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 franchiseand 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.
Kakazu Yumi is a voice actor arguably best known for her role as Yuffie Kisaragi in the Final Fantasy franchise. I had the opportunity to interview her at Otakon 2024, where my questions focused primarily on her work in mecha anime.
One actor you seem to work with pretty often is Hiyama Nobuyuki, such as in Gaogaigar, Godannar, and even Initial D. Do you have any fun memories of performing alongside him?
Thank you for coming to this interview. I’ve been a fan for many years, and I want to start off by asking about one role I know you for that others might not think about: Shizuru in Godannar. Do you recall what it was like working on that series, and how you approached the character?
Kakazu: Shizuru is a very grounded, very mature character, and she was also a commanding officer. It is a characteristic that’s unlike me, so I tried to perform that part when I was voice acting.
Another staff member who was on Godannar was Kimura Takahiro, who recently passed away. He also worked on another series that you were involved with: Gaogaigar FINAL. Did you ever get to know him, and do you have any memorable stories about him?
Kakazu: Actually, Kimura-san came to visit the studio when we were recording, and we also spoke together on stage. At the event, he tried to apply his own makeup, but he had never done it before, so he asked, “Kakazu-san, can you help me with this?” So behind the stage, I was doing it for him.
I never knew that he cosplayed! Do you remember who he cosplayed as?
Kakazu: I think he had a white wing…? Or maybe it was Shishioh Guy. I forget.
On the topic of Gaogaigar, you returned to the role of Renais a few years ago in Super Robot Wars 30. What was it like playing Renais back when you first worked on FINAL, and did anything change for you playing the role over the years in SRW?
Kakazu: Not a lot changed.
Related to that, I was actually at the Final Fantasy panel earlier, and you mentioned playing Yuffie since Ehrgeiz. So, similar question: Do you think your performance has changed, or has it been pretty solid throughout?
Kakazu: I said this on stage, but when I first started voicing Yuffie, she was one character in a fighting game. The only sounds she had were “Hahh! Hahh!” type noises.. But over time she’s gotten more chances to speak and more lines, and now she stands alongside the other characters, showing how mainstream she’s become. I’m grateful that I was able to meet Yuffie all the way back in the beginning, and also even more grateful to the people who have supported her up until now.
Another anime you worked on is a series called RahXephon, and your character, Hiroko, has a very powerful and tragic death. And do you have any advice for voice actors on how to approach such a challenging scene?
Kakazu: So I remember getting the script when I was recording, and I remember being very focused on reading and trying to understand it. Also, I remember the pain I felt when I was recording. When I’m acting out these tragic scenes, I try to recall my personal experience, and also use my imagination to expand the performance. So maybe this isn’t advice, but I realize that everything I’ve experienced in my life has become a resource that fuels my acting and performance. So maybe the advice I would give another voice actor is to find meaning in everyday life.
You seem to act alongside the actor Hiyama Nobuyuki pretty often. Do you have any fun memories of performing alongside him in any of the shows you worked on together?
Kakazu: I actually have a lot of fun memories with him. When Hiyama would say the line, “GAO! GAI! GAAAAR!,” he would shout the line in a great big voice, and it would reverberate through his entire body. I remember the first day of this recording, he did the line, and the mic actually broke!
Oh, I found the cosplay that Kimura-sensei did. [Shows a picture of Guy from Gaogaigar.]
Ah!
I interviewed the director of Gundam X, Takamatsu Shinji, at Otakon nine years ago. Do you remember what it was like working on that series and playing the character of Sala?
Kakazu: Sala was actually my debut role as a voice actor. She’s actually second-in-command and has an important role, but she’s only 17 years old. So there’s a difference between how she has to behave as second-in-command versus how old she actually is. So it was really difficult to figure out the balance between her age and her having this mature, heavy responsibility as second-in-command. I remember working very hard figuring that out, and this contributed to learning more about voice acting.
This interview was conducted at Otakon 2024. Uchida Aya is a Japanese voice actor, famous for playing the character Minami Kotori in Love Live! School Idol Project.
Many of my questions will be Love Live!–related because I’m a fan, but coincidentally, I was in Tokyo last December, and I visited the Love Live! cafe.
Uchida: Ahhh!
I just happened to sit at a table you autographed.
Uchida: In Akihabara!
I was wondering, for my own curiosity, do you remember when you visited to sign the table?
Uchida: I think it was December!
Love Live! Is now a worldwide phenomenon; people know it everywhere. But I know it was much less popular at first. How did you get started in Love Live!?
Before I was on Love Live!, I got my first regular role on an anime project, and the music director told me that his next project was something called Love Live! That’s how I got into it.
What was it like when you first started, and at what point did you realize it was starting to get huge?
Uchida: Love Live! was a very new creation, so there was a lot of motivation across the time. And personally, I love anime and also idols, and the fact that both those things are core to this project made me very excited. This made me want to really want to take the lead and bring it to the next level, and make this work even more fun. As it gained more popularity among fans, and as I realized more and more people were listening to the songs, it made me feel very, very happy. But because it started very small, I feel like I grew with this project, and that makes it more special.
Speaking of growth, that’s something I also noticed. I first became a fan of Love Live! through the anime, and when I looked at the prior material—all the song performances and recordings and such—I noticed that you and the other members of μ’s had grown a lot as performers. In what ways do you think your performance as Kotori, in acting but also singing and dancing, had evolved over time?
Uchida: I’m not so sure about my skills improving…I was always aiming to become a voice actor and didn’t necessarily want to be an idol, standing in front of a crowd smiling and dancing. I didn’t have any intention of doing it professionally, and it was something I had to get used to and was hesitant about in the very beginning.
