E3: Paramount Digital Entertainment’s “Star Trek” – Our pick for one of our “Top 5 Games that we saw at E3″!

At E3 2011, there were a lot of games that we had to look at and while there was a lot of talk about the popular sequels on the show floor, there was one video game title that literally left that inner fanboy in us, so excited of what we saw and making me say many times while walking out the door… “Wow! That was absolutely awesome!”.

I’m talking about Paramount Digital Entertainment’s upcoming game “Star Trek”.  And obviously, other gaming publications were excited as well.

“Star Trek” received 4 awards at E3 including:

Playstation: The Official Magazine: Most Valuable Game of E3 2011 – Star Trek
Official Xbox Magazine: Most Valuable Game of E3 2011- Star Trek
Electric Playground: Best of Show – Star Trek
Pixelated Geek:  Best Awesome
Listed as one of the top five games of E3 by CNN

The game is developed by Digital Extremes, the Canadian computer and video game developer known for “Bioshock”, “Unreal”, “Unreal Tournament”, “Dark Sector” and Epic Pinball” to name a few.  The developer worked closely with Bad Robot, K/O Paper Products and Damon Lindelof.

The upcoming “Star Trek” game casts players as Kirk and Spock (the younger version of the characters from the recent film) in an original co-op experience.  The game continues the adventure that director and producer J.J. Abrams’ had envisioned with “Star Trek” (2009) and features an original stand alone story filled with action-packed combat as Kirk and Spock are working together to stop a legendary enemy race bent on conquering the galaxy.

The video game features an original story by BAFTA winner and “God of War” writer Marianne Krawzcyk in collaboration with the writers and producers of the 2009 “Star Trek” film, Robert Orci and Alex Jurtzman.

What are the key features of “Star Trek”?

The main key features of “Star Trek” are:

• Ultimate Co-Op – Built from the ground up as a co-op experience, “Star Trek” packs two vastly different gameplay styles with unique abilities into one game.
• Kirk and Spock Reborn – Play for the first time as two of the most well-known characters in sci-fi.  Players must rely on each other.
• Epic Adventure – Set after the events of the “Star Trek” (2009) film, the game continues their journey to a new universe with a completely original story and discovery of a legendary alien race bent on conquering the galaxy.
• Scope and Variety – Epic set pieces and ever-changing gameplay underscore the adventure in “Star Trek”.  Swim through subterranean waterways, hijack enemy battleships and jump prevariously through zero G onto moving spaceships.
• 23rd Century Weapons – In “Star Trek”, you get a chance to use a wide variety of weapons and gear ala 23rd Century tech including unique signature weapons for Kirk and Spock.  Combined with your character’s special skills, every puzzle, every encounter, every no-win situation will turn out differently based on who, how and what you play with.

So, What Did We See?

When we saw what was on display at E3 was a very early first look at the game, including never-before-seen pre-Alpha gameplay.  We were shown on how the buddy system came into play between Kirk and Spock.  The demo was shown with two screens to show us the depth of asymmetrical co-op gameplay and we watch as Kirk and Spock make a dramatic shuttle jump to reboard the Enterprise that is under attack.

We watched as Kirk is navigating through deadly mines and the players were controlling the characters and seeing how both landed on the Enterprise.

Once aboard, both Kirk and Spock make their way through the Enterprise using their tricorders to unlock the door and a common theme for fans of the series, yes, fallen red shirts are seen.  As they are being scanned, they try to figure out on how the Enterprise was captured and what caused it to go into Command Lockout.  After receiving a distress call from a crew member, both Kirk and Spock head to the nearest turbo life and make their way to the Shuttle Bay.

When the two find their source of transmission, they quickly discover that it was all a trap and are ambushed by their enemies.  We then see a playable scene in which we see Kirk and Spock on the two screens seeing things much differently.   We see different point of views through cinema camera cuts and each dives for cover in a scripted event where both players keep full control of their weapons.

Kirk is knocked down and paralyzed by an enemy nerve toxin and Spock helps Kirk get to Med Bay.  As Kirk drags himself behind crates for cover, more enemies beam into the shuttle bay deck, punning them down.  Using one hand, we see Kirk providing cover fire while Spock is busy trying to move and drag Kirk.   The difficulty of this sequence is based on how many red shirts are scanned and data that is collected, the more data you collect, the easier things will be.

And as the demo began to wind down, you can only imagine how excited we were.  The game is not shipping for another year but from what we saw from the demo, we were impressed by the gameplay, the look and detail and we can’t wait for the finished product.

