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turnbackthependulum · 2 years ago

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Tite Kubo x Masakazu Morita Interview

Interviewer: Please tell us how you felt when it was decided that BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War was going to be animated ten years after the series had ended?

Morita-san: Upon hearing that it’s been ten years, I thought, “Ten years have already passed since then?!” It doesn’t feel like a lot of time has passed.

Kubo Sensei: I feel the same way as Morita-san.

Morita-san: Even though the anime ended, I still received the opportunity to have had my voice recorded for the mobile game Bleach: Brave Souls. And so, I think that’s why I didn't feel the long span of a decade.

Kubo Sensei: I think the game provided the voice actors a chance to continue voicing the characters, which in turn helps to maintain the connection the actors have to the roles they used to play, as well as their feelings.

Morita-san: Yes, voice-acting for a game ensures that your passion doesn’t decline. The game also helped maintain my connection to our fans that are not only in Japan, but also in Asia, Europe, and America. I am grateful to Klab because they have put a lot of effort into this. Speaking of which, the lines recorded for the game is done with each person’s individual dialogue, whereas in anime recordings, they are actual conversations between characters. In that sense, it’s been a while since us actors have had the chance to engage in a “conversation” together.

Kubo Sensei: Certainly. What you hear in the game are not really actual “conversations.”

Morita-san: That’s right. And that’s also why I was afraid to exchange words in a conversation. But as soon as I heard the other cast member’s voice, I relaxed and responded naturally in my own character’s voice.

Kubo Sensei: That’s amazing. It's like the ears remember, and thus what triggers the voice.

Morita-san: Exactly! That’s exactly what happened. It’s like my ears recall the memories from long time ago.

Interviewer: Please tell us if there’s anything that has or hasn’t changed from ten years ago.

Kubo Sensei: For Thousand-Year Blood War, I’ve been participating in the recording sessions. The returning characters would narrate some of their lines to me and asked for my thoughts like, “What do you think, Sensei?” But most of the time I would just say, “Yup that’s the voice I remember.” As Morita-san said, the VAs remember their tones much more than I do.

Morita-san: But even the veteran VAs were a little worried. Even (Shin-ichiro) Miki-san asked me, “Does this sound like Urahara?”

Kubo Sensei: After episodes 1 and 2 of Thousand-Year Blood War were shown at the advance screening event in September 2022, my family commented that Ichigo’s voice had changed. In my mind, I thought that was interesting because the change in Morita-san’s voice perfectly captured Ichigo’s character growth, so I never sensed any difference. And actually, I didn’t even notice that Morita-san’s voice has changed. But when I asked him, “Has it really changed?” he replied, “It’s completely different. How could you not notice it?” (laughs) But in my opinion, Ichigo in Thousand-Year Blood War is supposed to sound this way, so this is great.

Morita-san: I’m very glad that Kubo-sensei is so satisfied! I am voicing things like “Getsugatensho” in a way I never did before, like for example the “ga” sound. And especially at the end of consonants, where I’m adding a few embellishments. I also slightly raised the volume of my mid-baritone and I tried to slightly increase my range and make it sound stronger. I’ve lengthened the time it takes to pronounce “ge,” “tsu,” and “ga,” in order to give them more weight. But then it's not too noticeable of a change, especially for those who don't look for it. Originally, when I first read BLEACH in Weekly Shonen Jump, I imagined that Ichigo spoke in a voice different from my own.

Kubo Sensei: Is that the same for Rukia’s voice actor, and so on? Like do you have specific VAs in mind?

Morita-san: No, I didn’t because it's more like an idea of how each character would sound. It’s the same for Ichigo too. I have an idea of his voice. And he has grown a lot in Thousand-Year Blood War. So I am trying to achieve an image that fits him now. I am happy that you like it, that means I can sleep comfortably tonight (laughs).

Interviewer: As the general supervisor, Kubo-sensei, and as the lead VA, Morita-san, please tell us about a memorable event that happened during the production of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War?

Kubo Sensei: The thing that was most memorable was that Takayuki Sugo-san, who plays Yhwach, had a hard time memorizing lines in katakana. And after being told how to say them for several times, he said, “Ok, write it in hiragana.” (laughs) He spoke in such a cool voice, so that made it even funnier. (laughs)

Morita-san: Sugo-san never changes, right? That happened during the previous series as well. He asked me, “Ichigo, Ichigo, how do you read this line?” and I said, “It says, Bankai.” Then he was like, “Oh... Got it. Bankai?” But as soon as the recording started, he said something else. (laughs)

Kubo Sensei: Yhwach indeed has plenty of lines in Thousand-Year Blood War, and they are very difficult.

Morita-san: Every time he comes to the studio, he would ask, “Even more lines this time?” So I said to him, “Sugo-san, your character will have the most lines in Thousand-Year Blood War.” And then he replied, “Really? Can’t we do something about that?” (laughs)

Kubo Sensei: (laughs)

Morita-san: A memorable event for me was when we recorded the interactions with Ouetsu Nimaiya. Thousand-Year Blood War is the very first time we see Squad Zero make their appearance. So I got to witness the process of their VAs working to build and develop their characters. Seeing a character gain flesh and blood, and then turn into a full-fledged character right before my eyes was impressive. I thought Squad Zero was so cool.

Kubo Sensei: Squad Zero is great, isn’t it? Sound Director Yukio Nagasaki and Sound Producer Yosuke Morita are the ones in charge of how the voices sound and they were really particular about it. It's no question for Nagasaki-san, but Morita-san’s interpretations are also overflowing with love for the characters.

