Megumi Ogata, the legendary voice actress behind iconic characters like Kurama from "Yu Yu Hakusho," Shinji Ikari from "Neon Genesis Evangelion," and more recently, Yuta Okkotsu from "Jujutsu Kaisen," has been active for over 30 years. Even after all this time, Ogata-san remains a dedicated force in the industry.
Ogata recently appeared on ABEMA's variety show "SHIBUYA ANIME BASE," where she shared a profound memory of voicing protagonist Shinji Ikari in "Neon Genesis Evangelion"—a moment understood only by her and director Hideaki Anno. She also discussed her mindset during those recording sessions.
Megumi Ogata made her official debut in 1992 as Kurama in "Yu Yu Hakusho." However, her career's biggest turning point came in 1995 with Shinji Ikari in "Neon Genesis Evangelion," when she was already 30 years old.
Reflecting on her approach to the role back then, Ogata confessed, "I always felt that to truly play a 14-year-old character, I couldn't lose that feeling of being 14 myself. At the time, I even thought that maintaining that feeling was my only reason for existing." She revealed that the only person who truly understood this struggle was director Hideaki Anno.
She recalled collapsing onto the floor, exhausted, after recording the scene where Shinji goes to save Rei Ayanami. It was then that Director Anno approached her and said, "Thank you for always keeping a 14-year-old heart. It's precisely because of your persistence that this work could be completed."
Ogata emotionally stated, "Only Mr. Anno noticed that. In that moment, I truly felt so glad to have been a part of this project."
She added that Director Anno has always placed immense importance on "the sense of being there" or "live presence." "For everyone involved, 'Evangelion' was a 'live performance' happening in real-time." This highlights Ogata's deep commitment to the work and the profound, unspoken trust and bond she shared with Hideaki Anno.
Perhaps it was this very project that became the pivotal moment in her career, allowing her to remain a prominent figure in the voice acting industry to this day.
via： ナリナリドットコム