He faced up to his "weakness" and was "fighting" all the time. For the "acting" that they are pursuing, but also for the people who trust themselves and entrust them with heavy responsibilities. Japanese voice actor Mr. Yuki Kaji, won the Best Actor Award for voice actor for two consecutive years. We hope that through this interview of nearly 10,000 words, we will convey his sincere feelings to you without reservation!

After the battle, the joy of fighting

- It's really hard work for you to take pictures for a long time.

Kaji: No, no, I'm not good at being a model in other people's photos, but I like to think about the composition of my images, so it's really nice to be able to take beautiful photos with photographers.

INTERVIEWER During the break, I saw that you had been thinking for a long time about whether to eat meat or fish, and I didn't expect you to have such a side, which really surprised me.

Kaji: Was it really a surprise?

- Well, I look like you're distressed (laughs).

Kaji: Meat and fish are completely different foods, so if I had to choose one of the meats or the same among the fish, I wouldn't be so distressed. However, in the end, I wanted both (laughs).

INTERVIEWER In this interview, we would like to ask Mr. Kaji, Mr. Kaji, to talk about your current feelings about winning the award. In addition, he will also talk about some small things in ordinary life as he did just now, so that fans can better understand Yuki Kaji in daily life.

Kaji: Okay, please give me a lot of advice.

- First of all, congratulations on winning the 8th Voice Actor Award and Best Actor Award! This is the second year in a row that you have received this honor.

Kaji: Thank you. Indeed, I was also fortunate to receive this award last year. What supports my job as a voice actor is my passion to participate in more works that will leave an impression on others, and to play more memorable roles. I am happy from the bottom of my heart that this enthusiasm can be appreciated and recognized by others in a visible and tangible way.

INTERVIEWER At last year's award ceremony, I remember you not only saying "Thank you for always supporting me with confidence in my lack of self-confidence" in your acceptance speech, but also ending with "Congratulations on winning the Best Actor Award."

Kaji: Wow, I'm embarrassed to mention it so suddenly (laughs). I was really nervous at the awards ceremony.

- Did winning the second award give you more confidence?

Kaji: I have been working hard for the whole year with the feeling I had when I won the award last year. I'm really happy to be able to feel your support for me in the same way again. I will turn your support into the courage to fight in the future, and I will continue to study and improve my acting skills.

- In the public voting round, the character of Alan Yeager in "Attack on Titan" was particularly popular, with a whopping 10 votes.

Kaji: Attack on Titan has been highly praised not only by anime fans, but also by people who don't usually watch anime, so I'm very happy as one of the people involved in the anime production. Not only that, but this work has brought me a lot of things as well.

INTERVIEWER I don't know if you watched Mr. Revo (LinkedHorizon) perform at the end of last year?

Yuki Kaji: Of course, it's a really wonderful show! I still remember the feeling in my heart at that time, and I felt nervous about watching my own people on stage (laughs). I even wondered if I would have been able to hear Allen's voice if I was lucky. Even though I had such expectations, I was a little lonely when I only heard the narration of Marina Inoue. However, I feel very honored to be able to participate in such a well-known work that can be featured in a traditional Japanese program.

INTERVIEWER What exactly does the character of Alan Yeager bring to you?

Kaji: Alan Yeager made me realize that "the so-called acting, you have to be like this!" The spirit of the actor. In the future, no matter which recording site I am in or which work I am involved in, I want to keep this spirit of being an actor in mind.

INTERVIEWER I've heard you talk about how nervous you were at the time of recording. It's not hard to imagine that this must be a recording scene where nerves and throats are highly tense.

Kaji: It's like there's a "wall" in front of you, and you can't climb over it with your original self. At that time, I had a painful feeling of climbing this wall, but when I successfully crossed this wall, the scenery in front of me was so wonderful! It was a feeling of sudden enlightenment, and even the pain of climbing a wall was a great experience for me. I may have become a person who would not be satisfied without the pain of searching up and down (laughs).