At some point in the middle, we started doing more live performances, and it was a challenge. But because the other members were there and we were a team, we taught each other things—dancing, practicing, etc.,—and gradually, we acquired those skills and got better. I’m glad I had friends in the same boat with me who I could strive with and improve with together.
So you’ve performed many songs with the others, including with Hanayo’s voice, Kubo Yurika. One of your songs, “Suki desu ga, Suki desu ka?” Did the ’70s feel of the song change how you two approached it?
Uchida: It’s been quite a while, so give me a moment! So it’s a song featuring our characters, Koizumi Hanayo and Minami Kotori, and it was a duet of a kind we had never done before, so it was very fun. Hanayo-chan’s voice has a very “howaaah” fluffy and cute feel, and Kotori is a very cute character herself. So I was confident it would be a cute song.
Thank you for this interview!
Postscript
Two days after I interviewed Uchida, I managed to get an autograph from her. As she signed my copy of Love Live! The School Idol Movie, she actually recognized me from the interview. I point this out because I’ve had cases where the guests do not recognize me despite having spoken to them, and it made me realize that Uchida is indeed a pro at this, be it through her experience as Kotori or in her voice acting career. I left with an even more positive impression of her.
Otakon celebrated its 30th anniversary this year in Washington DC from August 2 through 4. Somehow, despite growing from a humble event to one over 70 times bigger, Otakon still manages to keep a lot of its inner fandom heart intact.
Otakon Matsuri
2024 saw the return of the Otakon Matsuri, a free outdoor event the Thursday before the convention proper. The last time it was held, Otakon was still in Baltimore in 2016.
The small venue (right across the street from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center) had a stage that featured performances like a sumo demonstration and wotagei dance/call lessons, as well as food samples and food trucks for anyone curious and hungry. The food served wasn’t necessarily Japanese or even Asian-themed, but the variety was welcome. I did not stand in line to get some Fogo de Chao (Brazilian) but I did eat some hearty Indonesian food from the Saté food truck.
The Otakon Matsuri being an outdoor event meant it had to deal with the weekend being especially hot and humid even by already sweltering DC standards. Just standing could be an unpleasant experience, but thankfully, by the time the event started winding down to its main event—the Korean YouTube anime singer aLF—the temperature had become a bit more bearable.
I had been passingly familiar with aLF, but it was a treat to hear her sing live, the only hiccup being some issues with the speakers. Her setlist included songs like “Brave Heart” from Digimon Adventure, “Chala Head Chala” from Dragon Ball Z, and “Men of Destiny” from Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. aLF’s solid, yet ever-so-slightly raspy vocals worked especially well with “Men of Destiny” (even if it’s very different from the original singer). She also sang an original number in Korean: the opening for the Korean dub of a Kindaichi Case Files anime (aka Kim Jeon-il). While I generally prefer the original Japanese openings to shows, I like hearing localized intros if they’ve had a lot of care put into them.
General Health
The sky-high temperatures were an issue across the weekend, though I understand that it was well outside of Otakon’s control. But one thing I do want to bring up that they can address is the lack of a real masking policy. The convention encourages masks and respirators as a way to mitigate the spread of disease, but there has not been a mandate in place for a few years now. It’s easy to forget that COVID-19 still exists (and continuously mutates), that long COVID is still an ongoing issue, and there are both new and old forms of con crud hitting attendees. I know the US has pretty much abandoned any attempt to mitigate contagions through masks at this point, but I think high-density events like Otakon would benefit immensely from this. So once again, I’m hammering the point.
The (Former) Bottleneck
If there was one noticeable issue with Otakon in 2023, it was the hall leading to the Artist Alley and Dealer’s Room. The way the con is set up, the lowest floor space is dedicated to these two spaces, and they see a lot of traffic. Last year, Otakon had a point where attendees were supposed to start walking by staying to the right and then switch to staying to the left. If this sounds confusing, that’s because it is. Having to criss-cross with people walking in the opposite direction led to inevitable problems, and it made that corridor more of a chore.
This year, one big change appeared to have solved this issue. Before, the Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley were blocked off from each other, but now the space between them was opened up. The result is that, rather than making attendees go up an escalator and back through the hall to go down a different escalator, it was as simple as walking from one to the other. The result was a near-total lack of bottlenecks, and the complete elimination of the criss-cross.
Another side effect of this was that it made getting to the Autographs area easier. That section is right between the Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley, and this setup allowed those who were looking to get stuff signed to take the Artist Alley escalator instead of being forced to use the Dealer’s Room’s entrance. It was actually an unintentional bonus—Otakon staff mentioned that they did not have that in mind. Because I was looking to get some autographs myself, this was a major boon for me. As for the Autograph Area itself, well, things were more complicated.
Autographs
I know some folks who dedicate the majority of their time to autographs at conventions. My approach varies tremendously depending on the guest list, but this year there were a few guests I was hoping to see. The problem with any signings at a convention, though, is that there’s no perfect system to deal with the fact that you’ll sometimes have many more people vying for those autographs than there is available time.
For the domestic guests, they’re usually around for long periods, and people generally have to pay for autographs. The foreign (i.e. Japan and Korea–based) guests typically operate by different rules: They’re present for one or two one-hour sessions across the weekend, but charge nothing. As I focus more on the latter type of guest, I got to experience Otakon’s approach quite a bit.