“Star Trek” was definitely among our top 5 favorite games that we saw at E3 and with this collaboration between Paramount and Digital Extremes, we look forward to the final version of the game!

Video: The Moment the Earthquake hit Japan

On March 11th, at 2:46 p.m., the most devastating earthquake in Japan’s history and the fifth largest earthquake in the world took place on a Friday afternoon.

At J!-ENT, we were actually in contact with a Japanese record label contact when the earthquake hit and immediately, we began following our J_ENTJAPAN Twitter account to see the first eyewitness accounts and then started sharing the first photos and videos that hit the Internet.

Here are the eyewitness accounts when the earthquake happened in Japan that were posted on the Internet and giving us a first hand look at the devastation in northeast Japan but also how the earthquake affected those in the Kanto region.

Q&A Interview with John Malkovich of “Secretariat” (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

John Malkovich stars with Diane Lane in the inspiring and compelling film SECRETARIAT about the Triple Crown winner that thundered into the spotlight—and the annals of sporting history—in the 70s.

The movie is based on the spectacular true story of the woman who steered her extraordinary racehorse   to victory against the odds, at a time when the sport was the exclusive domain of men; women were not welcome!

Lane stars as the courageous Penny Chenery while Malkovich plays the eccentric and charismatic trainer Lucien Laurin.   With heart-stopping action and an emotional heart, the film, directed by Randall Wallace, delivers great entertainment.

And now “Secretariat” will be released on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on January 25th.  Throughout this week, we will be featuring interviews with the stars of “Secretariat” including a special Q&A interview with jockeys Otto Thorwarth (who plays Ron Turcotte) and the real jockey who rode Secretariat to win the Triple Crown, Ron Turcotte.  We start off with a Q&A interview with actor John Malkovich who plays the character of Lucien Laurin.

Q: What was it that attracted you to the role and the film?

A: “I don’t know if it was so much the role that appealed to me, it was more about the story of Secretariat. Within my own early adulthood, it was probably one of the   massive and significant sporting events in America. Secretariat was such a magnificent animal, unbelievably beautiful and powerful. It’s always nice to see something that close to perfection, a reason to celebrate. I remember all the races very well.  He was a spectacular horse and was adored then and is still adored now. So I was fascinated by the story. Also I already knew Randall Wallace the director of the film and I’m very fond of Randall. He is a very good filmmaker.  I know Diane too, because I’m a good friend of her husband Josh Brolin and we know each other socially, I like her very much, she is a very good actress. She was a delight to work with.  I didn’t see that there was much not to like about the film. I liked the part too, it was interesting.”

Q: What kind of man is Lucien Laurin?

A: “He was a French Canadian man who had been in racing all his life and was semi-retired really. Then Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) convinced him to come back to work and train with her stable. In fact (although we don’t go into this story at all in the film) they actually had a great horse the year before Secretariat, called Riva Ridge (winner of the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes).  In our story we don’t really talk about that, but Laurin is somebody who comes back and is there at Secretariat’s birth and then trains him throughout his racing career. He is   an interesting man.”

Q: What was it like working with Randall Wallace?

A: “Randy and I have a terrific relationship and I’ve always been very fond of him.  I worked with him on his first film (THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK) and I liked him very much then and he’s kept working and I’m sure learned a lot, as   I have over the years.  We have a very good relationship.”

Q: How did you prepare for this role?  Did you have any prior knowledge about horses and racing?

A: “I did have a little bit of knowledge. And oddly enough, apropos of nothing, I was shooting a film a couple of years ago with Josh Brolin, Diane Lane’s husband in Louisiana and it happened to be the weekend of the race and then I realized that I hadn’t looked up Secretariat racing on You Tube. I started watching the races even before I had heard about this film. I spent an entire day watching in fact,  because I loved that horse and loved to watch him. I wanted to find out more. I always followed Secretariat as a kid so it was great to do the research.”

Q: How challenging was the part for you and how did you approach the role?

A:  “I did not do an imitation of Laurin with his specific voice or anything, but I did  a lot of research, which involved reading. He was an ex jockey, which of course I could never be, I’m much too big. Many trainers of course are not ex jockeys, so we didn’t follow that particular angle at all.  I listened to him talk a lot, but I am not sure how much that ever does for you when you’re making a film, unless you’re doing a kind of impersonation, which I am not doing.   Also Bill Nack was a big help and was there on the set. He wrote for Sports Illustrated magazine and I’ve always liked him enormously, he wrote a lot about Secretariat, he was the author of SECRETARIAT: THE MAKING OF A CHAMPION  and all the great Secretariat pieces which were fantastically touching.”

Q:  Laurin was quite flamboyant wasn’t he?

