Tem Ray circuit, which was a piece of junk in the old series.
  • Kanemitsu was asked to come up with elements to make Pomeranians trading card more MLB-ey
  • Saturn Doughnuts: “I told you I don’t like sour stuff” is a reference to FLCL.

Overall, I came away with an appreciation for another aspect of working in animation, and I hope I can convey that feeling to everyone reading this.

[Anime Central 2025] An Ultimate Triumph, Nine Years in the Making—Thunderbolt Fantasy: The Final Chapter 

Posted on by

In 2016, I was looking at a preview of the new anime season with friends, as was our custom. We talked about the shows we thought had potential, the ones we were more skeptical about, and anything else of note. But there was one series that seemed to come completely out of left field. A Taiwan-Japan co-production that wasn’t animated but rather performed using puppets, and it was written by Urobuchi Gen of Madoka Magica fame?! Even if we potentially did not end up liking it, we had to at least give this Thunderbolt Fantasy a chance.

Nine years later, and this series has become one of my absolute favorite works of fiction ever. The novelty of its puppetry never actually wears off, and it’s backed by solid writing and charismatic voice actors giving some of their best performances, as well as a sense of tension and excitement that had me coming back for more. So when I found out that they would be doing the North American premiere of the feature-length Thunderbolt Fantasy: The Final Chapter, I made it my mission to attend the convention. 

This is my review of the movie, but since then, the movie has come out on Crunchyroll under the name Thunderbolt Fantasy -The Finale-. I recommend you just get straight into watching it, but feel free to proceed if you want my thoughts. Note that there will be a MAJOR SPOILERS section at the bottom.

The Basics

Thunderbolt Fantasy is set in a world once ravaged by a war against demonkind, which humanity barely won thanks to the help of a series of divine weapons. In the long years since this War of Fading Dusk, the weapons have been sought after by the righteous and the evil alike. 

Master of Puppets: Thunderbolt Fantasy

When we first see the two main characters of our story—no-nonsense vagrant swordsman Shāng Bú Huàn and white-haired pain-in-the-ass illusionist Lǐn Xuě Ya—they have just met each other for the first time, and both are holding their own respective secrets. At the end of the first season, we learn that Shāng is not only a ridiculously powerful swordsman who can wield a wooden stick like it was real steel, but that he’s also in possession of the Sorcerous Sword Index: a special scroll designed to house all sorts of supernaturally powerful weapons. Shāng carries it to prevent the weapons from falling into the wrong hands, notably the Order of the Divine Swarm, a clandestine organization seeking to conquer the world. 

Here’s Your Reminder to Watch Thunderbolt Fantasy

But Lǐn the “Enigmatic Gale” has been far more, well, enigmatic. Throughout the prior seasons, he appears to just be an elusive trickster who finds joy in aggravating the powerful. But in the penultimate chapter, we finally learn a truth even he didn’t know: Lǐn is actually a kind of “offshoot” of the Demon Lord who rules the Demon Realm, cast away and abandoned to remove any of the leader’s weakness. Lǐn thus has a revelation that the greatest target to torment would be essentially none other than himself.

Thunderbolt Fantasy 4: Now with More, Well, Everything

Three other major plot points help create the backdrop for the end. First, the leader of the Divine Swarm, Huò Shì Míng Huáng, turns out to be the Emperor of Xī Yōu, the land which Shāng was trying to leave. This means the emperor was playing both sides of the law the entire time. Second, one of Shāng’s old allies, a bard named Làng Wū Yáo (voiced by rock star TM Revolution!) is actually half demon and is being forcibly transformed into an infernal god by his long-lost father. Third, the armies of Dōng Lí and Xī Yōu (the East and the West) are on the verge of coming together to fight a new war against the demons, though the former doesn’t know a thing about the latter’s true identity.

The Final Chapter

I’ll admit that I don’t have the most rigorous grasp on the full story of Thunderbolt Fantasy. There’s a lot I’ve forgotten over the years among all the different plot threads, and I suspect many coming into this movie would be in a similar situation. However, I actually don’t think you need to have an encyclopedic knowledge of all that has transpired to enjoy the film. In addition to just being incredibly entertaining, the characters all have such bombastic designs and larger-than-life personalities that it’s easy to identify what roles they each serve in the overall narrative, even if the details are a little fuzzy.

That said, the movie is (as expected) not meant to be watched without any prior exposure to the show, and it does little in the way of actively filling in the blanks for the uninformed. It feels very much like the conclusion of a long-running TV series than a work meant to stand entirely on its own legs. Things happen fast and furious, not only in terms of the pace of the storytelling but also the action. The fights are more complex and relentless compared to what is typically seen in Thunderbolt Fantasy, and rivals even the greatest martial arts fight scenes in history.

