The following is a translation of an interview with Kazuki Yao, voice of Judau Ashta in Gundam ZZ, from the May 1986 issue of Monthly OUT.
Scans of the corresponding pages:
Voice Actor Magical News: Vol.12 Kazuki Yao-san
Gundam ZZ started with the catchphrase “Light-hearted Gundam”. The protagonist Judau Ashta is played by Kazuki Yao, who has a bright image. Before being a voice talent, Yao-san is an actor first, so let’s take a look at his far out personality.
About your current anime work
OUT
First, I’d like to ask about Judau Ashta, a regular in the TV series Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ. Was there an audition?
Yao
No, there wasn’t. I appeared as a guest on Zeta Gundam a few times. It seems that’s why they chose me.
OUT
Have you seen Zeta Gundam?
Yao
When I was playing Fujiwara Shinobu in Super Beast Machine God Dancouga, I felt a sense of rivalry with it, so I had watched the show a few times, but I didn’t understand the story at all (laughs). At first, when I was working on ZZ, I didn’t know what a colony was or what an Argama was (laughs). Just the other day, after the recording, Kenyu Horiuchi-san, who plays Mashymre Cello, and I were like, “Hm… I don’t know… so let’s do a quiz – what is a colony?” (laughs). Recently, I’ve finally started to understand it little by little.
OUT
By comparison, Judau is just a boy.
Yao
That’s right. 14 years old!!! I’m in trouble (laughs).
OUT
Did you receive any guidance when you got the part?
Yao
No, none at all. There was no explanation of his personality or what kind of boy he is, and they just told me he is 14 years old and showed me his face while handing me a character sheet. But when I said, “Is it better to act childish?” they told me to not be so conscious of it, and I was allowed to act very freely. Well, they did tell me to keep in mind that he is somewhat of a child at heart, though.
OUT
How was it when you tried actually playing him?
Yao
I’ve finished recording for three episodes so far, but to be honest, I don’t have the footage when I’m recording, so I don’t know (laughs). Even when I have the footage, there are times when he’s really sharp and cool, and times when he’s soft and cute, so I still don’t feel like I’ve grasped the whole of Judau.
I don’t consciously change my voice, but the tone is a little higher. But the fact that I was chosen without an audition means that some parts of the characters I’ve played must have resembled Judau, after all.
When I read the script, he seems like a very cute boy, but he has a certain integrity, and I feel like he’s a real man. So I want to make sure I don’t lose that part of him. I appeared as a guest several times in Zeta Gundam, but I had a sense of rivalry with it, so when I suddenly turned around and realized I was now playing the main character in ZZ, that reality is scary (laughs).
OUT
Now regarding Shogo Yahagi in the video release of Megazone 23 Part II, were you familiar with the previous work?
Yao
No, I haven’t seen the previous work at all. I’m making sure not to watch it. I’m thinking about watching it once all the dubbing is finished, though.
OUT
Was there an audition?
Yao
Yes. But even though it was Part II, I auditioned for it as if it was a completely new work. I knew the title, though.
OUT
Apparently Megazone 23 was the second best-selling video release last year…
Yao
That’s right. I think number one was We Are the World. That’s why I’m determined to make it number one this time, but as of now I haven’t done any dubbing at all, so it’s hard to say for sure. However, compared to Judau, Yahagi Shogo is closer to my actual age, so I think it might be easier.
OUT
Any others?
Yao
Fujiwara Shinobu from Dancouga and Eric from The Humanoid.
OUT
First of all, what would you consider your debut work?
Yao
It was Shulgi Nam*, and at first I had no idea what to do. I had done a few commercials, but it was my first time I was assigned to a role, and especially with Birth I was in a terrible situation where I had to do it without any animation, so I was really in trouble. I listened carefully to my co-stars, Keiko Toda-san and Masahiro Anzai-san, and was given step-by-step guidance, which helped me manage to do it.
*[A main character from the OVA Birth, released in 1984]
You become like the character you’re assigned to
OUT
What made you decide to enter this world?
Yao
I’m originally from Ishikawa prefecture, but I came to Tokyo when I was in the second year of middle school because of my father’s work. Ever since I was in middle school, I’ve always liked flashy things and wanted to be the center of attention. At one point, I wanted to be an orchestra conductor, and I was so proud of myself that I thought I was the next Seiji Ozawa (laughs). So when I was in my first year of high school, I saw a play called Othello, and at that time, Shoroku Onoe collapsed and Gonjūrō Kawarazaki stepped in as a substitute. Even though he was a sudden substitute, I was moved by his amazing acting and thought to myself that I wanted to act as well. But my parents told me to do it after I went to university, so I went to university for the time being.
