Some time ago, the news that Forbidden 3 was confirmed to be produced caused a sensation on the Internet. The most classic line in this work is probably the "shattering your fantasy" in shangjo Dangma. Some time ago, some Japanese media conducted an exclusive interview with Abe Abe, the voice actor of Shangjo Dangma, let's take a look! (Excerpt available)
Q: Some time ago, you went to an anime event in Hong Kong, China, how do you feel about this kind of event?
A: Recently, I have been invited to participate in overseas events more often, but the Comic Con events in Hong Kong are still relatively new to me. In the previous Asian circles, it was often places like Taiwan or Shanghai. And last year I also went to the United States and Finland, which was a very valuable experience. Now overseas fans and Japanese fans are watching Shinban almost at the same time. I don't think there's much difference between overseas fans.
Q: When you go overseas to participate in events, do you also have to consider the work arrangements in China?
A: Basically. Animations are usually recorded every week on the same day and at the same time. The other time is spent giving interviews like today, recording some radio drama CDs, attending events, and going overseas. When I first became a voice actor, I knew that voice actors needed to sing and host broadcasts, but I didn't expect to do it myself. When I first took over work outside of voice actors, I started thinking, "Ah, I started doing it too" (laughs).
Q: You were a member of the drama department in high school, right?
A: I've been passionate about voice actors since I was a kid. I love animation and movies, so I can perform happily in the club. At that time, I thought it would be good if I could become a voice actor. Therefore, in short, I started with performance first, so I joined the drama department. At that time, some friends said that they wanted to become voice actors, and now there are people who continue to perform in theater troupes in Tokyo.
Q: It seems that you also joined some social theater troupes later, right?
A: When I was in high school, some graduates came to see the show and then introduced me to the theater troupe. Those seniors would take me to dinner and hang out when I was resting. So even though I was a high school student at the time, I spent a lot of time with older people. At that time, after 2 or 3 months of preparation, you could perform in a stage play. And my own acting skills have been improved, which is a very happy feeling.
Q: So have you ever hesitated to be an actor or a voice actor?
A: I didn't hesitate to do that. Whenever I have the opportunity to realize my dreams, I will not hesitate to make a decision. Voice actors are not very swayed by looks, and if I am an actor, because I am not very tall, so the play path is also very limited. But as long as I change my voice, then the voice actor can play a lot of roles, which allows me to play freely. That's a great thing. It's just that when I was a student, I didn't think I was very suitable for being a voice actor, although I was also said to "your voice is very good"...
Q: So when did you really want to work as a voice actor?
A: After graduating from high school, I went to a four-year college because of my parents' advice. And until my senior year, I didn't think much about work. Usually some people who prepare early will look for jobs everywhere in the second half of their sophomore year. But I'm a senior and I haven't had a result yet, so I have to think about my future. For example, why not find a place to work for five years? At that time, it was almost three. After thinking about it, I finally decided to do what I wanted to do, so I decided to be a voice actor that day.
Q: What do they think when discussing their future with their parents?
A: Of course it is completely opposed! (Laughs) Our family is actually completely negative about ACG culture, so we already have a bad premonition before we put forward the idea (laughs). They asked me, "Even if you work hard, are you sure you're a voice actor?" "What are you going to do to eat?" There's no way to refute that, right? Although I could not refute it, I still said that I wanted to be a voice actor, and I did not mean to give in, and in the end, my parents compromised. Then I went to a tokyo college for a year after graduating from university, and spent another two years in the training center of the brokerage company, and finally joined the current brokerage company.
Q: So how does your family view your active performance today?
A: I starred in "Dream Eater" as the protagonist, Majo Takashi, and my grandmother was very happy. My parents are at work, so my grandmother often takes care of me, and we are a more typical grandparent family. Grandma heard me in the anime before, because of the voice line problem, I didn't feel that I was performing. During the broadcast of "Dream Eater", NHK personnel specifically broadcast what I looked like when I was recording, and Grandma watched it and realized that it was indeed her grandson's performance. Personally, it is a man's dream to be able to star in the JUMP series, so I am very happy. However, I later learned that in fact, there were a lot of people participating in the audition at that time, and almost all the well-known figures in the industry came. And I was able to succeed, which is really surprising. But for my parents, they weren't touched by my jump appearance, but because the work was broadcast on NHK, and the result was greatly stimulated. I've told them before, "I got this job, this role." "I'm going to play the protagonist in this work." But they all looked uninterested. It's different when it comes to Dream Eater. Relatives, people in their company, everyone is talking about this topic... Sure enough, NHK is very powerful (laughs).
Q: Which of the previous roles impressed you?
A: Although there are many, what impressed me the most was the upper article of the Catalogue of Forbidden Books of Magic. There was nothing to write on my resume at the time, and it was the first role I got through auditions. There are two types of auditions, one is to record the source and send it for review, and the other is to read the lines in front of the original author and producer in the recording studio. The Catalogue of Forbidden Books of Magic is the latter. Overall, I rarely felt like," "I'm doing a great job" when I went to auditions. At the time, I also thought it was a bit of a mess. As a result, after confirming the message, I was really happy. Especially since the era of the "Magical Forbidden Books Catalog", the number of protagonists who have "no personality as personality" has begun to increase, right? Because the characters around them are too individualistic, they seem to have suppressed their own personalities, and such roles begin to become common. However, Shangjo Dangma is different from this kind of protagonist, he will fight even if he is full of wounds, and he will also save the heroine, at that time I felt that he had a very hero's taste. Originally, I also wanted to play a hot-blooded role, so I not only realized my dream, but also let more people know about me, and this role left me with countless memories.
