Animax’s Blog

SLAM DUNK ©1993 Takehiko Inoue/I.T. Planning, Toei Animation 

[The
article you are about to read was a piece I wrote for one Slam Dunk fan
site in 2003. I figured it would be interesting to do "real" sports
articles on Team Shohoku since I AM a journalist. This particular
article is an assessment of the team by their hardcourt rivals.
However, I never got to write the ACTUAL interview with the Shohoku
boys. BUT…for Animax fans, I will COMPLETE the interviews for your
enjoyment. For those who have not watched a single episode of Slam Dunk, DO NOT READ THIS ARTICLE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED.
This mock interview is strictly for the reader's enjoyment and no
copyright infringement was intended. Absolutely NO PROFIT has been made
in the writing of this piece.]

* * * * * * * * * *

WHAT IS THIS: In Part Two, the rivals of Team Shohoku examine the skills of the team’s individual players.

SLAM DUNK: RIVALS’ ASSESSMENT OF TEAM SHOHOKU (PART TWO)

"You
can’t find a team as talented and as powerful as that in Shohoku,"
explains Kainan Team Captain Maki Shinichi. "Each of the members in the
starting line-up have their own specific talents. Let’s start with
Akagi Takenori. He’s a very powerful center, who is more than capable
of protecting the goal under the basket. No one would dare attempt a
lay-up with him guarding the goal. Next, you have Miyagi Ryota.
Although he’s shorter than the other point guards in the Prefecture, he
makes up for it with speed, his uncanny ability to cut inside and
outside of the opponent’s court, and a quick judgment on which teammate
is the best to pass the ball to. I should say that Ryota is a perfect
match for Shoyo’s Fujima Kenji. Then, there’s ex-Junior High MVP,
Mitsui Hisashi. He may have been sidelined from basketball for two
years, but his 3-pointers are still impeccable. If he had returned to
basketball earlier, he would have defeated our own top scorer, Soichiro
Jin. Of course, there’s Rukawa Kaede. That Freshman is a monster on his
own, capable of playing any position. When he attacks, he attacks
without mercy, and he never fails to score. A natural ace basketball
player, that’s what Rukawa is."

Team
Ryonan’s star player Akira Sendoh has this to say about his infamous
rival in the game. "Rukawa is an exceptional player. I should say that
we’re so much alike – we have the same focus, the same intense
concentration, although Rukawa is more hot-tempered than I am. His main
weak point, however, is that he’s a one-man team. He attacks alone,
forgetting that he has teammates there to help him. While it’s true
that his scoring encourages his teammates, he does very little to boost
their morale. Rukawa is very predictable this way. He is not like
Sakuragi. Although Rukawa may be brimming with talent and may seem like
a suitable choice for team captain in the future, Sakuragi is capable
of changing the moods not only of his teammates, but of the spectators
as well. If a team is to succeed in the game, you need to have someone
who could uplift everyone to the point that they are raring to play, to
the death if necessary. That’s a great quality for a team captain, and
Sakuragi possesses this quality."

"Sakuragi
Hanamichi is not like any player we have seen before," observes Maki.
"People are quick to judge him an amateur, which he is, but he is an
instinctive player. A very rare thing to find in basketball. It’s
difficult to predict what he would do, and that makes him a menace on
the hard court."

Kainan’s
talented 3-pointer Soichiro Jin wholeheartedly agrees with his team
captain. "Sakuragi could be quite a terror when he’s concentrated on
the game. I must admit that I was petrified when he guarded me. I heard
that Ryonan’s Ikegami Ryoji felt the same as I did when Sakuragi
guarded him when he had the ball."

Ryonan
center Uozumi Jun could only shake his head at the memory of the tight
block of Shohoku’s power forward. "That so-called ‘Hun hun defense’ of
his – I’ve never seen anything like it. How one boy could manage to
shut out all shooting lanes is beyond me! Sakuragi’s a monster."

Sakuragi
is often heard to boast on the hard court that he is a genius. The
"Tensai Sakuragi", that’s what he calls himself. But is he, indeed, a
tensai or simply an idiot with amazing good luck?

According
to Kainan’s power forward Nobunaga Kiyota, "Why should you even ask
that question? Of course he’s an idiot! The mistakes he makes are not
the ordinary errors that even an amateur would do on the hard court.
You should have seen the number of times the ball hit his face those
first instances that he couldn’t shoot. Up to now, when he gets
incredibly tense, he still fails to shoot, even if he always gets the
rebound. In fact, that’s the only thing he’s good at – getting the
rebound."