This is not my first Otakon by any means, and this spot by the Dealer’s Room has been the Autograph Area for many years now while always running into similar issues about how to manage the space. This year, the rule was that attendees were only allowed to line up 30 minutes before the start of a signing, but they were also not allowed to loiter in the area until then, lest they incur the very vocal wrath of the staff in charge. It’s an understandable policy meant to prevent fire hazards resulting from huge amounts of people stuffed into that area, but the result is this bizarre meta where the hopeful have to test the limits of what is okay, see how well they can judge the rush that occurs right as the minute hits, and also accept random luck.
For example, I initially failed to get an autograph for Uchida Aya (Kotori from Love Live!) because I got blocked out by a closely packed group of cosplayers. The second time, I managed to get through because I ended up very close, but also because a person a little in front of me had a panic attack from getting tightly packed in between a bunch of bodies—and it would have been worse because I could feel the crowd behind me pushing up against me. I can’t help but feel that the Autograph Area in Baltimore (away from the Dealer’s Room) was a better space, though the Japanese signings were split up from the domestic signings back then.
I also encountered the scourge of signings in modern times: the Funkopops. From what I understand, people looking to sell famous autographs and make a profit often use Funkopops as their item of choice due to their relatively low cost and popularity. The problem is that these profit-focused outsiders can end up crowding out actual fans, so Otakon (and other cons) implement varying degrees of anti-Funkopop policies, with some coming from the guests’ teams themselves. In the case of one guest, it was announced at the last second that they would not sign any figures (not just Funkopops). I couldn’t help but feel sorry for those who meant well and brought their favorite figure merch, not realizing that others had ruined it for them.
Ultimately, I ended up with autographs from Uchida Aya and Kakazu Yumi (Renais from Gaogaigar FINAL and Shizuru from Godannar), plus Japan-based American talent Diana Garnet and manga artist Aiba Kyoko. I think I made out pretty okay.
Fan Panels
I’m a bit ashamed to say that I didn’t attend very many fan panels this year, so I didn’t really get the chance to see anyone with whom I was unfamiliar. Here are a couple of highlights, though.
Ani-Merry Christmas
I’ve attended a number of Viga’s panels over the years, and this one was all about Christmas in anime. It was a fun journey through its portrayal in the media of a that treats it less like a time for family and/or religious reflection and more like a “third Valentine’s Day,” as Viga put it. There were some titles I recognized and expected, but also a couple that I’d never heard of. It was one of the first panels Friday morning, and a nice way to kick off the con officially.
Anime in Non-Anime
Gerald from Anime World Order ran this panel, and this was a new version of one I’d seen before a number of Otakons ago: Anime in Non-Anime. However, the central thrust of the presentation differed significantly, and that’s because anime has reached actual mainstream recognition in recent years. Thus, talking about all the ways anime pops up in funny ways on the news and such doesn’t quite have the same meaning. Instead, the panel was all about going back to the times when anime was niche and liking it might get you proverbially (or literally) shoved into a locker, and the joy one felt when any show had even the slightest nod to anime.
Fitness in Anime is WHACK and Here’s Why…
I’m not a very physically active person, but I was curious what this was about. The person running the panel mentioned being a track athlete in the past, and called a lot of things cringe. The general takeaways were that anime bodies aren’t realistic because training for different goals will produce different bodies, and the cut and chiseled figures you see are often a result of aesthetic bodybuilding. Also, the exercises that make you want to exercise more are better than great ones that you’ll never want to do. Incidentally, it was one of two “fitness in anime” panels this weekend, and each was run by a different person. Quite the coincidence.
I feel I need to put a reminder on myself to make the effort to look at fan panels and not just get enticed away by the glamor of the industry stuff. With that said…
Industry
Final Fantasy
The biggest industry guests this year were probably the Final Fantasy VII Remake crew. Not only is VII just a major part of video game history, but the guests included Japanese and English voice actors, as well as staff that had worked on Final Fantasy games for decades. The producer of VII Remake, Kitase Yoshinori, was also the director on Chrono Trigger in the 1990s.
I have never truly played Final Fantasy VII in any form, and so my interest was limited, but I still went to their biggest panel just to see what might come up. Outside of a couple surprise video-only appearances (including Vincent dub actor and Critical Role DM Matt Mercer), it was mostly an audience Q&A. One thing that was interesting was the format they used to take questions: attendees could submit questions online, which would then be filtered by the Square-Enix staff. It was a decent middle ground between totally curated questions and an entirely open mic, allowing for some degree of spontaneity. There wasn’t a whole lot of interesting info, but I did learn that Cait Sith has a Kansai accent in Japanese, and that Kakazu Yumi has been voicing Yuffie all the way since the 1998 fighting game Ergheiz.
Aiba Kyoko
Manga artists are notoriously busy, so it was a pleasant surprise to see not just one, but two at Otakon. Neither are massive names in the business, but getting to hear any artists talk about their work and processes is valuable.
Aiba Kyoko is mostly known for her BL work, and she ran a panel Friday morning focused on tips to help artists draw in a more “manga”-esque style compared to more typical American comics. She prefaced it by saying that neither approach is worse than the other, but for artists who are always wondering why their art might seem “off,” it might have to do with the stuff one absorbs by growing up in and being surrounded by a particular culture (or lack thereof). For example, the barrel-chested, inverted-triangle superhero anatomy often signals power in American comics. In Japanese media, popular strong characters are often not only thinner but also have a casual nonchalance to their posture that demonstrates a cool confidence. Aiba went with extreme examples to make a point, but I think it was illustrated well.
She took drawing requests from the audience, and we ended up with Michael Keaton Batman and Mordecai from Regular Show. She specifically mentioned how she still has some trouble drawing in that American style, and that she had to widen her Batman drawing to make it look right.
