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Vol 3 Ch 37 | Gender Affirming Gorillas feat. Comona Lewin
26 Plays2 days ago
Welcome back to the Sleep Over Podcast! This episode we are joined by Comona Lewin, a voice actor who has worked on BLUELOCK, King's Game, One Piece and Windbreaker, and as a Smash Bros esports commentator! We talk about being a queer nonbinary person in voice acting, the writing behind the scenes, and odd things to ask to be signed.
You can find Comona's Socials HERE
OUR PATREON IS AVAILABE HERE
OUR LINK TREE/SOCIALS AND DISCORD SERVER CAN BE FOUND HERE!
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Arrival
00:00:10
Speaker
Welcome back to the Sleepover Podcast. This is FanDames with Parks and Nebula. I am Nebula. And I am Parks. And today we are joined- Whoa. Whoa. whoa Redo it. Redo.
00:00:35
Speaker
many times in my life let's run it back one more time welcome back to the sleepover podcast this is fan names with parks and nebula the voice you're hearing is nebula Oh, now you're carrying in? I'm Parked. It's been a minute, guys, everybody. And we are joined by a lovely guest today, if our guests would like to introduce themselves again.
00:00:54
Speaker
I'm Kimona Lewin, and I don't know what Parker's talking about. This is my first time introducing myself to you all. ah Yeah, I'm Kimona. I am an anime voice actor, also an esports commentator, which you may know me as.
00:01:07
Speaker
um Yeah, I've been doing anime stuff for...
00:01:13
Speaker
Technically a little over 10 years, but that sort of depends on where you put the starting point for me. But I've been doing this for not very long, and I'm happy to be here with y'all.
Moving and Meeting the Hosts
00:01:22
Speaker
Hell yeah. I'm happy would be for you to join us.
00:01:24
Speaker
I'm going to swap up our intro a little bit because you actually reached out to us because following how... You met us at SakuraCon because of our wonderful panels. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Patting myself on the back. Very wonderful panels.
00:01:37
Speaker
But also, how long had you been in Seattle by that point for you to come to SakuraCon to see us? Yeah, so I think, ah was SakuraCon in April? Was that around the time that it was? it was in March this year. it was No, it was April. with that Was it? Ooh, you got me.
00:01:51
Speaker
No, you're right, because it was the week before Level Up. I'm back. Sorry, it changes everything. It wouldn't have been more than a month after I had moved up to Seattle. And honestly, like, a lot of it was... Anytime you move, especially, like...
00:02:05
Speaker
I lived in Dallas for 24 years. Anytime you move anywhere, there is a feeling of displacement. And like, I want to be doing something. I want to be getting to know people. And Sakura Kron was great because I did know a couple of people there. Right. Obviously, a couple of ah actors that I knew were up there. I was hanging out with ah Jordan Dash Cruz for a little bit. I was hanging out ton with ah Nia Celeste, who.
00:02:30
Speaker
talk your ear off about her and we were both ah leads in vampire dormitories. So anytime we're in the same area, we just hang out forever. um But aside from that, it was really just like, OK, I know my sister like she's there. She's running a booth and I was helping her out with that a little bit.
00:02:45
Speaker
But yeah, aside from that, there's just like, hey, I want to get to know more people, you know, in my communities and anybody that might be in the area. And a lot of people that host panels are um and it was a great way to like stay entertained when I wasn't, uh, you hanging out with people. So yeah, I really enjoyed, the panel that y'all hosted. I had a great time at it.
00:03:05
Speaker
Um, and i was just like, Hey, these folks probably run like a really fine podcast. i looked it up. I saw names of tons of people that I know that you had had on before. And i really enjoyed what I listened to. And I was like,
00:03:19
Speaker
I don't have a job right now. So, you know, if they want to, you know, I got free time. i got time. money on Like I'm in the area, you know, let's hang out. It's just complete happenstance that we knew your friends from before.
00:03:31
Speaker
started the stars aligned. It's like, that was really fun. Oh, they know my guys works out perfectly. Yeah. I'm glad it did. I'm glad that you are here right now. Thank you for being patient with us while we had a little bit of a long break because it's been a few months since Sakura kind of this point, but you know, it works out. We're all here.
