Masah
07-06-2006, 09:01 PM
http://www.anl-screens.kit.net/reviews/naruto/IMG3.jpg
How did you get into the voice acting business?
It was a segue from onstage and on-camera acting. I had always wanted
to do it, but I didn't really go for it before moving out to LA. I
took some lessons, recorded a demo, sent it out, and was lucky enough
to start getting bites right away. It also helped that my VO teacher
got a gig directing SD GUNDAM FORCE and cast me in it. That was my
first anime job.
-What other projects were you a part of?
At the time (and currently) I was involved in numerous theatrical
projects, independent films and on-camera TV work. I write and produce
my own projects sometimes as well.
-How were you chosen to do the voice for Sasuke? What set you apart
from all the other Sasuke wannabes?
You never know what's going to make someone choose you over another
actor- I read against a lot of other people and thought, "Wow, some of
these guys (one, in particular) are so perfect. Why would they pick
me?" So, who knows? On the other hand, I introduced my audition in
Japanese, and maybe VIZ Japan got a kick out of that. I hope it had
something to do with my acting, though…
-What is the typical day in the life of a voice actor/actress?
That's the thing. There's no real "typical" day, but here are some
things that do happen a lot (at least in my experience): I get up
early, get some exercise, check and respond to email, eat breakfast.
If I have a heavy VO day, I'll make some food to take with me. Then I
may have a VO session, or (preferably) a lot of VO sessions, or
(sadly) no VO sessions. They can be anything from anime dubbing to ADR
for films, looping for TV shows, video games, commercials, or original
animation. When I'm not in a session, I might be recording and sending
auditions for new projects, auditioning for on-camera work, or writing
and producing my own work.
-Typically, how many hours is an average work day?
Average is about 4 hours, but that's based on some days being zero and
some being 10.
-Who is your favorite Naruto character, and why?
There are so many cool characters to choose from. That's what I love
about the show and one of the reasons I think it's so popular- the
secondary characters are so fully realized, and are just as cool, if
not cooler, sometimes, than even the lead characters. But I'm gonna go
with Sasuke, for obvious reasons. And because I'm always attracted to
the dark characters, and I hear he's only gonna get darker…
-What are your personal feelings about Japanese animation compared to
American animation?
I'm a big fan of both, but the Japanese have a tendency to deal with
issues in a vastly different way than Americans do. They're less
afraid to deal with sex and violence , and more importantly, less
afraid to be weird. I usually feel that American animation talks down
to kids, whereas Japanese animation makes them think. That's why
they're so popular. Because we're smarter than the networks and
producers think we are.
-What do you think the big difference is between the two?
Um, I think I just answered that. Lemme know if I didn't.
-How do you feel on the censorship issue in anime? Or rather, in general?
I'm for the most part against it in all forms. While I understand that
young kids shouldn't be bombarded with hardcore violence and sex, I
think that they (and their parents) should be allowed a decision to
watch or not watch. Besides, keeping that stuff hidden is just going
to fetishize it for kids and they're going to want to seek it out
anyway. I know it happened to me when I was younger. And it really
gets my goat that in America we're very loose about letting violence
through, but then very puritanical when it comes to sex, which should
be a loving, beautiful, natural thing. In the end, I think everyone
should make their own choices and not have choices imposed upon them.
-What's the most unique/strange thing you've had to do in the voice
acting booth?
Funny, I consider my job both unique and strange to begin with... When
working on the ilovebees.com ARG for the release of HALO 2, we were
all in the booth together, recording at the same time, which is rare
and exciting, and we really connected. They let us go, and as a result
we really bonded and became very emotional. We actually got to fight
and knock things over to make it sound real. Some of the
actors/directors I've worked with have been both unique and strange…
-Do you think your voice as Sasuke has matured as more and more
episodes have been developed?
Sure. That always happens the more you get to play a character.
-Do you see yourself acting for future anime roles?
Without a doubt. As long as people keep giving me jobs…
-Have you ever had a live-action role?
Many. That's where I got started. A lot of them are in independent
films and in theatre, but from time-to-time you might see me on TV as
well.
-What do you do to prepare yourself before acting?
For voice acting, I just try to stay as healthy as I can and warm up
my voice before I start working. If the information is available, and
I have the time, I might research a little bit about the show or
character I'll be playing. Live-action acting sometimes requires a
different kind of preparation, but it always depends on the
role/project.
-What's your favorite moment in Naruto?
I've had many, but I do so love that fight with the Grass
Ninja/Orochimaru in Ep. 30.
-Do you think Sasuke will ever fall for Sakura? Or do you think he'll
be a lonely kid all his life?
I think he'll have to deal with his thirst for vengeance before he can
get into ANY relationship, whether that means finally avenging his
clan and killing Itachi, or finding another way to come to peace with
all of his anger.
-Do you read the manga?(If so, shonen jump, or fan subbed?)
I read the manga (Shonen Jump) a little bit in the beginning, but
haven't been able to keep up with it since then.
-Do you watch the subbed anime?
Occasionally I bittorrent subbed eps. to watch ahead, but I haven't
had time to lately. I prefer watching subbed anime in general, but my
work in this field has certainly made me watch more dubbed versions as
well.