A: “When you study photographs or video of that time, it was certainly an exceptionally flashy period for clothing and for looks. I think 1973 was the nadir of fashion. When you watch the coverage from that era, you’re struck by the astonishing ugliness of the clothes. It wasn’t really flamboyant, given the period. Maybe he’s a little more flamboyant in our film than he was in real life.”

Q: Can you discuss   Penny Chenery’s story? (Diane Lane of course plays her in the film)

A: “Oddly enough, Penny Chenery unintentionally struck quite a blow for feminism, because she really took on the ‘Old Boys’ network and she beat them pretty roundly, although to a certain extent I am sure she wouldn’t accept that role. But she was effectively an outsider and she was a very well spoken, very composed, attractive woman.  At first they all thought of her as just a   housewife  —as if there’s anything wrong with that, but she was quite skilled and quite steely. The real thrust of this story is her journey, of which my character is   merely a part. There is also Penny’s relationship with James Cromwell’s character, Ogden Phipps, which is interesting. Also her relationship with her husband and her children figure prominently in the film. The movie focuses, and rightfully  so,  mostly on Penny Chenery’s journey.”

Q: What would you say is the international appeal and significance of the story?

A: “I was talking with Bill Nack about that and he said that a very articulate sports commentator called Heywood Hale Broun had been watching The Belmont Stakes (1973) and that later, Jack Nicklaus, one of the greatest American golfers of all time, called him over and they had a discussion about the race and Nicklaus said he had watched it by himself and said he had been  speechless, screaming for Secretariat to win. And Broun said, ‘you know why? Because all your life you chase perfection and on that day you saw the horse’s extraordinary physical gifts, combined with the fact that he actually ran his own races.  In other words, he did what he wanted to do.’ To me it really was a unique story in the annals of sports and   probably the most telling thing is that when ESPN (sports network) chose the 100 great athletes worldwide of the 20^th Century, Secretariat came 35^th. He was incredible in his strategies. His races were so shocking in their power, for example at The Preakness.  He ran from last to first in a matter of seconds and he looked like he was on the back of a truck, he passed them all by so quickly. He was one of the greatest racehorses ever in the world.”

Q: You must get so many wonderful roles at this point in your career?  What is your criteria for taking a film?

A: “ I’m not sure I have any specific criteria because it really depends on different things, but this time it was because the story is great. Occasionally, but exceedingly rarely, it is because I think it’s a really interesting role, although maybe not a fully developed script, but that’s   only happened a couple of times maybe.  Also (and that is true in this case), it is a chance to work with a director that I like. I don’t do a particular type of film, I do all kinds of films, little ones, big ones, in between ones and I’ve been satisfied with my work and I consider myself to be unbelievably fortunate.

Q: Is your work as fulfilling as it always has been?  Do you get the same excitement or thrill from acting on a movie like this as you did when you started out?

A: “You know, sometimes I get more fulfillment than others, this one is good, but sometimes the experience is much more involving and enriching or even all consuming and at other times not so much. It really depends on the experience, but as far as liking what I get to do, getting to come to work every day with people that I think are good or find interesting is fantastic: what’s not to like?  It’s a pretty great job.”

Q: Do you prefer cinema or theatre?

A: “They are completely different. It’s like they’re actually not related. For example you could compare it to being a musician, if you trained to be a pianist and then you got known for playing the saxophone. There’s nothing wrong with that but it may not be your real home. You just live there. I like very much to do movies. Not all of them. But then again, nothing is worse than being in a bad play.”

Q: You have spent a lot of time in Europe rather than Los Angeles; do you think that gives you some detachment from the film industry?

A:  “I think I already had detachment anyway and my work is so varied.  I’ve done quite a few big American films.  I approach them in the same way that I approach a Portuguese art film. It is all work.  I like doing it all.  It’s fun.  The thing about it is that you can’t just do independent films or you would never get offered a different kind of film.  You have to do films occasionally that the public wants to see; although I would be perfectly happy to do films that I know probably not many people are going to want to see.  That’s okay with me, but you can’t do that all the time.  In the end it’s a business, there are debits and credits and there is profit and loss.  I can’t pretend that I have ever been obsessed by all that;  but I understand how it works.    I produce a lot of movies.  I know very well what that means.”

Q: Is there anything else at this point that you want to achieve?

A: “No, I hope to continue to do things that interest me really.  That’s all, nobody’s been luckier than I have and if my luck holds up that will be great and if it doesn’t,    well I had an awful lot of it. I don’t feel satisfaction. I feel: ‘next’.”

SECRETARIAT is Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Movie Download Formats January 25^th!