One of the coolest things Aiba showed was actually how she uses kinesio tape (or perhaps some offbrand equivalent?) on her hand. I’ve never used it so I may have this wrong, but I believe she said that the tape actually has to be wrapped in a way that it pulls in the opposite direction of the muscle to stabilize it.
Kino Hinoki
The other artist was Kino Hinoki, whose works include the manga adaptation of NO.6 and a series called Setsuna Graffiti, bout a fireworks maker. Her panel was on Sunday. Funnily enough, Aiba was also there helping the interpreter with obscure manga-specific terms and literally running around with the mic for Q&A.
Kino was very forthcoming with information and tips. Comparing her work on NO.6 to other manga, she mentioned needing to do a lot more plotting in advance (it being an adaptation and all). She gave a tip on using screentone on faces, which is to only use it on closeups. She also cautioned artists to be careful of making what people in the industry derogatorily refer to as “face manga,” i.e. are just close-up headshots with little variety. And when asked about her biggest inspirations, Kino answered 1) Arakawa Hiromu (Fullmetal Alchemist) for the way she constructs and composes her stories, and 2) Tanemura Arina (Full Moon o Sagashite) for her illustrations.
I asked her if she had her own editor or if she worked with the ones at different publishers, and she said the latter (which is more common). Other fun trivia included the fact that she pole dances as a hobby, she’s left-handed (and thus has to deal with the fact that most devices for digital artists tend to favor righties), and her favorite FMA character is Edward (she likes good-looking short characters).
Animeigo + Discotek
Animeigo has been bringing anime to home video for English-speaking fans since the 1980s, and they’re still alive and kicking. But recently, there was a big change as the original president, Robert Woodhead, sold the company to MediaOCD’s Justin Sevakis, himself an industry veteran. At Otakon, the new Animeigo announced their plans to bring back their known titles in improved editions, such as Megazone 23 and Bubblegum Crash—but also to license rescue works from outside their catalog, like Full Moon o Sagashite. This will be the first time that Full Moon is fully available legally in the US, as the previous release many years ago stalled. This series was an internet darling in the 2000s, and I expect a lot of fans from that era to rise back up for it.
The basic takeaway was that Animeigo and Sevakis came across as very dedicated to media preservation and giving it their all to make releases worth owning. It’s similar in a lot of ways to Discotek, the other current publisher really dedicated to retro anime—a company to which Sevakis also lends his and MediaOCD’s video restoration and authoring skills on a regular basis.
The Animeigo panel was followed by the Discotek panel in the same room. Like every year, it was chock full of announcements, so many that they couldn’t even fit them all in, showing them through an extra stream after the panel had ended. My personal highlights were a trio of mecha works: Space Musketeer Bismark (the original Japanese version of Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs), the HD blu-ray version of Giant Gorg, and the utterly unexpected Groizer X.
I attended the Friday concert by FLOW, a band I’m quite familiar with—I even got their autograph many years ago at another convention.
The group was here as part of a world tour that is specifically focused on their anime music. Before the concert began, voices from the titles they worked on gave words of encouragement: Team 7 from Naruto, Lelouch from Code Geass, and Eureka and Renton from Eureka Seven, among others.
Their set list was as follows.
01 BURN
02 KAZE NO UTA
03 LOVE AND JUSTICE
04 Steppin’ out (Intro, Long version)
05 CHA-LA-HEAD-CHA-LA
06 HERO~Kibou no Uta~
07 DAYS
08 Brave Blue
09 COLORS
10 WORLD END
11 United Sparrows
12 Re:member
13 Member Introduction: Tick Tack
14 Sign ~ Intro Long Version
15 GO !!!
16 GOLD
One could tell how popular a particular show/song was based on the rumbling along the floor. A very new song like their Kinnikuman opening got some cheers. “DAYS” from Eureka Seven definitely caught people’s attention (It’s my favorite song of theirs). “COLORS” reflected that Code Geass was indeed a defining anime for a great many. But when “GO!!!” from Naruto hit, the floor literally felt like it was undulating from the stomps and excitement. I think it really says how essential and fundamental Naruto was to the fandom, and how much that fifth opening helped put FLOW on the map. It’s literally one of two openings people will generally point to as the series intro (the other being “Haruka Kanata”). Overall, it was an excellent time.
Retro AMVs
Otakon this year brought back old school Anime Music Videos, this time from its 1996 Otakon AMV contest. I’ve never been that big on AMVs in general, but there’s just something fun about it as a time capsule. As expected, the anime involved were the fan darlings of the era: Bubblegum Crisis, Armitage III, so much Tenchi Muyo!, and so on. I highly recommend checking this out at least once, not least of which is because of the level of technology the AMV makers had to work with at the time. I do wonder how attendees who weren’t around for this era of anime feel when watching these.
Miscellaneous
Skipped the Korean Content
I keep not attending the Korean stuff despite having every intention to check out at least a little. Maybe next time!
30th Anniversary Exhibit
Near the front entrance was a special area showcasing memorabilia from every Otakon since the very beginning, including things like Otakon Vegas and 2020’s Otakon Online. It was fun reminiscing on all the past Otakons I had attended, and to see what came before I ever started going.
The most astounding thing is realizing just how much it’s grown: 1994 had only 350 attendees, and now it’s over 50,000! At the Closing Ceremony, the staff revealed that the entirety of the first Otakon would have fit into the relatively modest 30th anniversary exhibition area.
