Since starring in "Ouran High School Male Public Relations Club" in 2006, voice actor Yuki Kaji has already performed well in many works including "Black Butler", "Blue Exorcist", and "Magic Flute Boy Thekingdomofmagic". Of course, the most famous thing about him is the dubbing of Allen, the protagonist of "Attack on Titan", and this year he has played the protagonist in "The Seven Deadly Sins" (Meliodas Service), "Youth Journey" (Ma Yuanzhu) and other works, and also won the Best Actor Award at the Voice Actor Awards for two consecutive years, such popularity is also extremely rare in voice actor circles. So what kind of secret does he have? Recently, some Japanese media conducted an exclusive interview with him, let's see how the severed hand madness is refined!

Attack on Titan is a special work for me

Q: So far, Mr. Kaji's appearance in many anime, how do you feel about these works in general?

Kaji: After watching so many works not only in anime, but also in so many works, I felt that I had already participated in so many works. It was very difficult for me, and to be honest, I was happy.

Q: Which of these works impressed you deeply? What are some of the works that you would like to recommend to overseas anime fans?

Kaji: The works I've worked on are all fantastic, and in terms of the general premise, I take any of them very seriously...... However, "Attack on Titan" is a work that even if it is not described in words, just looking at the picture is enough to give people an impact, and the plot structure also belongs to the framework of "human vs non-human", and the plot is very king. So, I think anime fans from any country in the world will enjoy this work. This work is also very special to me. I've read the original work with relish, and at the time I thought it would be difficult to make it into an anime, so when I heard about the anime, I was really happy as a fan. Therefore, when I was asked to audition for this work, I was very happy. Because I like the work, it doesn't matter what character I can dub the voice...... As a result, I didn't expect the offer I got to be Alan, and I really couldn't imagine that it would be like this at the time.

Q: Judging from Mr. Kaji's previous roles, I always think that most of your characters are very cute types.

Kaji: That's right. And this time, the work is not only the plot, but even Allen has a personality that I don't have. When the offer came down, I thought I was going to get the role of Armin (laughs). Therefore, dubbing Ellen was also a challenge for me. The director of this work is Tetsuro Araki, and I worked with him on "Guilty Crown" (Sakurama Jiji) before "Attack on Titan". However, it is actually very difficult to continue to be the protagonist in his works. And the same director uses the same voice actor as the leading actor, which is also easy to leave a relatively solid impression, and it may be difficult for fans to buy it. However, I also talked to the director on other occasions before the audition, when he said, "In order to make the work better, as long as I feel that it is necessary, there are some details that I don't need to pay much attention to." Listening to his words, I also thought, "Well, I don't have to think too much about it, I just need to go all out to participate in the audition." Of course, I was nervous during the audition, but I was still happy.

Q: The animation of Attack on Titan has actually sparked a strong response overseas, and it has been loved by a wide range of people. So do you also have an intuitive feeling for such a reaction?

Kaji: Some fans from overseas participate in anime events in Japan, and some of them try to write to me in Japanese. I don't know if we used to broadcast this work overseas or whether we used subtitles, but since we did the dubbing in the video products, we should have heard our voices in different ways for overseas audiences. This year, we held our first overseas event in Taiwan, and we were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the audience. Both the works and the characters were very popular, and I felt the love that the fans had for me. JAPAN Animation, the culture of Japanese animation, transcends borders and becomes a place for people all over the world to enjoy. I really felt this "evolution" of Japanese animation.

Q: Do you have any other works that you would like to recommend?