Gallery: Fox celebrates the Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. plus Post-Golden Globe Celebrations on Sunday, Jan. 16.

The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards have come and gone and the big winners of the night were “The Social Network” and the FOX TV Show “Glee”. “Glee” won “Best TV Series – Musical or Comedy”, actress Jane Lynch won “Best Supporting Actress a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television” and Chris Colfer won for “Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television”.

After the Golden Globes, FOX put on an after-party at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Here are photos from the after-party. Images courtesy of Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Kristian Dowling/FOX and Cr: Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup/FOX.

 

 

Toko Furuuchi Interview – Round 2 by Dennis A. Amith (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

Toko Furuuchi is one of the more recognized names in Japan when it comes to singing and also creating songs for a good number of music artists in Japan.

With a new album in Japan and a recent performance in New York City, J!-ENT’s Dennis A. Amith recent followed up with a second interview with singer/songwriter Toko Furuuchi in regards to her new album “PURPLE” and getting to know the music artist upfront and personal.

Make sure to read our first interview with Toko Furuuchi before reading this second interview.

Download our second interview with Toko Furuuchi here!

VAMPS rocks New York! (Photos by Takayuki Okada) – Concert Report by Mimi – J!-ENT Interviews and articles

VAMPS is a star duo project of Oblivion Dust guitarist K.A.Z and L’Arc-en-Ciel vocalist Hyde. The fairly new side project that launched in February 2008 has been an interest for fans of the duo. On October 9th, the band rocked the crowd in New York at the Roseland Ballroom in Irving Plaza.

VAMPS put on a really fantastic show.  The band had really great   energy and seemed to be in fine form, and they both looked and sounded   great. They packed in quite a lot for the setlist, with a good mix   including VAMPS songs drawing from their latest album “Beast”, as well   as songs from their first album and a few from HYDE’s solo work. HYDE   had the audience in the palm of his hand during his MCs, rousing the   crowd up and feeding off of their energy. He also played into the   VAMPS persona with some lines like, “I’m hungry… I want to eat some   CRAZY AMERICANS!!” which had the audience going wild.

Also of note is the fact that the band played “Lucy in the Sky with   Diamonds.” It is one of HYDE’s solo tracks, I’m very glad they played   it as it was especially apropos given they were playing their show in  New York on John Lennon’s 70th birthday. The band also played the   VAMPS cover of Shampoo’s “Trouble”, which is a fantastic up tempo rock   cover. All in all they played a tight tight show, very well done VAMPS!!

Here are photos from the concert courtesy of Takayuki Okada.

VAMPS will be performing at the following locations around the world in October:

October 12 – SALA APOLO, Barcelona, Spain
October 16 – Espace La Grande Arche, Paris, France
October 23-24 – INTL. Gymnastics Center, Shanghai, China
November 6 – Teatro Caupolican, Santiago, Chile

X Japan Rocks Los Angeles! by J!-ENT’s Edwin and Mel Macaraeg (Interviews and articles)

Saturday, September 25, 2010, the dreams of thousands of fans came true on this special evening with one of the most influential rock bands in history, X Japan.  Performing live in Hollywood, California, this legendary band delivered one of the most memorable, dynamic performances ever to be held in Los Angeles’s very own Wiltern Theatre.  A diverse setlist included many favorites from the past as well as more recent works, thus fans were not disappointed despite the many hours many endured, waiting for this “once in a lifetime” performance.

X Japan is a unique band that creates songs, which cater to music lovers of many genres and categories.  The leader of the band, Yoshiki, is a ravisher of the double bass foot pedal on the drums while maintaining grace and elegance on the grand piano.  Through Yoshiki and talents of the other musicians in X Japan, this band has been creating a memorable sound, which will forever enthrall the audience through the dynamism in their musicality and romantic chord progressions.  Other members would include Toshi on vocals, Pata and Sugizo on guitar, and Heath on bass.

Thousands of voices were applauding and chanting in darkness as they eagerly awaited the arrival of X Japan on stage.  The lights slowly began to appear as Yoshiki appeared on the throne of the drumset, as they begin their opening act with the song “Jade”.  The crowd grew ecstatic as they found all members appeared playing on stage.  X Japan then moved to the next song, “Rusty Nail”, which drew the audience closer to ecstasy with one of their most popular hits.

The show moved forward with another popular upbeat song, “Silent Jealousy”, which continued to captivate the audience.  A more progressive side of X Japan was displayed during their performance with “Drain”.  Members of the audience were then treated to an interlude with a surprise violin performance with guitarist Sugizo.  Pianist, Yoshiki, later joined this mesmerizing piece as they gracefully played one of their most beautiful compositions.