Otakon 2025 Hotel Reservation Fiasco
Although this has nothing to do with Otakon 2024, I do need to point out the numerous problems that occurred with reserving hotels for 2024. Otakon announced that the hotel blocks would open at 12PM EST on August 13. Many other conventions have similar queuing systems for everything from autographs to concerts, and usually the point of the queue is that the order is randomized to be more fair to people who couldn’t get there right on the dot.
However, this was not the case for Otakon, which ended up being a first come, first served system. That in itself was potentially not an issue, but Otakon did not communicate clearly that it was non-random, and the social media didn’t announce that they were actually starting at 11AM until the day before. On top of all that, they had apparently tried to test the system at around 1030AM, which opened the queue and allowed people who were waiting to get in before even the earlier start time.
I hope Otakon can fix this problem for next year, as it is one of their biggest missteps in years.
Food
In addition to the above-mentioned Saté food truck at the Matsuri, I ate at a number of spots over the weekend. As always, the Caribbean food in the convention center is probably the best deal and consistently delicious (though be warned that it’s still convention prices). SUNdeVICH is another mainstay of the Otakon trip, and this year I got their bulgogi-based Seoul sandwich. The kimchi and slaw make it really work. Dolcezza’s gelato is as good as ever.
I also visited a small German restaurant called Prost DC, and got the sauerbraten (see above). It was surprisingly pleasant, and made me reevaluate my previously very neutral opinion on this national dish of Germany.
Cosplay
Closing Thoughts
At the Q&A session on the final day, there were a few people who expressed that they wished it felt more like a 30th anniversary celebration, but I think it feels very Otakon to just do a solid job of putting on a convention. Just about everything I enjoy about Otakon is still there, and I have faith that the hiccups and issues that are there will be at least partly improved by the next go around.
I want to end with a little story: At the Matsuri, I was sitting with some friends, one of whom was chatting with someone else sharing the table. This young individual was attending Otakon for the first time, and they had come to this event cosplaying as Inuyasha. I was a little surprised because the heyday of Inuyasha (and its ubiquitous cosplay at cons) had long passed, but I found out that Inuyasha was this person’s first anime ever. It really felt like time is on some mysterious cycle; perhaps all too appropriate for a 30th anniversary.
Terada Takanobu is a veteran game producer, and has been involved with the Super Robot Wars franchise since the 1990s. This interview as conducted at Otakon 2023 in Washington, DC.
Hello, it’s great to meet you. I’ve been a long-time fan of the Super Robot Wars series, and I’m very glad that is finally easy for people to play around the world.
My first question: You recently announced that you were becoming a freelancer. How has that change been for you? Have there been any particular advantages or challenges that come with it?
There were lots of interests I wanted to pursue, so I decided to step down from the producer role to become a supervisor, and use that time to do the things I’d like to do.
I want to make toys and plastic models, and original robot animations—ones that are not Super Robot Wars OG.
Do you have any all-time favorite anime or even tokusatsu works?
My favorite super robot is Mazinger Z. As for tokusatsu, Ultraman and also Masked Rider. And more and more.
Original Kamen Rider, or…?
It would have to be the first Masked Rider, fundamentally.
One signature element of SRW is the continued use of very creative 2D attack animations. What are the reasons you have stuck with this style even though so much has changed about video games over time?
In Super Robot Wars DD, we’re doing 2D animations and something between 2D and 3D too, so we’re diversifying.
In SRW DD, the idea behind going for 3D animation is to better capture the original. But more than when I was a producer, I can now better create the content I make compared to before
What has it been like developing mobile games, as well as having multiple games out there? Is it part of a broader strategy?
With regard to the overall strategy of creating mobile games, that lies with the publisher, Bandai Namco, so I can’t really speak to it. However, as for challenges in mobile games specifically, I’d say one that having a deadline every month is a bit challenging. For example, before, if it was for a console, you had three years to get the battle animations and the scenarios and put everything into one package. But now, with the mobile games, you have everything packaged every month.
You started at Banpresto in the 90s. Are there any staff from that era still at [its successor] BBSoft?
There are some.
Do you have any specific series or character units that you thought turned out especially well in terms of their presence in SRW? Or do you think there were any storylines that were executed very well?
It’s a bit difficult, because all of them are a lot of work, and I’m mainly putting effort into making what’s there. It’s a cyclic process of making and releasing and making. More than myself, it’s ultimately the users who decide what’s good.
Are there any titles you are especially proud of being able to obtain for SRW or thought you’d never get for the series?
Space Battle Yamato, aka Star Blazers. As for recently, too many. Hmm…recently, Gridman, Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, and Gun x Sword. In SRW DD, Devilman and Koutetsu Jeeg. What’s it called in English?
Translator: [Steel] Jeeg.
Oh, just that directly.
Ogiue Maniax: There isn’t much of a Jeeg presence in America.
Ah, I see. Oh, and there are two Jeegs now: [Steel] Jeeg and [Steel God] Jeeg.
The impression I have about SRW is that there are the “main” games—Alpha, F, F Final, V, X, T, 30, etc.—and then there are smaller ones that tend to be a little more daring with game mechanics and what series they include. One title I think of is SRW Neo, with Jushin Liger. Is there any truth to the idea that you see the smaller games as more experimental?
Before, yes, there was a difference with the more experimental ones. But now, SRW DD is the only one out, and in there, we try all sorts of things like Jushin Liger and Granzort. SRW DD does embrace the style of SRW, such as the game stages and the scenarios and everything.
I know that you cannot reveal any unannounced information, but has there ever been any consideration to include giant robots from non-Japanese media?
I’m not allowed to say what it was, but there were past attempts. There’s lots I would like to license, but it didn’t work out.
Do you receive feedback from the directors and other staff involved with the titles included in SRW? For example, have you ever had to interact with directors Tomino or Anno?