But Team Shoyo’s coach Fujima Kenji and center Hanagata Toru beg to differ.

Says
Fujima, "Sakuragi may be an amateur, but I do not believe that he is an
idiot. While it’s true that he has made a number of extraordinary
errors, you could easily dismiss them for those few times that he has
performed extraordinarily on the court. Those last few minutes of the
game with Ryonan were testament to Sakuragi’s skill – the way he
thwarted Uozumi and even Sendoh. Given time, hard work and practice,
it’s very difficult to predict what he would become. He’s a natural
born athlete with tremendous potential just waiting to be tapped."

"For
now, the players in Kanagawa whom I consider as true geniuses are
Fujima, Maki, Sendoh and Rukawa," Hanagata quickly adds. "But who’s to
say that Sakuragi will not join these ranks in the next two years. He’s
just a beginner to the game, but he has already improved himself in
great leaps and bounds. Sakuragi has the makings of becoming a genius
basketball player." The Shoyo center laughs good-naturedly. "But don’t
tell him I told you that. It might go to his head."

Indeed,
the highest-ranking teams only say the best things about Team Shohoku,
and are definitely looking forward to their performance at the Inter
High Tournament.

Maki
has a few encouraging words that he would like to say to the members of
Team Shohoku. "I would just like to say that we are all proud of Team
Shohoku for having made it to the Inter High. Perhaps, together, we
could make Kanagawa Prefecture No. 1 in the basketball league."

* * * * * * * * * * *

NEXT BLOG: WE TALK TO THE BAD BOYS OF TEAM SHOHOKU. DON’T MISS IT!

The Boys of Yu Yu Hakusho © 1992 YOSHIHIRO TOGASHI / SHUEISHA EFUJI TV EPIERROT

I
knew it was bound to happen, but plain old common sense was overturned
by the desire to make money. Needless to say, I’m now sick with a
terrible flu. I’ve got an awful headache that’s making my eyes bulge
out of their sockets and colds that have clogged up both nostrils that
I couldn’t breathe. Yes, kids, given the hard economic times, this is
probably what will happen to YOU when you graduate from college and
join the work force. It’s soooo hard to make money.

Anyway,
I keep on forgetting to post a particular blog, which I previously
posted in Friendster. Because many of you have not read this yet, this
is the FIRST interview that I’ve had with an Animax dubber. Since I
cannot divulge his real name, let’s call him Louis.
Although presently no longer in the current stable of Animax voice
actors, Louis did many popular anime characters such as Albert from The Count of Monte Cristo, Ginji Amano from Getbackers, and Yusuke Urameshi from Yu Yu Hakusho.

I
am also hoping to get interviews with some of the other voice actors
but they are so very difficult to catch because of their busy
schedules. I’m hoping I could do so in the future.

To
those whose brain cells have been left dormant by boredom, let me
answer that rather annoying question. (NOTE: I’ll be starting every
blog with this question from now on!)

WHAT IS THIS: This is the Obataku’s FIRST interview with an Animax dubber.

If you were not able to catch the other interview I had with lead Animax voice actor Russell, you can find it HERE.

Voice acting is a very unique career. Why did you choose to go into this profession?

Yes,
voice acting is a very unique career. During my High School stage, I
watched many dubbed series. I felt very interested and I was curious
about how the characters in the stories could talk in our language
without any flaws. It really impressed me and I thought it would be
lucky for me if I could become a voice talent in the future. With such
thought, I have gradually become a dubbing talent.

Does
a voice actor require special training to go into this career (such as
training in radio broadcasting, theatres or acting, etc.)?

Yes,
it does. People have to receive some special training before they can
go into the dubbing career. The basic training is how to synchronize
(speak/act) with the characters’ dialogue. Firstly, you have to adjust
your own speaking tempo and response quick enough in order to speak
simultaneously as the characters do. Secondly, you must have the same
mood as what the characters is expressing in the stories and I think
this is the hardest part. Thirdly, you have to adjust your own voice in
order to match the characters’ age.

How would you describe a typical dubbing day?

Sometimes, it could be a very long day – a 24-hour dubbing job. Don’t worry! This is not often.

