Studio Ghibli's beloved 1997 classic, "Princess Mononoke," captivated audiences with its fantastical tale of Ashitaka witnessing the clash between humanity and forest spirits. The film, rich with themes of nature and conflict, raked in a staggering 19.3 billion yen at the box office, briefly holding the title of Japan's highest-grossing film of all time.
Fast forward to October 20th in Tokyo, where a special premiere for the "Princess Mononoke" 4K digital remaster IMAX was held. Among the attendees was none other than Yuriko Ishida, the voice of the fierce heroine San. Alongside Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki, she finally revealed the surprising reason behind her casting all those years ago.
Ishida kicked off the event, exclaiming, "I never imagined I'd get to see 'Princess Mononoke' again in this format after all these years – it's truly a joy! The screen is so massive, it actually startled me (laughs). I hear the IMAX version is incredibly immersive, and I'm beyond excited!"
Ishida recalled, "One day, I went to my agency, and Mr. Toshio Suzuki was there, chatting with my manager. The moment I heard 'Ghibli,' I instantly tensed up – I never expected them to call me! When I heard they wanted me to voice the protagonist, San, I was so thrilled I felt like I could fly. All I could think was, 'Why me?'"
That's when Toshio Suzuki, with a chuckle, dropped the bombshell: "Because she was Hayao Miyazaki's type (laughs). That was genuinely the main reason. Back when Isao Takahata was directing 'Pom Poko,' Ishida voiced the heroine, Kiyo. Miyazaki was on set and saw her, and his nose visibly 'grew longer' (laughs). He was struggling to find someone to voice San at the time, and I thought, 'Ah, that's her! Not for her voice, but for her looks!'" The entire room erupted in laughter.
▼ Kiyo from "Pom Poko"
Ishida admitted that the voice work was incredibly challenging, especially since she was only in her twenties and not a professional voice actress at the time. "I received tons of materials beforehand, but after going through them, I realized San didn't have many lines. The focus was on her breathing, her subtle gasps, and that contradictory state of being human yet wanting to be a beast, but never fully able to. It was incredibly difficult."
She laughed, adding, "I probably took the longest of anyone to record (laughs). Yoji Matsuda, who voiced Ashitaka, was amazing; his recordings went so smoothly. I felt like a student stuck in detention, constantly staying behind for extra lessons."
One scene particularly stuck with Ishida: "There's a part where San rescues a fallen Ashitaka, puts him on a wolf's back, and runs. That was the first scene I recorded, and it was also the hardest. When Director Miyazaki was coaching me, he even said, 'You need to say, "Are you dying?" with the same tone you'd use to say, "You're not wearing underwear, are you?"' I was completely dumbfounded (laughs)."
Ishida explained, "At the time, I was thinking, 'No! You can't die!' But the director said that for San, it was just like asking, 'Oh, you're not wearing pants? Okay, whatever.' It was so hard for me to grasp back then; I almost cried every day. But this job truly was a dream-like experience for me – like a dream and hell all at once (laughs)."
Reflecting on the past, Ishida shared, "Director Miyazaki never went easy on me; if it wasn't right, it just wasn't right. I think he seriously considered replacing me back then (laughs). But I'll never forget that experience. Even now, I wish I could voice her again, though I can't make those sounds anymore."
When asked about the significance of "Princess Mononoke" to her, she replied, "Whenever I travel abroad, people ask what I've acted in. As soon as I say, 'I voiced San in "Princess Mononoke,"' they immediately go, 'Wow! That's incredible!' and show me immense respect (laughs). That's truly the power of Ghibli."
While it's been roughly two decades, it's clear that Yuriko Ishida's memories of voicing "Princess Mononoke" are both challenging and amusing, marking a truly unique voice acting experience in her career. However, Toshio Suzuki's revelation was completely unexpected – who knew Miyazaki's casting process worked like that?!
via： Modelpress