Studio Ghibli's animated feature film "The Boy and the Heron", directed by Hayao Miyazaki and winner of the 96th Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, will be broadcast uncut on Friday Road Show (NTV) from 9pm on May 2nd. This is the first time the film will be broadcast on television. In preparation for the broadcast, actor Soma Santoki, who was selected to play the main character, Mahito, is sharing behind-the-scenes stories from the dubbing process.
--What was the audition like for "The Boy and the Heron?"
I went to the Ghibli Studio and took the audition. The original script for "The Boy and the Heron?" had something like "Say this line in 40 seconds," so I did the audition by dubbing it to match the video. It was my first time at the Ghibli Studio, and I was nervous just by entering the audition hall... it was an experience I'd never had before (laughs).
--How did you feel when you auditioned and were chosen by Masato?
I was more surprised than happy... and I was suddenly anxious (laughs). When it came to big productions like Ghibli, I thought, "There's no way I'll pass." But I gave it my all in the audition, so when I heard I'd passed, I was really surprised, and my family was more surprised than happy, and they were worried, asking me, "Are you okay?"
-What was your impression when you first met director Hayao Miyazaki?
I was a little scared before meeting him (laughs). He was such a mysterious person that I wondered, "Does he really exist?" But at the first recording session, Director Hayao Miyazaki smiled and said, "Do whatever you want, I have nothing to say," which gave me a sense of relief and made me think, "There must be a reason why I was chosen, so I'll just act as I am."
--How did you approach your first voice recording?
At first, I didn't know anything about Masato's character, so I wondered how much I should create the character, but I was told in advance, "Don't look at the footage or the script too much and create too much of the character," so my anxiety disappeared. Furthermore, Director Miyazaki told me on the first set, "Just do it freely," so I felt relieved. From then on, I was only conscious of "I'm going to make a voice that suits Masato."
--How did the dubbing recording go?
We were doing the dubbing in a studio in the basement, but there was a booth with the staff on the first floor, and we could hear the director's voice through the speakers. Director Miyazaki didn't tell me directly, but through the director. That didn't put any pressure on me. If Director Miyazaki had told me directly, I think I would have been very nervous.
--Aside from dubbing, what did you talk about with Hayao Miyazaki?
We didn't talk about the film at all. During the break, the three of us - Director Miyazaki, Producer Toshio Suzuki, and I - talked about school and club activities. I was the captain of the basketball club, and we talked casually about things like, "We do this kind of menu." I felt like, "Is it okay to talk about this?" (laughs). But it made me feel a lot better.
--What kind of character is Masato?
At first, he was unsociable and not very childlike. I got the impression that he was an "adolescent boy between adult and child." I'm sure that adults would think he was "cheeky." Also, he was a quiet boy, which was the complete opposite of my personality. I always said what I thought and I was always cheerful, so I got the impression that he was the complete opposite of me.
-Which scene was the most difficult while playing Masato?
The first part is when I scream "Mom!". I was breathing as if I was running, but in movies and TV dramas, the scene is created when you actually run and talk, whereas in dubbing, you have to breathe and say the lines as if you were running even though you're not running, so I felt the difficulty of being a voice actor and the difficulty of expressing yourself with just your voice. I felt tense, the oxygen was thinning, and my hands and feet were numb, so it was a scene that made me realize that I couldn't make this work unless I overcame these kinds of things.
-Was there any memorable scene with the blue heron?
There was a scene where we exchanged the line, "That's a lie, isn't it?" When I first did the dubbing, there was no voice in the scene. However, when I re-recorded the scene on another day, Suda (Masaki)'s voice was included. It was the first time I felt like I was actually exchanging words, so I felt like I was able to exchange words. It's also a scene that makes me laugh, and it's one of my personal favorites.
"The Boy and the Heron" is Miyazaki's latest feature-length animated film, his first in about 10 years since "The Wind Rises" in 2013. Miyazaki wrote the original story and screenplay. The film was released on July 14, 2023, without the plot, cast, theme song, etc. being revealed in advance.
