“Ishiya Haruki” Voice Actor Interview & Mini Gravure【Voice Actor Picture Book】[149]

Special post for my hero, Ishiya Haruki! Today is his birthday!! Happy birthday Harukun !!! 🎉🎉🎉

This interview is the best personal interview I could get my hands on, and the first interview I tried to translate with my sad excuse of Japanese skill and lots of Jisho help. I’d be happy if anyone would read this and understand why I want to devote myself to this soff boi!!

Enjoy!

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This interview is about the voice actor which the editorial departement currently pay attention to, the chance they aim as voice actor, first job, and private events, also further combined with gravure, are popular project introduced as “Voice Actor Picture Book”.

The 149th, this time it will be Ishiya Haruki who play the role as Tamotsu Denkigai in AKIBA’S TRIP -THE ANIMATION- and Shuuichi Tsukamoto in Hibike! Euphonium.

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ーFirst of all, please tell me what do you think about the photoshot.

Ishiya: Ah~ I was nervous. Because the shooting itself was my first. I think the interview is second or third time.

ーI think there are many fans who want to know about Ishiya-san! You’ve been appeared mainly in TV anime since around 2013, what motivated you to became voice actor?

Ishiya: By the time I was in middle school, a friend of mine invited me to help a children theaterical backstage, ‘those people who did the acting are cool~’ was what I think, then it became the reason I was intersted in acting. I wanted to be a voice actor in my 2nd year of highschool. I was in the track-and-field team since middle school, then was given a chance to be the last runner for relay competition in 2nd year of highschool. Because my hometown is in Miyazaki, I think I might be able to enter the competition in Kyushu if I win, but just before I reach the goal line[1] I was thrown off balance, my left hand made contact with the ground and followed by burned sensation. I couldn’t get up, and I couldn’t move my left hand either! It’s hard to move my hand from the elbow upwards…

ーNo way, was it a complex fracture or…

Ishiya: it feels like that. I was brought to the hospital by ambulance, I feel like it was hopeless to continue on the track-and-field for the rest of highschool days. I was told that rehabilitation will be hard. I also consider about enrollment recommendation for university, but after about a week stuck in hospital I felt more depressed as the day passed. At that moment, I watched “Crayon Shin-chan”, the episode where Nohara’s house got burned down[2]. Hiroshi in front of his burned house said “what should we do after this, what should we do…” and started reminiscing about Shin-Chan. The auntie from neighborhood then told him “there are still many good things you can do from now on,” I replied to her words “what do you know about it!”, I cried really hard at that scene…

ーSo that line was important to you.

Ishiya: it make people deeply moved. Also, the presence of my friends in highschool play a big role. With the same circumstances regarding my body I have to give up on rugby. Because of the light novel this guy had been reading in the classroom, “I’m going to be a voice actor” became my dream I set from that time. Then, I was quite done with track-and-field, I studied until I felt like dying, and took the general exam to enter university.

ーIf you keep in the track-and-field, the different occupation you will have now is…

Ishiya: I want do something in the taking care of players [athlete] dirrection, so I was aiming to became sports instructor.

ーRegarding acting, was it your first experience after entering Pro•Fit?

Ishiya: almost my first. I played at childern theatrical for about a week.

ーI heard that the training school is hard to enter.

Ishiya: I got in, it was just basic class where even people with no experience in acting could enter though. I wrote “I am completely amateur. I want to learn from the begining,” and seems like they noticed that part.

ーFrankly, what you write was good either way.

Ishiya: because I have little to none experience in acting, I want to pick things up where I was left behind [about acting]. After the admission was decided, I go back and forth from Gunma to Tokyo for one year. I also cover all my living expenses by myself.

ーAll by yourself…?

Ishiya: that’s right. In many occasion I could hold up to 3 part time jobs.

ーThat’s amazing. What kind of part time job?

Ishiya: waiter at Ryoutei, family restaurant’s on the hall [waiter] and kitchen, also at deli.

ーAll of them were related to food store.

Ishiya: right. Things like bringing out foods is common, isn’t it? I did not have very much money to spend on food. At the begining of the year I really didn’t have any money, so I went to search for wild onions[3] on the riverbank.

ーWhat is… wild onions?

Ishiya: it is something that grow naturally. Like field horsetail and dandelions[4].

ーAh, they certainly grow like that.

Ishiya: eh, you can eat them. Originally in Miyazaki I know we can eat bracken and three-leaf clover. I wonder if I could find something on the riverbank… and then I found them unexpectedly (laughs).

ーYou cook them yourself too?

Ishiya: field horsetails can be done properly by extracting the scum (foam when you make broth). Dandelions can be eaten up to their roots. They can be made into salad, or put them in miso soup.

ーSounds like stories from Heisei era… it have amazing life force feeling on it (laughs). Well then, we will start talking about your work, as voice actor your recent new appearance was in regular TV Anime “selector infected WIXOSS” as Kominato Ayumu.

