Shingeki no Kyojin: The “Master & Apprentice” Conversation Between Kamiya Hiroshi & Yamaji Kazuhiro; A Look at Uncompromising Situations and the Ongoing Struggles of Notable Seiyuu

Translation by @suniuz & @fuku-shuu of @snknews; Please credit if used!



In his season 3 interview, SnK Chief Director Araki Tetsuro ’s commentary on Yamaji Kazuhiro ’s performance is, “He will enthrall you just by saying a single word.” “His performance is very convincing.”

’s commentary on ’s performance is, “He will enthrall you just by saying a single word.” “His performance is very convincing.” Kamiya Hiroshi ’s reaction to Yamaji being cast as Kenny is, “I was very happy. When Kenny first appeared in the original manga, my mind already envisioned him with Yamaji-san’s voice. It’s truly destiny…”

Yamaji : “Isn’t this a really interesting role? One that makes someone smile? Even though [Kenny] has his paranoid side, one can see that he still has feelings of fondness within. For Levi, Kenny’s existence is a colossal one.”

’s reaction to being cast as is, “I was very happy. When Kenny first appeared in the original manga, my mind already envisioned him with Yamaji-san’s voice. It’s truly destiny…” : “Isn’t this a really interesting role? One that makes someone smile? Even though [Kenny] has his paranoid side, one can see that he still has feelings of fondness within. For Levi, Kenny’s existence is a colossal one.” Kamiya also received stimulation through Yamaji ’s performance: “It was even more intense than I imagined. He brought a sense of believability to Kenny’s character, which was really, really impressive! From Levi’s point-of-view, Kenny is an adversary he must fight against, but he is also his master/mentor, so the relationship is quite complicated. When the one he least wanted to confront suddenly appears, he also feels the urgency of the situation. Even though up to that point, Levi never revealed any authentic feelings, he must showcase a different side in season 3, since his position is one that meets certain death if he doesn’t react immediately. Yamaji-san’s presence as this insurmountable "barrier” is really inspiring for me. Even though this is a barrier one must surpass, can it actually be done? I am constantly considering this.“



also received stimulation through ’s performance: “It was even more intense than I imagined. He brought a sense of believability to Kenny’s character, which was really, really impressive! From Levi’s point-of-view, Kenny is an adversary he must fight against, but he is also his master/mentor, so the relationship is quite complicated. When the one he least wanted to confront suddenly appears, he also feels the urgency of the situation. Even though up to that point, Levi never revealed any authentic feelings, he must showcase a different side in season 3, since his position is one that meets certain death if he doesn’t react immediately. Yamaji-san’s presence as this insurmountable "barrier” is really inspiring for me. Even though this is a barrier one must surpass, can it actually be done? I am constantly considering this.“ Yamaji was quite surprised at how strict the production team was with all the seiyuu. "All in all, the production team was very detail-oriented during voice recording, to the point where they would give us directions from word-to-word. This is the most meticulous process I’ve ever experienced in studio - very rare, in fact.” On the other hand, he also mentions, “There were many moments where I felt ‘Wow, so fun/interesting!’ During the recording period, I also had sudden realizations of 'So that’s what that means…’ The production team is so impressive!”



was quite surprised at how strict the production team was with all the seiyuu. "All in all, the production team was very detail-oriented during voice recording, to the point where they would give us directions from word-to-word. This is the most meticulous process I’ve ever experienced in studio - very rare, in fact.” On the other hand, he also mentions, “There were many moments where I felt ‘Wow, so fun/interesting!’ During the recording period, I also had sudden realizations of 'So that’s what that means…’ The production team is so impressive!” Kamiya : “While working, there were often challenging times, but Yamaji-san’s feelings of 'fun/interesting’ made me happier as well. When it comes to plot developments we don’t yet understand, it can be hard to perform our best under such mysterious circumstances. But in our studio, the production team was constantly prepared to answer our questions, help us analyze different scenes…they patiently explained things to us over and over until we were fully satisfied. Things could get difficult, but we could still concentrate on performing - that was truly a fun/interesting aspect. The result was that we weren’t just blindly working - we were putting in efforts toward an ideal result.”

: “While working, there were often challenging times, but Yamaji-san’s feelings of 'fun/interesting’ made me happier as well. When it comes to plot developments we don’t yet understand, it can be hard to perform our best under such mysterious circumstances. But in our studio, the production team was constantly prepared to answer our questions, help us analyze different scenes…they patiently explained things to us over and over until we were fully satisfied. Things could get difficult, but we could still concentrate on performing - that was truly a fun/interesting aspect. The result was that we weren’t just blindly working - we were putting in efforts toward an ideal result.” For example, when Levi battles in the air, there is a scene where he is simultaneously trying to defy gravity while paying attention to what’s happening up ahead. Kamiya excitedly ad-libbed there, which infused a sense of Levi enduring the force of being dragging downward. However, the production team said, “You don’t need to improvise here. Levi fighting against these physical forces is a given, so you should focus on what he 'noticed ahead of him’ instead.”



battles in the air, there is a scene where he is simultaneously trying to defy gravity while paying attention to what’s happening up ahead. excitedly ad-libbed there, which infused a sense of Levi enduring the force of being dragging downward. However, the production team said, “You don’t need to improvise here. Levi fighting against these physical forces is a given, so you should focus on what he 'noticed ahead of him’ instead.” While acting as Levi and Kenny in one-on-one scenes, the two seiyuu also discovered some deeper meanings within the original work.

Kamiya: “When we intricately performed these moments, I also reflected back to any misunderstandings I might have had while reading the manga. Now I really grasp the power of the series.”

Yamaji : “No matter how many times I reread the original work, whenever I watch animated adaptations, I always want to reread again.”



and in one-on-one scenes, the two seiyuu also discovered some deeper meanings within the original work. “When we intricately performed these moments, I also reflected back to any misunderstandings I might have had while reading the manga. Now I really grasp the power of the series.” : “No matter how many times I reread the original work, whenever I watch animated adaptations, I always want to reread again.” Yamaji ’s commentary on Kamiya : “He can allow himself to look calm as he does everything successfully, which is extremely impressive. Even if it’s Levi, for him to use a voice like that is not an easy task. His delivery and instincts are both so astute.”



’s commentary on : “He can allow himself to look calm as he does everything successfully, which is extremely impressive. Even if it’s Levi, for him to use a voice like that is not an easy task. His delivery and instincts are both so astute.” Yamaji: “For me to take on the role of a brand new character is something I’m definitely enjoying a lot. I’m 64 this year - I remember when I was in my 40s, I looked at those in their 60s like they were Gods. Of course, now that I’m in that generation, I realize that I have not changed much from my 40s (Laughs). I’m still experiencing infinite amounts of struggle - what an infuriating line of work we are in!”

Kamiya: “During my 20s, I also looked at my seniors thinking, 'So amazing! Like Gods!’ But now that I’m also older, I realize, 'So this is what they were struggling with.’ [The challenges are] truly never ending…"



Related News: Interviews || Season 3 || Seiyuu

Archival News: Interviews || Seiyuu

