REVIEW: The Obataku Critiques MONONOKE!

ALL PHOTOS © MONONOKE COMMITTEE

Anime, unlike cartoons and other western styles of animation, hold the distinction for innovativeness. If you are more accustomed to traditional anime styles, however, these experimentations with new styles may at first be jarring to the senses. I remember the first time I watched Gankutsuou (The Count of Monte Cristo), I developed a bad headache from watching all those computer-applied textures. After a few episodes, I grew accustomed to its unique animation style, and it remains my favorite anime of all time.

Which brings us to Mononoke. This 12-episode anime was the offshoot of the final story arc "Bakeneko" in the horror trilogy, Ayakashi, which will soon be aired on Animax. Because of its distinctive anime style and riveting plot, "Bakeneko" reaped critical acclaim. It's only expected that an anime will be developed from it.

First, just what is an "ayakashi" and a "mononoke"? Ayakashi are malevolent spirits that plague mankind with curses and evil ills. When an ayakashi combines with the grudge, hatred and anger that exists in a human heart, it transforms into a monster known as a mononoke.

Mononoke continues the adventures of the mysterious Medicine Seller, who seeks out these evil creatures. He must first reveal the mononoke's physical shape or Form ("Katachi"), the reason for its rage or Truth ("Makoto"), and the state of its soul or Regret ("Kotowari") before he could unsheathe his formidable Sword of Exorcism and destroy the evil spirit.

The anime consists of five spine-chilling stories:

1) "Zashiki Warashi", about a pregnant woman who seeks shelter in an inn with a bloody past

2) "Umibouzu", about the passengers of a merchant vessel who find themselves trapped in the infamous Devil's Triangle (Japan's version of the Bermuda Triangle)

3) "Noppera-bo", about a woman who confesses to murdering her samurai husband and his entire family

4) "Nue", about three men who embark on an incense-smelling test in order to win the hand of a noblewoman

5) "Bakeneko", about the passengers on the maiden voyage of a spooky subway train

Mononoke is both a visual and an intellectual treat. Visually, it's like watching a moving Japanese tapestry on your TV screens. Except for "Bakeneko" which utilizes the color black, the use of pastel colors heightens the creepy ambience of the anime. People who say that originality in books and film is dead would be pleased to know that it is alive and kicking in Mononoke. All the stories are refreshingly new, and it does not need gratuitous violence or gore to scare you out of your wits. The tight plot will keep you on edge, only to drop you off the precipice with an unexpected twist or cliffhanger.

Credit to Mononoke's appeal falls squarely on the shoulders of the talented seiyuu voicing the characters, making this one anime that I would prefer NOT to be dubbed in English. For one, you will get to appreciate seiyuu Sakurai Takahiro's ability to pitch his voice very low without falling into a mumble, like other voice actors are prone to do. Also, his line delivery ranges from dry sarcasm to the blusterous delivery characteristic of actors in traditional Japanese Noh plays. To those who are particularly interested in how Japanese dialects sound like, the fourth story "Nue" has all the characters speaking in Kansai-ben, which is often disastrously rendered with an American country twang when dubbed in English.

Admittedly, Mononoke is not for all audiences. The mature themes hinted at in the story arcs makes this anime more for older teens and adults. This is also not advisable for those who don't want their brain cells stimulated. I've had a friend call it "boring", but as a more overly critical acquaintance said, and I quote her, "Those who complain about boredom are lazy people to begin with."

In any case, to those who want to give Mononoke a chance, mark my words! This is one anime that you will find mentally stimulating. If there is a message that Mononoke would like to convey to its viewers, it's that the most fiercesome monsters are created from the darkness that exists in the human heart. In fact, the most terrifying monsters of all might just be humans themselves.

VALENTINE'S SPECIAL: Memorable Anime Love Teams!