INTERVIEWER It must have been a very exciting encounter, but what was your inner life like after the recording of "Attack on Titan"?

Kaji Yuki: The original manga is still being serialized, and Alan will have more room to play active in the future, so when the recording of the leading voice actors is over, I don't feel like it's all over. However, after all, it was missing a place that I would visit every week and that I loved so much, and slowly, a sense of fear gradually appeared.

- Fear is it?

Kaji: It's actually rare to find a recording scene like "Attack on Titan" that gives me a sense of fighting. The characters, the staff, and the voice actors who collaborated with me all had to add up to make me feel like this. But when I think that such a place where I can fight no longer exists, and I am the only one left after the separation, do you want me to "fight bloodily" like this? Whenever this kind of question arises, there will inevitably be some uneasiness and entanglement in my heart.

- Are you afraid that you will be lazy and not give your all?

Yuki Kaji: But I actually understand that actors need to give different interpretation methods in different works and recording scenes, and it is not possible to force themselves and torture themselves to play all the roles well. If you want to act "as you like", I'm afraid it's just a selfish desire of an actor. This new feeling in my heart, I must master that degree in the future.

INTERVIEWER I think you've got a giant in your heart.

Kaji: Hahaha (laughs), it's not so much a "giant" as I am fully integrated into the character of Alan. When you fight on the spot, you really have to think of yourself as a "member of the legion". For example, let's say everyone can turn into giants, and if someone can say, "Now, turn me into a giant right away!" If you have a clear indication like that, it should be quite easy to include it.

INTERVIEWER In "Attack on Titan", a work that explores "struggle for survival", can you give us a line that you think will benefit you a lot?

Kaji: There are so many such lines that it's hard to single out just one. ......Well, I think this should be a line that is also very common in other works, but I still want to choose this sentence - "Fight". I think it's important to have the mindset to try your best to solve a problem, no matter what situation you're in.

INTERVIEWER In the last year or two, I think you've been saying the word "fighting" a lot more often.

Kaji: Why is that...... Maybe it's because I realized my weakness. "Fight with friends as weapons" - in "The Guilty Crown", I played the role of the male protagonist of the story, Sakura Manji. At that time, I was very impressed with this role, and maybe it was one of the opportunities for me to change.

INTERVIEWER Specifically, what exactly is "fighting"?

Kaji: I think the word "fighting" has a spiritual meaning. For example, in the situation of "individual" vs. "society", I am just a weak person, but I have to fight against invisible behemoths, and if I don't have this spirit of "fighting" to support me, I will probably be defeated. Although it may just be because I am too worried and thinking too much, I often say the word "fight" to myself in order to encourage my depressed self.

INTERVIEWER You mean that you have a tendency to bear the burden of your work, regardless of whether the outside world evaluates your work positively or negatively?

Kaji: First of all, I know very well that I can't do anything if I'm alone, and at the same time, I can't do anything else if I satisfy myself. I hope that my acting skills will satisfy the original author, director, sound supervisor, other workers, voice actors who work with the same stage, and the audience in front of the TV, and only then will I be truly satisfied. Therefore, whenever you play a central role in a work, you will inevitably feel some excessive pressure and responsibility in your heart.

INTERVIEWER You have said before that when you were a student, you served as the president of the student council with the enthusiastic support of your classmates. Just after the job was perfected, everyone once said to you, "Sure enough, you chose Yugui, it's right", and you said this sentence at the time, right, but now, is this joy still the foundation of your serious career as a voice actor?

Kaji: Basically, I guess I survived because of that. If I want to get the affection that others recognize, I must be more than twice as strong as ordinary people. Therefore, the disgust when denied by others is twice as strong as that of ordinary people. Although some voice actors will feel that as long as they can show their best acting skills, it doesn't matter if no one appreciates them. However, I personally hope that as many people as possible can watch my performance, and that as many people as possible can appreciate me.

- I want to get the gist of it through the feedback of others.

