Inalialethsala
05-12-2007, 08:06 AM
PART II: INTERVIEW WITH KUROSAKI ISSHIN'S VOICE ACTOR
Written by Itachi216 Sunday, 30 July 2006
http://bleachextreme.net/images/patrick_seitz.jpgItachi216: What do you think of Isshin? Seeing how his relationship with his son is what kind of character do you think he has? Patrick: Before I get to my answer, let me just put out the general caveat that I've only had the time to watch a fraction of the fan-subbed episodes so far, so some of my answers will be based more on speculation and armchair psychology on my part than on an more informed opinion. Mea culpa if I say anything here too utterly incorrect!
Watching Isshin attack Ichigo over and over again reminds me of how Cato would always leap out of nowhere and attack Inspecter Clouseau in the original Pink Panther movies, to help him keep his fighting skills honed--the main difference being that Clouseau asked for it and Ichigo just thinks his dad is nuts. Given Isshin's past as a shinigami, he knows exactly what sort of badness is out there. Even if he can't admit his past to Ichigo, he can at least try to prepare him for what's out there.
Itachi216: Do you think that Isshin, being Ichigo's father will play an important role in the series? And why?
Patrick: I certainly hope so--the more Isshin talks, the more I work! I've heard he sort of disappears for a while and then reappears later, but who knows what complete character arc the creators ultimately have in mind for him? My own vested interests aside, I wouldn't be surprised to find Isshin playing a moderate-to-prominent role in "Bleach". He seems like too fun and rich of a character to let him just sort of creep his way offstage, as it were--but I realize "Bleach" has a huge cast of characters, and there's just not enough time to keep all those story arcs chugging along all at once.
*SPOILER AHEAD! DON'T READ THIS QUESTION OR ANSWER IF YOU DON'T READ THE MANGA*
Itachi216: What if I told you that Isshin, despite the fact that he is a funny and crazy character, he's also a Death God like his son. A very strong one too!
Patrick: I'd be totally distraught that you just dropped the spoiler-bomb on me! No, I'm kidding--I know some folks who have faithfully watched every fan-subbed episode, so they'd already keyed me into that particular revelation. As an actor, I'm always glad to play characters with more than one dimension to them. Isshin's antics are fun, and if that was all he was as a character, I'd still be thankful for the chance to voice him. But knowing he's got an interesting past, one that he's keeping from his family...well, it's not like I'm going to be playing the conclusion or anything, to use a theater term, but it does make the task of voicing him a richer one.
Itachi216: What type of voice are you giving to him? Funny? Soft? Crazy? Or are you given instructions about this from the producer?
Patrick: When I went in to audition for Isshin, I used a gruff voice--some of the audition dialogue was a scene where he was riding roughshod over his family, so it seemed appropriate. And when I went in to record the first time, they basically played my audition back at me and told me that was the voice they wanted for him. I'm not playing him crazy, per se, and definitely not playing him as a ham. Just like in real life, the folks who *try* to be funny usually have their jokes fall flat. Having a character *act* funny doesn't pack nearly the comedic punch of having a character be deadly serious about something totally ludicrous. My portrayal of Isshin will change as the situation warrants, but so far, he's the sort of man who speaks his mind, for better or for worse. High-energy, definitely.
Itachi216: Are you having fun in the tube? Are you enjoying yourself when dubbing anime or are you just doing it for the money?
Patrick: I don't think anybody does this just for the money--I definitely don't. There's a part of me that's still quietly astounded that I'm getting paid to pretend to be other people. And I'm very thankful that I can pay the bills doing this. I think we all are. We're fortunate to be able to earn however much of our living we earn through voiceover work, but that's not what drives us. Anybody's whose primary motivation is pulling down the big bucks would be much better off putting their time and energy into any number of jobs that pay better, offer more job security, come with health insurance, et cetera. So my longwinded reply to your question is yeah, I'm having a blast. Isshin's a fun character, and I've never had the opportunity to portray somebody in such a long-running series before, so I'm looking forward to watching him evolve over the course of it.
Itachi216: Did you have a special interest in casting for Bleach? Or did you get that magic phone call one day telling you to audition for it?
Patrick: I knew that the "Bleach" scanlations and fan-subs were a big hit over here, thanks to those super-fanatic friends I mentioned, but I wasn't specifically gunning for a part in it. Some VO actors really follow who's getting what show to dub, but I'm more laid-back about it. If I get all excited about a show and then it goes to a studio that doesn't know/use me, I'm just setting myself up for heartache. When I get the call to audition for something, that's when I get excited--because at that point there's an actual real possibility of my landing a role.
Itachi216: How would you describe the other main characters? (Ichigo, Ishida, Rukia)
Patrick: I wouldn't presume to describe them to a site full of fans who know them far better than I do at this point! I should have you guys describe the other main characters to *me*!
Itachi216: You're probably not going to answer this (or can't) but, how many episodes of Bleach have you dubbed so far?
Patrick: There's plenty of Isshin left to record, let's just say. ;)
Itachi216: Lastly, would you tell us if you're a manga / anime fan? And what is your favourite series and character?
Patrick: I wasn't when I first started doing anime VO work five or six years ago. I didn't *dislike* it...I just didn't know anything about it. Over the years, I've come to really appreciate it as a storytelling medium. I haven't had as much exposure to manga, although I think I'd like it if I just sat myself down and actually took the time to read some. A friend told me about the premise of "Monster," and I found it intriguing. Generally, though, I'm more of a text guy, myself. And as for favorites? I don't know if I can narrow it down!