In a certain sense, this is PILI taking off its weighted clothes and unleashing its full potential. The studio has a four-decade history of creating action-oriented puppet TV shows in Taiwan, and if you compare Thunderbolt Fantasy to their other works, the latter often turn into such never-ending frenzies of stylized violence that the notion of “breathing room” is a suggestion at best. But action in Thunderbolt Fantasy is slower and more deliberate, emphasizing the drama over a fight choreography built on countless details. In The Final Chapter, we get the best of both worlds.

Battles truly feel like the characters are fighting with everything they have, while the narrative and the characters’ individual motivations provide context to give their movements meaning and weight. Lǐn fights his doppelganger, the Demon Lord, and they naturally match each other move for move. Làng’s travel companion, a sentient pipa, has turned human and fights with strings befitting a former instrument. When he runs into a yandere princess puppeting two magical corpses at the expense of her own life force in order to take on Làng’s demonic father, the three-way back-and-forth is nonstop but also relatively easy to follow. And when Shāng finally gets the chance to wield a non-wooden sword after nine years of avoiding it, his assault is all the more special.

The plot twists and dramatic turns are all really satisfying in a way that screams “epic finale,” and the respective fates of all the big villains provide perfect bookends to all their stories. The film even touches on the origins of Shāng himself, and it was the last thing I could have ever predicted. That being said, I want to discuss some of the details of the ending.

SPOILERS SECTION

There are three major spoilers I wanted to write about in greater detail. 

The first thing is Shāng being in the same company as Marty McFly (Back to the Future), John Connor (Terminator), and Philip J. Fry (Futurama). Essentially, he turns out to be the son of Lāng and the blind harpist Mù Tiān Mìng, both with whom he fought side by side before the start of Thunderbolt Fantasy. They realize their baby is somehow the Shāng they know, and the couple gives him up to the sentient pipa-turned-human, who apparently comes to raise him in another realm so that he will be ready to fulfill his destiny.

I definitely did not expect that, and based on the audience reaction, I don’t think anyone did. I also genuinely thought he had romantic feelings for Mù, but I guess it turned out to be more filial. They hinted at Shāng being a time traveler of sorts in Season 4, and possibly before that as well, but it implies the source of Shāng’s unparalleled swordsmanship: the fact that the man has trained across time and space and dimensions since he was a child. So he was the child who saved everyone, and also got his own parents together, to an extent. At least he did not sleep with his own grandmother.

The second thing is the way the leader of the Divine Swam is defeated, and the aftermath of his loss. There’s something a little hokey but absolutely wonderful about him using all the divine weapons of the Sorcerous Sword Index to transform into a gigantic armored demigod. A part of me wishes he was vanquished in a more conventional manner, but I think what happens fits the story incredibly well. 

Shāng uses the one remaining blade, and while it seems to have no effect on Huò, it seems to be opening up a rift in the sky. Realizing the true nature of the weapon in his hand, Shāng proceeds oto summon Bái Lián, the sage who originally created the weapons (and whom he met in Season 3). Bái Lián proceeds to forcibly bring the emperor into the void beyond and back home to his own world where the weapons came from, and where they are now rusted and lifeless. The emperor tries to use his dark magic to threaten Bái Lián but finds that he can’t form spells. Bái Lián tells him that had he arrived in this realm as himself, he would have retained his powers, but by tying his very being to the weapons, he is now as inert as they are, and the only thing he can do is live like any other average person. His precipitous fall from world conqueror to commoner breaks him.

I love this so much. Not only is it rather cathartic given the state of the actual world right now, but I really find pleasure in seeing someone who believed they were untouchable be laid low and made to feel vulnerable. The villain really thought he was inherently superior and deserving of ruling over his entire world, and the fact that he can’t handle the idea of fending for himself the way everyone else does is the justest of deserts. (See also JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind). Bái Lián is also based on a popular recurring character in PILI’s Taiwanese puppet shows, so his presence at the climax is also a way to pay homage to the studio that made all this possible.

The third thing is Lǐn taking over as Demon Lord. Hilarious. We get that silly moment where Shāng sees through his disguise and refuses to duel to the death with the Enigmatic Gale (“Of course it’s you. I’ve never even met the Demon Lord, so why would he want to fight me?). We also get to think about just how a Demon Realm ruled by the most egregious troll in all of existence would turn out. 

SPOILERS OVER

Concluding Thoughts…and More

What a fantastic ride. I’ve been told that this movie was originally supposed to be a full season, and it does show to a degree, but I still think this was a wonderful way to close the book on Thunderbolt Fantasy. It was the essence of this whole international creative endeavor boiled down to a clean 90-ish minutes, and had me coming away grateful to have learned about it nearly a decade ago. 

