Tokyo Soft Rice King

So Dahongxiang now also realized that Ziyin's speed was really abnormal.

You just joined the firm yesterday and you have to start your official work today?

It’s too much that there is not even an adaptation process!

But Saotome Fuyumi spoke as if it was a matter of course.

"Actually, I signed up for Ziyin yesterday, and the animation production company gave her a spot out of my kindness."

"Ah, I see. Director Fuyumi, you want Shion to experience the feeling of a formal job first, right?"

Da Hongxiang thought this reason was more reasonable, but Saotome Fuyumi shook her head.

"Of course not. There's no need for that at all. My goal this time is to get the role, and the female lead."

"This...! This is too outrageous! Forget about understanding the plot, Ziyin hasn't even read the script!"

Still want to win the leading female role?! This is simply wishful thinking!

I mean, shouldn't voice actors start out as minor characters? How can they start out as the leading actress?

However, Kuroba Akira had said before that he wanted Ziyin to reach the pinnacle of her career upon her debut...

Is Saotome Fuyumi implementing this policy?

"Here, the script is here."

Saotome Fuyumi said after throwing the script in his hand to Shion.

"We're leaving now and will be on set in about an hour. During this time, Ziyin, you need to try your best to find the feeling of the character. How about that? Can you do it?"

"One hour?!"

Da Hongxiang thought that Saotome Fuyumi was crazy. He only had one hour to prepare in advance. This was simply a joke.

Ziyin opened the script, her pupils moved left and right, and she began to quickly scan the lines.

At the same time, Hei Yuming's teachings also emerged in his mind one by one.

You can skip the plot for now; what's important is the 'scene' of this script. Imagine their expressions, tone, and movements as they speak...

Some people may say, does dubbing animation require imagination?

Of course it is necessary. In fact, according to the animation production process, there are basically many unfinished pictures when dubbing, and most of them are line drawings.

If you want to start from the 'basic dubbing', that is the real first dubbing. There is not even a picture, only a script. The audio person in charge and the director will first guide the dubbing actor to record an audio track based on their understanding of the script. When giving the storyboard artist a concept of time length and rhythm when storyboarding, it is also for completing the key frames and connecting frames, and trying to make the character's lip shape and voice match.

It takes about half a year to complete an episode of animation from script to completion. Of course, this does not mean that only one episode is made in half a year. Animation production is essentially a pipeline operation with one link after another.

It takes about three weeks from the beginning of writing to the finalization of an episode's script. At the same time, the scripts for subsequent episodes are also being continuously advanced, and the same is true for other links.

And since it is a new winter series, it will be broadcast in January next year, and it is almost November now. In other words, the production of the animation should be about 70% completed...provided that there is no problem with the schedule.

Ziyin didn't complain, and Li didn't question it either. They just accepted it and immediately immersed themselves in it, starting to understand, analyze, and put themselves in the situation, "fabricating" an image of the heroine in their minds.

"The first female character to appear is a high school student named Ju Ru. She's a good student, but her personality is... innocent, a bit sickly, easily shy, a bit reserved, and prone to dark turns... The overall atmosphere is lighthearted and humorous..."

What an amazing concentration...

Da Hongxiang looked at Shion muttering to herself in surprise, while Saotome Fuyumi crossed his arms and smiled with satisfaction.

After Ziyin had initially formed the image of the heroine, she closed the script and gave a clear reply.

"can do it."

"Very good, then let's go. Miss Hongxiang, you will be in charge of driving, and I will tell you the destination."

"Ah, okay!"

After hurriedly receiving the car keys thrown to her by Saotome Fuyumi, Da Hongxiang gave a wry smile.

Why do I feel like I, the agent, am even more nervous than the voice actor Shion...

After the three of them set off together, Saotome Fuyumi, who was sitting in the back seat of the car, said to Shion beside her.

"By the way, I registered you under your real name this time. If you plan to use a stage name, you'd better come up with a suitable one as soon as possible."

Ziyin said without raising her head while staring at the script.

"Just use your original name. Mingjun also told me to use my original name."

The reason why Hei Yuming let Ziyin use her original name was because the surname "Zizhigong" was very rare, and anyone with a little knowledge would think of the Zizhigong family.

And now Ziyin is living in the Xiaolin family. With the double protection of these two surnames, no blind guy would dare to harass Ziyin.

Saotome Fuyumi nodded and said.

"That's fine. Your real name is nice enough anyway, and doesn't sound old-fashioned, so there's no need to come up with a stage name that sounds more like an artist. Besides, whether you use a stage name or your real name, once you become famous, the paparazzi will dig up your past and post it on the encyclopedia website."

Therefore, it is not realistic to use a stage name to conceal the past. In fact, most artists use stage names only because their real names are not nice.

For example, the most famous young actress today, Tsukimiri Ayane, also uses her real name.

Speaking of Tsukimi Riai, she actually came to the Shiki Agency once before her debut, but Saotome Fuyumi did not accept her.

Because she felt that she could not handle that huge "evil thought".

But at that time, Yuejian Lilan's performance still left a deep impression on her, and made her feel firsthand that "becoming someone other than yourself is actually a very terrifying art."

So... what about you, Ziyin of the Purple Palace, who has a 'similar talent'?

Can you harness your talents?

……

After arriving at the audition site, I greeted the staff on site. Everyone was surprised when they saw Ziyin's appearance.

Then Ziyin has a very good attitude and always has a smile on her face, which gives people an extremely good first impression. Who would hate a beautiful woman with a smile on her face?

This is the essence of the "smile" that Shion "stole" from the woman she hates the most (Anri Hitomi).

