Back in October, we asked fans to send us their questions for the Japanese voice cast of “In Search of the Lost Future.” We got so many great questions that it was hard to choose! Take a look below at part 2 of our 3 part series of interviews. Today, we have Hatsumi Takada, the Japanese voice of Kaori Sasaki.
Q: In Search of the Lost Future has a lot of unexpected twists and turns. When you went in to record those early episodes, did you know what was going to happen over the series? Do you prefer to know how the show ends and voice act from there, or do you like to discover the twists as your characters (and the audience) do?
A: Towards the beginning, I went into the recording sessions with absolutely no idea of where the story was going. Several episodes in, I was given a rough idea of how things would end, but I purposefully refrained from asking for any details. I do like to know as much as possible about how a story ends, but depending on the role I’m playing, I also sometimes feel that I’d like to stay in the dark, so that I can be in the same frame of mind as my character. Kaori, my character on this show, was just such a case, so I played her with my heart in my mouth every session, wondering what was to come.
Q: For some of you, the roles you’re playing for In Search of the Lost Future are quite different from your previous ones, both in terms of personality and even vocal pitch. How do you prepare for a new role, and is it difficult to switch between projects?
A: I read the script over and over and think about the character, trying to figure out what kind of girl she is until I feel good with what I have.
Every character thinks differently and has a different personality, so I don’t think I’ve ever felt that it was difficult to switch. But it’s very sad to have to say goodbye on the last episode, to the character I’d been playing and to the show all at the same time, so that sad feeling can tend to linger, even after I’ve started on a new project.
Q: In America, voice actors often record lines individually, while in Japan, multiple voice actors might record in the same room together. Does interacting with other voice actors ever affect your performance, e.g. do you ever change your delivery or ad lib based on how you interact with the other voice actors?
A: I’d have to say that it affects me. During my recording sessions for “In Search of the Lost Future” as Kaori, I felt filled with heartache far more than when I had been reading the script by myself at home. And in my scenes with Sou-kun, the protagonist, there were times when I naturally felt nervous, or my heart started pounding, or my heart ached with sorrow.
I believe I was greatly influenced by the performances of my fellow cast members. How we deliver our lines also naturally changes as we record with other actors, so I always look forward to each recording session to hear what kind of performances they come up with.
That concludes part 2 of our interview series, be sure to come back tomorrow for the last interview! Click this link to see the previous interview with Takuma Terashima, the Japanese voice of Sou.
New episodes of In Search of the Lost Future air every Saturday at 12:30pm ET. Click here for episodes.
series synopsis:
A series of increasingly strange events have been reported at Uchihama Academy’s soon-to-be-replaced aging school building. When the student council grows concerned about the spectral encounters, puzzling sleep disorders, and bizarre mishaps, they enlist the aid of the Astronomy Club to crack the case before it’s too late. One evening after school, club member Sou Akiyama is rocked by a sudden earthquake – and an encounter with a beautiful and mysterious naked girl who appears to know him even though he has no recollection of ever meeting her. The next day, the very same girl arrives at his school as a transfer student who’s interested in joining the Astronomy Club. In the blink of an eye, Sou’s fate – along with the fates of all the girls in his club – begin to change in very dramatic and mysterious ways.