The whole band came together again for a performance with one of their most beloved songs, “Kurenai”.  This memorable classic was followed by two later works, “Born To Be Free” and “I.V.”  The show ended with a very explosive performance with “X”.

After what seemed to be the end of the X Japan concert, the members gave the audience a very special encore performance.  Yoshiki allured members of the crowd, as he spoke briefly about the first American X Japan tour.  The band came to the stage once again to perform two very sentimental songs, “Endless Rain”, and “Art of Life”.

X Japan gave Los Angeles one of their most memorable concerts in history.  Performances of both nostalgic and more recent selections developed a very intimate connection between the artists and the audience, as they cheered, applauded, and cried into the night.  With a multinational fan base stretching from Japan to the Americas, this “once in a lifetime” moment will be remembered forever in their hearts.

Concert Setlist:

JADE
RUSTY NAIL
SILENT JEALOUSY
DRAIN
VIOLIN AND PIANO INTERLUDE
KURENAI
BORN TO BE FREE
I.V.
X
ENDLESS RAIN (Encore)
ART OF LIFE (ENCORE)

Photo credits:

© 2010 YSK Entertainment.  All Rights Reserved.
Edwin Macaraeg, Melvin Macaraeg

J!-ENT Special Pictorial Feature: E3 2010 by Nergene Arquelada

The E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles has come and gone and J!-ENT was there to cover the event through the eyes of our J!-ENT photographer, Nergene Arquelada.

Check out Nergene’s special pictorial feature here!

J!-ENT’s Michelle Tymon interviews Ryo Horikawa

Ryo Horikawa holding up IAM Agency’s iPhone application

Photos and Written by J!-Ent’s Michelle Tymon

Anyone with any interest in Japanese anime and seiyuus should be familiar with the name Ryo Horikawa. If not, they most likely have heard his voice at least once. His extensive voice acting resume includes such roles as Kenta Hirono (Yume Senshi Wingman) Tadao Yokoshima (Ghost Sweeper Mikami), Takeshi Onimaru (Yaiba), Captain Falcon (Super Smash Bros. series), Reinhard (Legend of the Galactic Heroes),Natsu Tanimoto/Hermit (Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple), Heiji Hattori (Detective Conan), Andromeda Shun (Saint Seiya), and of course Vegeta from various “Dragon Ball” series.

Ryo Horikawa was born Makoto Horikawa in Osaka, Japan on February 1st 1958. Ryo Horikawa started acting when he was still a child. His debut as a seiyuu came in 1984 with “Yume Senshi Wingman” in which he got the leading role of Kenta Hirono through an audition. From then, he played various roles including the very kind-hearted Andromeda Shun from “Saint Seiya” and the very proud and cold hearted Vegeta from “Dragon Ball Z” as well as other “Dragon Ball” series. The roles that he plays are not limited to a certain type of character; he has played all kinds of roles and somehow manages to pull off each one. He’s played very soft spoken characters to very arrogant and aggressive characters; he’s played very serious roles as well as comedic roles too. In many of the roles he ends up playing the rival of the main character such as Vegeta (Dragon Ball Z, etc), Heiji Hattori (Detective Conan), and Hermit (Kenichi The Mightiest Disciple). Other than anime, he has also does dubbing from American shows and movies like “Thomas the Tank Engine” and “Dirty Harry 2”. His acting includes a lot of stage acting which he still does today; he’s also been in movies and he’s also done voices for Tokusatsu series such as “Samurai Sentai Shinkenja”.

Ryo Horikawa is indeed a very talented voice actor, but he is also an entrepreneur. Horikawa-san has his own companies called Aslead Company and IAM Agency as well as his own Seiyuu Acting School where he trains aspiring seiyuu. His school for seiyuu has multiple locations all throughout Japan. At the press conference, he showed off an iPhone/iPod Touch application that his company was making and he said that he wanted to release in the US as well. The application is an alarm clock that plays Vegeta’s voice (and possibly his other roles and there seems to be possibilities to get other seiyuu’s voices as well). He also has his own radio show on Pakedio AniRaji Channel.

A major project Horikawa-san has just done is a movie called “Asakusadou Suimutan”. It was a 99 minute movie shot completely in one shot without any editing or cutting. The story is about Honoka, a girl who lost her mother when she was very young. She is now all grown up and has her own dream, to have a debut live with her band Dream Dolls Collection at the Oedo Band Session 2010. However, something was troubling her. May 5th 2010 is Honoka’s 24th birthday and that is the age her mother died at and she has a fear that she may not be able to outlive her mother. Her relationship with her father is not a very good one on top of everything she’s feeling. Her father Koutarou has his own band and is rather well known and they will be on the same stage with Honoka’s own band. Honoka must try to outlive her mother and make her dream come true. The director of this movie is Kinshirou Ogino and other cast members include Princess Tenko, Shiho Takano, and Yuuki Itou. Horikawa-san said he would like to try to release the finished project in the US as well if he had a chance.