Kaji: I hope that the work "Unheard of Flowers" will also be seen by overseas audiences. Although I didn't participate in this work, the scene of Chichibu, the stage of the story, was depicted in a very delicate way, and it also made you feel the beauty of the Japanese landscape. In addition, the setting of ghosts is very surreal, and this interweaving of surreality and "real worldview" also makes the work full of charm. In addition, "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Space" is also good. As long as Director Hosoda's work is released, I will definitely go to the cinema to see it. And this work is the same as "Unheard of Names", the picture is very beautiful, and the plot is about the daily life of high school students. I think that the depiction of Guò is also reflected in the works of Japan. There is also "Light Girl". This is the so-called "everyday system", but it gives the impression that it is "representative of today's Japanese animation". In that era when there were no late-night animations, the works we children watched were not the same as they are now. But I was fascinated by the lifelike appearance of the characters in "The Light Girl". The premise of "girls meet light music and grow up" should be said to work in any country, so I think it should be easy for overseas audiences to accept this work, right?

In such moments, there is a good reason for the sparkling energy

Q: Do you read the original manga and novels before dubbing?

Kaji: That's right. If there is an animation of the original work, then at the stage when I decide to participate in the audition, I will read the original work as long as time allows. But this kind of thing doesn't mean that every voice actor has to do it.,Maybe if you don't read it, you can show it better.,Anyway, there's no way to make a conclusion.。 It's true that some people feel that it's not a good thing to know the work in too much detail before confirming that you want to play the role, but there are also examples of people who desperately try to understand the original work and let the role be rooted in their hearts before they come to audition. I belong to the latter category, but when it comes to creating characters, I actually conceive them according to my own imaginary image, so whether the production staff, including the director, are satisfied with my creation is actually another matter. If we have too deep-seated ideas about a character, we won't be able to cope with the performance request of "I hope it will be XXXX a little more" on the dubbing scene. That's why I just wanted to get a general idea of the story and get the necessary information about the characters, so I read the original book.

Q: Do you have any manga that you would recommend to overseas fans?

Kaji: If it's a daily plot, then I recommend "Journey of Youth". In terms of genre, it's a girl's comic.,But there's not too much sweet and greasy expression in the work.,Instead, it's a very realistic way to tell the author's view of love.。 I think it's a really good work. On top of that, I read Slam Dunk as a kid and became interested in basketball. And for today's audience, they can also pass guò "Volleyball Junior!! (Lone Claw Grinder) to get the same feeling. On the one hand, this work portrays characters with very special personalities, and on the other hand, it also delicately expresses the fun of volleyball. It should be said that this work can give children who read it "I want to play volleyball!" "Enthusiasm. As for "The Magic Flute Boy", it is a so-called royal fantasy work, and the stage of the work is very large, which can represent the meaning of anime in a sense, so I think this work will not be limited by national borders, and it can be easily accepted by overseas anime fans. And "The Seven Deadly Sins", which is currently airing animation, is also the same royal fantasy work. On the one hand, the work gives people a nostalgic feeling, and on the other hand, the work adopts a new expressive approach. I played the main character Meliodas in the anime version, and he, like Alan, was a character who didn't have much in common with me at first. There is a strong contrast between the appearance and the inside of this character, so I also used guò to create the character and explore new possibilities within myself. Mistakes are always made, but it's still enjoyable.

Also, if there are other works that are not animated, then I think "Good Night, Boo" (おやすみプンプン) is also good. I like the work of Ichi20 Asano very much, and I'm still chasing the current serialized "デッドデッドデーモンズデデデデデストラクション", which is also very interesting. Asano's works have their own feelings, and the depictions of the works are in-depth and delicate, so how do overseas groups feel about this? Personally, I'm interested.

Q: At present, there are many anime that are original light novels, do you usually read light novels?

Kaji: Exactly. And many of the works I participated in dubbing were adapted from light novels. The world view of light novels ranges from SF to everyday life, but I think I still belong to the genre that is more about the charm of the characters. Therefore, when the work is adapted into an anime, I also attach great importance to the charm of the characters during the performance. Unlike other anime works, I try to make the characters more lifelike when I create characters in light fiction anime. There are quite a few light novels that I have in my mind, and it seems that there are different works that are causing a boom depending on the times. Also, it's interesting that light novels like to use very long titles. How will overseas fans embrace this phenomenon (laughs). Is this something that can be fun for foreigners just by translating guò? I'm very concerned about that.