Yes, there has been some feedback—and actually, there have been some ideas that came from Tomino-san and Anno-san. And actually, I came across some suggestions that Kawamori-san of Macross had earlier. But I had to tell him that’s not something I have control over.
One last question: Over the years, you’ve worked with many voice actors, and unfortunately, some have passed away. Sometimes, they are replaced by new actors, and other times, you re-use existing voice clips. Do you have any say in who gets recast in SRW, or is it outside your control?
If it’s stated by the original source material, I will do as the source material requests. Otherwise, I have the freedom to choose.
Aramaki Shinji is a creator known for his mecha design work on Bubblegum Crisis, Genesis Climber Mospeada, Megazone 23, and more. He also designed many of the toys that became Transformers, including Soundwave. Aramaki is also an anime director who has focused on pushing 3DCG animation since the early 2000s.
You have a lot of experience as a mechanical designer, and I understand that different mechanical designers have different processes for designing. For example, Kawamori Shoji has talked about how he uses Legos. What are the key aspects of your approach?
Well, it depends a lot because I get different requests for each project I work on. For example, you mentioned that Kawamori Shoji-san uses Legos, but I think that’s mainly for designing transforming mecha. Should I answer just based on transforming ones? It’ll make it easier if we narrow it down to a certain genre.
Sure, let’s go with transforming.
So we initially choose two or three shapes/forms, and we ask, what are we going to transform and how. But we start out with the two coolest forms.
Would you say you sort of work backwards from the final designs/silhouettes perhaps?
Initially, we don’t really get into the details. We just think, oh this is what a cool bike looks like, and this is what a cool robot looks like. So we just start off with what looks cool and don’t get into the particulars of how it transforms yet.
It gets difficult from there. In the past, I used to study how things might transform using papercraft. Nowadays, though, we can use 3D programs. We start off with simple blocks, but using them, we can join them and see how these volumes move around.
If we use 3DCG, we can study how these forms look from varying perspectives, so it makes the process much easier.
The next work is one that you might not be as known for. I looked up your credits, and it said that you’re responsible for conceptual design on the anime Star Driver. The style of the mecha there are quite different from what I typically think of when it comes to your work. How far removed are the final designs compared to your originals?
Actually, for Star Driver, I didn’t do much mechanical design, and I didn’t really touch any robots. But I actually designed the landscapes and backgrounds—the stage design—for Star Driver. The series is set on an island, and I designed what the island is like, and what the school is like. I did it based on discussions I had with the director, Igarashi, to set the mood for the anime.
You directed works such as Appleseed, which was, at this point, decades ago. I remember seeing them first start to show up, and that was a time when directing in full 3DCG wasn’t nearly as convenient as it is today. What are some of the challenges you faced in the early 2000s?
Back then, we actually had a lot of problems. There was no standardized software for design, so the character design software was different from the landscape design software. That made it really difficult to organize everything and keep it together as one team.
For one scene, when we decided on the camera angle and looked at the scene, the table and the character were sort of shifted because they were designed using different softwares.
These seem to be simple problems, but back then, Japan wasn’t as advanced in the field of CG. So we faced challenges every single day.
My final question: I actually have fond memories of the cartoon M.A.S.K. and its toys, and I was excited to learn that you worked on it. What designs were you responsible for, and what did it feel like to work on a foreign production?
This series involved a lot of transforming vehicles such as trucks and boats, but the original designs came from the toy company, Kenner. Back then, I was working in LA, but I went to Chicago where their company was based, and took a lot of pictures of the prototypes. We did drawings to help with animations.
Most of the mechas were designs provided from the toys, but some were not from the toys, so I got to design them.
I don’t remember all that well where they appeared in the show, but they let me design two transforming vehicles back then, where I got to pick the car types and how they transform. They were called the Manta and the Shark.
Thank you for this interview. It was great to have you at Otakon!
At Otakon 2023, Iwao Junko (Tomoyo in Cardcaptor Sakura) had a panel focused exclusively on her history and career. This is a summary of the panel, as well as notes from the Q&A that occurred. To read the interview I conducted with her and collaborator Kawamura Ryu, go here.
The Beginning
Iwao started off the panel by talking about her childhood, and how she loved listening to records found in storybooks, watching anime, listening to music. At that time, voice acting wasn’t seen as it is today, so when she asked others about a career in that realm, they told her she would have to be an actor or a singer/musician. Even so, she thought about getting into voice acting since she was 6 or 7 years old.
Around 13, she secretly auditioned to become an idol, and while she was ready to get rejected 100 or 200 times, she ended up getting accepted after just on try. Her parents (especially her dad) were very against it, but she promised them that she would quit in ten years if she didn’t make it.
So she went to Tokyo and did lessons, and she eventually debuted as an idol in a four-person group at the age of 16. She was actually replacing another idol in the group who had “graduated” (i.e. quit and moved on), but the group was already planning to split up after one year. Once that was done, she had to do part-time jobs and attend night school.
Iwao’s First Anime Role
From then on, until the age of 23, Iwao just worked and auditioned, ending up with various jobs. She was in musicals, and also played an assistant in a science show for kids. She even worked at a train station. One day, one of the members of the science show saw Iwao and asked if she had given up on show business. At that time, the ten-year deadline she had promised her parents was almost up. This person mentioned that a certain show was looking for someone who could act and sing, and so Iwao went for it because it could be her last chance. After auditioning, she was nervous waiting for results every day.