Kaji: Of course, if the person says that I did a good job at the beginning, that's great, but it's also a very happy feeling if someone who denies me at the beginning ends up getting a compliment. Everyone's preferences and sensibilities are different, and I know that it is impossible to realize everyone's ideals, but how to coordinate everyone through guò "fighting" is probably a very important topic for me to think about at the moment.

- In that case, why not just shout, like Allen, and shout: "Shut up and invest in me"? Wouldn't it be easier to work with such a mindset?

Kaji: It's very difficult (laughs), but to be honest, sometimes this idea comes to mind. Last year, shortly after the recording of Attack on Titan, I caught a cold. At that time, I was close to a state of madness, and I burst out with an aggressive feeling.

- I had a high fever and burst out of my delirium for a while, right?

Kaji: I can't say that all voice actors are like this, but I guess there's such a furious beastly part of my heart. In the past, I was actually vaguely aware of a little bit in my heart, but now it seems that there is a sense of reality in front of me. I'm very similar to Alan (laughs).

I want to play more roles

- Next, please tell me about the "origin" of Yugui Kaji. It's been 10 years since the voice actor debuted.

Yuki Kaji: My debut work is a game, and although it was released in 2004, the recording of the dubbing was actually done in 2003, so it's been 11 years since I debuted.

INTERVIEWER Last year, you moved to a new firm, can we understand it as a milestone for yourself?

Kaji: Actually, moving to the country doesn't have much to do with it, because there will be no changes in external work, so if you are worried about anything, please don't worry. I left the Artsvision voice actor studio that had taken care of me for many years, and I came to my new environment with gratitude and blessings for it. I hope to act on my own, so that the old firm and even myself can admit that this decision is correct.

- I'd like to reiterate to last year's awards ceremony, when you said that until a few years ago, the money you made as a voice actor was barely enough to eat. When I heard it, I was really surprised, why didn't you give up being a voice actor? What motivates you for your work?

Kaji: I guess the driving force is a strong desire to play more roles in more places. There are a lot of roles that I haven't played that I've always wanted to play, and to put it bluntly, I want to play the "main role" and I want to get my own "masterpiece".

- Three years after your debut, you have successfully played the leading role in "Iron Horse Boy", but are you still not satisfied?

Kaji: Yes. "I obviously wanted to continue acting, but this audition failed again", because I kept repeating this experience of failure, and I was depressed for several years.

INTERVIEWER Which of the works you played at that time has the most memorable memory?

Yuki Kaji: "Inazuma Eleven" is a work that I have been participating in for a long time. It's the first time I've worked on the same work for so long. Also, it has allowed me to play a lot of different roles, so I remember it very well. Really appreciate it, it has taught me a lot.

INTERVIEWER Which work do you think made you feel like your career was turning around?

Kaji Yuki: Even from the point of view of playing the main role, it should be "NO.6". When I found out that I had been selected as the main character, I was really happy. Not only is it a dialogue-centered work, but I can also perform on the same stage as my esteemed voice actor, Mr. Yoshimasa Hosoya, so I chose "No.6".

- You've always wanted to act. What was the first work that made you feel the joy of acting?

Yuki Kaji: To be honest, the joy of acting...... Actually, I felt it quite late. I can even say that the "NO.6" I mentioned above was the first work I felt joy in.

INTERVIEWER But you've been involved in a lot of productions before, haven't you?

Kaji: Of course, that's not to say that I haven't done my best in my previous productions. It's just that I was always too nervous at that time, and I only cared about my own internal affairs. But "NO.6" is different, it has relatively few voice actors, even if there is a failure, it doesn't matter if you re-record it a few times...... Of course, you can't do that (laughs), but that's how relaxed the environment is. It's not just about performing skillfully, it's about seeing the higher level of proficiency and looking at the real "acting" in front of it! It was this work that gave me such an insight.

- In last year's "K", you played the role of Toshu Tatara, which I think is a very fresh character.

Kaji: In works other than anime, I feel as if I've played a similar role before. But on the other hand, it's not a game or a radio drama, but it's precisely the animation category, so I think it's very good.

