Voice actors Yuki Kaji and Hiro Shimono discussed the emotional pressures of their profession during the premiere of the movie "Crayon Shin-chan: Kiki Kaikai! Ora no Yokai Vacation" [1].
The exchange provides a rare glimpse into the psychological demands of voice acting, where performers must maintain professional composure while delivering high-emotion dialogue.
During the opening stage greetings on Aug. 1 [1], the actors shared "seiyuu aru-aru" — common experiences shared by voice actors. Shimono recounted a specific instance where he struggled to hold back tears during a recording session. He said that despite his efforts to remain composed, he ended up crying during the process [1].
"I thought to myself, I must not cry, I must not cry during the recording, but I was just normally crying!" Shimono said [1].
Shimono emphasized the professional conflict of the moment, noting that his character, Karazo, was not even involved in the specific scene being recorded at the time [1]. He said that because it was a workplace, he felt he was in no position to be crying during a scene that did not even feature his role [1].
Kaji added to the conversation by suggesting that such emotional responses are more common than the public might realize. "Quite a few people, during recording..." Kaji said [1].
The event served as a promotional opportunity for the new Crayon Shin-chan film, but it shifted into a candid discussion about the vulnerability required for the craft [1]. By sharing these anecdotes, the actors highlighted the gap between the polished final product, and the raw emotional labor occurring inside the recording booth [1].
“"I thought to myself, I must not cry, I must not cry during the recording, but I was just normally crying!"”
This interaction underscores the mental toll of high-pressure voice acting in the Japanese entertainment industry. By framing these emotional breakdowns as 'common experiences,' Kaji and Shimono are normalizing the psychological strain of the profession, suggesting that the ability to access deep emotion is often a double-edged sword that can override professional boundaries in a studio setting.
