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!