Ouran High School Host Club © Hatori Bisco, BONES, VAP, ANIMAX/NTV. The blog you are reading today was requested by my niece. She asked me why don't I write a blog about anime love teams, it being Valentine's Day and all. However, not being exactly a huge fan of romance in general, I had to rely on the opinions of a few friends who are diehard otaku as to who are the most memorable love teams in anime. Here are everyone's choices in ascending order... 15. Gennosuke and Oboro (Basilisk) When you say "star-crossed lovers", the term most definitely describes Gennosuke and Oboro of the samurai action drama Basilisk, which makes Romeo and Juliet seem mild in comparison. Same as in Shakespeare's play, our lovers come from rival ninja families, who are hoping for their clans to be unified with their coming marriage...until the nasty emperor decides to rekindle the centuries old feud by choosing them to represent his two sons who are line for the throne. Whichever clans win, the son they represented will become the new emperor. Sadly, Gennosuke and Oboro are forced to become bitter enemies, which leads to a heartbreaking ending. 14. Van and Wendy (GUNXSWORD); Saiga and Kagura (Speed Grapher) These two anime came dangerously close to portraying romances between middle-aged men and girls half their age. In the case of Van and Wendy, it's pretty obvious in the way Wendy dotes on Van and her apparent jealousy towards Carmen 99 and Priscilla. On the other hand, Kagura clings desperately to Saiga as they are pursued by evil villains. Love, however, triumphs in the end despite the age difference...by letting the male characters wait a bunch of years until their teenaged sweetheart comes of LEGAL age. That's the power of the scriptwriter for you! 13. Tenchi and Ryoko (Tenchi Muyo!); Keiichi and Belldandy (Ah! My Goddess); Kei and Mizuho (Please! Teacher) It's a time-honored anime tradition to pair off a clueless, clumsy, somewhat nerdy High School boy with a bombshell, whether she is a hot-blooded alien or a sweet goddess. The fact remains that it's a pairing that ALWAYS clicks among fans. However, fans would always remember Tenchi and Ryoko, Keiichi and Belldandy, and Kei and Mizuho as the best couples of this lot. 12. Hitomi and Van (Vision of Escaflowne) Behind every angsty prince from another dimension is a kind-hearted Earth girl to always bring him back to his senses. Credit to Escaflowne's success lies in the fact that Hitomi is not like your everyday damsel-in-distress who counts on the man in her life to save her. Nope, she also gets into action and ends up saving not only Van and Allen, but a whole universe as well. 11. Yusuke and Keiko; Kuwabara and Yukina (Yu Yu Hakusho) Bit of an argument developed with this one. While many obviously loved the pairing of battle-crazy Yusuke and level-headed Keiko, quite a few defended the unlikely pairing of brash Kuwabara and timid Yukina. I don't think Hiei was happy about his little sister being paired off with Kuwabara though. 10. Pete Pumps and Tazusa Sakurano (Ginban Kaleidoscope) Although a relatively new pairing, Pete and Tazusa of Ginban Kaleidoscope deserved to be mentioned for being quite a lively and funny couple, despite the fact that poor Pete is just a spirit. Too bad the scriptwriter couldn't think of a nice ending to the story by actually bringing the two of them together...like having Pete get reincarnated? Or maybe Pete has had enough of the tomatoes that Tazusa had been shoving down his throat? 9. Ranma and Akane (Ranma 1/2) There's a kind of citrusy taste to Ranma and Akane's relationship -- sweet but with a touch of sourness that is not only caused by martial arts rivalry, but by the natural envy of a girl (Akane) towards another girl (female Ranma) who is better endowed beauty-wise than she. Of course, you don't see Kunou complaining, even if he gets punched and kicked to kingdom come. 8. Seiji and Midori (Midori Days) They say it's nice to have a girlfriend on hand, but this is ridiculous. Still, it cannot be denied that Seiji and Midori were a very memorable couple, simply owing to the fact that Midori was so patient enough to endure Seiji's immaturity and even saw being stuck to his right hand as a blessing in disguise. Unlike Pete and Tazusa, however, they DID get together in the end. Happy, happy! 7. Tamaki and Haruhi (Ouran High School Host Club); Kyouhei and Sunako (Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge) There's a saying that "Opposites attract." This statement aptly describes these two love teams, who are as different as night and day. From Ouran High School Host Club, you have level-headed commoner Haruhi being paired off with bubble-headed rich boy Tamaki. (Personally, I preferred the Kyouya/Haruhi pairing). Then, in Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge, pretty bully boy Kyouhei ends up falling for horror queen wannabe Sunako. Certainly makes for romance that is funny and bittersweet at the same time. 6. Shiro and Saber (Fate/Stay Night) The dynamics of the Shiro and Saber love team is pretty unique...because you have a lovely young lady defending a gallant Magician who, in true male fashion, wants to defend her. In the end, they joined forces to help destroy an evil menace. Sadly, they too split up at the anime's conclusion. 5. Kenshin and Kaoru (Samurai X) Ask any Samurai X fan and they would tell you how much they loved the fact that the love of Kenshin and Kaoru endured through all the villains and uprisings that were thrown their way. Even when their love story ended in tragedy, they stuck together up till the very end of their young lives that were cut abruptly short. Nuff said or else I'll start blubbering like an idiot. 4. Ryuuki and Shuurei (Colourcloud Palace) Everyone just loves Ryuuki and Shuurei, and with good reason. It's not every day that you get to see an immature emperor taught the ways of the world by a poor, but very intelligent young lady (who has a tendency to nag as well). It should be mentioned that while this pairing is very popular, I've got friends who are also rooting for Seiran and Shuurei and Sakujun and Shuurei. Aaaaah...just let Shuurei choose the man she'll love, will ya?! 3. Syaoran and Sakura (Card Captor Sakura & Chronicles of the Wings); Hideki and Chee (Chobits) CLAMP certainly do know how to create real memorable love teams. While Syaoran and Sakura are top favorites among fans, I have a soft spot in my heart for the cyber-love team of Hideki and Chee from Chobits. 2. Inuyasha and Kagome (Inuyasha) Although I'm not a fan of Inuyasha, I've always found the love team of Inuyasha and Kagome very refreshing to watch. Kagome especially is probably one of the few female anime characters that I like because she is no damsel-in-distress who relies on Inuyasha to get her out of any tight predicament; she tries to do something herself. Of course, I always get a kick out of Kagome telling a nagging Inuyasha to "Sit, boy!" Now, that's a woman who knows how to put her man in his place!! 1. Tamahome and Miaka (Fushigi Yuugi) Let it be said that everyone was unanimous in choosing Tamahome and Miaka as the most memorable anime love team of all-time. Personally, I found Miaka irritating and she always needs to be saved by the Seven Star Warriors. Still, I guess every female anime fan loves the idea of a strong, handsome man coming to the rescue of a helpless (groan!) female.