After I got there, one of my classmates from middle school and her older brother Akaboshi-san (Shoichiro Akaboshi), the bald guy from “Kaibutsu Land,” were both in a theater troupe called “Matenrō”, and through that connection I went to go see them perform. It was a big shock to me, as the play was written and directed by Takuya Hiramitsu-san, the leader of Kaibutsu Land. So I asked if I could work with him, and I was soon cast in his next production.
After that, I continued doing stage plays in Matenrō, but I still wanted to appear in a major drama, so I joined an agency and gradually started doing jobs where I’d be showing my face.
But we were a small production company, so we started to run out of work. I don’t remember the exact circumstances, but someone asked me if I would like to audition for a voice role. I thought, “Oh, I don’t care what it is as long as it’s the lead role,” (laughs), so I auditioned, and I got the role. That role was for Birth.
OUT
So you’ve never been to an acting school or anything like that?
Yao
I haven’t been to one at all. However, I worked my way up, training on the stage itself.
OUT
Do you hate it if you’re not the lead? (laughs)
Yao
I do. If it’s not a leading role, it has to be a good role similar to that (laughs).
People around me often tell me, for example, that when they see me in a drama, whether or not I’m particularly good in it, I still stand out. Even when I play the role of a businessman, I’m the only one who doesn’t look the part, and I stand out. It seems like I have that kind of quality. Hiramitsu-san often told me, “Kazuki is a leading actor.” Frankly speaking, my acting is terrible (laughs).
OUT
Your hairstyle somewhat resembles Shinobu Fujiwara’s (laughs).
Yao
It wasn’t something I did on purpose. I’ve had this hairstyle since before I played Shinobu. But I’m going to play a 15-year-old young man on TV soon, so I let my bangs hang down a little. It makes me look a little younger (laughs). It’s a two-hour drama called Tonari no Shin Kazoku [The New Family Next Door] on Monday Wide Theater, and I play a ronin*. The date hasn’t been decided yet, but it’s scheduled to air on TV Asahi at 8pm on Mondays.
*[student waiting for another chance to enter university after having failed the yearly entrance examination]
OUT
Have you done a lot of dramas where you showed your face?
Yao
Last year, I only did one. I had a lot of voice work to do, so I made it a condition that I wouldn’t appear unless it was a really good role. However, this year I feel like I’ve gotten a little more used to voice work, and things have settled down, so I’m thinking about slowly starting to appear on screen again.
OUT
How long have you been doing voice work?
Yao
It’s only been a year and a half.
OUT
So things have been going smoothly up to this point.
Yao
However, after Birth there was a gap of about six months before I did Dancouga.
OUT
Do you have any attachment to the characters you played?
Yao
Well, I was often told that when I was playing Nam in Birth, my face looked like Nam’s. Then when I played Shinobu, I started to look like Shinobu (laughs). I guess I have an image in my head of the character and I coming closer together until we become one and the same (laughs).
OUT
That means you’ll come to look like Yahagi Shōgo and Judau (laughs).
Yao
Yahagi Shōgo aside, I’ll be with Judau for a long time, so I guess…eventually (laughs).
OUT
It’ll be like you’re 14 years old again (laughs).
Yao
Hahahaha.
OUT
Your most memorable character is Shinobu, right?
Yao
That’s right. He’s the only one I can say truly belongs to me. But at first, Shinobu wasn’t very popular. I thought, “That’s weird, even though he’s the main character…dammit” (laughs).
OUT
Have you seen any other anime?
Yao
No, to be honest, I only began watching after I started working on them myself. My parents were pretty strict, so I wasn’t allowed to read manga, and the only thing they let me watch was Hyokkori Hyōtanjima (laughs). My father is a government official at the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (laughs).
A personality that stood out since an early age
OUT
When were you born?
Yao
June 17, 1959. This year I will be 27 years old. I’m still 26 though (laughs).
OUT
What is your zodiac sign?
Yao
I’m a Gemini.
OUT
What is your blood type?
Yao
It’s unclear. For some reason, my parents refuse to let me know my blood type (laughs). I’m afraid there might be something wrong (laughs).
OUT
If you donate blood, you’ll find out right away.
Yao
Yes. But they’ll take a lot of blood. And I don’t know if my blood is clean or not (laughs). I drink so much that it feels like my body is not flowing with blood, but with alcohol (laughs).
OUT
What type do you think you are?
Yao
Judging by my parents, I’m either A or O. I don’t really understand blood types, but I have both the methodicalness of A and the flashy nature of O.
OUT
Maybe it’s completely different and you’re type B (laughs).
Yao
However, I wasn’t really trying to look flashy on purpose, but I stood out anyway. You know when you’re in school and the bad kids do something, and people blame it on you? That’s the type of guy I was.
