On Sept. 27, Yuriko Yamaguchi, Takeshi Kusao and Tetsu Inada, three titans in the Japanese voice acting industry, spoke about their experience, challenges and best moments in a panel at L.A. Comic Con. The voice actors were featured in Akiba Station, a Japanese-themed segment of the convention being held for the first time by Otaku Collectives.
While many voice actors attended various events throughout the three days, Yamaguchi, Kusao and Inada were among the few who flew from Japan for this event. Starring in countless famous anime like “One Piece,” “Dragon Ball” and “My Hero Academia,” people both in Japan and abroad would recognize their characters and voices.
With the attendance of the three talents at this year’s L.A. Comic Con being announced online prior, many fans attended with sole intent of being able to see and meet the voice actors in person. As such, the three voice actors were met with an excited crowd ready and waiting in anticipation for the panel. With every seat filled and many fans having to stand, the excitement in the air was palpable.
On stage, the three talents discussed their experience working as Japanese voice actors and performed live dubbing. Upon the panel ending, the three voice actors returned to the autograph signing area, where fans had the opportunity to take photos with or have items signed by the actors.
Yuriko Yamaguchi
Best known for her roles as Nico Robin from “One Piece” and Nurse Joy from the “Pokémon” series, Yamaguchi’s voices are household staples for many across the globe. A line to meet Yamaguchi wrapped around the autograph booth for her first time appearance in Los Angeles.
Although many voice actors receive their most notable roles later on in their career, Yamaguchi started out voicing Ritsuko Akagi from “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” one of the most influential and referenced anime of all time. According to Yamaguchi, she was a theater actor before auditioning for the part of Ritsuko Akagi, with the role jumpstarting her career in voice acting.
While she values all her characters, Yamaguchi’s role as Nico Robin has been one that influenced both her and her voice acting. Yamaguchi states that when voicing Robin, she keeps in mind the character’s goal and personality to ultimately sculpt her voice profile. Additionally, her time with the “One Piece” voice acting cast serves as some of her most cherished memories. Yamaguchi recounts taking pictures with the entire crew after wrapping up her acting sessions, making the group feel like a family rather than coworkers.
Yamaguchi says she hopes to be able to touch the hearts of viewers through the various works she portrays. She loves to see the passion that viewers have for her characters and adores the enthusiasm of the fans.
Takeshi Kusao
Out of the three voice actors on the panel, Kusao has been in the industry the longest. Kusao’s breakout role was in 1991 as Dragon Ball Z’s Trunks, who he continues to voice today. Like Yamaguchi, Kusao had a background in traditional acting before switching to solely using his voice for his roles. While many voice actors choose to stay in animation, Kusao chose to diversify, voicing various video games and live-action dubs. Kusao’s voice has been used for dubbing Leonardo DiCaprio in movies such as “Titanic.”
In the earlier part of his career, Kusao recounts his challenges voicing Trunks. Due to the time travel element of one arc in “Dragon Ball Z,” Kusao was tasked with voicing both the adult and kid versions of Trunks. As such, switching from the commanding, stoic adult version of the character to the more immature, bratty kid version was difficult to capture, but it helped build Kusao’s range and skills.
For those seeking a career in voice acting, Kusao advises people to focus less on practice and perfecting the voice, but rather on the mental side of the craft. He says passion and enjoyment of the process are both necessary for creating the best voice, but also for pushing through the inevitable challenges. Kusao states that the audience’s love of the roles he plays is one of the things that keeps him so motivated to continue giving performances that resonate with people.
Testu Inada
Just like his characters, Inada’s presence takes up the entire space he is in. His fullness in character and actions is shown through the characters he plays, being famous for Dragon Ball’s Nappa, My Hero Academia’s Endeavor and Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger’s Dekamaster. Inada matches his energy and enthusiasm in his other passion, wrestling, which was his original dream before choosing to focus on voice acting.
In his acting, Inada brings a blend of strength and freshness into each voice by focusing on one key aspect of their character. For Inada, “Nappa is violence, Endeavor is burning, Dekamaster is justice,” channeling each of those traits into every line of his performance. His daily practice helps to refine each voice even more, channeling his iconic power into each word.
Although he is a man of few words himself, Inada delivers each response with purpose. Even in his reflection on his career, Inada blatantly states his worries about being perceived negatively due to having more villainous roles. Despite this concern, Inada is happy that people have enjoyed his characters and have shown up to support him.
Despite being often invisible compared to their voices, these three voice actors are able to truly step into the spotlight through panels like this one at L.A. Comic Con. Even when visibly hidden, however, their passion is always displayed. Showing no signs of slowing down, Yamaguchi, Kusao, and Inada will continue to excite audiences and inspire others through their voice.