Today marks the start of the Virtual Crunchyroll Expo. The online event will be streaming from September 4-6 and will feature many popular guests including voice actors, manga/anime creators, and cosplayers. That being said, Crunchyroll provided us an opportunity to conduct a short Q&A with two popular individuals, both of which will also have their own panels in the event.
The first is the legendary voice actor Patrick Seitz who voiced many popular characters such as Scorpion from Mortal Kombat, Ragna from BlazBlue, and Franky from One Piece. The next person we were able to ask some questions was Okina Baba, the author of the popular light novel and manga series So I’m a Spider, So What? The anime adaptation for the series will also premiere in January 2021.
Q&A
Patrick Seitz
What do you think is the most important attribute for an up and coming voice actor/actress to have?
Resilience and patience.
Becoming a professional voice actor might not happen quickly. Hell, it might not happen at all. I think it’s important for up-and-comers to identify what draws them to voiceover as a career. Making a living? The accolades? Being internet famous? Working on a particular franchise or genre of show/game? If the underlying desire is the need to act, don’t discount theater as an outlet.
Don’t discount radio plays or podcast-style storytelling. Give yourself more options to succeed, including avenues where you’re not waiting for someone to give you permission to do the thing (which is the bane of all paid work—thirty good casting options for every potential role). Make your own material if you have to; there’s never been a better time for getting your stuff out to the masses, if that’s your jam. And ultimately, remember that the thing that feeds your soul and the thing that pays the rent doesn’t necessarily need to be one and the same. Your passion doesn’t need to be your job, and vice-versa.
You’ve voiced quite a lot of popular characters in your career. Who do you think is the most iconic character you’ve ever voiced? And who’s your favorite?
I don’t think I can pick a favorite, but I know that Ragna from BlazBlue and Scorpion from Mortal Kombat are both pretty popular—as are Arthas and Garrosh from World of Warcraft. Some people are all about Franky from One Piece, or Jiren from Dragon Ball Super. And then you’ll get Eternal Sonata fans coming out of the woodwork, hype that I voiced Chopin in that. It blows my mind that I’ve gotten to voice so many characters over the years—and that, as varied as they are, so many of them rank so highly with the fans.
Fans of Patrick can catch his panel session “A Conversation with Patrick Seitz“, Friday, September 4 from 12:30 – 1:15 PM PT at the Hime Stage.
Okina Baba
Explain your involvement with the anime production.
I’m involved in all parts of the anime, such as the series composition, script review, and character design checks.
Both for the anime and light novel, what was the most difficult part of your writing process?
This is not unique to just this series, but it’s difficult to think of ways to entertain the reader. I think this is an eternal problem that faces all novelists.
Fans can watch Okina Baba in action during his panel, “Crunchyroll Originals Presents: Talk With The Creators Of So I’m a Spider, So What?” on Saturday, September 5 at 2:00 PM on the Crunchyroll Stage.
Will you be attending Virtual Crunchyroll Expo? What did you think of the Q&A? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.