Morita-san: Well done, Yo-chan. When this interview is published, I think he’s really going to let it go to his head. (laughs)

Kubo Sensei: From the beginning, the cast has been spot on and has a wonderful grasp of their own characters. For example, Daiki Yamashita, who plays Ryunosuke, and Asami Seto, who plays Shino. Their characters don’t appear in many scenes, but due to the excellent work of the VAs, I think their characters have been fleshed out well.

Morita-san: Please, kindly explain more.

Kubo Sensei: It’s difficult to put into words. It’s the same feeling I get when I hear your voice. I didn't know what kind of voice would fit those characters, but then the VAs had a good grasp of them. It was refreshing to have new faces join the show and I thought that was perfect.

Morita-san: I enjoyed my interactions with Renji because it felt like we were bringing back the relationship we’d cultivated over the years. Like with the scenes where he and I are soaking in Kirinji’s hot spring, or we are eating food together. And it was fun to have the opportunity to have a conversation with Kentaro (Renji's VA) in the same booth as there were a lot of separate recordings during the COVID-19 pandemic. And when I noticed that our lines were overlapping, Nagasaki-san said, “Don’t worry about it. Just interact naturally as if he was there.” When we returned, the way Kentaro and I let loose was incredible. (laughs) The refreshing feeling and excitement of new cast joining us for Thousand-Year Blood War is perfectly balanced with the reassuring feeling with the returning cast.

[Original poster: u/scheneizel on Reddit]

#s: Reddit #tybw #bleach tybw #panel interview #interview #tite kubo #masakazu morita #tite kubo x masakazu morita interview

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yazzydream · 7 years ago

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ANIMATION DOCUMENTARIES - a Compilation (1/2)

I’ve been meaning to remake my masterpost on animation documentaries for a while. (Especially since amazon no longer allows us to edit our older listmanias.) I love watching stuff like this, so I figure others would as well! I direct linked as many titles as I could to streams, free or otherwise. Feel free to add to this! (Also, quick prelude since you’re gonna hear it a lot: Any time a Disney documentary says Snow White was the first ever animated feature film is a dirty filthy lie.)

Animation Industry

Anime: Drawing a Revolution (2007)

Between Frames: The Art of Brazilian Animation (2013; website)

The CalArts Story (1964)

[NHK Close-up Gendai] No.3620 逆襲なるか　日本アニメ　～海外輸出・新戦略の行方～ (”The Counterattack of Japanese Anime ~Overseas Export - New Strategy~”) (2015; website)

[NHK Close-up Gendai] No.3171 アニメを旅する若者たち　“聖地巡礼”の舞台裏 (”Young People Traveling for Anime ‘Pilgrimage to the Sacred Place’”) (2012; website)

[NHK Close-up Gendai Plus] ２兆円↑アニメ産業　加速する“ブラック労働” (”2 Trillion Yen ↑ Accelerating Animation Industry ‘Black Labor’”) (2017; website; NHK on how shitty overworked animator wages are.)

Computer Dreams (1988; this is more a showcase of early cgi than a documentary, but it’s interesting to see anyway.)

Creature Designers - The Frankenstein Complex (2016; DVD)

Drawn for Glory: Animation's Triumph at the Oscars (2008; DVD)

Forging the Frame: The Roots of Animation, 1900-1920 (2007; DVD)

Forging the Frame: The Roots of Animation, 1921-1930

Hollywood’s Greatest Trick (2016; website; about the terrible VFX business model.)

I Know That Voice (2013; DVD, website)

Imagine Series 2 Episode 5, “From Pencils to Pixels” (2003; BBC One)

Magia Russica (2004; website; on Soviet Russian animation)

New-generation animators (2016; website)

Weightless Life - Dialogue With Disney (2006; on Russian animation)

Studios

A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman (2015)

Fleischer Studios -

The Evolution of Animation: The History of the Fleischer Studios (2007; DVD)

First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series (2009; DVD)

Max Fleischer and the New York Style (2007)

Out of the Inkwell: The Fleischer Story (2008)

Hanna-Barbera’s 50th: A Yabba Dabba Doo Celebration (1989)

Life After Pi (2014; website; about the collapse of VFX studio Rhythm & Hues.)

Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the impossible (2010)

The Magic of Filmation

Pixar -

Pixar: 25 Magic Moments (2011; by BBC Three)

The Pixar Story (2007, DVD; website)

Walt Disney Studios

Dream On Silly Dreamer (2005; DVD)

From Fantasia to Fantasyland (1978)

The Illusion of Life (1981)

Walt Disney Treasures - Behind the Scenes at the Walt Disney Studio (DVD; A collection of old behind-the-scenes docs and telecasts.)

Walt Disney Treasures - Your Host, Walt Disney (DVD; collection of Walt Disney Presents/The Wonderful World of Color)

Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009; DVD; website)

Warner Bros. -

[Camera Three] The Boys Termite Terrace (1975; DVD)

Irreverent Imagination: The Golden Age of the Looney Tunes (2003; DVD)

Unsung Maestros: A Directors Tribute (2007; DVD)

Anime Studios

Behind The Scenes! Kyoto Animation Making of Kanon

Ghibli: The Miyazaki Temple (2005)

Inside Toei Animation (2008)

Kingdom of Dreams & Madness (2013; DVD; on Studio Ghibli.)

The Story Behind Banjo (2009; DVD; on creating Don Bluth Productions.)

Animators/Artists/Voice Actors Included a few comic artists who’s works are also widely known through animation.