INTERVIEW: Meet ANDREA -- The Voice Behind Sakura!

Sakura & Syaoran in Chronicles of the Wings © CLAMP • KODANSHA/NHK • NEP

What prompted you to become a voice actress? Did you get formal training?

I was very lucky and fell into voice acting when I moved to Hong Kong from Canada in 1997. Unlike most of the team I worked with in the company, I had no formal acting training to start with, but by paying attention and working hard, I‘ve now had 11 years of ‘on the job’ training in voice acting (dubbing) and also directing. I made up for my lack of formal training by doing the best I can when I’m in the studio.

You are in the core group of voice talents since Animax decided to go English. Did you feel any pressure then, given the huge clamor from diehard anime fans for Animax to return to the subtitled format?

My attitude towards both dubbing and directing is to do the best that I can. I can’t say whether ‘subs’ or ‘dub’ is better, everyone has their preference and I can enjoy both [whether it is anime or film]. Hollywood films also make use of dubbing or in technical terms, ADR [audio dialogue replacement], when a scene requires it. What I can say is that both the actors and the company I work for try to be as true to the original version as we can, not just with Animax projects but with other projects we work on. That involves the character voice and acting performance, as well as the script. We’re lucky in this aspect as we have one of the best ‘dubbing’ scriptwriters around - Ranma 1/2 and recently Yakitate! Japan. We work in a team setting, rather than as individuals, so that the actors can play off one another. One of the best recent examples of this was my team members as the female and male leads of Ginban Kaleidoscope. I felt their performances were enhanced by the fact that they dubbed their dialogue together.

A lot of anime fans are awed by your vocal techniques, especially with the way you easily switch from a child's voice to a young lady's voice. When you play multiple characters, do you record them individually or all of them in one take? Please describe to us the vocal technique by which one could change from a low to a high pitch and vice versa.

If the dialogue of my characters doesn’t overlap, then I can switch back and forth without too much trouble and without changing vocal tracks (record separately). But sometimes when your characters speak back to back it’s kind of fun to see if you’re up to the challenge of doing it in one take! I’ve been associated with the same company now for 11 years, Omni Productions, and I’m currently working with one of the most talented incarnations of ‘the team’ that I’ve had the pleasure of working with, they can all voice back to back characters without having to stop and switch tracks.

As for ‘how one changes from a high to a low voice’, I can only speak for myself when I say that it has a lot to do with squeezing or relaxing the muscles in my throat as I’m talking. I’ve never asked my team members how they change their voices, perhaps they have different methods. Because of all this ‘squeezing’ I actually prefer to do little boys voices in the morning rather then female voices – it’s easier on my throat. J

You obviously take great care of your voice. What health tips could you give for the voice?