Do you watch the Japanese episode first or do you go directly into the studio with the script?

We
must watch the Japanese episode first and this is what we call
“rehearsal”. This is very important; without rehearsal we cannot grasp
what we need to perform. We do the rehearsal inside the studio together
with the script.

When you dub an episode, do you do it individually or as a team?

Both, it depends.

How do you decide how a character should "sound" like (For example, the character should sound childish, more mature, etc.)? Do you have a director?

Yes,
we have a director. Besides, this is what I mentioned before that this
is the important training a dubbing talent must undergo and must have a
lot of practice. Otherwise, he or she cannot perform as the director
instructs.

How do you time your voice with the characters’ opening their mouths on screen?

I
have also mentioned a bit in the training part. This is the integration
of reaction: your understanding the content of the dialogue, the
co-ordination of your brain, eyes, and mouth. The rehearsal itself can
make you better adapted to the dubbing situation.

Are there any specific health measures that you take to protect your voice? What particular instances are you not allowed to dub?

Generally
speaking getting enough sleep is the very basic condition that every
dubbing talent needs to observe. Besides, do not take too spicy food.
Alcohol and cigarette are also no good for the voice. If you have got
the flu or some disease related to your respiratory system, you should
not perform dubbing. On one hand, your voice would be distorted if you
have got the flu. On the other hand, the flu can be transmitted to
someone else.

How was it like that very first time you went into the studio to dub? What difficulties did you encounter?

I
was extremely nervous when I went into the studio to dub. I found that
I got a stage fright. I could not speak when I was on. I think this is
normal for the new ones.

What makes voice acting specifically challenging for you?

I have to dub different characters. Each character is new to me. Some of them are very demanding in skills and feeling.

Since you are dubbing anime, would you also consider yourself to be an anime fan?

Yes, I would consider myself as an anime fan as well.

NEXT: Louis’ Interview Continued in Part Two. Just check the "Latest Updates" to your right.

Inuyasha, Kagome & Puppies/Kids?? © Rumiko Takahashi /2000, 2007 Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, SUNRISE. All Rights Reserved.

The Obataku continues her interview with voice actor Louis.

Which anime character did you enjoy doing the most? Which character was the most difficult/challenging?

I enjoyed doing the voice of Albert in The Count of Monte Cristo
because it gave me the opportunity to do a serious character who
portrayed a lot of emotions. He was innocent, and was forced to grow up
quickly as a result of the situation he found himself in. Which of
course is quite different from InuYasha, who’s a definite favourite of
mine, because he’s more brash and sure of himself even in the face of
mortal danger. Doing the voice of InuYasha really allowed me to let
loose with my acting, and try to represent his personality through
voice alone.

The most challenging, the most difficult, character I’ve done so far has to be Yusuke Urameshi from Yu Yu Hakusho.
Like InuYasha I really had the ability to pour myself into the role,
but on the other hand Yusuke had a lot more introspection. Sometimes,
especially later in the series, there was a real human side to the
character. Quiet and endearing. I found it challenging to portray so
many sides of such a complex character.

Among the anime projects that you have done for Animax, which would be the most memorable for you and why?

The most memorable project we’ve worked on so far is definitely Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and its sequel 2^nd Gig.
Unlike most of the anime I’ve worked on, this particular show is more
like an animated television drama. This really gave the actors the
ability to be a lot more serious about their characters in a dark,
gritty, show. The other great part about it is that the animation style
and background that Shirow Masamune has created has both deep dramatic
elements to it, as well as high-octane action. The double dose of drama
and action really makes this project stand out in my mind.

Is there a particular dream anime project that you would like to do? What anime would that be, which character, and why?

If there were a particular anime project that I’d like to work on, it would be Robotech.
Growing up, I really enjoyed watching cartoons, and my favourite anime
were always the shows with Mecha. Transforming robots and their human
pilots really excited me, and no other cartoon caught my attention than
Robotech. From the animation style, to the humanity of the characters and their struggle against the Zentraedi, Robotech had me hook, line, and sinker.

And the character I’d most like to play would be Max Sterling, from Robotech: The Macross Saga.
He’s a reluctant hero, and an ace Veritech fighter pilot. What really
draws me to a character like Max is both his modest, unassuming
demeanor and the fact that he’s a truly great fighter pilot. So he’s
not only a character you can really relate to, but it’s super cool to
watch him battle it out with the Zentraedi. Oh yeah, and fighting in a
blue Veritech Mecha… Well now, that’s just sweet!