Al Hirschfeld - The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story (1996; DVD; website)

Ami Ankilewitz - 39 Pounds of Love (2005; DVD)

Art Babbit - Animating Art (1988)

Art Chokey - Gumby Dharma (2006)

Bill Pylmpton - Adventures in Plymptoons! (2011; DVD)

Blinky Bill - Blinky and Me (2011; DVD; website)

Bob Clampett - The Man from Wackyland: The Art of Bob Clampett (2004; DVD)

Bob Godfrey - The Craftsmen - Bob Godfrey (1971)

Bruce Bickford - Monster Road (2004; DVD; website)

Charles Schulz -

A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1963; DVD)

[Biography] Charles Schulz: A Charlie Brown Life

Good Grief, Charlie Brown: A Tribute to Charles Schulz (2000)

[American Masters] Good Ol’ Charles Schulz (2007; website)

Chuck Jones -

Chuck Amuck: The Movie (1991; DVD)

Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation (2000; DVD)

Chuck Jones: Memories of Childhood (2009)

Heart and Soul: The Timeless Art of Chuck Jones (2007; DVD)

Eyvind Earle - My Life Eyvind Earle (DVD; autobiographical doc.)

Floyd Norman - Floyd Norman: An Animated Life (2016; website)

Frank Tashlin - Tish Tash: The Animated World of Frank Tashlin (2005; DVD)

Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston - Frank and Ollie (1995; DVD)

Frank Thomas - Growing Up with Nine Old Men (2013; DVD)

Friz Freleng -

Freleng: Frame by Frame (1994; DVD)

Friz on Film (2006; DVD)

Fujiko Fujio - [NHK The Professionals] Episode 214, “プロフェッショナルザ・レジェンド僕は、のび太そのものだった” (”The Legend I Was Nobita Itself”) (2013)

Genndy Tartakovsky - Genndy's Scrapbook: The Story of Genndy Tartakovsky (2005; DVD)

George Pal - Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal (1985; DVD)

Gerry & Sylvia Anderson - Filmed in Supermarionation (2014; DVD; website)

Hayao Miyazaki -

Journey of the Heart (1998)

[NHK Documentary] Owaranai Hito: Miyazaki Hayao (“Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki”) (EN) (2016; website)

[NHK The Professionals] Special, “「風立ちぬ」1000日の記録” (“Windless” A Record of 1000 Days) (2013)

[NHK The Professionals] Special, “引退宣言知られざる物語” (Retirement Announcement Unknown Story) (2013)

John Lasseter - A Day In The Life of John Lasseter (2011)

LeSean Thomas - Seoul Sessions (2012)

Lotte Reiniger -

John Isaacs The Art of Lotte Reiniger (1970)

Lotte Reiniger: Homage to the Inventor of the Silhouette Film (1999)

Lou Scheimer - Animation Maverick: The Lou Scheimer Story (2008)

Mary Blair - The Art of Mary Blair (2005)

Mel Blanc - Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices (2008; DVD)

Naoki Urasawa - [NHK The Professionals] Episode 38, “心のままに、荒野を行け” (Go To the Wilderness With Your Heart) (2007)

Norman McLean - McLaren’s Negatives (2006)

Osamu Tezuka -

The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga (2009; DVD)

Osamu Tezuka Documentary: The Godfather Of Manga

Pablo Ferro - Pablo (2012; DVD)

Peter Ellenshaw - Ellenshaw Under Glass

Quirino Cristiani - The Mystery of the First Animated Movies (2007; website)

Ralph Bakshi -

Forging Through the Darkness (2001; DVD)

Wizards: Ralph Bakshi - The Wizard of Animation (2004)

Ray Harryhausen -

The Harryhausen Chronicles (1998; DVD)

Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (2011; DVD)

Richard Williams -

Richard WIlliams & The Thief Who Never Gave Up (1982)

I Drew Roger Rabbit (1988)

Persistence of Vision (2012; DVD; website)

Robert McKimson - Drawn to Life: The Art of Robert McKimson (2007; DVD)

Ryan Larkin - Ryan (2004; DVD)

Scott T. Petersen - Scott Petersen: Drawn To Animate (2013)

Takehiko Inoue - [NHK The Professionals] Episode 126, “ 闘いの螺旋、いまだ終わらず” (The Battle Spiral, It Has Not Ended Yet) (2009)

Takashi Yanase -

[NHK Close-up Gendai] No.3423 アンパンマンに託した夢　～人間・やなせたかし～ (”The Dream I Entrusted to Anpanman ~Human Takashi Yanase~) (2013; website)

[NHK 知るを楽しむ] 人生の歩き方” - 「正義の味方はカッコ悪い！」やなせたかし (”How to Walk Life” - “The Ally of Justice is Uncool!” Takashi Yanase)

Tex Avery -

Tex Avery, the King of Cartoons (1988)

King Size Comedy: Tex Avery and the Looney Toons Revolution (2012)

Toshio Suzuki - [NHK The Professionals] Episode 10, 自分は信じない人を信じる (”I Trust People Who Do Not Trust Me”) (2006)

Ub Iwerks - The Hand Behind The Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story (1999; DVD)

Tyrus Wong - Tyrus Wong, Brushstrokes in Hollywood (website)

Walt Disney -

[American Experience] Walt Disney (2015; DVD; website; take with a pinch of salt and maybe check out this post.)

Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow: The Futurism of Walt Disney (2016)

Secret Lives Walt Disney (1995; It’s suuper fucked up, but it’s interesting to compare other docs on Walt.)

Walt & El Grupo (2008; DVD; website)

Walt - The Man Behind the Myth (2011; DVD)

Walt Disney (2016; by BBC Two)

Winsor McCay - Remembering Winsor McCay (1974; DVD)

Yoji Kuri - Here We Go with Yoji Kuri! (2008)

Disney Family Album (1984-1986) Doc series on various Disney animators, actors, etc.