INTERVIEWER Speaking of games, you didn't only participate in a lot of anime last year, but also participated in a lot of game voice acting, right?

Kaji: That said, it seems to be true.

INTERVIEWER As the number of appearances increases, I think the principles of work will become more important. What do you think should be important at work?

Kaji: An actor is like a small cog in a big boat, and it depends on what kind of work you are playing. However, what remains unchanged is that the actor needs to realize the ideal portrayed in the hearts of the original author and director. That's what an actor does. Sometimes, actors will want to try a method of interpretation that they have never tried before, but this is just a kind of "selfishness" of the actor, so I think it is necessary to control it.

INTERVIEWER Do you mean that actors should have a good balance between what they want to do and what others ask them to do?

Kaji: Yes, it's also related to the troubles of Attack on Titan, which I just mentioned.

- Tong Guò Watching the characters you play, I think they each have something to figure out with you. Do you feel it yourself?

Kaji Yuki: Hmm...... Not only me, but as long as the actor is playing the role, then the character cannot be born out of thin air, it is born from the actor's personal characteristics and the knowledge and experience that the actor has so far.

INTERVIEWER Anyway, you've played a lot of roles where you've been eaten by monsters, your arms cut off, or tortured by people (laughs).

Kaji: Really...... (laughs). When you say that, it reminds me of Ali Baba ("The Magic Flute MAGI"), which was included at the same time as Allen ("Attack on Titan"). When I played them, I paid special attention to distinguishing their breath during battle. However, it's not a big deal, and as long as you put in the role, it will naturally change.

- After all, there is only one person who acts, and you are really scarred.

Yuki Kaji: That seems to be the case (laughs). When I included it, I was uninterrupted and continuously recorded, so in retrospect, I was fortunate to have an overly neurotic personality. However, this is also a matter of course at work.

- Just now you mentioned the character Ali Baba, and the work "The Magic Flute MAGI" finally ushered in the story**.

Kaji: In the first season of the anime, I played Alibaba with all my might, so when I was preparing for the second season, I was able to have a fearless mentality no matter what others said. Therefore, when I included it, I didn't think too complicated, and just focused on acting.

INTERVIEWER In Season 2, Alibaba finally realized what he had to do, how did you make sense of the storyline?

Kaji: For Alibaba, Kassym's friend is a source of confidence and strength. Like him, for me, the experience of acting on the same stage with Jun Fukuyama, who plays the role of Kassim, is a step in my growth. When Ali Baba remembers the memories of Kassim and then has courage in his heart, I feel very similar to me, and even empathize. Although I think Alibaba has grown a lot, in the end I realized that no matter how much he has changed, he is still the Alibaba I know, so I hope I still have the funny side of him that is often teased (laughs).

INTERVIEWER Also, I mentioned the physical pain, and you also play a lot of characters with traumatic feelings, such as sentimental teenager characters.

Kaji: I'm really glad to hear you say that. In the future, I hope to continue to play these sentimental teenage roles.

- Among the works currently airing, Xueyin in "Wandering God" is really an elusive teenager character.

Kaji: Yes, he is a character with a youthful personality and a prickly and merciless speech, and I attached great importance to expressing this unique feeling of a teenager when I included it. It's a character that's not surprising even if it's played by a woman, and in order to make sense of myself as a man, I sometimes focus on acting like a man, with a hoarse feeling on the lines of my voice that looks like I'm about to change my voice. In the episode where Yukine exchanges spirits with others, I concentrate and do my best to reveal my delicate feelings. If this episode can satisfy all of my viewers and feel that I deserve to play Xueyin, then I will be satisfied.

INTERVIEWER What do you think of "The Creation of Yaku Erion EVOL", in which you play the protagonist of the story, Armata, which is directed by director Masaharu Kawamori, and this time you are once again participating in another work as a leading voice actor, "Nobunaga the Fool"?

