WORLD OF THE ANIME SEIYUU
Anime voice actress Nomizu Iori enjoys stepping into the realm of the fantasy-filled industry, writes Bibi Nurshuhada Ramli
THE fantastical world of anime, with its wondrous themes, settings and premises, not only excites its viewers but also the people behind it. That’s the main reason Nomizu Iori zeroed in on the seiyuu (Japanese for voice acting) profession — to be able to enter a world that’s different from reality.
“Sometimes I feel like it’s more interesting to take on someone else’s personality. It’s feels good to be somebody else sometimes,” she admitted with a laugh during this interview.
“By working in anime, I get to portray different types of characters. That’s the most fulfilling element about this job.”
Furthermore, the 31-year-old who began watching anime since young, regards ,an action adventure series about bounty hunters searching for criminals, her favourite. Compared to live-action shows, anime characters and storylines have a greater impact on her.
“Even as an adult I still enjoy anime. It has even given me lots of courage and inspiration to live life to the fullest.”
Nomizu has lent her voice to more than 20 anime series and films since 2009, including Date A Live, Gundam Build Fighters, Kantai Collection and Heaven’s Lost Property. Her audition for the last-mentioned production was her first, and she got the part on the spot.
Nomizu was in town recently to give a talk on anime voice acting and the Japanese anime production industry in general. It was held at Isetan The Japan Store as part of the venue’s grand opening event, which saw the attendance of passionate anime fans.
“This is my first time in Malaysia. There are so many tall buildings here! There was a moment where I thought maybe Malaysia had progressed more than Japan,” she joked. She was also surprised to see the many ethnic groups in the country. She was around for the recent Deepavali celebration as well.
“I was in my hotel room at midnight when fireworks started going off. It was quite a sight!”
She added that back in Japan, she had tried laksa-flavoured cup noodles and loved it. “Now that I’m in Malaysia, I hope to taste the real thing.”
Nomizu shares more about her profession and the anime industry here: Every time you begin a new voice acting project, how do you approach your character?
It depends. If the story is based on a manga (Japanese comic) or novel, I’ll read the original body of work first just to familiarise myself. If not, we would get a profile of the character that details its age, back story and personality. I go into the booth with those traits in mind, but as and when, the director gives me instructions on how to better voice the character.
Aside from anime series, you also voiced characters for video games. Is there a difference?
For series, I record my voice with other voice actors in the series, so the interaction between our characters sound more natural and believable. For games, however, I’m usually in the studio booth alone so I have to work on the vocal intonations by myself.
Any interesting experiences while recording?
In some anime series, you can hear the sounds of people talking in the background of certain scenes. Once, I had to voice two characters who are in a conversation, for the background. It was like I had two personalities! And talking back and forth was confusing!
If you are an anime character, what kind would you want to be?
A dual-blade wielder! It’s pretty cool to master sword-fighting, and I want to use two swords at the same time!
Do you believe that anime introduces Japan to the world?
Yes. In a lot of ways, it’s something that I’m extremely proud of. Back then, if you’re labelled as an anime otaku (a Japanese term for people with obsessive interest), it would also mean you’re depressed and lack social skills. These days, thanks to the global popularity anime has gained, otaku now has a completely different image. The fact that anime is expanding its reach is very encouraging. Seeing other countries trying to come up with its own original animation is also rewarding.
How do you see anime progressing in five to 10 years’ time?
Because anime has increased in popularity, even more people wish to become seiyuu. A lot of training schools have popped up all over Japan. Back then,
seiyuu was a hidden profession, but now, we get to make public appearances and meet anime fans in person. Every season in Japan, we get new anime releases, and the audiences’ preferences change accordingly.
Personally, I hope to see more longrunning anime series like Slam Dunk and
Rurouni Kenshin, because fans become more attached to them due to their many episodes and, therefore, bigger impact.
You have also made your debut as a singer in 2011. Did you pick up any instrument?
When I was younger, I tried to learn the guitar, but my fingers are terribly short that I couldn’t press the chords correctly! I decided then to just stick to singing. (laughs)
You currently have a bunch of singles, albums and EPs. Any upcoming singing projects?
Sadly, no, but every year, I hold solo performances in various locations, not only in Japan, but also other Asian countries. I hope one day I’ll get to come back to Malaysia and organise a solo show.
Do you have other interests besides voice acting and singing?
I’m currently interested in Western films, and I write for a movie review column. Just a while back, I got to interview a Japanese actor. In the future, I hope to sharpen this skill in order to interview foreign actors whose films I’ve watched. That means I must brush up on my English too!
“Even as an adult I still enjoy anime. It has even given me lots of courage and inspiration to live life to the fullest.” Nomizu Iori