Q: Are there any works that have left a lasting impression on you?

Kaji: In this regard, if it was a work I had participated in, it would have been "The Prince and the Cat Who Didn't Laugh" (Yokoji Yoshito). Just looking at the title of this work can give people a big impact. Even if it's me, I don't say such a ** thing out of self-esteem, and it's funny that I can do this with the guò character (laughs). And some of the impactful lines can also make the audience have fun, and many famous quotes and buzzwords have been born in the work. This one is very interesting.

I also played the role of the protagonist Rentaro Satomi in "Pitch Black Bullet". And this work is also a challenge for me in a sense. The worldview of the work is dark and heavy, and the plot unfolds very intensely, so it may not be possible to reflect the characteristics of the light novel, which can be easily read, and "can be watched at will after being changed into an anime". And in this, I also hope that my performance can bring some insights to the audience, which is my state of mind when dubbing.

Q: Among the entertainment novels, there are also works like "New World" that have been adapted into TV animations. You've also voiced one of the main characters, Satoru Asahina, in your work.

Kaji: I haven't had much exposure to mystic works before, so personally, it's nice to be able to get in touch with this field through guò. In terms of roles, I have to dub from my youth to my youth, and I have to show the characteristics of the characters in different periods, which is very fun, but it's also very difficult. In addition, the "Library Wars" series is also going to be animated. Although I didn't participate in this work, I liked all of Arikawa-sensei's novels. Although the world view is completely different depending on the work, the various settings delicately portrayed in each work make me sigh every time: how rich is the amount of knowledge and the way of expression that the teacher has! There is also "Heaven and Earth Clearing". The author is Mr. Okitata, who previously served as a series member of the anime "Valrhona of the Firmament" series. In this work, I played the role of Nishio Yu. Therefore, I had the opportunity to have a direct conversation with the teacher, and the teacher was full of interest in many things during the chat, which made the conversation interesting. I was very impressed by such an excellent person. In addition, I always read the teacher's work with a strong interest. Personally, I also like the work of Mr. Tomihiko Morimi, and I will definitely read it whenever he publishes a new novel. The novels have a unique style and form of line lists, and Kyoto is often used as a setting in the works, which is also one of the reasons why I was attracted to it. With this in mind, I would go to Kyoto alone whenever I had time. This also has the meaning of "pilgrimage to the Holy Land" (laughs). But even if there is no special purpose, just taking a walk in the past is enough to make you feel happy. That's why I love Kyoto.

Q: You can see that you read a lot of works whether it's for work or not.

Kaji: I'm interested in all kinds of works, but because there are so many of them, I can't keep chasing them. It's just that whether it's anime, manga, or novels, I try to look at them as much as I can if they are works that arouse a topic, regardless of the genre. In fact, the people who have become popular for a period of time and the food are also among the objects of my attention, how did these shining stores at that time become popular? Why is it so powerful? There's a reason for that. So I try to keep a positive focus on these things. Even from the point of view that it is "good for the acquisition of knowledge", I would like to be able to put up a "capture antenna" sensitively.

Something transcends the words and pictures themselves, and it is the mission of the voice actor to convey it to the audience

Q: Speaking of which, what inspired you to become a voice actor? Please also tell us.

Kaji: I've been involved in manga and anime since I was a child, and they are something that I take for granted in my life, and when I was in elementary school, I was basically discussing anime with my friends. Through my works, I often experience "there is such a world" and "there is such a job", and I learn them as knowledge. And because of anime, I also have dreams for the future, and I should say that anime is also a big help for me to see the direction of my life. In this way, I was influenced by a variety of works since I was an elementary school student, and my dreams often changed because of the works I was passionate about. However, when I was in junior high school, I started to want to become a voice actor, and that dream never changed. It was because I learned that no matter what I learned and how hard I worked, I had to rely on my own strength, so I was determined to pursue the path of voice actor. At that time, voice actor magazines also began to be published, and various voice actors no longer only "showed" with their voices, but exposed their appearance to the society. I was affected by this time, so it was more natural for me to choose my current career.