So those are my thoughts on the movie, but this is actually just the first part of my Thunderbolt Fantasy coverage from ACen 2025. There was a “red carpet gala” to show off the puppets before the screening, as well as a Q&A afterwards with some live puppet demonstrations. Even more exciting, I got the chance to interview the PILI staff and even try out one of the puppets! 

I hope you’ll look forward to it.

Getter Beam vs. Mangekyou Sharingan: Ishikawa Hideo Otakon 2024 Interview

Posted on by

Ishikawa Hideo is a veteran voice actor who has been in anime since the early 1990s. His famous roles include Ryouma in the Getter Robo franchise and Uchiha Itachi in Naruto.

I know you best for the role of Ryouma in Getter Robo, and you’re only one of two Japanese actors to play the character of Ryouma in the Getter Robo series. What was it like auditioning for the role, and did you look to the performance of Kamiya Akira for reference or inspiration?

Initially, I took this audition for the role of Hayato. I didn’t get Hayato, but I was asked if I’d be interested in Ryouma, and I accepted it.

In that very first anime I was in, Change! Shin Getter Robo, Kamiya-san was involved as a narrator. We already knew each other previously, but when I got the role and I met him again, Kamiya-san said, “You’re playing Ryouma? Good luck! I’m entrusting it to you!” so I was very nervous, having had that initial conversation with him.

I knew Kamiya Akira-san’s Ryouma well, of course. His yells when launching special attacks left a lasting mark on my childhood. Naturally, I was conscious of Kamiya-san’s version in mind when playing Ryouma, but one of the staff told me to forget about Kamiya-san’s. Still, there’s no way I could forget his Ryouma, so I still had it in mind when I was performing.

Do you have any advice for voice actors that have to scream a lot, given that the role of Ryouma requires a lot of yelling?

I can only say, “Take care of your voice and throat.” Lately, I’ve been seeing an increase in anime that require more screaming; looking at that, I get a little worried. “Are they taking care of their throat and voice?”

You’ve played many different Ryoumas as a result of your involvement with Getter Robo. Is there a version of Ryouma who’s your favorite?

I was a part of Shin Getter Robo, Shin vs Neo, New Getter Robo, and Getter Robo Arc—four works in total. Of them, my favorite is New Getter Robo.

Did you ever get to meet Nagai Go? If so, what was it like getting to know him?

I met him on a job unrelated to Getter Robo, which was Re: Cutie Honey. At that time, I told him that I had played Ryouma previously. It was a real honor. I told him that I’ve been a fan of his since I was little.

Did you also get to Ishikawa Ken as well?

Yes, Ishikawa-sensei came to the recording.

I’m going to pivot a bit, since you’re here for Final Fantasy. You’ve played different roles throughout the series: How does it feel to be associated with so many different characters in Final Fantasy?

For me, I think it’s a positive thing. It’s great that I can represent so many roles and the lives of so many different characters. That has been the biggest joy and also a challenge, and a lot of thought goes into it.

I want to go back to the topic of Ryouma again. You said the New Getter Robo version is your favorite. Why is that?

To be honest, it’s because Ryouma is the main character in New Getter Robo. In the previous works, he wasn’t. Because Ryouma was the lead, I had a very different approach to the work, and really enjoyed the fact that the story proceeded with Ryouma as the core.

I want to ask you about another character of yours: Itachi in Naruto. He’s one of the most popular characters I’ve ever seen in anime—you can see it among the cosplayers. I even told an Itachi fan yesterday that you’re here, and he was so surprised. 

When did you learn the truth about Itachi’s character, and how did it inform your performance as a result?

Actually, I wasn’t told anything about Itachi’s past and how he cares for his brother—I was just asked to play this scary villain. Then, during Naruto’s run, the chapter that revealed the truth was released, and I was shocked just like others when I read it. “Whoa! Itachi was a good guy all along?!” From there, what I had in mind when playing the character of course had to change. Even so, all the way through, I still went with Itachi as performing the part of the villain because of how that fuels his little brother Sasuke’s hatred for him and desire to live on. 

Is there any role of yours that you’re proud of that’s lesser known that you want fans to know about?

That’s a tough question! I don’t know if this is considered “lesser known,” but I saw an Otakon staff member who’s wearing a shirt from Senki Zesshou Symphogear, and I was wondering if it’s been streamed more and is more popular in America.

I know the fanbase isn’t large, but it’s very loyal. On social media, I see people who say that it’s their favorite show ever—that it’s their favorite anime, period.

That’s all the time we have. Thank you!