It was her first anime role, and it was Melissa Thorn, one of the main characters in an Japanese-French co-produced anime called Montana Jones, about explorers on a voyage. Got the part of one of the main characters of Montana Jones. When she told her parents about it, worried that time was technically already up, her parents instead congratulated her, and said they want Iwao to keep trying for another 10 or even 20 years.
From there, Iwao joined a voice acting school and practiced for her debut in Montana Jones. One thing that surprised her about working on the show was that there was no rehearsal time in anime. The first day of recording is when you meet the rest of the cast.
Another surprise was that they recorded based on roughly drawn non-color animatics. She expected to be acting in reference to finished animation, and while there was sometimes color, that was often not the case. Sometimes, ttwo characters would even be represented by just a red line and a blue line.
The other main characters were played by Otsuka Akio (Solid Snake, Black Jack) and Nakao Ryusei (Freeza). Their performances were so good that she worried there were actually prior practice sessions that she didn’t know about and missed. Iwao couldn’t keep up with them at all.
The way the recording studio was set up, 10-plus people had to work with four microphones. And in fact, one of those mics was the “main character mic,” exclusively used by Ohtsuka as Montana Jones. The result: you ad to quietly get up to the mics each time and constantly choosing which of the three you’d use every time. Not only that, but recording was analog back then, and the tape didn’t stop for you. Every take was 15-minute long (about half an episode), and whenever there was a mistake, everyone had to start all over again. Iwao remembers the other voice actors getting frustrated with her and asking, “What is this amateur doing here?” It was Otsuka and Nakao who helped her through the process, until they eventually finished the first episode.
After the debut episode, haired, the show actually got complaints from viewers who wanted her to be replaced with someone more experienced, and she even received a stack of physical hate mail complaining about her. The other actors supported her and let her know that everyone has to deal with this. Gradually, the staff also supported her, and she gained fans little by little. She still got negative feedback, but would also receive letters from fans. Because of that, she wanted to become someone who could someday help a newbie overcome these same troubles. Something curious she noticed was that once she started having a more positive outlook, she started landing a lot more roles.
Going Full-Time
At first, she didn’t have enough voice acting gigs to quit her day job, but eventually had enough roles that she could go full-time. Her first time as protagonist was in Key the Metal Idol, and from there, it was Cardcaptor Sakura and Evangelion and so on. She remembers her manager saying, “You’re gonna get it,” in regards to Eva. It was with Eva that she could make voice acting her sole career. One thing she learned, though, was that despite the job being “voice acting,” a lot of her work seemed to be event-related. Couldn’t get much sleep, which was rough.
Iwao recalled that the Eva audition was 15 minutes long for everyone. There was a long bench where everyone sat as they waited to try out, and she could see so many voice actors there who were interested. Iwao actually auditioned for two roles, and hinted that the second role has become known recently, but did not specify which one.
Q&A
At the 20th anniversary CCS exhibition, she got to go to dinner with all the other actors outside of work.
Shows she wishes people would know more: Harimogu Harley, Betterman, Key the Metal Idol.
Perfect Blue was a case where she actually received a real script and storyboards prior to recording. Iwao’s time as an idol only lasted one year, but she knew from others while working at that time that some of the things Mima goes through in the film actually dho happen. What she didn’t find out until later that director Kon Satoshi didn’t know anything about her idol history or age, and decided it based on one line that everyone was supposed to recite for their audition: “Who…are you?” Kon had decided on voice alone, so when he looked at her résumé, he reacted to Iwao’s extremely strong-sounding family name, which translates roughly to “Boulder Man.” Kon was excited to see what kind of Rock-like Man would show up, and was surprised Iwao was rather small. Because of this, he was watching her with a stern and scary face, but she didn’t know this was the reason, and Iwao was so scared that she couldn’t greet him. When playing Mima and the “other” Mima, she had to have separate recording days for the different personalities, and thought Matsumoto Rica (who played Rumi) gave a powerful performance.
When asked if she ever had the chance to be the mentor she wanted to become during Montana Jones, she mentioned that she thought upon entering her 50s that this would be her mentorship phase (Iwao is 53 this year). The series where she was able to to do this was an anime called Shining Post, where she thought, “Now is my time to shine.” Iwao ended up telling the new voice actors about what she herself had experienced.
I got to ask a question as well, one that I couldn’t fit into the interview! “Are there any roles you played later in your career that would have been difficult for you earlier in your career?” Iwao replied that it would have to be Hisae in Onihei, as it was a role where she felt she could bring the experience she had built up over time. When playing her, Iwao thought, “Finally, I can play adult roles.”
Everyone who worked on the Madoka Magica found out about the twists and turns week by week, so it was a surprised to everyone.
Iwao is from Kyushu, and a major Tomoyo/Iwao fan asked the final question, which was regarding recommendations for anyone traveling to her home prefecture. Iwao’s Her recommendations are Beppu in Oita Prefecture, which is famous for hot springs. She also suggested checking out Nagasaki.
Iwao Junko is a singer and voice actor most famously known for playing Daidouji Tomoyo in the anime Cardcaptor Sakura. Kawamura Ryu is a musician and composer who has frequently collaborated with Iwao on musical projects.This interview was conducted at Otakon 2023 in Washington, DC.
My first question is for Iwao-san: I first came to know you through your role as Tomoyo in Cardcaptor Sakura, and you helped make her one of my favorite characters ever. I’ve noticed that in the first series, our approach to Tomoyo was a little different from how it turned out later on. Was there any catalyst for this change?
Iwao: Daidouji Tomoyo in the Clow Card series is an elementary school girl, and she’s grown up a bit in Clear Card. So as some years have passed, I played her a little more mature.