-What do you think of all the sasuke-haters? About him being too "emo"
I suppose everybody's gonna like somebody different, but I will
probably seek all of them out and rain vengeance down upon them,
anyway.
-What's your favorite jutsu of SASUKES?
FIRE-STYLE JUTSU! Although Sasuke kicks ass even without any jutsu…
-What's your favorite jutsu altogether?
Sexy Jutsu, of course. Isn't it yours?
-Do you have any advice for future voice actor/actresses?
Do whatever you can to hone your acting skills where you are, whether
that's school plays or local theatre, classes, etc., study it wherever
you can, and if you find, after a time, that it's the only thing you
really want to do, you'll eventually have to move to one of the cities
where it's really happening, like NYC or LA. You'll need a
professionally produced demo reel as your calling card, and then take
that around to studios and agents that deal with the kind of VO you'd
like to do.
-Any extra comments on Naruto or yourself in General?
It's an awesome show and I'm proud to be a part of it, although
Sasuke's been in a coma for a while now, and then I hear he comes back
for a while, then seals himself up in a barrel for a about a whole
season, then comes back, fights Naruto and then disappears, so… I
guess I'll take it where I can get it. I'm happy that the fans are
responding so positively, though.
Some Fan asked questions, I hand picked them.
-what do you like about Sasuke's personality and characteristics? do
you agree with his motive to kill his bro?
I respond to Sasuke's sense of Justice and making things right, his
dedication and focus. And while I don't necessarily believe that
vengeance ever solves anything, I can't say what I would do in his
situation. If I saw my brother kill my entire clan, I might act in the
same way.
-What type of character do you try to create when you voice Sasuke?
I try to tap into that dark place I have inside me, and be as true to
the character as possible.
-besides sasuke, what other character would have you chosen to be the
VA of?(doesnt have to be in the dub yet)
I don't know. I like Sasuke a lot. But it would be fun to try Naruto,
because he's so different.
-Has there been any characters/moments that touched you?
Sasuke's almost dying (now twice) affected me, and I am constantly
touched by Natuto's plight, being almost cursed with all this
potential and destiny. I also was touched by Haku's story and his/her
relationship to Zabuza.
-How do you feel about the English Voice actor's protrayal of their characters?
I think, for the most part, we're doing a terrific job. Of course, I'm
biased, but even when we're different from the OJ, it works pretty
well.
-do you think sasuke was the best choice for you?
I do, although I don't think, based on my previous work, that most
people would have seen me in that role. I'm glad I was able to change
their minds.
http://www.crystalacids.com/database/images/yuri_lowenthal_full.jpg
How did you get into the voice acting business?
It was a segue from onstage and on-camera acting. I had always wanted
to do it, but I didn't really go for it before moving out to LA. I
took some lessons, recorded a demo, sent it out, and was lucky enough
to start getting bites right away. It also helped that my VO teacher
got a gig directing SD GUNDAM FORCE and cast me in it. That was my
first anime job.
-What other projects were you a part of?
At the time (and currently) I was involved in numerous theatrical
projects, independent films and on-camera TV work. I write and produce
my own projects sometimes as well.
-How were you chosen to do the voice for Sasuke? What set you apart
from all the other Sasuke wannabes?
You never know what's going to make someone choose you over another
actor- I read against a lot of other people and thought, "Wow, some of
these guys (one, in particular) are so perfect. Why would they pick
me?" So, who knows? On the other hand, I introduced my audition in
Japanese, and maybe VIZ Japan got a kick out of that. I hope it had
something to do with my acting, though…
-What is the typical day in the life of a voice actor/actress?
That's the thing. There's no real "typical" day, but here are some
things that do happen a lot (at least in my experience): I get up
early, get some exercise, check and respond to email, eat breakfast.
If I have a heavy VO day, I'll make some food to take with me. Then I
may have a VO session, or (preferably) a lot of VO sessions, or
(sadly) no VO sessions. They can be anything from anime dubbing to ADR
for films, looping for TV shows, video games, commercials, or original
animation. When I'm not in a session, I might be recording and sending
auditions for new projects, auditioning for on-camera work, or writing
and producing my own work.
-Typically, how many hours is an average work day?
Average is about 4 hours, but that's based on some days being zero and
some being 10.
-Who is your favorite Naruto character, and why?
There are so many cool characters to choose from. That's what I love
about the show and one of the reasons I think it's so popular- the
secondary characters are so fully realized, and are just as cool, if
not cooler, sometimes, than even the lead characters. But I'm gonna go
with Sasuke, for obvious reasons. And because I'm always attracted to
the dark characters, and I hear he's only gonna get darker…
-What are your personal feelings about Japanese animation compared to
American animation?
I'm a big fan of both, but the Japanese have a tendency to deal with
issues in a vastly different way than Americans do. They're less
afraid to deal with sex and violence , and more importantly, less
afraid to be weird. I usually feel that American animation talks down
to kids, whereas Japanese animation makes them think. That's why
they're so popular. Because we're smarter than the networks and
producers think we are.
-What do you think the big difference is between the two?
Um, I think I just answered that. Lemme know if I didn't.
