Seiyuu Spotlight: JUN Fukuyama

It’s time for our next Seiyuu Spotlight, and today’s post is all about Jun Fukuyama. Jun was born on November 11th, 1978, and first started working in the voice industry at the tender young age of twenty. Since then, his career has simply exploded. His voice is suitable for a variety of characters, as you will see in a second, and there is a good chance you will recognise at least one of them below. Jun’s tremendous effort and incredible ability has not gone unnoticed, and he has been winning voice acting awards consistently since 2006. Let’s dive in to the characters that Jun has bought to life.

(Clockwise, from top left) Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass), Koro-sensei (Assassination Classroom), Lawrence (Spice and Wolf),  Yukio Okumura (Blue Exorcist)

We’ll start with the four big roles that Jun is most famous for voicing. The most obvious one, of course, is the calculating, intelligent, and complicated Lelouch Lamperouge from the Code Geass Series. I really love Lelouch’s character; the way he acts as a stoic but kind school boy in front of his friends, but the ruthless and cold Zero when trying to change the world. He’s certainly a difficult character to play, but Jun pulls it off without a problem! The next well-known character would probably be Koro-sensei from Ansatsu Kyoushitsu (Assassination Classroom). Although I’m yet to see this series, I have been able to tell from others’ reviews that Koro-sensei is another difficult character to voice; although he’s very smart, he can switch from being crazy and jovial to serious in a second. Next, and moving onto characters that are more stable in their characterisations, is Ao No Exorcist’s (Blue Exorcist’s) Yukio Okumura. Resident worry-wart, Yukio is also one of the series’ more intelligent and calm characters, although he is shown at times to be on the manipulative side as well. Finally, and keeping with the serious and mature tone set by Yukio, is Kraft Lawrence from Spice and Wolf. Just like Yukio, Lawrence is calm and mature.

(Clockwise, from top left): Liberta (Arcana Famiglia), Keeichi Shimizu (La Corda d’Oro), Hakuren Oak (07 Ghost), Hanabusa Aido (Vampire Knight).

With his most famous roles out of the way, let’s take a look at some of Jun’s other roles. We can see from his castings as Lelouch and Yukio that Jun isn’t a stranger to voicing good-looking young men, and many of his other roles reflect this. In Arcana Famiglia, he lends his voice to the energetic, caring, and childish Liberta. In La Corda d’Oro, it’s the quiet, sweet, drowsy Keiichi Shimizu. In 07 Ghost Jun voices Hakuren Oak, who’s proud, thoughtful, and diplomatic, but also a little bit arrogant. Finally, in Vampire Knight, it’s the charismatic, flirty Hanabusa Aido that Jun voices. That’s a bunch of good-looking guys, a whole lot of blondes, and some very different personalities!

(TOP L-R)): Kimihiro Watanuki (xxxHOLIC), Alber de Morcerf (Gankutsuou). (BOTTOM L-R): Misaki Yata (K), Grell Sutcliff (Black Butler), Panda (Shirokuma Cafe)

Jun also seems to have a knack for covering loud and less-mature characters. For example, xxxHOLIC’s Kimihiro Watanuki starts off in the series as childish and loud, although he does show later character development. Albert de Morcerf, from Gankutsuou, is another character who is more on the rash side, naive side. However, these two are really nothing compared to Misaki Yata from the K series, and Grell Sutcliff from the Black Butler series. Both are quite loud and blunt, but Yata tends to be more brash and rude, while Grell is over-the-top and flamboyant. Jun also lends his voice to Panda from the Shirokuma (Polar Bear’s) Cafe series. In true teenager fashion, Panda is lazy and obnoxious.

(TOP L-R): Souta Takanashi (Working!!), Ichimatsu (Osomatsu-kun). (BOTTOM L-R): Shinra Kishitani (Durarara!!), Zheng Ying (Kingdom), Cassim (Magi).

So far, Jun’s characters have been relatively kind and warm, but he also lends his voice to some more cold and aloof characters. These include characters such as Souta Takanashi from Working!!, Shinra Kishitani from Durarara!!, Ichimatsu from Osomatsu-kun, Zheng Ying from Kingdom, and Cassim from Magi. Although some of these characters may show warmth towards their friends, their initial impressions suggest that they are cold, serious, and often quite calculating.

(L-R) Makoto Hanamiya (Kuroko No Basket), Rokuro Bundo (Deadman Wonderland).

