Tokyo Sound

The two started arguing again.

"I was quite nervous when I came here, but now I feel relaxed." Matsuoka Yoshitsugu sighed.

"Do you know that you have no hope of winning the election?" Shimazaki Nobunaga frowned deeply, then let out a sigh, "Yes, even a confident person like me will feel uneasy if I don't keep myself informed."

"That's not what I meant. I think there are so many strong people here that I won't have any regrets even if I lose." Matsuoka Yoshitsugu scratched his head, "But if I win, I'll be happy for at least half a month - to be honest, I really want to beat this group of people."

The commander of Hulao Pass and the captain of the suicide squad Okehazama did not show any signs of abnormality at first, but after a few seconds, they all turned around and cast extremely surprised looks at the honest man in the middle.

"…What did you just say?" Shimazaki Nobunaga thought he had misheard.

"I want to beat these people." Matsuoka Yoshitsugu repeated.

The trio was silent for a moment.

The two people who transformed into Lu Bu and the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven were about to say something.

"I also want to beat you." Matsuoka Yoshitsugu added quietly.

The iron triangle looked at each other.

In the end, I don’t know who couldn’t hold it in first, but they all started laughing.

"Okay, then let me go and learn from the skills of these seniors and sound supervisors!" Shimazaki Nobunaga, who was the first in line, slapped his thigh and stood up, rolled up the script, and walked towards the recording studio as if holding a sword.

Yin Ze rarely let go of his grudge and gave him a thumbs up.

Shimazaki Nobunaga smiled, gave a thumbs-up, and walked away without even turning his head. He looked very cool and had the texture of a movie poster.

So he didn't notice at all that the man behind him had already calmly and meanly given his thumbs down.

The letter goes far away.

"The young man has finally shown his ambition and fangs, not bad, not bad." Yin Ze smiled with relief and intriguing, "But I will not let go of the position of post-...postmodern performer easily."

"Full force?"

"Full force."

The two people high-fived each other in the air.

Chapter 142: The Boy's Roar

The recording studio is divided into two areas, one is where the voice actors are recorded, and the other is the backstage where the sound supervisor and others make adjustments. Generally speaking, during normal work, only the sound supervisor is on duty. Busy people such as deputy supervisors and animation supervisors will occasionally escape from prison or be allowed to come out of the black cage and run to the sound studio to collect money.

The most frequent gathering of the heads of various operational parts in the sound effects studio is often for sound auditions during the pre-production phase.

"Sword Sanctuary" was officially published in 2009. As of today, its sales and reputation are quite good, with the appearance of the great emperor descending and the king ascending to the top. Lightning Library [Note: from Dengeki Library] struck while the iron was hot and directly put animation on the agenda, hoping to expand publicity and fan base, and boost sales. If it can catch up with "Dark Reincarnation Fantasy" and "A Certain Magical Index" [Note: from the light novel "A Certain Magical Index"], it will be a pillar of the platform. If it can reproduce the craze and scene of the summer of Suzumiya [Note: refers to the light novel "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya"], then it will be a joke, buy villas and drive sports cars, and be happy.

The importance of dubbing to animation is self-evident. If it is a non-original adaptation, the original author of the work can also give some suggestions. Moreover, this time, Lightning Bunko invested money and joined the production committee, becoming a noble party A and one of the distinguished financiers. The investor is naturally very concerned about the quality of the content, which also makes Kawada Shuo, the original author of "Sword Art Online" [Note: he is based on Kawahara Reki, the author of the "Sword Art Online" light novel], who represents the Bunko camp and knows the work best, have more say.

Therefore, the audition was basically a discussion between the sound supervisor, animation supervisor, and the original author. The former was responsible for technology and cost-effectiveness, while the latter focused on shaping direction and restoration. Of course, in most cases, these two were in conflict, so the casting work was not very smooth.

A glass wall, on one side is the voice actor who keeps reciting the lines and performs with all his strength, on the other side is the review team of uncles wearing glasses with serious expressions. The scene is quite like the head of the police station standing outside the one-way glass, watching the suspect eating pork chop rice and confessing his guilt emotionally...

After half a morning, they had already listened to the performances of dozens of male voice actors. Kawada Shuo, who was new to the set, initially found it somewhat fresh and interesting, but listening to the same lines fifty or sixty times for several hours in a row was really boring. As lunchtime approached, he felt a little hungry.

The voice actor for the heroine has been finalized for the time being, but the actor has yet to be agreed upon.

