Interview with the Cast of Legend of the Mystical Ninja
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING WITH ADV?
GOEMON (Vic Mignogna): I have been with ADV about three years. Back in that day they had one studio and a few directors. Man things have changed!
TSUKASA (Tiffany Grant): I was the very first voice actor hired by ADV back in February of 1994, so almost ten years now.
EBISUMARU/ITAKARO (Chris Patton): I have been working with ADV films for going-on five years now. I think I've voiced over 40 titles, and way over a hundred or so characters.
SASUKE/HATARINO (Greg Ayres): I have been working with ADV for almost two years now.
IMPACT (George Manley): I just celebrated my first full year of working with ADV. It was a very rocking day because I remember telling myself that if I had moved to Houston and didn't land any acting work within the year that I was tucking tail and running back home. I've accomplished quite a bit more since then.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ROLES YOU?VE PLAYED?
GOEMON (Vic Mignogna): One of my first big roles was Gawl in Generator Gawl. Since then some of my favorite characters have been Hiroki in Princess Nine, Broly in Dragonball Z, Kurz in Full Metal Panic, Kougaji in Saiyuki, and Mythe in the PS2 game Unlimited Saga, among others.
TSUKASA (Tiffany Grant): Most people know me as Asuka from EVANGELION and several other popular shows such as Chocolate in SORCERER HUNTERS, Kome in BLUE SEED, Madame President in GOLDEN BOY, Ryoko in NADESICO and Becky in GUNSMITH CATS. I apologize to anyone reading this if I did not name your personal favorite in that list!
EBISUMARU/ITAKARO (Chris Patton): Most notably, Ayato Kamina in RahXephon, Sousuke Sagara in Full Metal Panic, Yu Ominae in Spriggan, Ohjiro in Angelic Layer, Yushiro Gowa in Gasaraki, Daley Wong in Bubblegum Crisis 2040, and the now-infamous Key in Excel Saga.
SASUKE/HATARINO (Greg Ayres): Some of my favorite roles have been Son Goku in Saiyuki, Yuya Asou in SuperGals, Shinji Kazama in Full Metal Panic, Mikhail in Steel Angel Kurumi, and Mannen in Pretear. Although the role I'm most excited about is Kaworu Nagisa in the Director's Cut of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
IMPACT (George Manley): Prior to Goemon, I've been henchdudes, monsters or pick-up villains in a lot of series. I think my final body count in NOIR was somewhere around 150 different nameless faceless 'Soldat Redshirts,' as I like to call them. I also have a great smattering of roles in Aura Battler Dunbine, Nuku Nuku Dash and Those Who Hunt Elves.
HOW ARE YOU ASSOCIATED WITH THE MYSTICAL NINJA?
GOEMON (Vic Mignogna): I play the role of the beloved hero, Goemon!
TSUKASA (Tiffany Grant): I play nine-year-old Tsukasa, a little boy who is stunned when the characters from his favorite video game (Goemon) begin appearing in his bedroom! They randomly jump in and out of his TV and just move casually in with his family. This provides Tsukasa opportunities for many exciting adventures.
EBISUMARU/ITAKARO (Chris Patton): I play both Ebisumaru and Itakaro, and it's fun fun fun!
SASUKE/HATARINO (Greg Ayres): I am voicing the roles of Sasuke, and Hatarino.
IMPACT (George Manley): It's been interesting looking up information on the series and finding out its large number of devotees in the gaming community. Apparently, the Ganbare Goemon series has a BIGGITY BIG following, and from what I hear, a lot of the American gamers were surprised to hear that there was an anime done of the series so I'm glad to be helping bring that to them.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER(S)?
GOEMON (Vic Mignogna): What do I NOT like??! He is the greatest character of all (and I'm not partial)! He is a hero, but he has an innocence that is so much fun to play.
TSUKASA (Tiffany Grant): I love his enthusiasm and sense of awe. When you are a kid, anything is possible, and some pretty seemingly impossible stuff happens to this guy.
EBISUMARU/ITAKARO (Chris Patton): I love Ebisumaru because he's odd, fat, and funny, and his weapon is a RIBBON, for goodness' sake. I like Itakaro because, well, he's an evil egg...need I say more?
SASUKE/HATARINO (Greg Ayres): Everything... How can you not love a robot that is programmed to take pictures of hot chicks or an evil 'Egg Critter' that has a way of getting into trouble? Both Characters are just totally over the top and a lot of fun to work on.
