The latest film in the popular anime series " Doraemon, " originally created by Fujiko F. Fujio, " Doraemon the Movie: Nobita and the Castle of Nobita's Undersea Rock" (directed by Yajima Tetsuo) was released on February 27th. Released in 1983 and beloved by fans for many years, "Doraemon the Movie: Nobita and the Castle of Devil's Undersea Rock" has been given a new lease of life after 43 years. In the latest film, popular voice actor Shoya Chiba plays El, an undersea human whom Doraemon and his friends encounter in a mysterious and undersea world. Having been exposed to " Doraemon" since childhood, Chiba, who says "When I think of New Year's Eve, I think of Doraemon," shared his thoughts on the film and some behind-the-scenes details from the recording.
Pressure to appear in the "Doraemon" movie: "Can I do it without feeling awkward?"
The "Doraemon the Movie" series is now in its 45th installment, with the first film released in 1980. Chiba says his favorites are "Nobita and the Galaxy Super Express," released in 1996, and "Nobita's Great South Sea Adventure," released in 1998.
"Aside from the Doraemon movie series, the first movie I ever saw that made me cry was The Return of Doraemon. I was in the middle grades of elementary school when it happened, and it was sensational to me. I loved every single depiction. I also absolutely love Nobita's Wedding Eve. The things I saw back then left such an impression on me that I can describe every scene in detail, and I think that's the power of Doraemon."
After becoming a voice actor, he would watch the "Doraemon Movie" series in the theater and would always be impressed by the "grand scale of the acting" of the regular voice actors, including Wasabi Mizuta , who plays Doraemon .
"Once I was cast as L, I felt a lot of pressure, wondering if I could fit in with everyone's acting without feeling out of place. Everyone's acting is warm and yet expresses things clearly enough that even a child could understand, which was something I didn't think I could do. But seeing everyone's acting made me realize that it was possible, and it even influenced the way I normally act. Acting alongside such people made me realize that I had to bring out what I had been thinking."
◇The importance of "communicating" and the persuasive power of Doraemon's voice actor
El, played by Chiba, is a soldier of the Mu Federation, a nation of undersea people. The undersea people hate people on land, and El is in charge of keeping an eye on Doraemon and his friends who have come to the bottom of the sea.
"Elle starts out as an enemy and then changes, so I thought it would be better to give her a range of emotions, and the plan was to make her a bit stiff in the first half. However, as Elle is a soldier, he is conscious of the need to treat her coldly, and we talked about trying to give her a sense of detachment as part of her job, so we decided on a direction where she would appear naturally and blend in."
What Chiba felt after actually participating in the recording was the "depth of the Doraemon series."
"In the scenes where I was angry or showed my emotions, I was never told to 'hold it back,' so I was able to give it my all. Also, in the scenes where I was struggling, it was difficult to convey depth by being more mature than Nobita, while still giving off a gentle impression. What I thought while recording was how important it is to 'communicate' with the viewers. I had to do it with a sense of responsibility so that each and every thing was properly conveyed. It's an obvious thing, but it made me think again about how important it is not just to express my feelings, but to convey them to the viewers, especially since I'm acting with just my voice."
The "Doraemon Movie" series attracts a wide range of audiences, from children to adults, and that's why I really felt the importance of "communicating."
"The expressions of the voice actors for ' Doraemon' are positive, and I felt that their voices were convincing precisely because they were properly expressed. Their voices are on a larger scale than the images, which may seem like a given, but I think it's amazing. My usual way of thinking is to think about the scene realistically, and to think that when you're sad, your voice becomes quieter, but the voice actors for ' Doraemon' ensure that the volume is conveyed properly, while also varying the amount of heart they put into their voices and the intensity of their emotions. They don't express their anguish by lowering their voices. They're always speaking with their foot on the gas. I really learned so much from them all."
◇Pure, green-tasting L without any impurities
After witnessing the performances of the regular voice actors, Chiba thought, "I want to portray El as life-sized as possible," and made sure to emphasize "kindness" in the scene at the end where El appeals to those around her in a speech.
"Overall, kindness is necessary. Kindness, the desire to protect, a sense of justice, and so on, are presented in completely different ways depending on the work, and in the case of ' Doraemon,' I felt that I had to do it purely in order to get the message across. This was something I felt because of the purity of my predecessors. During the recording, I also realized that delivering something that exceeds expectations does not mean disappointing them. I think that making something sound pure and without any impurities is something I myself should continue to challenge in the future."
In "Nobita and the New Undersea Castle," the emotional changes of El and the underwater buggy, a secret gadget, are carefully depicted, and he says of the film's appeal, "I felt that the core of the story was given more importance. The words of the underwater buggy, which is a machine, are also natural, making it seem like it was real. As for El, the things that he has been thinking about a lot in his work protecting the seabed are portrayed in a naive way. It's not just that the amount of description has been increased, but the scenario allows you to imagine things from the way it is said and the words used."
Chiba took on the role of El in "New Nobita and the Undersea Castle of Devil's Rock." He has been a soldier protecting the undersea people's country, the Mu Federation, but it will be interesting to see how he changes and what words he utters after meeting Doraemon and his friends. (Shiroinu/MANTANWEB)