Kaji: I went to the audition, but I heard that Director Kawamori went to listen to my reading drama "Rubber Glue 5th Letter in My Head" and said he wanted to work with me again when he was finally casting. After working together on a work, I was really honored to choose me to participate in his work again. Although I haven't had any particularly outstanding roles as Hideyoshi until now, I heard that I will be taking on an important task near the end of the first part of the anime, so I am looking forward to it.

INTERVIEWER Do you have any roles that you would like to challenge in the future?

Yuki Kaji: No matter what the role is, I want to take on the challenge. Although the characters are often divided by genres, such as "hot-blooded" and "cold-hearted", in fact, each character is a different person, and this is true for the voice actors, and even more so for the original author who gave them life, and they are all unique in the heart of the original author. Therefore, there will not be much change in the future and now, no matter what kind of work or what kind of role, I want to look at them with a fresh eye and play them equally. At the same time, I wanted to challenge a role that I had never played before, such as a drama based on the theme of ordinary daily life......

INTERVIEWER If you use the theme of everyday life, it reminds me of the animated "Twinkling Youth", in which you played Ma Bushi, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Kaji: It's really a work about everyday conversations, and I've always liked the original shoujo manga, so I was really happy when the audition results came out. First of all, I would like to repay the original author, Mr. Io Sakisaka, for what he expected of me. Secondly, I also want to do my best to play this role well and satisfy the audience.

- It's a very ordinary youth love story, which seems very new in the animation world.

Kaji: I think it's going to be a challenge, and in other words, maybe we can break new ground...... Haha, I still can't think too complicated, I have to play this role well with an innocent feeling.

Kaji Yuki: I want to think about what is the "fun" of life.

- Can you tell us something about yourself? What is your motto?

Kaji Yuki: Hmm...... Every time I'm asked what the motto is, I always think about it for a long time. I don't think I have that kind of motto that I can keep for the rest of my life. At present, it is still the phrase "wholeheartedly". Whatever you do, I think you should do your best to do it well.

INTERVIEWER What do you think are your strengths in your work?

Kaji: When I first participated in the reading drama "The Companion of the Tail", the collaboration between Tsuguò and other theater actors made me realize that the voice actor's weapon is really "voice". Regardless of whether this is the case or not, I'm not the type to change my voice at will, so I always look beyond my voice to highlight the differences in my characters. In the future, I will continue to study hard and find more ways to highlight the differences in my role.

– So your voice isn't varied?

Kaji: I'm a longing for a voice that sounds so varied, but when you get into a role, you naturally understand what voice to use, so I think it's even more important to cherish the natural inspiration.

INTERVIEWER I think that working outside of animation will be very rewarding for you as a voice actor.

Kaji: I hope so, too.

INTERVIEWER I know you still have singing activities, but do you have any plans to release a new album in the future?

Kaji: I don't have any plans to do that for the time being. Since singing requires a mindset of leading others and achieving goals, it is still difficult for me to do it for the time being. However, I also hope that I will be able to do it in the near future.

- I'm a little worried about whether you're content with who you are.

Kaji: How can you be satisfied so easily (laughs). I don't think I'll ever finish what I want to do.

INTERVIEWER Do you write lyrics on a daily basis and save them for the day to come?

Kaji: I didn't write lyrics in such a special way, but when the time comes, I guess I'll start writing again. I hope that by the time that day comes, I will have grown into a person who can write more and more interesting lyrics.

INTERVIEWER You can also feel the changes in yourself.

Kaji: That's a matter of course, because I think that's what it means to write the lyrics for yourself.

- Please write it when you have a cold and a high fever!

Kaji: Hahaha (laughs). However, I don't think there's a need to beat around the bush when writing lyrics, so even when you're in good health, you should be able to fully express your thoughts.

INTERVIEWER So, what do you pay attention to in order to do your daily work well?

Kaji: It's about staying in shape. Needless to say, there is also a good mental state in this aspect. Isn't that supposed to be that I'm cowardly and cowardly......? If I don't look my best, I'm scared.