No. 1 Clarence "Ducky" Nash

No. 2 Ward Kimball

No. 3 Sherman Brothers

No. 4 Jim Macdonald

No. 5 Milt Kahl

No. 6 Ken Anderson

No. 7 Disneyland Designers

No. 8 Eric Larson

No. 9 Peter and Harrison Ellenshaw

No. 10 Woolie Reitherman

No. 11 Frank Thomas

No. 12 Voice Actors

No. 13 WED Imagineers

No. 14 Golden Horseshoe Revue

No. 15 Ollie Johnston

No. 16 Annette Funicello

No. 17 Marc Davis

No. 18 The Milottes and the Beebes

No. 19 Fess Parker/Buddy Ebsen

No. 20 The Storymen

JUMP Ryu! (ジャンプ流！) (2016; website) A DVD/magazine series that interviews Shonen Jump mangakas and shows their drawing process.

Vol. 1 Akira Toriyama (DVD; Dragon Ball)

Vol. 2 Masashi Kishimoto (DVD; Naruto)

Vol. 3. Eiichiro Oda (DVD; One Piece)

Vol. 4 Tite Kubo (DVD; Bleach)

Vol. 5 Tadatoshi Fujimaki (DVD; Kuroko no Basuke)

Vol. 6 Yusei Matsui (DVD; Assassination Classroom)

Vol. 7 Kōhei Horikoshi (DVD; My Hero Academia)

Vol. 8 Kazuki Takahashi (DVD; Yu-Gi-Oh!)

Vol. 9 Haruichi Furudate (DVD; Haikyu!!)

Vol. 10 Shun Saeki (DVD; Shokugeki no Soma)

Vol. 11 Kentaro Yabuki (DVD; Black Cat, To Love-Ru)

Vol. 12 Nobuhiro Watsuki (Rurouni Kenshin)

Vol. 13 Naoshi Komi (DVD; Nisekoi)

Vol. 14 Masanori Morita (DVD; Rokudenashi Blues)

Vol. 15 Yusuke Murata (DVD; aka ONE artist of One-Punch Man)

Vol. 16 Shimabukuro Years (Toriko)

Vol. 17 Masakazu Katsura (DVD; Video Girl Ai)

Vol. 18 Osamu Akimoto (Kochikame)

Vol. 19 Takeshi Obata (DVD; Death Note)

Vol. 20 Kyosuke Usuta (DVD; Pyu to Fuku! Jaguar)

Vol. 21 Yoshihiro Togashi (Hunter X Hunter)

Vol. 22 Hiroyuki Asada (DVD; Tegami Bachi)

Vol. 23 Sorachi Hideaki (Gintama)

Vol. 24 Kazue Kato (Ao no Exorcist)

Vol. 25 Hirohiko Araki (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure)

Musicians

Raymond Scott - Deconstructing Dad (2010; DVD; website)

Robert & Richard Sherman - The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story (2009; DVD; website)

Saori Yuki - [NHK Close-up Gendai] No.3162 世界を魅了する日本の歌謡曲　～由紀さおり　ヒットの秘密～ (”Popular Japanese Songs That Fascinate the World ~Saori Yuki’s Hit Secret~”) (2012; website)

Treg Brown - Crash! Bang! Boom!: The Wild Sounds of Treg Brown (2004; DVD)

(Continue to Part 2)

#animation #documentaries #masterpost #disney #looney tunes #fleischer studios #anime #animation documentaries #long post #let's try to be more bloggy shall we #animation docs

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love22-us · 7 years ago

Photo

First of all I want to tell you something curious about this photo. This image came to my mind, not today, not yesterday, much less after the end of Bleach. This image has been in my mind since about 2 years ago (And yes, the IchiRuki was included). I think the majority at some point we came to think that Kubo did not like couples, and this not only because he said it in its form, but for the fact that the few canon couples that were at that time separated them killing ( the). And now speaking we see that some of them did not have their "Happy Ending", I think many of us are looking forward to it ... And about the IR ... I do not know how to explain it, maybe it was a feeling: v I do not know, in fact when I thought that they would not be together I saw it as a way, not impossible, but also with the idea of how they ended up in the end. I saw the end of Bleach ending in a heroic way. If I thought of an ending with IR my mind could not create images with children or even a wedding. Even though I shippeo with all my soul my thoughts were realistic, and maybe that's why in a part of my wise the odds of them ending up or not together. (Applies for all couples) And well, in the end it was neither one nor the other, Kubo finished the manga in a way that I did not recognize. My thoughts as well as his words and ties that I believe went to hell. Uwu

[About the image] I delayed a bit in choosing the couples that should be here (You know, some have their own looser harem), and I'm not quite convinced, but I'll leave you a brief explanation of each one.

>>> Urahara and Yoruichi <<< They make a good couple and not only as lovers but as a team, the trust between them is so great that it's worth a damn to break the rules if it is to lean on each other. Each has a personality that makes good combination (Something like another IR). I wanted to also put Soi Fong x Yoruichi, in an interview Kubo said that he intentionally put his relationship on purpose. I still like to see the cat next to Urahara. (Sorry Soi Fon).

>>> Isshin and Masaki <<< Origos compare this pair for the physical, however we do for the story. In this we can realize that a Shinigami and a human can be together despite their different races. The flashback of this relationship captivates us a lot, but the saddest thing is to remember that Masaki sacrificed himself to save his son, no matter that she had to die.

>>> Byakuya and Hisana <<< Although we did not know how it was that the two of them met and related, it is missing to see this moment where the cold and serious captain who shows himself to be Byakuya, is bent for the simple fact of seeing his wife telling him his last words. Again death triumphs here.