Ryo Horikawa’s appearance at Sakura Con was announced rather late, just about a week before the convention so it might have been a surprise for many fans at the event. Because of his late announcement, there were only a few appearances with Horikawa-san at the event. On Friday, he had a press conference and Horikawa-san often stopped to take pictures with fans while walking around the convention. At his autograph signing on Saturday, he kindly signed multiple items for his fans, took pictures with them and even agreed to be shot on video acting out Vegeta and other characters he has done. On Sunday, he held a fan Q&A panel where he displayed his English skills, answering many fan questions in English. Mayumi Tanaka was also at this year’s Sakura Con so fans were able to see two seiyuu stars together at one event.

With so much talent in various fields, it’s no wonder that he is loved by so many fans all around the world and I’m sure fans in Seattle would love to see him again soon.

I had a chance to sit down with Horikawa-san at Sakura Con 2010 for an interview:

Interview Questions:

J!-ENT: Is this your first time in Seattle and is there anywhere that you’d like to go sight-seeing? I also noticed that you speak English very well. Could you tell us how you learned it?

Horikawa: Yes, it is. Seattle is actually a very special place for me. When I was young, an exchange student from Seattle was staying at my relative’s house and she taught me to speak English and I taught her how to speak Japanese in exchange. So you could say that Seattle is a place of my dreams and I’m very happy to be here. As for places to go, I have quite a few places I’d like to go to. So far I got to walk around a little bit and I had some very delicious clam chowder. I hope people don’t get the wrong idea about me when I say this, but since I love wine tasting, I would love to go somewhere that has great red wine.

J!-ENT: How are you enjoying Seattle and Sakura Con so far? Now that you’ve been here a couple of days, did you do any sight-seeing?

Horikawa: It’s really fun. Everyone here is very passionate and kind here, the guests, staff, and the attendees. It’s been very comfortable so far. I got to go do a little sight-seeing yesterday. I went to the Space Needle and the Sci-Fi Museum and they were both really fun. It was fun seeing the history of sci-fi and also seeing Jimi Hendrix’s guitars as well as some history concerning musicians at Experience Music Project as well. I wanted to go the Lake Union too but it was a little cold. If it was a little warmer, I wanted to walk down by the water. I think it was on the second day we got here, we went to Pike Place Market and I loved going there too. It was right by the water and we got to eat some really good chowder. I’ve been having a great time even though it’s just for a short time and I would like to stay longer in actuality.

J!-ENT: Did you know that Japanese anime was so big in the US?

Horikawa: I did hear of that, but I didn’t know everyone was so passionate but it makes me very happy as an actor to see that and it makes me want to work harder on my end in creating wonderful characters.

J!-ENT: How do American anime fans and Japanese anime fans differ?

Horikawa: You know, I’m not really sure. I don’t think they’re that different to be honest. The passion that the fans feel here or in Japan, Europe or anywhere I think is the same.

J!-ENT: How did you get into voice acting?

Horikawa: Well, I started acting as a child. I got into voice acting with the anime, “Yume Senshi Wingman” and before I knew it, many years have passed with me doing this business. Overall I think that when you’re playing a role, be it voice acting or playing someone on stage, I believe it’s the same thing. You’re breathing life into that role, be it through pictures or in person, or standing in front of a microphone or standing on stage.

J!-ENT: Are there any times in auditions that you went in for a certain role and instead got asked to play a different role?

Horikawa: Sometimes I get approached with roles that are very different from myself and I try to stay very open to that and lose any likes or dislikes I may initially feel and instead purely concentrate on what the character would feel or do. For example, if I was that character, what would I do in this situation or what would I feel in that situation, how would I move, etc. I try to take my first honest thoughts from the heart, so as a result I don’t really think about this role would be a bit hard for me or this role would be easy for me.

J!-ENT: Could you tell me how you got your debut role as Kenta Hirono in “Yume Senshi Wingman”? Were you offered the role or did you go audition? With the roles that followed your debut, did you get those mostly due to auditions or were you offered the roles?