——Timidity and cowardice also confirms your sincerity to your work from another angle.

Kaji: I would like to think so, but it's hard work to live with this consciousness as the center. Recently, I've been trying to change this idea a little bit. Because if you can treat others and yourself more generously, you may be able to catch some opportunities to live a better life.

INTERVIEWER So, what's your secret to enjoying life?

Kaji: Oh, I just wanted to ask you! Recently, I've been thinking a lot: what is it all about enjoying life? Before that, I was thinking about only one thing, and that was how I could play one more role. But as I told you earlier, I not only want to be praised by others, but I also want to find joy in what satisfies me and enjoys it wholeheartedly.

INTERVIEWER When did you feel like you had really grown up?

Kaji: I guess that's when I started thinking about these things (laughs), and I thought that my horizons should be a little wider than before.

- Do you feel like you're just a child?

Kaji: I guess it's my stubborn and stubborn character. At work, in private life, it would be nice if I could be flexible. Whenever I look at my seniors, I always feel that they are the real adults. Even if it's just the words and deeds in the recording scene, it makes me think that they must be very flexible and soft in dealing with people. I think there must be zài who can only show their acting skills like them.

- Anyway, it has something to do with acting......

Kaji: ......, because they're all interrelated (laughs). In any case, if you don't change yourself, you won't have a future. So I think when you think it's good to do this, you should keep trying.

INTERVIEWER Speaking of which, the reason why you decided to become a voice actor seems to be "because it's a profession that you can learn from every qiē you've come across."

Kaji: Yes. It's a little hard to understand from the fact that I've experienced someone's life, but because I'm a voice actor, I read a lot of books and actively watch a lot of dramas and movies, so I can learn a lot from that.

INTERVIEWER When you work in some works with deep and heavy themes, such as "Attack on Titan", will you be affected in some way?

Yuki Kaji: "When you step out of the studio, you go back to your daily life", but I didn't have this kind of consciousness myself, so I naturally switched to it, and the situation on the recording site will vary depending on the work and the role, so I can't generalize. But that being said, there may still be some effects in places I didn't realize. I think I'm fairly neutral, but on the other hand, I can say I'm not assertive......

- But after listening to what you have said so much, I feel that you are a very thoughtful and assertive person?

Kaji: I don't know. I'm a shy person myself, and I'm not particularly good at socializing with people.

INTERVIEWER If you hadn't become a voice actor, would you still be such an introvert?

Kaji: If you meet with regular people in the same workplace every day, I don't think your personality or mood will change much. My nature always makes me distinguish the occasion and then curl up into one of the characters, not daring to take a step beyond the thunder pool.

- I know you're also involved in a lot of radio programming. If you can find your own suitable position according to the different programs or occasions, maybe it is also an ideal career.

Kaji: I don't particularly care about finding my place, but when I partner with someone who doesn't talk much, I want to stir up the atmosphere, and when I partner with someone who chatters all day, I listen patiently. The point is how to make the activity run smoothly, and I often think about it subconsciously.

- Many interviews have been conducted smoothly thanks to your consideration.

Kaji: There is nothing (laughs). Whenever someone asks, I plan to answer honestly.

- It's because you're sincere that readers want to know more about you.

Kaji: Thank you for the compliment.

INTERVIEWER So, would you like to say something to the readers?

Hiroki Kaji: I had the privilege of participating in the cover shoot of the 43rd issue of the anime voice actor magazine "VOICENewtype", which was very impressive to me, so it was a great honor to ask me to be the cover character of the 51st issue as a new starting point after the memorable watershed of the 50th issue! The photography process was very enjoyable, and I was able to speak freely during the interview. Being invited by your magazine at the beginning of the new year also gives me the feeling of standing at the starting point again and starting again. I will continue to work hard in the future, and I ask for your kind attention!

- By the way, by the way...... If you had a month off now, what would you do?

Kaji: I want to travel abroad. Absorb some foreign ...... No, I'm going to get to work again (laughs)!