IMPACT (George Manley): Impact is totally rad. He's every character you've ever seen growing up with Japanese imports such as Ultraman and what not where the hero has a dramatic transformation into something more powerful. Honestly and truly, it's even better that Impact had his own voice. I guess the thing about Impact that really made working on Goemon special was the fact that he was really a throwback to those older 'giant superheroes' when the big guy always came in at the end of the episode to make things right again.
DO YOU ENJOY YOUR ROLE?
GOEMON (Vic Mignogna): More than most roles I have ever played, yes!
TSUKASA (Tiffany Grant): This is probably one of the most fun characters I have ever done and one of the most enjoyable series I have participated in. I always look forward to the sessions and watching each episode to see what will happen next.
EBISUMARU/ITAKARO (Chris Patton): I enjoy both roles a great deal, yeah.
SASUKE/HATARINO (Greg Ayres): OH GOD YES !!! Both characters have been so much fun to work on.
IMPACT (George Manley): Without a question. Impact was very enjoyable.
WHAT MAKES YOUR ROLE ENJOYABLE?
GOEMON (Vic Mignogna): First, Goemon is pure energy. He is funny, yet sensitive. The stories are so creative and unique, and ya never know what's around the corner. The rest of the cast is so fabulous that every episode is just one wild ride after another.
TSUKASA (Tiffany Grant): Getting to view things through the eyes of a child. It may sound silly or odd, but when I am in that booth, I really AM a nine-year-old boy. I love the wacky situations that occur and the way Tsukasa deals with them. It's great to play a part that is so totally apart from my real life, and I enjoy that challenge - although Tsukasa seems to come to me fairly easily now.
EBISUMARU/ITAKARO (Chris Patton): I love Ebisumaru's voice. It is a combination of Edward Albee (famous playwright), and a voice that might be likened to a certain purple dinosaur. Itakaro, well, he's fun because of his evil laugh, and the 'landing' noises he makes.
SASUKE/HATARINO (Greg Ayres): Both characters are just a blast to voice. It's so cool to get a role you can have so much fun with vocally. Hatarino is especially 'over the top'. The foley work that I got to do for him will always be some of my favorite.
IMPACT (George Manley): Impact was truly the kind of character with his upbeat approach to things (yes, even when using that Impact Bazooka to blow things up) I always looked forward to recording him every single time.
WHAT EXPERTISE DO YOU BRING TO THE TABLE?
GOEMON (Vic Mignogna): I have been an actor for 20 years, and have been consistently voice acting in anime for the last three years. I also do a lot of music and video production work. I'd like to think that all these years of experience in creative fields all lend something to my ability to bring more to this role.
TSUKASA (Tiffany Grant): Well, over the years I have voiced several (no idea how many) roles of little boys, mostly in supporting roles - except for Sandora in EXCEL SAGA. Having voiced hundreds of characters over the years, I have learned how to separate them all in mind so that each one is a definite individual.
EBISUMARU/ITAKARO (Chris Patton): I've been acting professionally since I was nine. I've trained extensively in stage acting and specifically in voice acting and singing. I think those things make me a pretty pliable, versatile actor, and hopefully right for the job. Plus, I do have a few anime titles under my belt. : cough cough:
SASUKE/HATARINO (Greg Ayres): Hrmmmmm....I would say that I share plenty in common with both characters. I would say that I have Sasuke's spunkiness, and I get into almost as much trouble as Hatarino.
IMPACT (George Manley): I've been acting and writing in one form or another since I was about 6 years old. I've also been an anime fan since I first got a glimpse of Speed Racer and Kimba the White Lion a long time ago.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE MYSTICAL NINJA THAT DRAWS YOU IN?
GOEMON (Vic Mignogna): The characters and the creative stories. Just when I think I have never seen a funnier or more entertaining story, we dub the NEXT Goemon and it out does the last!
TSUKASA (Tiffany Grant): The fact that I can watch it and feel like a kid. The show is utter fantasy, and I can totally suspend my disbelief and watch it without having to analyze everything that is happening. It makes me think of something I would have enjoyed watching as a kid - because of the fun feeling of the show - and yet I very much enjoy it as an adult. It does NOT play down to its audience.
EBISUMARU/ITAKARO (Chris Patton): The sheer lunacy and fun of it. I don't know if I've worked on a show that is more fun than this one.
SASUKE/HATARINO (Greg Ayres): It's just such a funny show. It's also a show that you could sit down and watch with friends of almost any age, and they would all totally enjoy it!
