Growing
beyond the original video game to include anime and a stage show, the Sakura
Taisen universe has become one of the most fascinating creations of the home
video and personal computer era. Actor Maya Okamoto is a part of that "Sakura
Taisen world" as the voice of Orihime, and like to say that the character
was "raised" in the way that a child is raised. "I kind of raised my character,
but fans also raise the characters," she said. "The fans are critical of
the show and they say things like 'Orihime wouldn't say that' - it's
really wonderful." The best example of Japanese fans' devotion to the Sakura
Taisen world came when producers decided to retire the Sumire character and
treated it like a real actor's retirement, including a retirement concert
- and the fans reacted in the same way.
In
the recording booth, Okamoto nearly immerses herself in her Orihime role.
"The other voice actors of Sakura Wars, they think Maya is Orihime. I think
Orihime is more cool - I'm not a cool girl, Orihime is like a princess, I'm
not. I've never felt that I just read lines, I speak as Orihime especially
on the stage. Things happen, and without thinking I speak as Orihime. When
there's an accident in a Sakura Taisen show, I can cover it up by becoming
Orihime. Inside i'm calm as Okamoto, but the other half is Orihime. It's
the two people existing as one person, and that makes me really happy."
Okamoto's
acting career got its big break with a role in the Zeta Gundam series, which
let her show her abilities. She was one of the many Japanese high school
students who dream of voice acting fame and went to a voice acting school,
but her dreams almost ended with an argument with the school's principal.
Fortunately, she passed the Zeta Gundam audition and got a major role in
that series, and that break led to the Orihime role. Success in Japan has
led Okamoto to take the major step of moving from Japan to California so
she can pursue her goal of acting success in the U.S. "I know it's difficult
but it's a big dream and a challenge," she said. "I just got a green card."
Growing
beyond the original video game to include anime and a stage show, the Sakura
Taisen universe has become one of the most fascinating creations of the home
video and personal computer era. Actor Maya Okamoto is a part of that "Sakura
Taisen world" as the voice of Orihime, and like to say that the character
was "raised" in the way that a child is raised. "I kind of raised my character,
but fans also raise the characters," she said. "The fans are critical of
the show and they say things like 'Orihime wouldn't say that' - it's
really wonderful." The best example of Japanese fans' devotion to the Sakura
Taisen world came when producers decided to retire the Sumire character and
treated it like a real actor's retirement, including a retirement concert
- and the fans reacted in the same way.
In
the recording booth, Okamoto nearly immerses herself in her Orihime role.
"The other voice actors of Sakura Wars, they think Maya is Orihime. I think
Orihime is more cool - I'm not a cool girl, Orihime is like a princess, I'm
not. I've never felt that I just read lines, I speak as Orihime especially
on the stage. Things happen, and without thinking I speak as Orihime. When
there's an accident in a Sakura Taisen show, I can cover it up by becoming
Orihime. Inside i'm calm as Okamoto, but the other half is Orihime. It's
the two people existing as one person, and that makes me really happy."
Okamoto's
acting career got its big break with a role in the Zeta Gundam series, which
let her show her abilities. She was one of the many Japanese high school
students who dream of voice acting fame and went to a voice acting school,
but her dreams almost ended with an argument with the school's principal.
Fortunately, she passed the Zeta Gundam audition and got a major role in
that series, and that break led to the Orihime role. Success in Japan has
led Okamoto to take the major step of moving from Japan to California so
she can pursue her goal of acting success in the U.S. "I know it's difficult
but it's a big dream and a challenge," she said. "I just got a green card."