I don’t smoke and I very rarely drink so those factors have never been a concern for me. I like to drink lots of water or herbal tea and I rarely stay up late. I’m not much of a partier so you won’t find me out in Lan Kwai Fong but on occasion I can be found on Xbox live having a late night of shooting, crashing or being killed! That may not have anything to do with taking care of my voice, but it sure is a great way to unwind.

Among the characters you have voiced, who is a) your favorite, b) the most challenging, and c) the most memorable, and why?

I think the character I liked best was the female incarnation of ‘Ranma’ in Ranma1/2. I thought that was a great series and was very sad to see the end of it. I enjoyed voicing her because she had reactions which were boy-like, which makes sense if you know the series. I also think she was one of my more challenging characters because I had to try and portray her the same way her ‘male’ half was portrayed. At the beginning of the series I often found myself thinking how would he [the male voice actor] sound if he said that line or did that reaction? The fact that we dub as a team helped me understand and play off my male counterpart in his male Ranma role.

I also found ‘Major Motoko Kusanagi’ from Ghost in the Shell challenging because I have a really hard time playing ‘straight’ characters; I like to be the ditzy or weird one. J

The most memorable character for me was a girl named ‘Remy’ that I played a few years ago. The cartoon was titled Nobody’s Girl and was about an orphan. In one scene her adopted uncle was dying of a heart attack and trying to reassure her, meanwhile she was in tears begging him not to die. At the end of that scene the male actor and I shed a few tears because we were so moved by her story. That’s my most memorable moment.

Would you recommend voice acting as a career? For you, what are the qualities of a voice actor?

Sure, I don’t see why not. Voice acting’s been good to me, but I also think I’m lucky in that I’m able to do it. I think a lot of people think that voice acting is just pure fun and that there’s no hard work involved, or that dubbing is ‘easy’. That’s not always the truth.

For me a good voice actor/actress should have a decent range of voices. For actresses this means they should be able to do an old woman’s voice, their own voice, a teenage girl, a teenage boy, a little girl and a little boy, plus a number of variations of all of those. The same goes for men, although not too many men can do a convincing little girl’s voice...

Any advice you would like to give to those who aspire to become voice actors?

Be professional about your work, show up on time and be productive, not disruptive in the workplace. Dubbing and voice work may sound like fun, but there’s a time for work and a time for play. J

[Catch Andrea's voice work in Chronicles of the Wings and Slam Dunk, Mon to Fri, 5-6pm.]

COMMENTARY: Qualities of a Voice Actor

REC © Hanamizawa Q-tarou/Shaft/TBS.

1. A voice actor should sound good on tape. Take note this does not have anything to do with a person's voice type. Preference for voice types ranging from high pitched to baritones is purely subjective ("listener's choice"). What I mean is that while your voice may sound good to your ears, its quality changes when recorded on tape. You have to sound just as good on tape as you do in real life.

2. A voice actor should have perfect enunciation. Voice actors should pronounce words correctly and clearly so that the listener understands every syllable that comes out of your mouth. In the case of English dubbing, any type of accent that causes a word/s to be mispronounced is a "no no". That is why a dictionary is a voice actor's best friend in case he is unsure as to how to pronounce a word. If you have a distinct accent, it's best to take speech studies first in order to correct it. For example, during his Mad Max days, actor Mel Gibson used to have a distinct Austalian accent, which he had lost years later after extensive speech training. Compare his voice in Mad Max to his latest films, including the animated ones he did, such as Pocahontas.

3. A voice actor should know how to speak properly. A voice professor once told me that there is little difference between singing and correct speaking. When you speak in the right way, the power of the voice is exerted not through the vocal cords, but via the diaphragm and respiratory muscles. If a dubber's voice sounds rough, strained, or excessively breathy, or just listening to them makes your throat ache, your ears wince, or makes you want to gasp along with them, chances are they are not employing correct vocal techniques. Learning vocal techniques from a voice coach will allow you to change the speed of line delivery, pitch, volume, timbre and tone of your voice effortlessly and without causing damage to your vocal cords. It is especially effective for those shouting and screaming scenes.

4. Be aware of any weaknesses. Newbie voice actors have a tendency to stutter, stammer, trip their tongues over words, or even run out of air in order to keep up with the "mouths" of the character on screen. Again, these flaws can be corrected by voice exercises.