>>> Ishida and Nemu <<< This couple put it more than anything by filling, although his shipp was based on appearing a couple of scenes from the SS saga. Even so, if "their relationship would have advanced" would be impossible, since Nemu is now a loli and Ishida would have a very big problem with the UN alv. : B [The Best Explanation Ever Of Life]

>>> Unohana and Kempachi <<< While I wanted to put Unohana x Isane, but I did not find (Or maybe not look good) An image of them two together in the manga. U-u was only when she started to cry. V Now let's talk about this couple. He started and ended the fight they had in this last saga of the manga. We did not find out that she was the first Kempachi and that the only fight with which she enjoyed much to the point of showing her maximum power is and was with Zaraki. That made him a rival, however, but also something special. And even if it sounds joking you could say that it is a Kempachi style relationship. Another thing I must add is that Zaraki's "Do not Die" came to the kokoro. V

>>> Ryuken and Katagiri <<< Ryuken loved Masaki, but for that very reason he decided to make her happy, and I leave it to the side of the Shinigami. (Isshin uwu) and Katagiri was like the servant but also a Quincy, she helped to protect the Quincys, especially to Ryuken who over time was developing feelings and although it sounds ugly I think Katagiri was like the second table plate: 'They do not explain how they got together, but after' letting go 'Masaki tells us that he married her and they had Isshida. For that fact I do not like this couple, but add it since like some mentioned above are no longer together. She fainted and died months later that by something active Yhwach. (I.e.

>>> Gin and Matsumoto <<< I will skip this part as we know how it ends. I'll just say it's a couple who could have been happy. Although Rangiku is a bit crazy.

>>> Hirako and Hiyori <<< These idiots argued every so often, but in spite of that they care about each other. Unfortunately their relationship did not expand further. Diran, Bleach is not a Shojo but

>>> Kaien and Miyako <<< We do not know how their relationship began, but if we could see how much they loved each other, it was very sad to see that we both had the fate to die. But at least we can say they were happy.

>>> Ichigo and Rukia <<< Simply the best couple in Bleach, in many ways. Unlike those mentioned above, this is certainly the great exception. They during the history had a great development, we were able to see many of its aspects. To see them sad when one went away from the other, to argue for nonsense, to worry about whether the other was not right, both relied on difficult situations and showed that there is still much to fight. They did not care if they died to save the other's life. Never, NEVER hesitated in that aspect. Kubo formed bonds between them that can not be broken even if they stay with other couples and have children with them. They will remain the same. And even though they are not even now, they still are. (I do not know if you understand me) I can complete the sentence that I did not tell you then, and that I still do not talk about it. If Tite Kubo, Masakazu Morita and Fumiko Orikasa, could not define the relationship of Ichigo and Rukia, they think that I will be accepting that an Origo speaks of them as a simple friendship. He has! Do not be pathetic.

And now that my image has been made after so long, I will only say: Now, yes, I can die in peace. XD (Not yet, I still lack many more things)

#This image was made by a partner of the couples who may have been

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turnbackthependulum · 1 year ago

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(Apparently Viz already translated the FULL interview, and I'm late to post this so here it is!)

BLEACH’s manga creator, Kubo-sensei, and Ichigo’s Japanese VA, Morita-san, discuss the series’ momentous return! Source: Viz Media (April 10, 2023)

Interviewer: What was your response when it was decided that BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War was going to be animated ten years after the last series had ended?

Morita-san: Upon hearing that it’s been ten years, I thought, “Ten years have already passed since the last series?!” It doesn’t feel like that much time has passed.

Kubo-sensei: I feel the same way as Morita-san.

Morita-san: Since the anime ended, I’ve continued to have the opportunity to record new lines for the mobile game Bleach: Brave Souls. I think that’s why I haven’t felt the ten years passing by.

Kubo-sensei: I’m sure having the chance to continue voicing the same character, like for a game, helps maintain the connection a voice actor has to (both) their feelings and image of their role.

Morita-san: That’s right. Doing a voice for a game ensures your passion doesn’t decline. And with regards to Brave Souls, it also maintained my connection to our fans. I stayed connected to fans not only in Japan, but also in Asia, Europe, and America. I think KLab has put a lot of effort into this, and I am thankful to them. That being said, lines recorded for games are usually self-contained dialogue. But for anime recordings, they are actual conversations between characters. In that sense, it’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to engage in a “conversation” with the other BLEACH cast members.

Kubo-sensei: That’s true. What you hear in mobile games are not actual “conversations.”

Morita-san: That’s right. I was a little scared to exchange words in a conversation, but once I heard my castmate’s voice, I was able to respond in my own character’s voice. That sort of phenomenon happened.

Kubo-sensei: That’s amazing. The ears remember, and that triggers the voice.

Morita-san: That’s exactly it! It’s like my ears remember.

Interviewer: Please tell us if there’s anything that has changed or hasn’t changed from ten years ago.

Kubo-sensei: For Thousand-Year Blood War, I’ve been joining the recording sessions through remote calls. For the returning characters, I’d be asked to listen to a couple of their lines and give them my thoughts. But most of the time it’s me just going off, saying, “Yes, that’s the voice I remember.” As Morita-san mentioned, the VAs remember their voices a lot better than me.

Morita-san: But even the veteran VAs were a little worried about getting things right. Even (Shin-ichiro) Miki-san asked me if he got the voice of Urahara right.