IMPACT (George Manley): Goemon is a very happy and light series. Even though I've only been a henchman or a bit player in a handful of these other series so far, I can tell you that it's a welcome departure from getting shot at, dying, telling characters what dirty deals happened to their parents, or contemplating the nature of politics or the universe.
WHAT DOES WORKING ON THE MYSTICAL NINJA MEAN TO YOU?
GOEMON (Vic Mignogna): I'm very proud of all the work everyone has done on this show. I don?t know what the different expectations of The Mystical Ninja have been, but I am confident that the series will surpass them all.
TSUKASA (Tiffany Grant): I like the idea of getting to bring life to a show based on a video game. Although I know that idea is viewed by some fans as 'poison,' I think it's an exciting opportunity to do it better than the competition. Also, it's different than most shows based on a game since the 'human' characters interact with the 'game' characters. The humans are shocked by the arrival of these newcomers, and in that way it seems a bit of a parody of other 'based on the hit videogame' type shows.
EBISUMARU/ITAKARO (Chris Patton): It means I'm going to make a LOT of people laugh, and that ROCKS!
SASUKE/HATARINO (Greg Ayres): It's been a very special project for me because it seems like everyone involved in the show is TOTALLY into it. It seems like anytime the voice actors have been together, we all end up talking about how excited we are about Goemon.
IMPACT (George Manley): I can honestly say that I haven't had this much fun recording a series yet.
WHY SHOULD THE VIEWER WATCH THE MYSTICAL NINJA?
GOEMON (Vic Mignogna): I am quite sure that viewers have not seen anything remotely like The Mystical Ninja EVER! This show mixes action, adventure, comedy, suspense and friendships in a series that has something for everyone.
TSUKASA (Tiffany Grant): Because it's FUN! It is such a pleasure to watch this show. I find myself laughing hysterically during the shows on a regular basis. So far, I have only watched the show all the way through in Japanese, but the scenes I have watched in English are great, too. I think the director, Scott McClennen, has assembled a terrific cast, and what's equally exciting is that all the cast truly LOVE working on this show. I think the fact that we all enjoy the show so much is really going to come through to the viewers, and I'd love to get feedback from them when they see it.
EBISUMARU/ITAKARO (Chris Patton): Because sometimes we all need a break from ultra-serious anime, and this is it. Plus, it still manages to be funny and family-friendly at the same time, which is pretty rare.
SASUKE/HATARINO (Greg Ayres): Because it?s just soooo much fun... they totally won't be disappointed!
IMPACT (George Manley): Because Goemon ROCKS!
WHAT ARE SOME INTERESTING ANECDOTES?
GOEMON (Vic Mignogna): Perhaps one of the funniest things that have arisen out of this show has been the newfound joy of foley sounds! Usually, a landing or exertion sound is nothing to be overly excited about. But in The Mystical Ninja, the director has allowed us...nay...encouraged us to be creative and act 'outside the box'. One of the results has been some of the most fun foley sounds ever in an anime series. The cast almost looks forward to them more than the actual lines!
TSUKASA (Tiffany Grant): Well, as most of you know, I am best known for portraying a fiery red-head called Asuka, so it was weird for me at first when Tsukasa had scenes with his girlfriend who is also named Asuka (not only that, she wears a yellow dress and little red things in her red hair!). I'd have to say things like 'Goemon! We've gotta go help Asuka!' That was kinda spooky. My husband said, 'My God, my wife thinks she's a cartoon character!' 'No,' I said, 'It's much worse than that. I think I'm a cartoon character who's dating myself.' Well, such is the life of a voice actor! Thanks for reading.
EBISUMARU/ITAKARO (Chris Patton): Well, discovering the voices was fun in and of itself. But the greatest thing was finding out how many truly messed up 'foley' or 'action' sounds I was able to make with the characters. Example, one of my characters, in EVERY volume of the show, has a moment where he says 'DOINK!' when he lands. Look for it.
SASUKE/HATARINO (Greg Ayres): FAT GAS.... BEWARE OF THE FAT GAS!!!
IMPACT (George Manley): Next, the scream in volume 4 that took seven takes to get. 38 seconds of hammer throwing a monster (whose name shall remain a secret until it's actually released) and me and my pride going 'no, really, I can nail it in one take!' ProTools and common sense won that day.
Posted on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 (Archive on Friday, May 07, 2004)