Written by Itachi216 Sunday, 30 July 2006
http://bleachextreme.net/images/patrick_seitz.jpgItachi216: What do you think of Isshin? Seeing how his relationship with his son is what kind of character do you think he has? Patrick: Before I get to my answer, let me just put out the general caveat that I've only had the time to watch a fraction of the fan-subbed episodes so far, so some of my answers will be based more on speculation and armchair psychology on my part than on an more informed opinion. Mea culpa if I say anything here too utterly incorrect!
Watching Isshin attack Ichigo over and over again reminds me of how Cato would always leap out of nowhere and attack Inspecter Clouseau in the original Pink Panther movies, to help him keep his fighting skills honed--the main difference being that Clouseau asked for it and Ichigo just thinks his dad is nuts. Given Isshin's past as a shinigami, he knows exactly what sort of badness is out there. Even if he can't admit his past to Ichigo, he can at least try to prepare him for what's out there.
Itachi216: Do you think that Isshin, being Ichigo's father will play an important role in the series? And why?
Patrick: I certainly hope so--the more Isshin talks, the more I work! I've heard he sort of disappears for a while and then reappears later, but who knows what complete character arc the creators ultimately have in mind for him? My own vested interests aside, I wouldn't be surprised to find Isshin playing a moderate-to-prominent role in "Bleach". He seems like too fun and rich of a character to let him just sort of creep his way offstage, as it were--but I realize "Bleach" has a huge cast of characters, and there's just not enough time to keep all those story arcs chugging along all at once.
*SPOILER AHEAD! DON'T READ THIS QUESTION OR ANSWER IF YOU DON'T READ THE MANGA*
Itachi216: What if I told you that Isshin, despite the fact that he is a funny and crazy character, he's also a Death God like his son. A very strong one too!
Patrick: I'd be totally distraught that you just dropped the spoiler-bomb on me! No, I'm kidding--I know some folks who have faithfully watched every fan-subbed episode, so they'd already keyed me into that particular revelation. As an actor, I'm always glad to play characters with more than one dimension to them. Isshin's antics are fun, and if that was all he was as a character, I'd still be thankful for the chance to voice him. But knowing he's got an interesting past, one that he's keeping from his family...well, it's not like I'm going to be playing the conclusion or anything, to use a theater term, but it does make the task of voicing him a richer one.
Itachi216: What type of voice are you giving to him? Funny? Soft? Crazy? Or are you given instructions about this from the producer?
Patrick: When I went in to audition for Isshin, I used a gruff voice--some of the audition dialogue was a scene where he was riding roughshod over his family, so it seemed appropriate. And when I went in to record the first time, they basically played my audition back at me and told me that was the voice they wanted for him. I'm not playing him crazy, per se, and definitely not playing him as a ham. Just like in real life, the folks who *try* to be funny usually have their jokes fall flat. Having a character *act* funny doesn't pack nearly the comedic punch of having a character be deadly serious about something totally ludicrous. My portrayal of Isshin will change as the situation warrants, but so far, he's the sort of man who speaks his mind, for better or for worse. High-energy, definitely.
Itachi216: Are you having fun in the tube? Are you enjoying yourself when dubbing anime or are you just doing it for the money?
Patrick: I don't think anybody does this just for the money--I definitely don't. There's a part of me that's still quietly astounded that I'm getting paid to pretend to be other people. And I'm very thankful that I can pay the bills doing this. I think we all are. We're fortunate to be able to earn however much of our living we earn through voiceover work, but that's not what drives us. Anybody's whose primary motivation is pulling down the big bucks would be much better off putting their time and energy into any number of jobs that pay better, offer more job security, come with health insurance, et cetera. So my longwinded reply to your question is yeah, I'm having a blast. Isshin's a fun character, and I've never had the opportunity to portray somebody in such a long-running series before, so I'm looking forward to watching him evolve over the course of it.
Itachi216: Did you have a special interest in casting for Bleach? Or did you get that magic phone call one day telling you to audition for it?
Patrick: I knew that the "Bleach" scanlations and fan-subs were a big hit over here, thanks to those super-fanatic friends I mentioned, but I wasn't specifically gunning for a part in it. Some VO actors really follow who's getting what show to dub, but I'm more laid-back about it. If I get all excited about a show and then it goes to a studio that doesn't know/use me, I'm just setting myself up for heartache. When I get the call to audition for something, that's when I get excited--because at that point there's an actual real possibility of my landing a role.
Itachi216: How would you describe the other main characters? (Ichigo, Ishida, Rukia)
Patrick: I wouldn't presume to describe them to a site full of fans who know them far better than I do at this point! I should have you guys describe the other main characters to *me*!
Itachi216: You're probably not going to answer this (or can't) but, how many episodes of Bleach have you dubbed so far?
Patrick: There's plenty of Isshin left to record, let's just say. ;)
Itachi216: Lastly, would you tell us if you're a manga / anime fan? And what is your favourite series and character?
Patrick: I wasn't when I first started doing anime VO work five or six years ago. I didn't *dislike* it...I just didn't know anything about it. Over the years, I've come to really appreciate it as a storytelling medium. I haven't had as much exposure to manga, although I think I'd like it if I just sat myself down and actually took the time to read some. A friend told me about the premise of "Monster," and I found it intriguing. Generally, though, I'm more of a text guy, myself. And as for favorites? I don't know if I can narrow it down!