Q: I had my dream so early and made my goal come true. I don't think there are very many people who can do that.

Kaji: yes...... I consider myself lucky. Unlike now, the path of voice actors was still relatively narrow at that time, and although there were many people who made voice actors their goals, how did they do it? I'm afraid few people know. At that time, I entered high school, became a member of the drama club, and met many people who wanted to become voice actors. With the introduction of one of them, I auditioned for a voice actor training center. And luckily I was chosen. The voice actors' classes are all on weekends, so you can also go to school and receive training at the same time, and the training fee is 0, so I can do not conflict with my studies in terms of money and time. If you don't pass at that time, then you will have to pay for the training, and the training date will conflict with the school...... I don't think I'll be able to continue my dream of being a voice actor, but I'll be interested in other professions in my school life and daily life. Therefore, because of so many accidents, I was able to set foot in this world very lucky. I really don't think it's easy. …… But then came the real battle. In the beginning, I was satisfied with even one job a month. And this life lasted for a long time.

Q: So that's what Mr. Kaji is like? It feels like I've come to this point step by step.

Kaji: No, no, no, no. (laughs). There is no such thing at all. I've really come a long way. I used to have vague dreams and thought that the world I saw in voice actor magazines was gorgeous, but if I became a voice actor, I would be able to get a lot of jobs and play roles. But after I joined the firm, this dream became a concrete goal, and what awaited me was a cruel reality. Even though I auditioned to enter the training center, I was able to become a member of my current practice five years after graduating from the training center, and I was completely unable to work during this period. I moved the other day and found a notepad that I used about 8 years ago. I took a look at it, and it said the plan for each month. One of them was a job and an audition booking that was supposed to be available but failed. That's how it was then. This state lasted for 4~5 years. I auditioned for OverDrive in 2007 and got the voice job for the main character. Since then, things have changed little by little. Until then, my roles were mostly unnamed, and it would be a great honor for me to be called out even once. However, after getting a job as the voice of the main character, I was able to go to the dubbing field every week. In this way, you can also experience the acting skills of your predecessors, and the opportunities for improvement are also increasing. In addition, I was able to use the time to learn, including the on-site table xiàn method. In terms of roles, I can also try out what I can do in various ways and audition. This is very important to my voice actor life.

Q: Since then, you've been able to perform as the protagonist of many works as you do now. Is there anything you'd like to challenge in the future?

Kaji: I want my work to be seen by as many people as possible. In other words, I strongly hope that I can appear in a work that will interest people who don't usually watch anime. In this sense, "Attack on Titan" has become my representative work just like my calling card. On the other hand, even for works that are limited to the audience, I hope that the acting skills that can be enjoyed by more people will be able to attract more attention. But in any case, I think the most important thing is that all the people involved in the production of zuò works love the works and put a lot of passion into making them. In such a workplace, as long as there is something that needs to be done, then I will gladly accept any role.

Q: Japan is a very prosperous country in the voice actor industry, but is there any other country other than Japan that can do this?

Kaji: Well, I haven't heard much of it. Therefore, it would be nice if the audience could become interested in the Japanese language, or even the Japanese language, through guò animation. Although the common language of the world is English, wouldn't it be a pleasure for us voice actors to convey the fun and profundity of the Japanese language in the form of "sounds"? I think it's a different charm from touching words and images, and it's not just our performance, but also the music, sound effects, and other sound elements that are integrated, making the sound of the animation more three-dimensional, and in a good sense, making the animation more unrealistic. And I think our mission is to pass on this kind of "thing". For the audience, I want them to feel that the characters are truly in the world. In order to achieve this goal, I will continue to work hard in the future.