Horikawa: That was genuinely and simply due to an audition. Of course there were many people there auditioning for the role so I didn’t think at all that I would get the role. But as an actor, I’ve done work on stage and TV so I thought I’d give this audition a shot as well. As I said, I didn’t think at all that I would even get the role, so I did the role naturally without too much thought. Before I knew it, I was in the final auditions and I was told “you’re the one” and I was like, “Really?”. That was the start of my voice acting career. Towards the beginning, because I wasn’t that well known yet most of my roles were due to auditions. Once my career advanced more, I was offered some roles as well.

J!-ENT: What would you say was your most difficult role to date?

Horikawa: That’s a very difficult question. I think that any role is hard in its own way. Every role that I have done, I personally love. I get asked “What is your favorite role?” quite often, but I feel that if I didn’t really love the role, I can’t breathe life into the character and give them the soul they deserve. So every role that I’ve done is very precious to me.

J!-ENT: One of the most popular roles that you’ve played is Vegeta from the Dragon Ball series. Are there any characters you wish got more attention or popularity?

Horikawa: I’ve mentioned this before, but I love all of the characters I have done so I don’t ever really feel like I like one character more than another. I’m not just saying that just to say it, I really do feel this way from the bottom of my heart. Of course I know that the people who are watching my characters are going to like one character over another character and I think that’s just fine. But being on the side that acts out those characters, one of the American voice actors said this earlier as well but we’re putting the souls into the characters we act out and that’s our job and that’s how I want to keep feeling in the future as well. However in the future I may find a character that I might like even more and I’m looking forward to that.

J!-ENT: You have worked with many other seiyuu. Do you have anyone you like working with a lot and are there any seiyuu that you hang out with outside of work?

Horikawa: Well usually in Japan after we’re done with recording, all of us go out to dinner or lunch, not just the cast but the staff as well. So we do all get along outside of what programs we may be working on. I do feel that the relationships I’ve made at work are pretty deep ones. For example of course there’s Mayumi Tanaka, Masako Nozawa, Toshio Furukawa, and Tohru Furuya… so yes, there are quite a few.

J!-ENT: Have you ever heard any of the dubbed versions of your characters and if so, what did you think?

Horikawa: Honestly, I have to say that I haven’t heard any of them prior to today but I did get to hear a sample earlier and that was fun. I think the English dubs are good and I honestly want to try dubbing in English myself.

J!-ENT: If you were not in the seiyuu business, what do you think you’d be doing?

Horikawa:(Laughs) I wonder what I would have been doing. When I was a child, I really liked boats and I dreamed of being a submariner. Looking back on it now, I’m not really sure why but I liked submarines more than regular boats. It’s a really stressful job, for example the US Navy. You have to be really tough not just physically but psychologically or I don’t think you would last. I watched American TV shows involving the subject and movies for example “The Hunt for Red October” and “Crimson Tide” with Denzel Washington. I had a point in my life where I really admired people like the captains in those movies, with all of the responsibility they had to have to protect everyone. I don’t think civilians really have the opportunity to ever be in a submarine but if I ever had the chance I would love to do so.

J!-ENT: Do you have any secret talents?

Horikawa: (Laughs) It’s not exactly hidden but I guess we can make it a secret. It may not be a talent but one of my favorite things to do is wine tasting. It’s not just drinking wine, but the communication that takes place with say friends or a girlfriend… family, etc. I enjoy being able to enjoy communication with another. So I go by myself, I go with friends… and also I do like to drink. When everyone around me is happy and having a good time while eating and drinking, I feel happy as well. That is also the energy I try to bring to work as well, when everyone around me is having a good time, I’m having a good time. Outside of work, I also enjoy jogging and walking. I like to walk around and of course it’s good for your health. I do quite a bit of walking every day.

J!-ENT: At the press conference, you mentioned that you were working on a movie. Could you tell me a little more about the movie you’re working on?

Horikawa: The Japanese title is “Asakusadou Suimutan”. Asakusa is a part of Tokyo, “Dou” is referring to city hall and “suimutan” is a bit hard I believe to translate into English. “The Tale of my Sweet Dreams in Asakusa” is what I’m thinking about translating it into. This is a story about human conflict between a father and his daughter and the love that they ultimately have for each other despite their differences. The movie is going to be 99 minutes long, shot in one cut with no editing. So the camera is going to be running that whole time without any cutting and of course that is one of the challenges in this. Movies are usually shot in scenes, then edited and then put back together so it takes days to finish. Since the camera is going to be running for the whole 99 minutes, it’s going to be done in one day but of course this in turn calls for a lot more concentration and it calls for a lot more work from us the actors and the staff. We’ve already started rehearsals and I think that that’s going to be the hardest part, so if we don’t keep doing rehearsals over and over and getting everything down perfectly it won’t work. Of course while in rehearsals, there are times where we’re all practicing separately but we’re going to have to put everything together on May 5th when we’re going to shoot. That’s going to be extremely hard. Also for the 99 minutes, there’s going to be music playing during some of the parts and those songs are going to act as cues as to where each of us are supposed to be during a certain part so rehearsal is extremely important. This is all going to be very difficult, but I believe that that’s also what makes it worth doing and I’m excited to do it.