00:03:48
Speaker
I'm glad you're here. We're all five had Life happens and Maybe it it works out better for everybody too, because now like I've got
Journey into Voice Acting
00:03:56
Speaker
a job up here. i feel a little bit settled. I probably would have looked like a really big mess when I was on earlier.
00:04:02
Speaker
i probably would have just been moving in here. Yeah. So I'm with you. Nice fresh recording closet before. not Nothing done to it yet. Now it's all settled in. beautiful i personally love the wood paneling. I think we should keep the wood paneling.
00:04:18
Speaker
it's very It's very Pacific Northwest. It makes me feel like I'm integrated with the area. it. I'm like in a cabin. Ugh. Well, now to run it back one more time, because you mentioned that you did ah esports commentating and to ask you, <unk>m sorry, I'm mentioning that i'm doing it again. Everyone that knows our podcast knows that we are a little bit of a hot mess. um so what came first for you when it came to esports commentating versus voice acting? Like, was it an easy shift from one to the other because you were used to being on screen in that way and, you know, working in that way in terms of broadcasting just live versus dub? You know what I mean?
00:04:54
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, no, I do. Um, the The voice acting came first for me, for sure. um I actually really fell in love with the idea of doing it back when I think it was like in middle school. um I got really into ah the My Little Pony series. I was watching Friendship is Magic a ton with my friends, um and I got really into ah like listening to panels and stuff. And i heard a couple panels of like the voice actors talking about stuff and they just made it sound super fun. I fell in love with the idea of it.
00:05:24
Speaker
um And i kind of, when I was sitting at home, I was always just like talking out loud and like doing bits and characters to myself while I was like playing games. Like I'd voice the characters that I was doing or like, i don't know, I'd play Forza Horizon and I would just be like doing top gear, just like this is the Audi all right. It's just like I'm 14, not knowing what I'm doing.
00:05:46
Speaker
Um, and yeah, I like, I got into it around then, um, you know, auditioned for indie projects and got nothing cause I had no acting background, but I started getting into, you know, all of our, uh, you know, the theater classes at school. And, um, eventually I don't remember how I did it, but I got on the, uh,
00:06:06
Speaker
ah Back then, Funimation ah had, well, one, existed, ah but two, Funimation had ah just sort of a list of, hey, you can get on this and ah for, you know, it'll cycle through and they can only have so many people on it for auditions, but...
00:06:24
Speaker
you know, every couple seasons that comes around, you'll get to come in, you'll get to read for one of their open auditions um and you would go in and you would sit down in their lobby and they would hand you a binder with the sides for the characters um and you would read them there.
00:06:38
Speaker
And ah i had I think 2014, I think I had my first like recording session. And I think in like 14 and 15 and 16, it was all like I would record maybe once or twice a year to do like Walla or bits.
00:06:55
Speaker
um And I remember ah Joel McDonald was the first person that ever had me and you would hate that I'm name dropping him. ah But I did ah just like, you know, one piece bits. I think it was like episode 300 something.
00:07:07
Speaker
And I was a little kid like being a little snotty brat in the background. um And that was that was the first thing I did. i didn't really get things kicked off until 2017 when I got offered to do the lead in King's Game, which everybody loves asking me about.
00:07:24
Speaker
Um, as I'm sure you can imagine, but I didn't start, uh, commentating tournaments until, I think it was either like late 2015, early 2016. Uh, I was like 16, 17 years old and i just started going to smash tournaments to like, try and make friends. I like playing the game.
00:07:43
Speaker
um And I got there and I saw that they had a commentary booth and a piece of my background is that my dad is a sports commentator. He did like baseball and football and stuff like that.
00:07:54
Speaker
um And I just kind of went, oh, that's cool that they do that for this, too. ah That's really cool that we can have our matches commentated. And then after about a year, I realized that I was probably not going to be a good player. Yeah.
00:08:07
Speaker
And I was like, well, I still want to be a part of the community. So i started practicing commentary. And i yeah, I started doing that around like 2016 or so. That's really impressive that you did all of that while you were still in high school. Like you were just a teenager.
00:08:21
Speaker
I think you're the the the youngest person we've spoken to, or at least like the youngest person. That's not true. that is That's not a true oh no no. Nassim is younger. And when you talk to Nassim, it's like, I want to die, dude. I'm 25. I'm going to kill you.