Q: So did you work while dubbing The Magical Banned Books Catalogue?
A: At that time, I was already living alone, so I worked part-time as a phone shopping person while working as a voice actor. Although phone shopping also requires voice communication, it is still more attractive to pay hourly (laughs). Because the remuneration for our dubbing is often given late, basically it can only arrive after 3 or 4 months, so we can only go to work.
Q: When did you leave your hometown of Tochigi Prefecture?
A: When I was in a vocational school and training center, I always took the train to Tokyo. There was no money at the time, so it took about 3 hours to go there (laughs). Sometimes I still can't get home until 9 p.m. After entering the training center, the number of parties is also more, and I feel that I can't go home, so I often spend the night at a friend's house. I first started living alone, not in Tokyo, but in Chiba. After all, it is also very close to Tokyo, and the house is relatively old, so it is much cheaper.
Q: While chasing your dreams, you also have to work for life. So during this period, how do you ensure your enthusiasm for working?
A: Actually, I didn't think about how to stay enthusiastic, but I just thought it should be done.
Q: So do you think that in the life of part-time work, there are also good experiences for everyone to learn?
A: I learned how to teach new people and how to ask seniors for advice. And I also learned that this society actually has all kinds of people and all kinds of things. As the price of labor, I also learned the sense of responsibility for earning income. It can be said that a lot of things were obtained.
Q: You learned about interpersonal relationships in the workplace when you were working, so do you often communicate with your voice actor peers now?
A: Recently I started going fishing with senior voice actors. As long as they appear in the same work and have time, everyone will go. When I go back, I will go to the izakaya opened by my senior friends and eat together. There are also cases of going to Disney together and drinking together. Although it is often me who initiates the proposal to say that I want to meet, it seems that every time someone else is preparing for it (laughs).
Q: So what were your criteria when choosing the type of part-time job before?
A: It's basically about how much money you give (laughs). In addition, during the training center, you can't choose a job that is too heavy, because you will occasionally receive dubbing work. Therefore, late-night work cannot crash with voice actor work, so it is more likely to choose that category.
Q: You've experienced a lot of part-time work before, so what impressed you the most?
A: Working late at a beef restaurant. Because of the high hourly salary and the fun of working at night, I thought it was really interesting after I went there (laughs). The shop is located along the national highway near the construction site, so there are often some long-distance drivers who come to eat, and there are also many regular customers. So I occasionally think about what these guests are doing, which is called "human observation."
Q: So when do you feel that part-time work is meaningful?
A: Talk to some of the guests who are happy to get along. Sometimes when I work late at night, someone will give me change to buy some coffee. It's really great to talk to people.
Q: So did you hear anything impressive during your part-time job?
A: In an interview with a beef restaurant, the interviewer said that I was a person who seemed to be good at reception. Later, after working for 2 or 3 days, some of the seniors who worked also said to me: "Ordinary newcomers can't receive guests on their own, but you can." "This surprised me. At that time, I replied "thank you very much", and I was very proud in my heart (laughs).
Q: You have a lot of experience in the service industry, does it also prove that your personality is very good at socializing?
A: I don't think it's a painful thing to receive guests, but I still prefer indoor activities. I like ACG and therefore would definitely be more homely. But my curiosity is also very strong, and it should be said that the personality is relatively free. Like when I heard that I was going to be interviewed today, I immediately accepted it. Some people, when faced with this situation, will definitely say "I want to think about it a little bit" and "Can I think about it in terms of the content of the interview". But I basically accept it as long as I have a job. In fact, I still want to go to the coffee shop part-time, and I have been drinking coffee for several years. Originally, I didn't drink it, but I went to Starbucks a few years ago, and after drinking it, I thought it was very good, so I would start drinking it.
Q: Do you usually drink coffee in coffee shops? Or the one that was packed away?
A: I'll pack it up and take it away. Because Starbucks has a lot of people who work with Apple computers, right? Although I also longed for this kind of life, my work was different from their style, and I could not read lines in the coffee shop that had not yet been made public. In addition, the people in the store will make me feel that I can't calm down. So I'll find a place where I can calm down and play with the PAD while drinking.
Q: Have you changed in the process of hosting?
A: My attitude towards the clerks has changed and I have become more gentle. When I see some of the busier clerks, I also say, "It's busy now." "I could have waited a little longer." With a little experience in this area, you will understand the mood of the clerk.
Q: Finally, please have a few words.
A: I want to tell you that "experience is your power." For example, when you are in a reception, you will meet all kinds of people and face all kinds of communication, but these experiences will benefit you a lot. I also had a lot of hard work when I was working, but because of this experience, I was able to work in this society. As a voice actor, experience is also very important. Even if it is the same line, the weight of what an experienced person says and the new person says it will be completely different. This is certainly related to technology, but it will also reflect the previous life experience. If you find a job you like, enjoy the fun of work and experience a variety of experiences at the same time.