Finally, although not too often, Jun occasionally lends his voice to the more unlikeable characters in the anime universe. These include the sadistic Makoto Hanamiya from the Kuroko No Basket series, and the sly Rokuro Bundo, from Deadman Wonderland. These two are a far cry from the kind and attractive men we were looking at not too long ago!

As you can see, Jun is clearly an important voice artist in the anime world, responsible for so many characters! I’m amazed at how well he changes his voice to suit each character, giving him the ability to voice a huge variety of personalities. Somehow, in what I’m sure is a very hectic schedule, Jun also does dubbing work, voices characters in video games, and is even a singer! He often sings OPs or EDs for the anime he’s working on, but he also has a solo career. I hope that Jun continues strong for many years to come, as his voice is one of the best in anime!

-S

Seiyuu Spotlight: SHIRATORI Tetsu

I’ve already looked at one seiyuu who is known for his distinct voice (see here), and for this post I decided to focus on another one; Shiratori Tetsu. No doubt if you recognise any of the character names listed below, you will immediately think of Shiratori’s nasally, often whiny voice.

Unfortunately I can’t find too much on Shiratori, unlike other seiyuu I’ve covered so far. He was born in Tokyo on March 21st, 1972, and started his voice acting career in 1998. Since then he’s done about 20 roles, although the profile on his website also states that he’s worked as an actor, director, and producer.

Shiratori hasn’t yet been cast in any major roles. He has voiced the main character in a couple of small series, none of which I’ve heard of, and hasn’t made an appearance in the Big 3, or really any other well-known anime… except for the few I’m about to mention.

(L-R) Lloyd Asplun (Code Geass series); Zancrow (Fairy Tail); Kain Fuery (FMA);Gluttony (FMAB)

I know Shiratori from his very distinct voice in the following roles; Lloyd Asplund from Code Geass, Zancrow from Fairy Tail, Kain Fuery from Fullmetal Alchemist, and Gluttony from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. I think this makes him one of the few seiyuu to appear in both versions of FMA, although I find it pretty interesting that he doesn’t reprise the same role. What these couple of roles have taught me is that Shiratori must be pretty talented, as the characters are quite different! Lloyd, although very intelligent, is childish, whiny, and cowardly. Zancrow is short-tempered and viciously sadistic. He is also very cocky and likes to mock his opponents. Kain, although a small role, is shown to be very intelligent, but far more capable than Lloyd. He is also brave and level-headed. Finally, we have Gluttony, who I’m still convinced only really posses a shell of a personality. He’s docile and simple, largely driven by his hunger for humans or the commands of Lust. He is childlike with only a very basic level of intelligence.

The fact that Shiratori can voice such starkly different characters very well suggests to me that he is underappreciated and underutilised in the seiyuu world. Even if he doesn’t catch a break as a main character in a major production, I still hope Shiratori thrives in voice acting. I will constantly be on a look out (listen out?) for his nasal tones!

-S

 

 

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion [Anime]: Unpredictable, intense and addictive

I decided to review the action/military anime Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2006-2007). This is the first of the two Code Geass series, and is 25 episodes long.

What’s it about?

Set in the future of an alternate history, Japan has been conquered by the superpower Britannia, and renamed “Area 11”, with all traces of Japanese culture effectively erased. Due to the murder of his mother, Lelouch Lamperouge is an exiled Britannian prince living in Area 11 with his younger sister, Nunnally. After a series of events involving terrorists fighting to free Japan, Lelouch comes in contact with the strange woman C.C. who grants him the power of Geass; the power to command others to do his bidding. With this power, Lelouch is determined to find the person who killed his mother, overthrow his father, the Emperor of Britannia, and create a new, safe world for Nunnally. However, further complicating this task is Britannia’s military use of fighting robots known as “Knightmare Frames” and the re-appearance of Lelouch’s former best friend, Suzaku Kururugi.

The Positives

The plot of this anime is explosive, addictive, and unpredictable. It’s fast paced and almost every episode ends in some kind of “Ah what is going to happen now?” moment. From episode 22 onwards, the anime is brilliant in its nail-biting conclusion, setting the scene nicely for the second series. There are a number of laughs thrown in along the way, as well as a couple of sad moments. There is plenty of action and it is executed well in terms of art and intensity. What I really liked is the fact that this anime did not back down when it came to covering the gruesome acts of war and the way it affects people, both in Lelouch’s actions as part of the rebellion, and in the flashbacks to when Japan was first conquered. I also found this anime pretty realistic in terms of presenting all of the different groups that had vested interests in Lelouch’s rebellion (e.g. the Britannian royal family, the Black Knights, and the Chinese Federation, just to name a few), and also did a great job in depicting the games of cat and mouse, use of tactics, and problems associated with secret identities.