00:08:35
Speaker
I- No- Anytime we talk to these young voice actors, like, oh, I hate you guys. I was going to bring Nassim. I was literally going to bring him up. was like, I know he got in young, too. Like, really young. It's like, you guys make me feel old as shit. You make me feel old and haggard, like I have done nothing in
Networking and Industry Insights
00:08:50
Speaker
my life. Please.
00:08:52
Speaker
Oh, yeah. No, it's- I love how young that a lot of people are able to get into this cycle because, you know, voice acting is such a network heavy career.
00:09:02
Speaker
And as long as you have that time and year like gain that breath and meet so many people, you're just going to flourish by the time you hit 25. Like, you know, it's up there. You're up there. And that's what's always incredible to talk about, I guess. That's one secret about somebody like me is that I don't have a very big network. I was very just in Dallas for a long time and I was just very happy to be doing anime and to be working with Funimation and with Crunchyroll and that's kind of where I know everybody and...
00:09:33
Speaker
by the time now that I'm moving out to the West coast, yeah, it's weird because I don't really know people out here and I need to get in touch with more people in l LA. and sometimes you'll just be one of those people that's like floating around. You'll like book a role and people will go like, Whoa, who's this, this new actor, Kimona. And like, I've been, I've been around for a little but Not new guys, not new, new to you maybe, but not new off the air for some time now. Like, yeah,
00:10:00
Speaker
Well, it's like you're already hitting it with really, really big ones coming out of this season with being on Windbreaker and then on Blue Lock. And I mean, Blue Lock season two is getting a harsh criticism, but it's like you're still on the project by some means. So that means that your name in credits is being circulated.
Dubbing and Localization
00:10:14
Speaker
And that's always going to be huge for whatever progression comes next, um especially with having your name in and moving across and having to reestablish studios is always going to be, you know, a pain in the ass. But There is still a really strong like route on the West Coast because you are that close to getting in touch with Bang Zoom and some others.
00:10:33
Speaker
That's like the move is a little bit of a switch up because it just means that you're a little bit cut off from Crutchy Roll, but you do have so much around you once you're able to reestablish like what it means now with the move, you know?
00:10:45
Speaker
Yeah, well, and and getting down to L.A. has always been like pretty easy for me as well. My dad lives in the area, um you know, getting to like Burbank and everything. and That's always been no problem. If anything, you know, my dad, if I have a recording session in L.A., he's like happy to fly me down because he's like, oh, I get to see my kid. Like, you know, it's he just kind of turns every one of those into like a family trip.
00:11:07
Speaker
Yeah. And yeah, like getting in touch with like the BangZoom people and everything. i mean, that'd be awesome because legitimately they also have some of my favorite ah ah projects that I have watched before. I know that I mean, i'm I'm super down to talk about like, you know, anime that I watch and stuff. yeah But 86 is my favorite anime of all time.
00:11:30
Speaker
ah And that was a BangZoom show. ah they They recorded that down there and I have not watched the sub for 86 yet, despite the fact that I've watched it three times because the dub is that good.
00:11:43
Speaker
ah And yeah, they they do incredible work down there. um And also just like that opportunity to be in projects with people that ah you normally wouldn't. I have tons of friends in you know the Dallas area that I'm stoked to see every time I walk into the studio and I'm like, hey, that's my boy, Ethan. What's good, man?
00:12:02
Speaker
Uh, but yeah, getting around and getting to meet more people. I mean, that that's one of the best things about doing these jobs is that you just get to go and meet people, whether that's at conventions or at other studios or just like talking to people online or I go to a tournament and people are talking about anime and I'm like, I can keep up with those conversations.
00:12:26
Speaker
Sorry. Yeah. Do you have like a particular, um Because I know you but you mentioned your your support network a lot with within your career of your friends and the people that you've worked with for years now. But is there an actor or a particular performance even that you like really aspire to or that inspires you whenever you go into a recording session?
00:12:50
Speaker
That that is a phenomenal question. um i will say that I think the the two most ah memorable people that have helped me over time, especially when I was it was a little after i had booked King's Game and I was very sort of unsure about like myself and what I had given in that because I was 19 the time.
00:13:09
Speaker
at the time then Let me tell you, being 19 and in college and then just suddenly being a main character in a show is like scary. It's really cool. But you're also just like, i have 110 lines of dialogue to record this week.