Kubo-sensei: My family commented that Ichigo’s voice had changed after watching episodes one and two of Thousand-Year Blood War at the advance screening event back in September 2022. I thought that was interesting because to me, the change in Morita-san’s voice perfectly captured Ichigo’s growth as a character, so it sounded fine to me. In fact, I didn’t even notice that Morita-san changed his voice. So when I questioned my family if it really was that different, they said, “It’s completely different. How could you not notice it?” (laughs) But if you ask me, Ichigo in Thousand-Year Blood War is supposed to sound this way.

Morita-san: I’m so happy to hear that! To go more into detail, I’m taking a different approach to the way I deliver my lines. For example, “Getsugatensho.” Like the sound of the “ga” in “Getsugatensho,” or adding variety to the sounds I couldn’t make before. Especially at the end of consonants, where I’m adding a few embellishments. Also, I slightly increased the volume of my mid-baritone. I tried to slightly increase my range and make it reverberate a little more. I’ve lengthened the time it takes to pronounce “ge,” “tsu,” and “ga,” and tried to make them linger a little to give them more weight. But it’s a really unnoticeable change to those who aren’t looking for it. Originally, when I first read the BLEACH series in Weekly Shonen Jump, Ichigo spoke with a voice different from my own in my head.

Kubo-sensei: Do you mean you had specific VAs in mind for the voices of Ichigo and Rukia?

Morita-san: No, I didn’t have any specific VA voices in mind. It was more like an idea of how each character would sound. And that goes for Ichigo too. I have an idea of his voice. I’m always trying to get closer to that, and ten years since the previous series, I feel I can finally get close to it. I’m using slight inflections I never used before for Ichigo’s voice in Thousand-Year Blood War, so I’m glad to hear Kubo Sensei say he thought it matched his idea of a more mature Ichigo. I’ll sleep soundly tonight. (laughs)

Interviewer: As the general supervisor and as a lead VA, can you tell us a memorable event that happened during the production of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War?

Kubo-sensei: The thing that was most memorable was that Takayuki Sugo, who plays Yhwach, had a hard time memorizing lines written in katakana. After being told how to say them several times, he said, “All right, I’ll write it out in hiragana.” (laughs) He said it in a really cool voice, so that made it even funnier. (laughs)

Morita-san: Sugo-san never changes, does he? That happened during the previous series as well. While in the booth, he asked me, “Ichigo, Ichigo, how do you read this line?” and I said, “It says Bankai.” Then he said, “All right, got it. It’s Bankai.” But once we started recording, he said something else. (laughs)

Kubo-sensei: Not to mention Yhwach has a lot of lines in Thousand-Year Blood War, with many of them containing complex terms.

Morita-san: Every time he comes to the studio, he would say, “We’ve got so many lines again.” So I told him, “Sugo-san, your character will have the most lines in Thousand-Year Blood War.” To which he said, “Really? Isn’t there anything you can do about that?” (laughs)

Kubo-sensei: (laughs)

Morita-san: A memorable event for me was when we were recording Ichigo’s interaction with Oh-Etsu Nimaiya. Thousand-Year Blood War marks the first on-screen appearance of Squad Zero. So I got to see right before my eyes the process of their VAs working to build and develop their characters. I should be quite familiar with this, but I thought it was memorable. Seeing a character gain flesh and blood and forming into a full-fledged character right before my eyes was quite amazing. I thought Squad Zero was so cool.

Kubo-sensei: Squad Zero is great, isn’t it? Sound Director Yukio Nagasaki and Sound Producer Yosuke Morita are the main people in charge of how the voices sound and they’re quite particular about it. With Nagasaki-san, it goes without saying, but Morita-san’s interpretations are also overflowing with love for the characters.

Morita-san: I see! Well done, Yo-chan. When this interview is published, I think he’s really going to let it go to his head. (laughs) Since he and I share the same last name, we call each other “Yo-chan” and “Masakazu-san.”

Kubo-sensei: From the beginning, every cast member has been spot on and has an incredible grasp of the characters. Take for example, Daiki Yamashita, who plays Ryunosuke, and Asami Seto, who plays Shino. Their characters don’t appear very much in the original manga, but I think they’ve been fleshed out thanks to these VAs.

Morita-san: What sort of things gave you that impression?

Kubo-sensei: It’s difficult to put into words. It’s the impression I get from hearing their voices. I personally had no idea what voices would fit them since I didn’t really come up with many backstories for these characters. But the VAs had a good grasp of their characters. It was also refreshing to have new faces join the show. So I thought all of that was really great.

Morita-san: Whereas I enjoyed my interactions with Renji because it felt like we were bringing back the relationship we’d cultivated over the years. Like with the scenes where he and I are soaking in Kirinji’s hot spring, or we are eating food together. Due to the COVID pandemic, it is becoming more common for VAs to record shows separately. So it was fun to have the opportunity to play against each other in the same booth. And when I noticed that our lines were overlapping, Nagasaki-san said, “Don’t worry about it. Just interact the way you feel is most natural.” The way Renji Abarai’s VA, Ito Kentaro, and I let loose afterwards was incredible. (laughs) The refreshing feeling and excitement of new cast members joining us for Thousand-Year Blood War was nicely balanced with the reassuring feeling of cast members who had been working with us thus far.

-> The excitement builds up! Discover their fate in Part 2!

Interviewer: In the spirit of BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War, please tell us of any “fateful events” or “battles” that you’ve recently experienced or seen.

Morita-san: “Fateful events” or “battles,” huh? Kubo Sensei, your work involves having to come up with stories in your head and then put them onto paper, correct? Would you describe that as a battle with yourself?

Kubo-sensei: That’s true. I do this by myself.

Morita-san: Do you ever “battle” with your editors?

Kubo-sensei: No, my editors are people who provide support to get me motivated. So in my case, I don’t have to “battle” with my editors, so to speak.