"In general, these are the candidates. Other voice actors are not suitable. If we have to choose, we can only pick from them." Sound director Iwao Miwa took out the list. The ones without crossing out lines are candidates. There are about seven or eight of them.

"The qualifications of this Mukai Shi are actually okay, but I always feel that he lacks maturity and is a bit templated. He can be good for one or two episodes, but if he doesn't improve in the future, he will just be repeating himself. The schedule is so tight that he may not have the time to make extra efforts." Animation director Akihiko Ito considered.

"How about Mr. Hino Satoshi? He is a frequent contributor to light novel adaptations, and his skills are impeccable. Like Kugimiya Rie, he is recognized by the market, and he also has a good compatibility with the protagonist." Iwaro Miwa said, "The same goes for Nakano Hiroshi and Fukuyama Jun, who also have a good fit."

"But the salary is a bit high." Ito Akihiko scratched his head.

"What about Shimazaki Nobunaga who went into battle first? He's a newcomer, but he left a deep impression on me. He's very aggressive." Iwao Miwa said again.

"I feel that his portrayal of Kirito is a little too 'soft', and he doesn't have enough inner strength. If he plays the type of harmless, no-bad-intentioned brother next door, it would probably be very suitable." Kawada Shuo thought for a moment.

"What about IM's Takizawa Satoru?" Ito Akihiko thought for a few seconds. "I think he showed the necessary 'resilience' to being trapped in the death game, and his voice is also very clear."

"As for him, his cost-effectiveness is indeed very high, and technically, he stands out among the newcomers. I am currently working with him on Fate/Zero, and he handles feedback quickly and appropriately, which makes it very satisfying to work with him," added Iwao Miwa.

"Is he less youthful?" Kawada Shuo looked a little conflicted.

"Really? He's only 21, that's not old, right?" Ito Akihiko wondered.

"Judging from the audition material, he certainly doesn't sound like a middle school student. Instead, he sounds more like a college student or an intern just entering the workplace. But that's not a problem. It's not difficult to make the voice look younger, and he can do it." Iwao Miwa tried to allay their concerns.

"…It's not a specific problem of voice. Well, how to describe it? Like Director Ito said, he has a good 'toughness', but I think it's too heavy. It's not the kind of natural fear that a 16-year-old boy would have when facing deadly malice, and then the clear courage that he would not admit defeat. He is more like a man who has been through a lot and has become submissive." Kawada Shuo said slowly, "If Kirito was 30 years old, he would probably be able to interpret it perfectly, but at the age of 16, at the origin of the story, he is not yet sophisticated, not used to parting, and the delicate and sensitive Kirito, he can't synchronize with him."

"Does it mean that having flaws is better? Is maturity an impurity?" asked Akihiko Ito.

"It may be a personal opinion of a literary worker, but what exactly is maturity?" Kawada Shuo smiled bitterly, "Maturity is like a pebble. After experiencing the crustal movement tens of millions of years ago, it was repeatedly impacted by mountain torrents, transported by flowing water, and constantly squeezed and rubbed in the sand and gravel mountains formed by the uplift of the ancient riverbed. In the vicissitudes of life, it was shaved off all irregular edges and corners by the collision of gravel, becoming smooth and becoming a crystal clear beauty that meets people's aesthetics... Who still remembers that stones were not like this originally?"

"Faced with the next difficult challenges, young people like stones will stumble and get hurt, but they will also cut wounds in the pages of the story book. Mature people will not, because they have experienced pain, so they know how to be kind and preserve themselves, and even their struggles are filled with sadness." Kawada Shuo paused, "Although it may be a bit strange and rude to say this. But I am somewhat familiar with the emotions expressed in the materials of this Takizawa-kun. The essence of that 'toughness' is more inclined to the relief after many setbacks and setbacks."

"My writing has not always been smooth sailing, and I have also hit lows. Now at this age, I know my fate and have accepted some things. Kirito is the carrier of my youthful fantasy. As a character, of course, he has various shortcomings, but he is a character that I, with my unshaven beard, can no longer write." Kawada Shuo lowered his head in embarrassment, "So the innocence and fearlessness that have been sealed through words, I hope that people who still have those passions can also narrate and shout them out."

"Teacher Kawada is truly a down-to-earth creator," Ito Akihiko said after listening carefully to the idea. "As a fellow creator of stories and works, I understand the love and responsibility for wanting to see the moment when the words come to life. However, we cannot act arbitrarily and always have to make concessions. From a practical point of view, it is very difficult to find an actor who perfectly fits the role."