I have an older sister who is four years older than me, and she is incredibly smart and has a great personality, but I was a total loser, so I was heavily compared to her in elementary school. “Your sister is such a good girl, why aren’t you like that?”
OUT
I’m surprised your personality didn’t become twisted (laughs).
Yao
Yes. I thought, “It’s fine, they can say whatever they want.” But I felt sorry for my sister. She was trying her best to live her life properly, but her brother was holding her back (laughs).
OUT
So, is your desire to stand out one of the reasons you began this type of work?
Yao
I think so. Originally, I wanted to be a modern theater actor. But while working with Matenrō, I started to think that maybe I didn’t need to be so fixated on being an actor. I wanted to be an entertainer.
But even now, I don’t have any one thing that defines me. I want to act, sing, dance, be an MC, and do a lot of different things. If it suits me, I’ll keep doing it, and if it doesn’t, I’ll just drop it.
OUT
Other than that, what do you think about your personality?
Yao
I’m not the kind of person who takes things too seriously. I guess it’s also because I don’t think too hard about things (laughs).
OUT
Things will happen as they will, right?
Yao
That’s right. Once something happens, there’s nothing you can do about it. If it happens because of something you said, then it’s your responsibility. No matter how much you think about it, it won’t do you any good.
OUT
Do you like to just space out?
Yao
Yes, I love it. On my days off I usually do nothing but space out.
OUT
In your room?
Yao
Yes. But on nice days, since Futakotamagawa is nearby, I just space out on the riverbank.
OUT
What kind of music do you like?
Yao
I don’t have a favorite, I listen to anything. Lately, I’ve been listening to bluesy stuff, which I think is cool and sophisticated.
The pain of heartbreak and alcohol-related episodes
OUT
Are you living alone now?
Yao
Yes. I live in a place called “Heights,” which is only slightly better than an apartment (laughs).
OUT
Do you take care of all the day-to-day stuff by yourself?
Yao
That’s right, I’m trying my best (laughs). Sometimes, I wake up in the morning and suddenly I want to do laundry. But once I start, I get tired of it halfway through. It’s a lot of laundry because I let it pile up (laughs). It takes about 15 minutes to wash. In the meantime, I smoke a cigarette, drink coffee, and space out, and before I know it, the washing machine has stopped, and I’m thinking, “Oh no,” and it steadily becomes a hassle (laughs).
If it were to just spin once and be over with, I’d be like, “Ah, that was nice.”
OUT
I guess it’ll have to change to be fully automatic (laughs).
Yao
Ah, maybe you’re right. The other day I was rinsing the dishes before going to bed at night, and I fell asleep with the water running, so they kept getting rinsed until the morning (laughs).
OUT
Do you also cook for yourself?
Yao
Yes.
OUT
Really? (laughs)
Yao
I do. I cook rice properly. It’s the bare minimum, though (laughs).
OUT
What are your plans for marriage?
Yao
None. I don’t know how to get married (laughs).
OUT
Is that because you’re so picky?
Yao
I don’t usually say this, but I’m particular about my dates. For example, when we walk down the street together, I want my partner to be an eye-catching woman, but when we get home, she’s extremely domestic and does all the housework, and so on (laughs). This is almost never the case in reality (laughs).
OUT
So if they were to wear clothes that you dislike, you would probably complain.
Yao
No, that’s not it. As long as it suits them. Also, when I’m really feeling down, I’d like someone who would silently stay by my side.
OUT
So an older woman (laughs).
Yao
That’s right. I’ve dated older women. I guess I have a strong sense that I should be doted on by women.
OUT
What about personality types that you don’t like?
Yao
Noisy girls. I’d just want to tell them to stop (laughs). I hate when they’re so showy and flirty.
OUT
Have you experienced heartbreak?
Yao
Of course I have!! I mean, if you’ve lived for 20 years you’re bound to have one or two, right (laughs).
OUT
Were they bad breakups?
Yao
I’ve gotten over it now, but I was dumped after four years of passionate love (laughs). To put it simply, I was too dependent on her and all the frustration from those four years just came out in a flash. She was a very tolerant person, but I was still too much for her. Even women want to depend on others.
OUT
I’m guessing she was older than you?
Yao
Yes, she was one year older than me (laughs). I was really serious about marrying her. When you’re in love, you have a biorhythm, right? There are times when you’re really in love and times of ennui. In her case, my love had already peaked (laughs).
OUT
And then came the days of drinking?
Yao
That’s right. I was just drinking heavily and doing nothing (laughs).
OUT
Do you still drink a lot?