-How do you feel on the censorship issue in anime? Or rather, in general?
I'm for the most part against it in all forms. While I understand that
young kids shouldn't be bombarded with hardcore violence and sex, I
think that they (and their parents) should be allowed a decision to
watch or not watch. Besides, keeping that stuff hidden is just going
to fetishize it for kids and they're going to want to seek it out
anyway. I know it happened to me when I was younger. And it really
gets my goat that in America we're very loose about letting violence
through, but then very puritanical when it comes to sex, which should
be a loving, beautiful, natural thing. In the end, I think everyone
should make their own choices and not have choices imposed upon them.
-What's the most unique/strange thing you've had to do in the voice
acting booth?
Funny, I consider my job both unique and strange to begin with... When
working on the ilovebees.com ARG for the release of HALO 2, we were
all in the booth together, recording at the same time, which is rare
and exciting, and we really connected. They let us go, and as a result
we really bonded and became very emotional. We actually got to fight
and knock things over to make it sound real. Some of the
actors/directors I've worked with have been both unique and strange…
-Do you think your voice as Sasuke has matured as more and more
episodes have been developed?
Sure. That always happens the more you get to play a character.
-Do you see yourself acting for future anime roles?
Without a doubt. As long as people keep giving me jobs…
-Have you ever had a live-action role?
Many. That's where I got started. A lot of them are in independent
films and in theatre, but from time-to-time you might see me on TV as
well.
-What do you do to prepare yourself before acting?
For voice acting, I just try to stay as healthy as I can and warm up
my voice before I start working. If the information is available, and
I have the time, I might research a little bit about the show or
character I'll be playing. Live-action acting sometimes requires a
different kind of preparation, but it always depends on the
role/project.
-What's your favorite moment in Naruto?
I've had many, but I do so love that fight with the Grass
Ninja/Orochimaru in Ep. 30.
-Do you think Sasuke will ever fall for Sakura? Or do you think he'll
be a lonely kid all his life?
I think he'll have to deal with his thirst for vengeance before he can
get into ANY relationship, whether that means finally avenging his
clan and killing Itachi, or finding another way to come to peace with
all of his anger.
-Do you read the manga?(If so, shonen jump, or fan subbed?)
I read the manga (Shonen Jump) a little bit in the beginning, but
haven't been able to keep up with it since then.
-Do you watch the subbed anime?
Occasionally I bittorrent subbed eps. to watch ahead, but I haven't
had time to lately. I prefer watching subbed anime in general, but my
work in this field has certainly made me watch more dubbed versions as
well.
-What do you think of all the sasuke-haters? About him being too "emo"
I suppose everybody's gonna like somebody different, but I will
probably seek all of them out and rain vengeance down upon them,
anyway.
-What's your favorite jutsu of SASUKES?
FIRE-STYLE JUTSU! Although Sasuke kicks ass even without any jutsu…
-What's your favorite jutsu altogether?
Sexy Jutsu, of course. Isn't it yours?
-Do you have any advice for future voice actor/actresses?
Do whatever you can to hone your acting skills where you are, whether
that's school plays or local theatre, classes, etc., study it wherever
you can, and if you find, after a time, that it's the only thing you
really want to do, you'll eventually have to move to one of the cities
where it's really happening, like NYC or LA. You'll need a
professionally produced demo reel as your calling card, and then take
that around to studios and agents that deal with the kind of VO you'd
like to do.
-Any extra comments on Naruto or yourself in General?
It's an awesome show and I'm proud to be a part of it, although
Sasuke's been in a coma for a while now, and then I hear he comes back
for a while, then seals himself up in a barrel for a about a whole
season, then comes back, fights Naruto and then disappears, so… I
guess I'll take it where I can get it. I'm happy that the fans are
responding so positively, though.
Some Fan asked questions, I hand picked them.
-what do you like about Sasuke's personality and characteristics? do
you agree with his motive to kill his bro?
I respond to Sasuke's sense of Justice and making things right, his
dedication and focus. And while I don't necessarily believe that
vengeance ever solves anything, I can't say what I would do in his
situation. If I saw my brother kill my entire clan, I might act in the
same way.
-What type of character do you try to create when you voice Sasuke?
I try to tap into that dark place I have inside me, and be as true to
the character as possible.
-besides sasuke, what other character would have you chosen to be the
VA of?(doesnt have to be in the dub yet)
I don't know. I like Sasuke a lot. But it would be fun to try Naruto,
because he's so different.
-Has there been any characters/moments that touched you?
Sasuke's almost dying (now twice) affected me, and I am constantly
touched by Natuto's plight, being almost cursed with all this
potential and destiny. I also was touched by Haku's story and his/her
relationship to Zabuza.
-How do you feel about the English Voice actor's protrayal of their characters?
I think, for the most part, we're doing a terrific job. Of course, I'm
biased, but even when we're different from the OJ, it works pretty
well.
-do you think sasuke was the best choice for you?
I do, although I don't think, based on my previous work, that most
people would have seen me in that role. I'm glad I was able to change
their minds.
http://www.crystalacids.com/database/images/yuri_lowenthal_full.jpg