Continuation of interview (1) The Japanese dubbed version of the popular Thai GL (Girls' Love) drama "Gap the Series," which began streaming on YouTube in 2022, began streaming on DMM TV, TELASA, FOD, and other platforms on September 16th as the first release of Aniplex's new GL work brand "aLiL." The story depicts the love story between Sam, a cool female CEO, and Mon, who has always admired Sam since Sam saved her life as a child and joined Sam's company as a new employee. The 12 episodes have been viewed over 800 million times on YouTube, making it a very popular series. In the Japanese dubbed version, Sam and Mon are played by popular voice actors Amamiya Sora and Hitsujimiya Hina. We asked the two about the behind-the-scenes recording and the appeal of the work.
◇ Struggling to make kissing sounds: "I looked up so much that my search history became a mess"
--What differences did you notice between dubbing anime and foreign works?
Amemiya: I think there are a lot of differences, but in dubbing, you make sure to include mouth noises and breathing. There are instructions for that in the script, and if it says "mouth," you have to include the "pop" or other noises when opening your mouth. There are also instructions for the timing of inhaling and exhaling, and you have to make sure to include the "swoosh" sound of breathing, so I think the big difference from anime is that you have to say your lines naturally while doing that. You also make the kissing sounds yourself. There is anime, but you don't make that many kissing sounds yourself, and what's more, there are instructions so you have to do it exactly, which I think is quite difficult.
Hisoka: This was my first time doing a full-fledged dubbing, and the way I read the script was completely different. When it comes to kissing, in anime it's better to have clean lip sounds, but in dubbing, depending on the (actor's) position and other factors, there are times when it's better not to make it clean. I really don't know what kind of sounds are required. But I was scared to go to the set without any experience, so I looked up a lot of sounds on the internet, and my search history got messy.
Amemiya: (laughs).
Hitsujimiya: I looked it up in a variety of ways. I just wanted it to come up. I looked up lip sounds a lot in particular.
Amemiya: What? You search for things like "how to make lip sounds"?
Hitsujimiya: That too, and also "movie with lots of kisses."
Amemiya: That's so funny! (laughs).
Hitsujimiya: There were also a lot of things that I can't put into words here... My history got messy, so I deleted it all at once.
--So you did a lot of research. So, were there any differences between dubbing and anime in terms of character development?
Amemiya: I am very careful not to sound too cute. When you voice a live-action person, that is a big difference from anime. I think the average age of the voice is completely different. In anime, I have the impression that there are a lot of characters with cute voices or rather childish voices, but in foreign films, the actors have calm voices, and if you use a voice like you usually use in anime, it will be far from the image of a live-action person, so I was very conscious of "I have to be careful not to sound too cute." That was also a difficult part. Hitsujimiya: I also have the impression that there are more expressions in dubbing than in anime. That is because you are dubbing where one person is speaking, so if the nuance changes even a little, the impression of the words spoken will change completely, whether it's a kind person, a kind person, a kind person, or a bit harsh. I was careful about that when creating the character. Also, since this was my first time participating in a dubbing, I was very conscious of not being bound by the length of the film. I didn't want to end up becoming a cramped Mon-chan by worrying too much about the length of the film, so I was even more conscious of that than usual.
◇"Hitsugi-chan is just so earnest" "Amemiya-san is always shining"
--In this film, you play lovers. What are your impressions of each other as voice actors?
Amemiya-san I think Hitsuji-chan is just so earnest. This may sound a bit arrogant, but she's earnest, but she never forgets to go at her own pace. I think that's a great strength of hers. As Hitsuji-chan said earlier, she knows that if she shrinks back and prioritizes "not making mistakes" instead of acting, it will end up being a little different. I felt that you set your own pace when acting, think about what you should do, and approach your roles and the work with great dedication.
--Listening to you, you seem a bit similar to Mon.
Amemiya: That's right. Mon is also very devoted, and it seems like he never loses sight of his priorities.
Hitsugi: It's very humbling, but also very happy. I think that the only things that get recognized are the ones that are shown to the public, but even so, I'm really happy to hear such words from Amemiya, who works with me, and it makes me want to keep working hard. Thank you.
Amemiya: No, thank you too (laughs).
--What do you think is Amemiya's charm, Hitsujimiya?
Hitsugi: I've always known Amemiya, so that impression hasn't completely gone away, and she really shines so brightly. But when I heard Sam's voice, I thought, sure, his tone and voice may sound cold, but he's really cute!
-- Hitsujimiya, you're holding your head in your hands, is he really that cute?
Hitsumiya: That's right. I can't go back to my first impression, so I'm not sure if it's his voice or his acting that's cute, but I got the impression that Sam is really cute. But he communicates so directly that I think he's clumsy, and even when he's joking, he does it so directly that I can't help but laugh. Amamiya's voice and Sam's voice matched so well, and I really felt Sam through my ears.
I wonder what kind of heart-warming love story will unfold between Sam and Mon, played by Amamiya and Hitsujimiya. I'm sure you'll also be able to feel the charm that only the dubbed version can offer.