Iwao-san, your singing as Tomoyo is beautiful but also notably different from how you approach your personal music. How do you manage to stay in character so well while singing as Tomoyo?
Iwao: When I sing as Tomoyo, I sing as an elementary school girl. But when I sing as myself, I use my natural voice.
Is it a challenge to play Tomoyo while singing?
Iwao: It’s not all that difficult, actually.
My next question is for Kawamura-san: What made you decide on the bass as your instrument of choice?
Kawamura: I’d have fewer rivals.
And how did you go from playing music yourself to also arranging for others?
Kawamura: It’s actually something I learned from Tanaka Kohei-san. What he mentioned was that, as a musician/player, you don’t get the same royalty payments as you would if you’re a composer. So what I learned is that you should be well-rounded, and have both “composer” and “player” under your belt.
Are there any other lessons you’ve learned from working with Tanaka-san that have stuck with you?
Kawamura: His policy was “make something other people won’t make.” He’s ingrained that in me.
Speaking of Tanaka Kohei, I also know Iwao-san from a series called Betterman, and your performance really stands out to me when you play Sakura—it’s very haunting. What was it like working on Betterman?
Tomoyo: So on Betterman, which Tanaka Kohei-san did the music for, I auditioned and landed that role. I wanted to play the character of Sakura as a girl who is cute, yet enigmatic and even a little frightening. Expressing that scariness was not so much about changing my tone, but rather taking care to change the tempo within the lines.
Kohei-san was the one who basically welcomed me into the world of anime, so I’m very grateful to him. I had done various jobs as a singer and such, but I always longed to be involved in the world of anime—to be a voice actor. I was missing that step towards that industry, though, and It was Kohei-san who allowed me to get into singing covers of other songs, providing me opportunities for people to see and hear me. So he is a very important figure to me.
Another series Iwao-san worked on that is very influential is Evangelion. Do you have any memories of working on Eva that stand out strongly in your mind?
Iwao: I got the role of class rep Horaki Hikari from auditioning. When playing her, Director Anno-san asked me to express her energeticness and her “class-rep feel” through my voice. However, in Shin Evangelion, Hikari is a mother, and as a mother, she would have a different voice tone as well as a different emotion to her compared to the television version where she was a school girl and a class rep.
On that note, over the past decade or so, you returned to many roles—in Evangelion, in Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, and you even reprised the role of Sakura in Super Robot Wars 30. What is it like to revisit these older characters of yours?
Iwao: Going back to previous roles is very interesting because what I thought I remembered I may not actually remember, and some things might have changed—like the tone of my voice. I would want to focus on meeting the expectations of my fans. For example, for Super Robot Wars 30, the Betterman director, Yonetani-san, was actually there to see over my breaths and my tones so that I was better able to reproduce what I sounded like and what the fans expected me.
This is looking to be one of the most competitive anime seasons in recent memory. I don’t think you need me to tell you all of the highly anticipated shows hitting this month, but the ones I’m really going to be watching out for are Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, Golden Kamuy Season 4, Chainsaw Man, Spy x Family Season 2, and Pop Team Epic 2. There’s a good chance I simply won’t be able to watch everything I want.
On top of that, New York is hitting its big con season with New York Comic Con this month and Anime NYC the next! I have some concerns that NYCC is becoming too expensive and unwelcome for many, but we’ll see how it turns out.
Speaking of events, I’ve gotten my Omicron booster, which has prompted me to start watching anime in theaters again—masked and as safely distanced as possible, of course. You can check out one of my reviews in the highlights this month, with the next on the way in the coming weeks.
Thank you to my Patreon subscribers for October 2022!
My criticism of entertainment that ties to monopolize your attention in the worst ways possible.
Kio Shimoku
On Twitter, Kio Shimoku has some issues with his arm lately.
Closing
I’m entertaining ideas to better replace the $15 Patreon reward, which basically has only ever been used once. If anyone has suggestions for things they’d like to see out of the Patreon, I’m all ears. I’m not sure what concrete bonuses I can offer at this point, but I’d like to at least have something that might interest supporters.
The summer of 2022 is starting to wind down, and it feels somehow different from even recent years. Maybe it’s that Japan hit a milestone with Comic Market 100 this past month. Maybe it’s the prospect of COVID-19 Omicron-centric booster shots potentially making me feel safer and more comfortable with traveling—including to Japan itself at some point. Or maybe it’s the passage of the largest climate bill in US history, as well as the announcement of a massive student loan forgiveness plan, that gives the vague sense that humanity can do something.
I hope this is a positive turning point, and that we’ll all be in a better position to do the things we love and plan for the future we want to see.
Thank you to my September 2022 Patreon subscribers, notably the following:
The rare portrayal of an Asian mom as action protagonist touches on so many aspects of the Asian diaspora.
Kio Shimoku
Kio Shimoku talks on Twitter about how he’s bad at doing panty shots.
And here’s a look at the Spotted Flower version of Angela Burton.
Apartment 507
An early review of Love Live! Superstar!! Season 2, focusing on the concept of the senpai.
Closing
As the seasons change and cooler weather (hopefully) arrives, I also want to think about revisiting some old projects. I keep meaning to do more Gattai Girls, but a lack of time and to some extent motivation has hampered that. I also wonder about continuing the Fujoshi FIles after many years of inactivity, but have to consider the possibility that it’s not my place to discuss how “rotten” fujoshi characters are. I’m not that BL and saw the characters with fascination, and am still wondering if I should let those closer to the fandom take over this sort of endeavor. I’m still entertaining the notion of a fan wiki, but who knows where it’ll end up.
OGIUE MANIAX 