Fans
of Japanese voice talent have a preconceived view of how the actors
"look" like based on the characters they portray (Simply put, if the
anime character is good-looking, they naturally assume that the voice
actor is handsome or pretty too, especially if he or she has a "sexy"
voice.). Have you personally ever encountered fans like that?

I
do not have such fans. This is quite usual that the audience use their
imagination to portray whatever they love to portray. In this case, if
you do not expose yourself to the audience, you will have more room to
develop yourself. A dubbing talent has to be conversant for various
characters so do not allow yourself to be stereotyped by yourself and
by the audience.

Undeniably, anime fans are very opinionated and have a tendency to be critical. Do you read or listen to some of these criticisms? Is there anything you want to say to these critics?

A
dubbing talent should be open and should not be afraid to face
criticisms especially those constructive opinions. In fact this is
good. It helps to improve your dubbing skills. We should be humble. If
we think we are excellent and flawless then we will make no progress.
If this is the case, it would be a pity for ourselves.

Many
anime fans have this dream of becoming voice actors themselves. Would
you personally recommend this line of work? What advice can you give
them to get them started in this career?

My
personal recommendation is neutral. There are many lines of work
available, so if one attempts to choose between several careers, he or
she has to get more working information about these different lines of
work. Then they should compare all of them and choose the one that
suits them most. What I want to say here is that do not choose a wrong
career. If they have chosen a voice talent as their career, then they
have to get themselves ready through training. If they want to pursue
voice acting, they have to make access to those drama schools, colleges
with performance arts. Finally, make an enrollment.

* * * * * * * * * *

Now, the Obataku answers a few questions…

TO PRINCESSJANA: As Sekira-chan has told you already, Fushigi Yuugi/Curious Play has
already been aired SEVERAL TIMES on Animax. If you are that desperate
to watch a rerun, I suggest you PLEASE check out the "Programs" section
of this website at the first of every month. All the schedules are
there. Chances are Fushigi Yuugi will be re-aired again, but we DO NOT know the schedule.

TO ZOYAAAA: There are no new episodes of Card Captor Sakura. That anime has looooooooooooooooooong been finsihed in Japan.

TO AIHARUKA: Alice Academy Season 2 will be starting in Japan next year. No news yet on La Corda D’Oro Season 2 since it just finished airing recently.

TO JASNUR:
I’ve already spoken to the webmistress about your suggestion and you
all have your Profile pages to talk about yourselves. I am the only one
AUTHORIZED by Animax to write this blog. Anyway, the blog is
specifically intended for information, news, reviews, etc., and NOT to
promote specific members. If you want to promote yourselves and make
friends, do so in your own Profile pages.

TO ALL THOSE WITH TECHNICAL PROBLEMS (Uploading pics/videos, disappearing comments): I am NOT a moderator or a webmistress here. To those with technical problems, please send your questions to: webmaster@animax-asia.com or webmaster@animaxindia.com.

FINALLY, TO EVERYONE WHO HAS FRIENDED ME:
Please DO NOT send me spam. I’m a very, very busy journalist, and I
don’t have the time for silly things like this. I have never gauged
friendship by the amount of friend, love spams that I get. For me, a
TRUE friend shows real friendship by his/her words and actions and how
he/she relates to me and with other people.

NEXT TIME: SLAM DUNK!!! Need I say more?!

I spoke to
ClaudiaKat over the phone last weekend, posing to her the questions
that were generated by the "Manga/Anime Art" blog. Growling, the first
thing she said was, "Your readers are not very observant, are they?"

No, she meant no
offense. Even ConflictX, Fujimusume and Laura "Zel" Carboni emphasized
how important it is for an artist to have a keen sense of observation.
Most of the questions that you have asked can be answered by you
yourself if you are aware of people and your surroundings. You’ll
understand this as we get to your questions.

From Devil Hunter 411: What’s the difference between a teenager and a child?

This is a
perfectly good question that could be answered by simple observation of
people of all age groups. To those of you who are still clueless even
if the answer is right smack in your faces, here’s a crash course in
human anatomy and human physical development. Basically, if you know
human development, then you would know how to draw characters at
different age groups.

Chibis are often
mistaken for childen. The difference is that chibis have a very
disproportionately large head with a disproportionately small adult
body.