Ishiya: I was the Hero’s big brother. At first, the dirrection for the act was quite unclear, so I remember to have to go after-scene field studying even if I have no scene to do. In the end, I began to think about pursuing gentle and warm feelings. The scene itself was really warm. Even until now, director Takuya Satou-san always called out to me “long time no see!” When we work together in another site.

ーYour recent work in “Hibike! Euphonium” as Suuichi Tsukamoto left out impressions. There was a movie version first in 2015, and the second one was in 2016.

Ishiya: the movie version (2016) was actually completely rewritten. So because of that, the approach for the acting was also changed. Until then, because I had little opportunity to play same role twice, there was a pressure feeling to show how much I grow. From the first movie to the second one, I can feel that the quality of my play has changed…

ー There was a real feeling of change for sure.

Ishiya: I think the first movie was a difficult play, but since it’s a character I continued to play, there was a familiar feelings to it. Because this is not an experience I could get regullary, from this play I’ve learned that I could actuaally bear one (same) role.

ーThen, in「AKIBA’S TRIP -THE ANIMATION-」which currently broadcasted, you played as Tamotsu Denkigai.

Ishiya: Once I thought my voice didn’t have the caractheristic in that way, I think I could mix up various points as replacement instead. However, with Tamotsu, not only I’m not familiar with him, the start out was no good. Until now, I naturally just sticking to the acting that give out the feel that’s not uncomfortable to hear when you watch, this role stands out the most now. Aside from that, I want to properly became enstabilished while being in the lead role.

ーMeanwile, there are many seniors who can bring out a lead role character really well, right?

Ishiya: I also want to fit in with all those seniors. I think I couldn’t survive without doing that. I want to show to those people that give me opportunities myself, and for that reason, I think that I should do my best. I have not done much yet, but I’m going to do it little by little.

ーThat’s some extream seriousness…!

Ishiya: (laughs) That’s nothing serious at all.

ーOther than at the work site, you also studied a lot of things at home, don’t you?

Ishiya: I watched movies (foreign ones), and also other plays. Because there are many acquaintance from same generation, I really like to hear everyone’s comments and exchange oppinions with them.

ーWith who?

Ishiya: with Shuugo Nakamura, Yoshiki Nakajima, Shinichiro Kamio, and Makoto Furukawa.

ーThey are certainly passionate people (laughs).

Ishiya: because I can’t tell lies and only able to said what’s really on my mind, everyone were able to speak their heart out (laughs). I do not drink sake but I like to have a lively exchange of ideas at drinking party.

ーBy the way, you said something about “a voice that do not have any characteristic” but when talking about something like this, there’s deffinitely some characteristic. I heard that as you do trainings for voice acting, the voice itself will change.

Ishiya: in my case, it was about one and half year ago, I was 10kg heavier than now. But I remembered that I should maintain my appearance for works, so I worked hard to restrict my carbs intake and started to do swimming. In half a year I was able to loss 10kg, and then there was one time when my body fat reached one digit, everyone quickly quipped “are you an athlete?!” (lol). Even now I still went to swimming for one hour around 2km.

ーLosing 10kg in half a year is amazing.

Ishiya: I really want to have a body like Kouji Murofushi [5], its ideal (lol). But for now, it looks like became voice actor is good enough (laughs).

ーThen, do you have anything you usually for refreshing?

Ishiya: of course doing exercise do relief some stress. Then burn some incense and take a walk. Also taking a bath with bathwater additives. In winter, reading a book while listening to music with some water in hand for about an hour will also do.

ーWhat kind of book you like to read?

Ishiya: Mystery or Light Novels, the genre doesn’t really matter. I also read soft copy books and I think some psychology books too… because it has to be good for talk material, and how would it fit myself, I think I will search based on those hints.

ーAnd the kind of music you like?

Ishiya: music from game or classical. Because I like violin and piano. I also play trombone recently…

ーIt’s “Shuuchi Tried Practicing Trombone for A Week”[6] right?

Ishiya: That’s right! It’s from “Hibike! Euphonium” animation project.

ーThen last question, would you please tell us what will you want to challenge as a voice actor from now on?

Ishiya: I want to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those people whose voice I listened to on TV when I was little. I want to have the competence to held a role as main cast. And then, I think I want to devote more so that I could return all those energy and support from everyone.

ーThank you very much!

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Original Source

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Notes:

[1] ゴール直前で胸を突き出した時 this phrase literally means “that time when I stuck out my chest before the goal” which refers to the posture of runner athtlete right before they reach finish line.

[2] mostlikely the episode he watched was eps 395.

[3] 野ネギ more like wild leeks but in note [4] his explainations were of tuber plants.

[4] field horsetail and dandelion

[5] Koji Murofushi is Japanese olympic athlete for Hammer Throw.

[6] 「秀一が週一トロンボーンを練習してみた」is a NicoNico programe where Harukun as Shuuichi’s VA plays trombone 💕

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RB’s Note:

• Once again happy birthday Harukun 🎉🎉🎉
• Last year he only celebrate with smol sad cake from convenience store pls have better birthday this year
• Have I mentioned that I love him so much and he is my hero??
• I hope if anyone read this you could understand his charm as much as I do!!
• Never accurate so if you found mistakes please point it out thanks!