5. Know how to correctly pronounce character names. I am particularly nitpicky about this because I've observed that western voice actors have problems pronouncing the names of Japanese characters. That is why it is best to listen to the original Japanese dialogue first in order to get the names right. The most common error is the way three0syllable names are pronounced. Except for a select few, most three-syllable Japanese names are pronounced with the accent on the FIRST syllable. Western dubbers always put the accent on the second syllable. So instead of saying "Ko-GU-re", it should be "KO-gure." "Sa-KU-ra" should be "SA-kura."

6. Know the character and interpret him/her the way you see fit. It is always important to get to know the character first -- like is the heroine the shy, quiet type or the tomboyish type, or the hero could be the boisterous type or the dark, brooding type. Researching by reading character profiles or, better yet, reading one or two manga volumes or watching one or two anime episodes will help you to understand him or her, so that you could correctly interpret his/her personality. NEVER COPY THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ORIGINAL JAPANESE VOICE ACTOR. Some diehard otaku always compare the seiyuu to the English voice actors. Judge voice actors ON THEIR OWN MERITS and NEVER basing it on the performances of others, even if they are the original talents to play the role.

7. Never make the mistake of dubbing an anime like a cartoon. Most cartoons are dubbed in a sing song, emphatic, over-the-top, or bombastic manner. Except for comedy anime and when certain scenes call for exaggerated expressions, dialogue is best delivered in a natural, conversational manner.

8. Foreign accents are a double-edged sword. If done effectively and applied to the right character, foreign accents are a boon to any production, aside from anime. However, to my horror, most voice actors make the mistake of going over the top with their accents or, worse, use them for characters who are of a different nationality altogether. The French accent is the most horridly abused of all foreign accents. If it is not spoken in an exaggerated manner that makes you think of that amorous skunk Pepe Le Pew, it is always used for villains, who end up sounding "cheesy" instead of "sleazy and sneaky". One good example is Van Argeno in Blood+. If you want to get the French accent right, pay close attention to how actors Jean Reno or Gerard Depardieu speak. Sorry, but I have to admit that while I was impressed with the accents used in Le Chevalier D'Eon, some of the characters to which they were used were wrong. For example, Louis XV's wife Marie Leszczynska is Polish and should not be speaking with a British accent.

9. Same with foreign accents, apply "special voices" to appropriate characters, but avoid stereotyping. Sounds contradicting, but allow me to explain. This is usually a problem for men. Admittedly, I am not fond of men pinching their voices to make it sound higher-pitched. While men with high-pitched voices are great for comedic characters, I wince whenever it is used for stereotypes, especially 1) sneaky, sleazy characters and 2) gay characters. Case in point, Chronicles of the Wing's Fye Flowright, especially in the second season. The use of the pinched voice did not suit Fye at all. Although "rumored" to be a gay character on account of his connection to the god Ashura, he is a refined intellectual which warrants a soft-spoken vocal performance with a sharp edge to it, something which the first voice actor was able to achieve. Another example is Kou Reishin in Colourcloud Palace. While he may have a penchant for sneakiness, the fact that he is a stern court official warrants a lower-pitched voice.

10. FINALLY, in voice acting, it's not how you "sound" that matters, but how you "act". You may have the versatility and the vocal chops of Robin Williams, but if you don't know how to use your voice to convey emotion and connect with and evoke emotion from your audience, then you are a failure as a voice actor. Let's take one Animax voice actor who is being dissed by some overly opinionated viewers just because he possesses a baritone voice. It is the opinion of many that a youthful character should always have a "young voice", but this is not true in real life. Some develop baritones and other low-pitched voices in their youth. So, arguably, a baritone can also be applied to a young, but mature character like Nomiya from Honey & Clover. In fact, baritone aside, the voice actor was not only able to capture Nomiya's maturity, but also his gentle compassion and sympathy towards Yamada. This made his performance very effective in my book. One very good exercise was shown in Sakura Wars, wherein Sakura was made to repeat one line over and over again, but in different emotions. Try getting a line from a book and practice saying it while happy, sad, lonely, angry, furious, etc. Believe me! It works!!

Still want to become a voice actor? The bottomline is it's still important to get an education, especially drama and speech studies. Professors will not only teach you voice techniques and exercises, but also how to take care of your voice. Last but not least, when you go around looking for voice jobs, don't limit yourself to dubbing anime. There are careers for voice talents in advertising and radio. Try to gain more experience, training, and broaden your horizons!