Same with chibis,
babies and toddlers have disproportionately large heads especially in
the cranium (that’s the part of the head starting from the top of the
eyebrows to the nape, which is the point where head and neck meet at
the back). But their bodies are not fully developed yet. Babies and
toddlers are depicted as cute and chubby with arms usually bent at the
elbows and legs bowed outwards as they lie down, crawl, or adjust to
walking. Babies have very short necks, so that it seems that their
heads are just sitting on their shoulders. Just take a look at these
two examples that Zel made of the Samurai 7 characters as
babies and Shimada Kanbei as a toddler. (Yep, he’s cuddling Baby Teapot
Kikuchiyo!). Just CLICK the link below each pic to view the larger size.

Samurai 7 Babies by Laura "Zel" Carboni

Baby Kanbei and Baby Kikuchiyo by Laura "Zel" Carboni

Children
still have large heads but they are now proportionate or symmetrical to
their growing bodies. They are usually lanky in the limbs because of
the growth in height. Necks are already more visible, but it’s not yet
at the length of an adult. It’s usually hard to distinguish boys from
girls unless they are given the appropriate hair cuts and styles. Good
examples are the kids in Alice Academy.

What marks
adolescence is the growth spurt and body changes as a result of
hormones gone haywire. Both increase in height, especially in the
limbs. That’s why in anime, boys and girls are depicted as long legged.
Boys, however, begin to develop muscles, especially becoming pronounced
in the arms (take special note of the biceps) and legs. They also
become narrower or leaner in the hips. Don’t forget that boys develop
that bulge in the throat or the Adam’s apple. Girls, on the other hand,
become curvier, owing to fat accumulation. This is especially
noticeable in the chest region and the hips. Teenaged girls have
perkier breasts than adult women because of stronger bust muscles,
giving it that lift. Most if not all anime feature teenaged girls. But
if you want to see good examples of boys in their early and late teens,
I recommend you watch Gakuen Heaven.

By this stage,
males and females have reached full development. Men have a more
compact frame because of muscle development. For those men who
especially love to work out in gyms or do weight training, they are
usually depicted with pronounced musculature, so it would be best to
study Basic Human Anatomy with special focus on muscles. A good example
of a muscular adult would be Tsuna from Otogi Zoshi: Legend of Magatama and Ken Matsushiro from Yakitate! Japan. Mature
women have a fuller, more curvier figure. There is some settling or a
bit of sagging in the bust area, owing to gradual weakening of muscles
supporting the breasts. Take a good look at modern day Urabe from Otogi Zoshi.

Actually, there
is not much difference between middle-age and the previous stage,
except that both men and women begin to show some signs of aging, such
as lines in the corners of the eyes or forehead. There is noticeable
graying and/or thinning in the hair. Some may present with a little
flabbiness in the mid-section and/or a little sagging in the skins of
the arms and legs.

The elderly
are best depicted with tell tale wrinkles on their faces. Men may have
receding hairlines or have little to no hair. While some may possess
the same posture as in Late Adulthood, the elderly may appear hunched
or bending forward as a result of a medical condition called
osteoporosis (which causes weakening in the bones due to calcium
depletion). Anime is fond of depicting the elderly as shrunken midgets.
Just take a look at geriatric pervert Happosai from Ranma 1/2.

If you want to watch an anime with good representations of the various age groups, watch Le Chevalier D’Eon. Sadly, it’s not showing yet in SEA and India. Production I.G, who produced this anime, has an OFFICIAL SITE that
features the character designs as well as other interesting articles
about how the anime was made. But once it airs, I recommend you take
note of the following characters:

Childhood = Dauphin Auguste

Early Teens = Robin

Late Teens/Early Twenties = D’Eon de Beamont, Anna Rochefort

Late Twenties = Lia de Beaumont, Maximilien Robespierre

Early Thirties = Durand

Late Thirties = Marquise de Pompadour

Middle-Age/Late Adulthood = King Louis XV and Queen Marie Leszczynska

Old Age = Teillagory

The anime also
boasts scenes wherein the certain characters age. Take special note of
the episodes with Sir Francis Dashwood and the last episode with D’Eon.

[CONTINUED IN THE NEXT PART. JUST CHECK OUT PART TWO IN THE "LATEST" LIST TO THE RIGHT OF YOUR SCREEN.]