Morita-san: The same goes for being an actor. It is a battle with yourself. As for “fateful event”? What would be a “fateful event”? I wonder why we were asked such a difficult question. I now have a “fateful” grudge against the interviewer. (laughs) By the way, I’m currently attending a vocational school to learn how to do narration.

Kubo-sensei: Really? Is this a school for becoming a narrator?

Morita-san: That’s right. I’m learning ways of speaking and looking at things that are slightly different from those of a VA. Narrators interpret words differently. So when I’m given a manuscript for narration work, sometimes it’s hard to know just how the words should sound. In a play, you find a cue and use it as a lead-in, so you know the course of action. But with narration, I find it hard because I don’t have the necessary skills to draw from. That’s what I’m trying to learn right now. By studying narration, I’m learning new information, I’m acquiring new wisdom, and I’m developing a new eye for things. And in the end, make use of it in the field of acting. I’ve had this feeling that the current “Masakazu Morita” alone would not be enough to play the part of Ichigo Kurosaki until the very end of this series. I felt that I needed to add another new layer to my identity. I’m hoping that this is the nourishment needed to help broaden my range as Ichigo Kurosaki.

Kubo-sensei: Indeed, narrating is a job where you have to vocally express something where there are no characters or story.

Morita-san: You truly have no one but yourself to rely on. The color and tone you start off with becomes the basis for the rest of the narration. Naturally, Kubo Sensei created the BLEACH series and the character Ichigo Kurosaki, but when I add my voice, I add my own interpretation of Ichigo Kurosaki. If I had an identity that would allow me to inject my personal brand while respecting Kubo Sensei’s vision, I think I could continue doing this until the end. Rather than continue to chase after Kubo Sensei’s Ichigo Kurosaki, I must reach the end with Ichigo. That is the battle I’m fighting against myself and that is my “fate.” Hope this makes sense. (laughs)

Kubo-sensei: How do I follow Morita-san’s great brush with “fate”? (laughs)

Morita-san: No, please do! (laughs) Kubo Sensei, where do you go to think of ideas?

Kubo-sensei: I don’t go to a specific place to think. If I think of something, I make a note of it. It happens while I’m talking to people or even doing completely unrelated activities. For example, while watching a movie, I might suddenly hear a word, or a word will pop into my head. I’ll look it up and expand upon it. I think of it as kind of like an association game.

Interviewer: So you don’t seek out ideas, but rather, you get ideas from things you happen to see?

Kubo-sensei: That’s right. I even get ideas from things that are completely unrelated.

Morita-san: About the character introduction pages that were at the end of the first couple of manga volumes… How did you decide on the character image songs that are listed there?

Kubo-sensei: Some of them are songs I was listening to when I came up with the characters, and others are songs that were playing in my head as I was thinking up character details. And some are songs that I imagined were playing in the background as I was thinking about their past. That’s why they’re so inconsistent with each character.

Morita-san: So are there songs that play in your head even if you don’t listen to the music?

Kubo-sensei: There are. In fact, I think it’s less common for me to get it from listening to actual music. Or rather, I hardly ever do that. The songs I do like and often listen to automatically play in my head. So when I’m drawing characters, or when I’m thinking up action scenes, there are songs playing in my head. Once I decide on the character’s theme song, playing them makes it easier to draw a story where that character is the main focus.

Morita-san: I see. I suppose that’s why in BLEACH and BURN THE WITCH, it feels as if your drawings have a rhythm or a melody.

Kubo-sensei: Thank you very much.

Morita-san: That’s where you begin your thought process, right?

Kubo-sensei: If you think that there’s a rhythm, it might be true. When I draw, I have a vague image of it in my head. I visualize stopping the camera at a certain point or moving the camera around at a certain place. I hope that my readers can get a sense of what I see.

Morita-san: So when you draw manga, it plays like a video in your head?

Kubo-sensei: Yes, it does. As it’s playing, I try to frame scene changes and prominent scenes. That’s how I imagine it.

Morita-san: Do all manga artists think like that?

Editor: No, I don’t think so. I don’t think there are many people who can do that. (laughs) In the past, we asked Kubo Sensei to answer an interview for an article directed at new Weekly Shonen Jump manga artists. When asked, “What is your process for drawing?” he responded with, “I play a video in my head and pause it at the coolest moments.” In the editorial office, we were saying, “That’s not doable for someone other than Kubo Sensei.” We decided on, “It’s very interesting, but not very helpful.” (laughs)

Morita-san: I guess this means that Kubo Sensei understands camera work.

Kubo-sensei: I don’t understand it, but I kind of have a feel for it. This has turned into something completely unrelated to “fate.” (laughs)

Morita-san: Not at all. You’ve formed a “fateful” connection with the interviewer who asked you that question and with the new manga artists who will read the article. (laughs)

Interviewer: What do you use to inspire your work and give you ideas?

Kubo-sensei: I do use a lot of music. I like music by itself, but I’ve always liked things like promotional videos and the openings of anime. When I was little, I loved the openings so much that I would only watch the opening of an anime and spend the rest of the time drawing without watching the actual episode. (laughs) When I was little, I was the sort of kid who was always carrying a sketchbook.

Morita-san: Did you draw pictures of the anime you were watching?

Kubo-sensei: No, something completely unrelated.

Interviewer: You were drawing as you listened to what was happening in the anime?

Kubo-sensei: I could follow the story, so I was probably listening.

Morita-san: What kind of pictures did you draw?