Yao
Hahahaha. If I don’t think about the next day, I can drink as much as I want, but lately I drink about half a bottle. My record so far has been two and a half bottles (laughs).
But alcohol is interesting. For example, when you’re feeling really down and you drink, sometimes it lifts you out of your depression, and other times it pushes you to the depths of despair.
OUT
Are you the type who becomes cheerful when you get drunk?
Yao
When I’m drinking with others, I let loose, but I don’t when I’m drinking alone, of course. It’s stupid. I’d be like, “Oh, I’m drunk” all by myself… (laughs).
OUT
Do you have any funny drunken stories?
Yao
Yes, I do (laughs). I take my clothes off right away and go streaking (laughs).
I was drinking with a friend one time, around 4:30 in the morning, and I said, “Okay, let’s take it all off!” and ran naked to the station. My friend stopped me in front of the police box before the station, and on the way back, I met a girl on a motorcycle… (laughs).
OUT
Did you remember what happened?
Yao
Only faintly. No way could I remember all thaaat (laughs). Then, in the fall, I went swimming with a friend in the Futakotamagawa. When I woke up the next day, I was so smelly (laughs).
OUT
Was the river dirty?
Yao
It sure is dirty. When I see it during the day, it’s so dirty and I feel disgusted, so I’m surprised I was able to swim in it (laughs).
Future plans and anime
OUT
Which university did you attend?
Yao
Kokugakuin University.
OUT
What subject?
Yao
Philosophy.
OUT
Huh? Philosophy?
Yao
I don’t know anything about it.
OUT
But you were interested in philosophy, right?
Yao
No (laughs). I actually wanted to study literature at Waseda University, but I hated studying. I attended Kugayama High School, which is attached to Kokugakuin University, so it was pretty easy for me to get into Kokugakuin. That’s all.
OUT
Who is your favorite actor?
Yao
I like Shoken [Kenichi Hagiwara].
OUT
You look a bit similar.
Yao
Yes, that’s why I like him (laughs).
OUT
What is your favorite food?
Yao
I love meat, but I don’t like chicken and fish. Chicken meat itself is fine, but the skin is a no-no. As for fish, I’m okay with sashimi, but I can’t stand boiled or grilled fish. I don’t like the bones. So I like it if they take the bones out (laughs).
OUT
What’s your favorite color?
Yao
My lucky colors are yellow and green, so I’ve heard that good things will happen if I wear those colors as much as possible. So today I’m wearing green socks and, incidentally, green underwear too (laughs).
OUT
What do you enjoy doing most?
Yao
I may sound like an idol, but maybe working (laughs). I’ve never worked this much before. It makes me happy to see this much work scheduled in front of me.
OUT
What is your favorite season?
Yao
It’s summer. Because it’s when you can be free…just kidding (laughs).
OUT
What are your plans for the future?
Yao
I’d like to do a one-off live show in the fall, but it’s still just a plan for now.
But it would be boring to just do a normal live show. I don’t want to do a “Oh yeah! Jaka-Jan-Jan” kind of thing. I’d rather do something more like a theater show.
OUT
Like running naked? (laughs)
Yao
No, no (laughs).
OUT
So ultimately it’s a musical?
Yao
When I was interested in musicals, my parents told me that the Shiki Theatre Company was a good choice, but that wasn’t quite right for me (laughs).
However, about 6 or 7 years ago, I did a musical with Keiko Toda-san and Hirotaka Suzuoki-san.
OUT
What are your stage plans?
Yao
We have plans for May and August, but the details haven’t been decided yet.
OUT
Finally, please give a message to our readers.
Yao
As for Megazone 23 Part II, I’m still in the dark at this point, but for now, I’m not paying any attention to the previous work, so I hope people will see it not as a sequel, but as something completely new and separate. I want to make sure it doesn’t lose to the previous work.
The video release [OVA] for Dancouga will be in mid-April, but in my mind it doesn’t feel like the TV series Dancouga is over, so please continue to support it as always. For now, I’ll do my best with a “let’s do it” attitude.
Regarding ZZ, it seems that the staff also have a strong desire to make a completely different tone from Gundam and Zeta Gundam and make it a more light-hearted work. So I don’t know how much brighter it will be with me playing Judau, but for now I intend to keep that light-heartedness in mind.
But I want to make sure that the fans don’t think, “Oh, it’s become such a shallow work, it’s boring,” so I want to keep the story strong despite the light-heartedness. I want to do it with care, so please keep watching over me with kind eyes. In that sense, I think this year is a crucial one for me. I don’t make any distinction between voice work and work where I show my face, so my current dream is to do both at the same time.
Anyway, I will do my best in all that I do, so I would be happy if you would support me.
OUT
Thank you very much for your time today.