Actress Kyoko Yoshine voices the main character Mabel in the Japanese dub of Disney & Pixar's latest animated film, "Hoppers" (directed by Daniel Chong), which is currently showing in theaters. When her casting was first announced, many people said they "didn't realize it was Yoshine-san." Yoshine, who has had the experience of "having her heart healed" by Disney & Pixar's works, spoke about her feelings when she was chosen for the voice role and her affection for the studio's works. (Part 1 of a two-part interview)
◇After being recommended by Erika Ikuta, I watched a Pixar film: "I cried so much that I couldn't stand up even after it ended."
"When I Become a Beaver" tells the story of Mabel, an animal-loving college student who learns that her beloved forest is going to be destroyed by a highway project. To protect her precious place, she uses top-secret technology to transform into a beaver and devises a plan to save the forest and the animals. In the dubbed version, actress Yoshine voices Mabel, Shinya Kote voices King George, the king of the beavers, Toshiya Miyata of the popular group "Kis-My-Ft2" voices Loaf, a laid-back beaver who is often eaten, and Atsuro Watabe voices Mayor Jerry, a human who threatens the beaver forest.
Yoshine-san, who heard the news of her casting as a voice actress while in Venice, Italy, was overjoyed, exclaiming, "My dream has come true!"
"I was filming in Venice. In the daytime, when we were about to board a boat to travel, I was standing in line at the dock and feeling a little hungry, thinking about getting something to eat, when my manager said, 'I just got a call, you've been chosen (to do the voice acting),' and I was so surprised and happy that my hunger vanished (laughs)."
She has publicly stated that her favorite Disney & Pixar films are "Inside Out 2" (2024) and "Coco" (2017).
"My close friend Erika Ikuta recommended 'Inside Out 2' to me, saying, 'You should see it. It was really good.' I talk to her when I'm feeling down, and while we were talking about how we should work together to stay healthy in mind and body, she told me, 'This movie saved me.' So I went to the theater, and I cried so much that I couldn't stand up even after the movie ended. I felt saved, and my heart felt lighter, and I was able to accept myself."
When she told her mother about the experience, she was given the book "Inside Out 2" as a gift. Yoshine said, "I was so happy. I still keep it in the living room at home so I can read it anytime. You could even call it 'my textbook'."
Regarding "Coco," she says with sparkling eyes, "I love the story, but I especially love the music. I own the DVD and watch it often, and I listen to the soundtrack a lot. I hope to go to Mexico someday and experience that world for myself."
◇I was moved to see my name in the end credits.
Having been cast in a Disney & Pixar production, which she herself loves, she said with a dreamy expression, "I'm happy that my dream has come true, but I'm also incredibly happy to be able to participate in a production that brings dreams to so many people around the world, including myself. Just being able to be a part of delivering dreams feels like a dream to me, and I feel like dreams are circulating."
Regarding the finished film, she commented, "I watched it with bated breath, but the story was really interesting and the pacing was fast, so the 1 hour and 44 minutes flew by."
She further revealed, "I was deeply moved when I saw my name included in the end credits, which are part of the world of this film. Many people are involved in Disney and Pixar productions, and many names are listed in the end credits. I was incredibly moved to see my own name among them."
(Interview, text, and photography by Naoko Hosoda/MANTAN)