One of the things that I really liked about Code Geass was the two male leads; Lelouch and Suzaku. Standing alone, both characters are quite brilliant. Lelouch is dramatic, flamboyant, and over-the-top, to the point where I was making comparisons to Ouran High’s Tamaki and Fruit Basket’s Ayame (thankfully Lelouch is down to earth not so insanely energetic). At the same time, however, Lelouch is an intellectual and strategist to the nth degree, and is not afraid to become the ‘bad guy’ to get what he wants. At first glance, Suzaku is your standard hero. He’s brave, athletic, loyal, etc. But Suzaku is more complex than that, and his need to play a hero stems from a dark past. Separately, Lelouch and Suzaku are strong characters, but the relationship between the two is also very important. Their relationship involves many different layers, building up from their first meeting as kids, and often puts Lelouch in complicated positions. The friendship (?) between Lelouch and Suzaku is also an ideological battle-field as both characters want to change the world, but take different paths in their effort to do so. Finally, it’s nice to see is the transformation of the two characters and their relationship throughout the series.

A difficult future is ahead for these kiddies…

Whilst the soundtrack throughout the series is good, I wasn’t particularly impressed by the opening or ending songs, with the exception of “Hero Youth Song” by Ali Project (first ending song).

The Negatives

Firstly… the art. I just found the chins too pointy and the eyes too weirdly shaped. Also… does no one in this anime eat?! I was ready to call an intervention. Everyone is also impossibly tall. Another thing that I didn’t like about the art was some of the clothes that the characters wear… some looked great, but the clothes that the pilots wore looked pretty horrid.

IS THERE NO FOOD IN THIS ANIME?!

Now, earlier I mentioned that the unpredictability of the plot was a big plus for this anime. Well, hand-in-hand with this unpredictability comes a bit of confusion. When the plot is focused it’s great, well-written and surprising. However, there are times when the story is a bit jumpy, which left me feeling a bit confused. This is particularly the case with characters who don’t get a lot of screen time in general, as well as when exploring the intentions and interests of the different groups that are involved in the politics of the anime.

Sometimes the plot is stretched a little bit in terms of believability. For example, the one that ticks me off the most is Lelouch’s “joke” to his half-sister Princess Euphemia in episode 22 that leads to the climax of the plot. I remember sitting there thinking “there has to be a better way to get this plot moving in that direction”.

Finally, a note on a couple of the characters. Some that you see frequently and play an important role are actually pretty bland; Shirley, one of Lelouch’s school-friends, being the main offender. In fact, almost all of the school members are stereotypical and boring.

Anything else I should consider?

If you’re sitting there thinking this sounds like a great anime, but are put off by the idea of giant fighting robots, you might want to read this. I’m not particularly into mecha myself, and avoided watching this anime for a while. However, the Knightmares play an important role in the action scenes; they allow a faster pace compared to using tanks and soldiers, and they also allow a lot more ‘peaceful’ violence (e.g. instead of a person’s arm being cut of, a robot’s arm is). Take the time to enjoy the visuals in the fighting sequences, which tend to focus more on the pilot and their decision’s than the actual robots, and just tune out on the rare occasions where the characters talk about specifics. All you need to know is that each new model will destroy any earlier model, unless that earlier model is piloted by a key character such as Lelouch, Suzaku, C.C. or Kallen.

You can’t deny that they have had a decent amount of attention paid to them…

Conclusion

Art:  6/10: A lot of hits and misses… but given the terrible-even-by-anime-standards proportions of the characters, more of a miss…

Story: 8/10: Fast paced and intense, I can’t think of an anime off the top of my head that matches Code Geass in its unpredictability and strategy, but you can easily get confused.

Characters: 7/10: Whilst the main characters are solid, particularly Lelouch and Suzaku, the majority of the lesser characters are dull.

This anime’s main assets are its explosive, addicting plot, and its two male leads; Lelouch and Suzaku. Whilst the art isn’t as amazing as it could be, you do get used to it, and it does justice to the action scenes. Whether you are drawn to strategy and tactics, or action, you will probably enjoy this anime. Overall, I give it an 8/10.

-S