Kubo-sensei: When I was really little, I drew things like dinosaurs and insects. I moved on from that, and for a while, I was fixated on drawing a lot of wrists on my drawing paper. And so, when I looked at my childhood notebook years later as an adult, I was creeped out by it and thought, “I’m surprised my parents didn’t try to consult someone about this.” (laughs)

Morita-san: That’s true. That would be a bit concerning. (laughs)

Kubo-sensei: If a kindergarten child was only drawing wrists, I would be concerned.

Morita-san: You really are a unique type of individual. (laughs) Normally, once you’ve moved on from drawing dinosaurs or insects, you’d draw manga characters. They wouldn’t go to wrists. (laughs)

Interviewer: Morita, what kind of child were you at that age?

Morita-san: I was the complete opposite of how I am now. I would cry every day. I would go to the pickup location to catch the bus to take me to kindergarten. I’d be happy for a while, but when I saw the bus, I’d cling to the wall and cry, “I don’t want to go.” So I was the child who was always crying in the corner of the classroom from the moment he arrived at kindergarten.

Kubo-sensei: What didn’t you like? Did you dislike being around so many people? Did you dislike being with people aside from family?

Morita-san: I was probably afraid because I was shy. So one day, my grandma stopped by at my kindergarten to see me on her way back from visiting my family. The kindergarten teacher said, “Your grandma is here now,” so I went to see her and my grandma asked, “Masakazu, are those kids behind you your friends?” Since a stranger had come to the kindergarten, everyone came to have a look. Of course, I didn’t have any friends, since I was shy and always crying. But despite my childish mind, I felt I shouldn’t make my grandma worry, so I told her, “Yeah, they are.” I felt that I needed to make what I told her into the truth. So after that day, I worked hard and gradually changed.

Kubo-sensei: That’s amazing. You were a dedicated child. And what a great story. (laughs)

Morita-san: One of the kindergarten teachers back then asked some older kids to play with me during break time. I started hanging out with them and learned to do a backward flip on a bar. As a result, I grew to like monkey bars and gradually gained even more friends. At the time, the TV series Kamen Rider was popular, so we’d pretend to be Kamen Riders in the schoolyard until the school bus came. I pretended to be Kamen Rider V3, and right when I stood on the monkey bars to strike my “transformation” pose, the setting sun shone on me like a spotlight. That’s what inspired me to want to become a superhero. (laughs)

Kubo-sensei: This is turning into an interview with someone who became a superhero. (laughs)

Morita-san: By the way, Kubo Sensei, who do you consider to be your hero?

Kubo-sensei: GeGeGe no Kitaro and Saint Seiya are my favorites. But they’re not quite heroes… What is a hero? I’ve never thought of Ichigo as a hero, either. (laughs)

Interviewer: With regard to your work, do you have a routine? If you do, please tell us about it.

Morita-san: After I read through a script, I look at the rehearsal video and mark up the lines in the script. I know it’s time-consuming, but it gets results and doesn’t use up the actual recording time. Also, I always make a fold at page 17 of my scripts. When I do that, it becomes easier to flip through any script.

Kubo-sensei: Is that roughly the middle?

Morita-san: With anime, it’s slightly before the middle. But even with foreign movies, it becomes easier to flip through with those folds. The way my fingers grasp onto the spine is the result of extensive research. (laughs)

Kubo-sensei: Those aspiring to become VAs, be sure to fold the 17th page. (laughs) I don’t have any routines. I believe there was a time when routines were quite popular, so I thought it would be cool to have some sort of routine of my own, but I couldn’t come up with anything. (laughs) With regard to things I do all the time, one example is that when I draw a storyboard, I draw a little and let some time pass. Back when I was working on a weekly series, I started by drawing the first three pages and then let it sit for a day. Ever since I finished doing a weekly series, I draw about five pages to move the story forward and let it sit for a month. I just live my normal life and draw when I come up with something.

Morita-san: Do you end up changing the plot from what you originally had a month ago?

Kubo-sensei: When I start, I don’t have an actual plot yet. I just want to start the story with certain words, and once I’ve decided on the opening lines, I don’t do anything with it for a month.

Morita-san: Does that mean you need time to let it mature?

Kubo-sensei: That’s right. It’s easier to draw after letting some time pass. It’s not a routine, but that’s the way I draw.

Interviewer: Please tell us something you’re excited about or want us to pay attention to in Part 2.

Morita-san: I just learned the other day how far Part 2 is going to cover, which left me a bit shocked and light-headed. (laughs) I’m trying not to let my knowledge of what’s going to happen in the story affect my performance on Thousand-Year Blood War. I think that how I react whenever something is placed in front of me is important. I feel that I need to take an honest look at it, without letting myself be swayed by my own arbitrary opinions. Kubo Sensei, Director Taguchi, and the entire staff are putting a lot of thought into this production. And as VAs, I believe our job is to understand the intent behind their work so we can give our best performance. And I’d like to continue to do that. I would like to follow through with that regardless of it being Part 2, 3, or 4.

Kubo-sensei: In Part 2, there is a new battle that isn’t in the original manga. I wasn’t able to draw a battle between two certain characters. So when the anime production team said, “We want this character to fight around this time,” I decided to revisit that idea by providing them with some drawings and names of the characters.

Morita-san: Did you draw it in manga style?

Kubo-sensei: I didn’t split it into panels, but I drew about five or six pages of illustrations to show how they would move, how they would transition and how they would fight. I think they’ll probably do a good job on it.

Morita-san: Are you serious?! I’m looking forward to that! Fans have been asking, “It’s split into four parts, but will Thousand-Year Blood War end after the fourth part?” But you’re saying there’s also going to be a new battle being inserted in-between.

Kubo-sensei: In Part 1, there were several additional scenes, but no new battles.

Morita-san: I’m really looking forward to this!