"Who told us that we are all pebbles?" Iwaro Miwa half-jokingly said, "There's nothing wrong with it. The beach is full of round stones without thorns or corners. Even if we bump into each other, there will be no injuries or bleeding. Peace is the best."

"I couldn't help but think of that, too." Kawada Shuo raised his head and smiled. "After all, this is the first time in my life that I'm lucky enough to have my work adapted into an animation. It's inevitable that... I also understand the difficulties faced by the production team. If there's no one suitable in the end, then let's choose Takizawa Satoru. To be honest, his voice is really nice."

"So how many voice actors do we have left who need to audition?" asked Akihiko Ito.

"Six," Iwaro Miwa answered, and then added, "We should be able to have lunch before 1 o'clock. Will Mr. Kawada join us? There's a restaurant nearby that serves pretty good food."

"Yes, by all means."

Dealing with computers and chairs all year round has accumulated a lot of pressure in my waist. After sitting for such a long time today, it is inevitable that it feels stiff and sore.

Kawada Shuo stretched slightly and rubbed his waist.

He looked down at the list of voice actors, and then at the sound materials stored in the computer. The lines were all written by himself, and they were so familiar, but when narrated by different voice actors, so many different emotions and images were produced.

Will the voice of the young boy in my writing be born from here?

Kawada Shuo felt mixed emotions and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

……

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu gently pushed open the door and walked into the dimly lit recording studio. The first thing he saw was an empty microphone standing under a beam of light not far away.

This silent scenery actually has a faint sense of holiness.

Condenser microphones are very sensitive and can pick up subtle details in human voices, but the disadvantage is that the environment must be free of noise, and the recording studio is decorated with sound-absorbing materials. So no matter what time it is, this place is quieter than other places.

Before becoming a voice actor, Matsuoka Yoshitsugu felt that the quietest place was in bed on a rainy night. It wasn't completely silent, there were sounds of wind and rain hitting the leaves, water drops dripping on the window sill, and occasionally when there was bad weather, there was also a rumbling thunder, which would wake up a light sleeper.

But it's very peaceful.

There are no anxious honking or car sounds, no coughing from people coming and going, no songs with rich rhythm and full beats, only the whispers of nature and the breathing of heaven and earth.

As the old saying goes, it is important to take a break from your busy life. In life, peace is the most precious thing.

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu originally thought that in this era where everything is accelerating, in this busy Tokyo where fate is constantly intertwined, there is no real peace. Even on rainy nights, there are still lights of cars outside the window, sweeping and cutting through the streets like swords, landlords are also knocking on the doors of customers who owe rent, and college students living upstairs will have small parties... Life is originally about moving forward, which is the exact opposite of stagnation.

Until he stepped into a recording studio for the first time.

That was my last year in the training center. I was promoted to the training department, and after a long and boring basic training, I was finally able to start the actual practice, which was to hold the script, stand in front of the microphone, and dub the silent pictures.

so quiet.

Even when there are more than a dozen people including teachers and classmates, it is still so quiet.

Even if it was an intense battle scene with people roaring and shouting, it was still quiet.

It is like opening a door to another dimension in this world. There are all kinds of dialogues and stories, some are just a few words, some are long autobiography, some are interpretations of magnificent epics, and some are unyielding and heroic laughter against the storm.

But no matter how much collision there is, in essence, it is a magical place of peace that allows people to restrain their breath and willingly bathe in the darkness.

After experiencing that wonderful feeling of being moved, Matsuoka Yoshitsugu would subconsciously restrain himself every time he arrived at the set.

"Excuse me." He bowed slightly in the direction of the workbench, suppressed his slowly stirring emotions, and whispered, "I'm the voice actor of I'm Enterprise, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, and the role I'm auditioning for is Kirito Kojuto."

……

"This is the last one." Iwaro Miwa lowered her head and glanced at the list.

"Is it finally over? I'm really hungry." Ito Akihiko touched his stomach, "Then let's do it quickly."

Kawada Shuo was curled up in a comfortable and expensive chair, with his hands folded and his eyes half closed, making it impossible to tell what his current mood was. After expressing his views earlier, he remained silent. On the one hand, an outsider should not instruct an insider, and on the other hand, he had already tacitly agreed on the candidate with the two supervisors.

The sound supervisor described Takizawa Satoru as a new talent with great talent and empathy. We had met each other during the audition. It seemed like the best choice to cast such a polite and smart talent.

"Hello, then please recite sentences A to F in order." Iwaro Miwa put on the headset and signaled to start.

"Ok."

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu nodded, flipped through the script silently, and then moved closer to the microphone.

