The Voice Actress

 

For this week's blog project, I watched the short film The Voice Actress by Anna Takayama.  As the name entails, the documentary follows the world from the perspective of Kingyo, a veteran voice actor in Tokyo. As a voice actor in Japan’s entertainment world, the world she views differs drastically compared to that we are typically accustomed- with her embodying not only the characters she plays in the video game or anime, but even the emotions of the walkway as she boards the train. One of the most evident differences in perspective comes from her response to her fish dying, with the creation of an elaborate funeral procession on the beach.

 

 

 

She is able to utilize this different perspective in the creation of different emotional narratives, an ability possible only by her immersion into the roles and the impact that even the smallest things have on life. The film leaves the journey of Kingyo part way along her journey, as she completes an emotional reading for a new character.

In terms of furthering my Japanese understanding, I found it somewhat difficult. The video itself gave a unique perspective into the world of Japanese entertainment as well as the niceties of Japanese work culture. Despite this, as the monologue behind the shows were older in nature(antiquated to an extent), the terminology and speech patterns represented the older patterns filled with flowery language surrounding life, death and nature. 

I found the video to be quite interesting, with shockingly vibrant colors dominating some of the drabber aspects of life as well as a fun look into the life of people behind the anime that dominates different aspects of Japanese entertainment.