J!-ENT: Are you going to be releasing the movie in the US as well?

Horikawa: If possible, I would like to release it in the US and we are trying to take steps towards that. I believe the film will premiere around September in Japan and after that I would like to try to get the picture released in the US as well.

J!-ENT: You and Mayumi Tanaka have worked together quite a bit on the “Dragon Ball” series and you’re both currently here at Sakura Con. Were you able to do anything like sight-seeing with Ms. Tanaka since you’ve been here?

Horikawa: I didn’t get to go anywhere with her but the other night… (laughs) once again we’re all really good friends. The other night we were in the party room and we were having fun and she was spinning plates, and her son is here as well so we were all hanging out. We didn’t really get to go anywhere but we already see each other all the time so it’s not that big of a deal.

J!-ENT: You were so kind to all of your fans that came to see you at your autograph signing here at Sakura Con. You signed multiple autographs, took pictures and even recorded videos for all the fans that came to see you. How did it feel to see so many fans outside of Japan admire your work so much?

Horikawa: I said this earlier but when those around me feel happy, I feel happy as well. They all seemed really happy and seeing that is very encouraging for me as well. Seeing all these fans that are happy with the work that I do, I feel that I need to work even harder with my roles and really put my heart into it so I can do an even better job. I am very thankful seeing that here, in Japan, anywhere.

J!-ENT: If we were to look in your MP3 and or CD Player right now, what would we find? Or simply, what is your favorite kind of music?

Horikawa: I’m not actually sure what I have in there right now but as for my favorite kind of music, well as I mentioned earlier, there’s Jimi Hendrix and American music in general has always had an influence on the youth of Japan. I’m actually in a band right now and I really like rock music… let’s see, I also like the Rolling Stones, The Beatles and classic rock.

J!-ENT: You mentioned an interest in guitars and that you were in a band. Do you play guitar?

Horikawa: No, I sadly do not play guitar. I can play the keyboard a little bit, but not enough to call myself a keyboardist. This randomly goes back to an earlier question of what I might have been doing if I wasn’t an actor… maybe I would have been in JASDF (Japanese Air Self-Defense Force)… maybe not because I’m a bit weak. I might have been in the restaurant business as well.

J!-ENT: For every interview, we have a section called word play which I give you five words and you give me your definition for those words:

Horikawa: 1. Love: That’s deep… My children and my family. When I say “my children”, I mean my students. I run a school that specializes in classes for aspiring seiyuu.
2. Success: Keep on going, success is something that you keep striving for.
3. Seiyuu: Acting, to act.
4. Anime fans: I love them all.
5. Sakura-Con: Fantastic.

J!-ENT: Lastly, do you have a message for all of your fans all around the world?

Horikawa: I am very grateful. What I’m grateful for is to be able to meet all of these people who are so passionate and love not just my work but anime in general. All of this is a lot of encouragement for me to work harder and to keep doing this work. I think I’ll be doing this job until I die, because I love this job and all the fans that are watching. I want to thank everyone for always watching and I hope that I can return again soon and see everyone again.

Ryo Horikawa’s Official Blog: http://ameblo.jp/ryo-horikawa/
Ryo Horikawa’s Old Official Blog: http://yaplog.jp/horikawa-ryo/
Ryo Horikawa’s Aslead Company Website: http://www.aslead-voice.co.jp/index.html
Ryo Horikawa’s I AM Agency Website: http://iamagency.jp/index.htm
Ryo Horikawa’s Seiyuu School Website: http://www.iam.tv/index.html
Ryo Horikawa’s Radio Show Website: http://www.pkdio.jp/
Ryo Horikawa Wikipedia Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryo_Horikawa
Official site for “Asakusadou Suimutan”: http://a-suimutan.com//
Official Blog for “Asakusadou Suimutan”: http://suimutan.otaden.jp/

J!-ENT’s Dennis A. Amith interviews Chatmonchy

With Chatmonchy’s successful performance at SXSW in Austin, Texas; New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, J!-ENT’s Dennis A. Amith recently had the opportunity to interview the Japanese all-female rock trip Chatmonchy.

Download the interview here (PDF format)

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