After a brief preparation of only a few seconds, he spoke softly. His voice was clear and clean, with the indecisiveness of a child who had just reached the crossroads of life for the first time. But as the breeze blew, the boy who had stopped had already raised his feet, with a heavy heart, but took light steps.

There are clouds, a floating castle made of steel, and a young swordsman clenching his fist confidently in the sun.

"In this world, you only need a sword to go anywhere."

Kawada Shuo, who was curled up in a chair waiting for dinner, suddenly stopped. He opened his eyes wide and gently adjusted his headphones.

"Let's have a duel, a duel between the brave warrior of the Golden Crossing and the king of thieves."

"It's not over yet, it's not over yet... Faster, faster, I can go even faster!"

The black and blue double swords were unsheathed with a roar, slashing out in a dazzling trajectory, tearing through the air, and the exploding sparks turned into bright white flames. The black swordsman composed and wove a dazzling and chaotic sword shadow with brilliant sparks in front of him.

The beasts are roaring and the swords are singing!

“It is better to regret having trusted than to regret having distrusted.”

"Since you're married, it means you already like the known side of the other person, so if you discover a new side after marriage and you like it, isn't that doubly liking it?"

In the evening sunlight, the boy smiled at the girl.

"Excuse me, can I say a few words to him?" Kawada Shuo raised his hand gently, his palm still trembling slightly, and said to the sound director.

"Okay." Iwaro Miwa was slightly stunned, then respected his wishes and gave up her seat.

Kawada Shuo couldn't wait to rush to the sound monitoring position and pulled the microphone to his mouth. He looked through the glass and saw the ordinary and simple young man standing in front of the microphone.

"Hello, I am the original author of "Sword Sanctuary." Kawada Shuo said.

"Uh, hello, teacher?" Matsuoka Yoshitsugu was waiting for the next instruction when he suddenly heard another uncle talking. He was stunned for a moment, then quickly bowed again.

"Excuse me, have you read the original work?" Kawada Shuo asked hurriedly.

"Yes, yes, I read it a few days ago and have read the first two major chapters." Matsuoka Yoshitsugu said truthfully.

"What do you think?!"

"I think it's a very good story." Matsuoka Yoshitsugu paused, then smiled sincerely and contagiously.

"I see. Thank you so much." Kawada Shuo said, looking back at the two supervisors, hesitating for a while, rubbing his face, and finally said, "Although it may seem a bit arrogant for a dubbing layman like me to ask... But, can I ask you to act out a scene?"

"Sure, it's just an audition, right?" Although Matsuoka Yoshitsugu was confused, he was always generous when it came to showing off his acting skills.

"Okay, okay, okay! Thank you!" Kawada Shuo thanked him repeatedly. He was not a candidate, but at this moment, he was trembling all over and his heartbeat was accelerating. He licked his dry lips unconsciously and said slowly and carefully, "The first part, after revealing the truth of the death game, Kirito and Klein separated, and each walked towards, no, ran out of the starting town, towards the vast forests and grasslands, and the small villages beyond these places - running towards the endless and lonely battlefield of survival. Can I ask you to perform it?!"

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu was a little stunned. He had anticipated many key scenes and many inspiring lines in the original work, but he never expected it to be this one. His mind went blank for a moment.

To put it bluntly, I don’t know how to perform.

Because of this part, there is no sound at all.

There was only one short line of description. It was a blood-red sunset and a thin figure running across the land. The boy turned his back to the first friend he met in the virtual world, suppressed the emotions in his chest to the bottom, gritted his teeth, and ran desperately.

That's it.

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu couldn't help but look across and found that Kawada Shuo was also staring at him with a tense face. He realized that this sloppy uncle, who looked tired from staying up late to type, seemed to be more nervous than himself at the moment.

"Excuse me, was there this question in the previous audition?" Matsuoka Yoshitsugu asked cautiously.

"No, you are the first one." Kawada Shuo said firmly.

That's it.

Matsuoka Yoshitsugu fell silent.

He said goodbye to his parents in the vast and cold Hokkaido, and set off with only the pocket money he had saved since childhood and a few clothes. When he walked to the station, he remembered that he suddenly looked back, but he could not see the direction of home because it was too far away.

I entered the animation academy, worked as a journalism scholarship student, polished dishes until they shined in the restaurant kitchen, picked out cheap bread that was about to expire in the supermarket... In this huge and suffocating city, looking at the names in the phone's address book, I wanted to call them more than once and ask for help, but I held back every time.

He had a premonition. If he chose to be cowardly in this first battle of his life where he was giving his all, he would probably keep avoiding it and regret it until his old age.