So now she can smile and greet unfamiliar strangers, and no longer feels cold.

After earning points for impression, the next step was the audition. When watching Ziyin walk into the recording studio, Dahongxiang couldn't help but feel worried for her.

This was my first real dubbing experience... Is Shion really okay? Is she just trying to be brave?

If Ziyin is pushing herself for Amin, she must be under a lot of pressure right now...

Saotome Fuyumi noticed Daikoka's worry and comforted her.

"Don't worry, Ziyin is fine."

"Why are you so sure, Director Fuyumi?"

"If Kuroba-kun were here, he probably wouldn't be worried about Shion... because her strength is already fully up to standard."

Then Saotome Fuyumi looked at Shion in the recording studio and asked Daikoka.

"Ms. Hongxiang, do you know what the most important 'quality' of a voice actor is?"

"Quality... voice?"

"I knew you would say that. In fact, most laymen think so too."

"I'm really sorry that I'm an amateur..."

"I don't mean to look down on you. I just want to tell you that having a nice voice isn't the most important thing. After all, voice actors are voice actors for the general public, not professional bel canto singers, so having a nice voice isn't the most important thing."

"So, is it acting? Or is it about coming up with a voice that the audience will like?"

"neither."

"What is that? Please tell me."

Da Hongxiang humbly asked Saotome Fuyumi for advice. She also wanted to become a professional agent as soon as possible and become a helper to Shion and Kuroba Ming.

"In fact, the most important thing for voice actors is to find out that the director, the audio director, and the original author all feel that 'this voice is right!' Only when they feel it is good enough can the voice actor who auditions get the role... The original author's opinion is especially important."

"Original author...ah, speaking of which, Ming's light novel is about to be published..."

Saotome Fuyumi asked in surprise.

"Oh? Kuroba-kun can actually write light novels?"

"Yes, but after hearing what you said, Ms. Fuyumi, I know that this anime is a light novel adaptation, which means it has a light novel as its original work. The original author is the one who understands the character most deeply, and he has the 'ideal voice' for the corresponding character in his head. That's what you mean, right?"

"Yes, to exaggerate a bit, the character lives in the head of the original author... Of course, the director will occasionally have his own understanding and pay more attention to other factors, but experienced directors can always reach a consensus with the original work quickly."

"I see. So the most important quality for a voice actor is actually to satisfy them, right?"

"Well, the most important skill for a voice actor is to 'capture the voice the other person wants within a limited time', but this is a very vague feeling. If the voice actor is not a fan of the work, it is difficult to quickly grasp this feeling after receiving the script, and there is also the possibility of misinterpretation and mismatching."

"So how can we capture this feeling? Is there any trick?"

"This can only be achieved through the accumulation of experience, watching more, listening more, learning more, and continuous improvement until you can grasp that abstract feeling."

"The result is empiricism..."

Dahongxiang felt a little powerless, but also felt it was reasonable.

Yes, there are not so many shortcuts in this world. Only solid accumulation can lead to continuous progress.

It’s like the other self also honed his makeup skills in this way.

"Yeah, that's why you'll find that famous voice actors can play any kind of role, from a young girl to a mature woman, even a grandmother... They're called 'versatile voice actors' because they have so much experience."

"But aren't there voice actors like Ms. Akiko who are the best in one field?"

"That's right. Ultimately, voice actors are a type of actor, so just like actors, there are those who can pull off any role and those who are dedicated to the role."

"So, is Shion the all-around type?"

"Yes, Shion is a versatile person, but being a versatile person is the hardest thing to do, because everyone's sensibilities are different, and their preferences for works are also different. So many voice actors gradually become mediocre because they never find the key."

In other words, if you don't have "experience" or "characteristics", you will be eliminated by the industry.

"But when Shion was dubbing, she gave me the feeling of a seasoned voice actor... She grasped the character quickly and accurately, which already surpassed other competitors."

Snapped!

That was the sound of slapping the table.

Outside the recording studio, you can see the director of this animation standing up with his mouth open in astonishment, while the original author also looks extremely excited.

"What's with this voice actor... Is he really a newbie? How can a newbie do 'such a thing'?!"

The audio director on the other side also came over with a look of surprise and praised it highly.

"Captain Saotome! Your new recruit is amazing! Unlike the late bloomer Ms. Akiko Takanashi, she's the best new recruit!"

What followed was a round of business praise.

Dahongxiang looked at Ziyin who was facing the director calmly in the recording studio.

This is true genius...

Success is as easy to come by as a dandelion on a hillside.

After dealing with the audio person in charge, Saotome Fuyumi shrugged and said to Daikoka.

"Here...see, it's pretty relaxing, right? There's nothing to worry about, right?"

Da Hongxiang murmured as she looked at Ziyin who was still immersed in her role.

"...Yeah, really, it's amazing."

"There's a saying at the University of Tokyo next door: 'One minute on stage, ten years of practice off stage.' But Shion doesn't need ten years of accumulation. She can create the character's soul, and then use that soul to replace her own soul when dubbing... Perhaps she's second only to true dual personalities like you, Miss Hongxiang."

"..."

"Kuroba-kun still 'underestimated' her, and also 'underestimated' himself. What he taught her was too 'advanced'. It wasn't a skill a novice voice actor needed to learn, but Shion managed to learn it."

Saotome Fuyumi took out a cigarette.

"I heard Kuroba-kun talk about his plan, but if he just wants to achieve the 'stunning' effect he wants, there's no need to wait that long."

After lighting it, I took a puff and exhaled, and smoke billowed out.

"Murasamiya Shion... She will quickly rise to the top at a speed beyond your imagination."