00:13:23
Speaker
oh i feel It's scary. ah It's not like being in your college play. It's a totally different situation. Hell no. ah It is. i i think I did have an anxiety attack during the recording for one of those episodes, which was not helped by the fact that we like recorded a lot of those at night and it was a horror show. And I was just like staying in character in that vibe that long and not just like walking out and seeing the sun is a little bit like claustrophobic.
00:13:49
Speaker
Um, but it is nobody's fault. It's just like, that's sort of how things got together. um but to what I was saying is that a little bit after that show, um, Wendy Powell and J Michael Tatum, I took a couple of workshops, uh, that, that spanned, uh, a few weeks with those two and,
00:14:08
Speaker
Like, my God, the the level up in in acting and the ability to be more sure in what I was given that I got from those two is like something that I'll never be able to just like ah say enough about. it They are phenomenal at helping you really be in touch with, you know, what's happening around you and sort of unchaining any of like the anxieties or ah just insecurities that you might have while you're in the booth and just letting yourself get immersed.
00:14:37
Speaker
um And if you want to talk about particular performances, my God, I will probably talk eventually about how I do some back end work with Crunchyroll as well as some of the non acting stuff. um But there are some shows that I have watched, especially particularly recently.
00:14:55
Speaker
um i did final scripting for Witch for Mercury on G Witch. um Basically, everybody in that show was inspiring. um And I'm forgetting the the name of the the the two ah but women, the the two girls that are on sort of like the opposing side ah that kind of just like go nuts.
00:15:19
Speaker
um I had a couple times where I stood up from my desk and I went.
00:15:25
Speaker
just like from the sheer performance that they were giving. um And I think even, I don't know if it was last season or the season before, but Zenshu, Madeline Morris in that show, um just ah so phenomenal. Everything that that she did in that show, Ryan Negron as well. I mean, those two as like basically the two lead characters ah blew me away ah when I was watching it.
00:15:51
Speaker
um They, they, they they They turned what was already like a really golden show into something that was just like, oh, wow, I'm going to... remember this for those performances i think i could scroll through my annie list and find a bunch of those but those are two that i always remember like i'm just sitting there watching the shows for work and being like man am i fortunate right now that's awesome and to be not only to see the performance but to be in the room or at least to like watch them and their movements and like be a part of that energy that sounds really incredible
00:16:26
Speaker
Oh, gosh. Well, I mean, yeah, anytime that you do, I've had a couple of times where just like I've been in a Wallace session, somebody that I haven't met before is in there and they just like give it all. You hear what comes out of their voice. You just go.
00:16:39
Speaker
got top that when I walk in there and do my bit parts like I got I got to do even more than that. Yeah. Make sure Soldier 071 is way better than Soldier 073 right now. okay People are going to remember me, dude. Male Soldier 21B, you're going to remember.
00:16:58
Speaker
yeah I do that all the time after talking to voice actors and you know, I was always invested and heavily into, you know, ah anime fans are always we're picking apart every single piece. It's just how we are. And as soon as I started to get more involved in talking to voice actors and directing what all that means, my care and listening, my ear has gotten sharper for a Walla because I can start to hear when a friend is doing that. I'm like, oh, shit.
00:17:21
Speaker
Oh, yeah. There you are. Like, anytime. I'm one of those people, whenever I watch a movie, I have to have IMDb open on my phone so I know exactly who is who and where is where.
Creative Process in Voice Acting
00:17:29
Speaker
And when it comes to finding additional voices, like, if I see you're in the project, I will hear you. I will find you.
00:17:35
Speaker
And so it's, um you know, in the same way like, meaning everybody who's involved, when you have those people who are so big, even if they're in the smallest role like Awala, it's so... I don't know. It's not as impactful as a lead role, obviously, when it comes to the credit of what it means.
00:17:50
Speaker
But when people know to listen and care for it, it really does mean the world to those who care about those small details and the world building that comes with it. Well, it's it's it's very...
00:18:02
Speaker
It's very rewarding for us as well, obviously, when like, you know, there is a ah differing level of like investment and like the amount of study that you'll do. You know, if you've booked a ah main character and you're going to be thinking about that for like, you know the 30 minutes that you're driving to the studio and the 30 minutes that you're driving back, you're thinking about like, what are these implications for this character? And how do these sort of play into why they are the way they are?
00:18:25
Speaker
ah But when you're in the booth, you're still given your 100% for stuff like Walla. And it is still just as fun. Like anytime you're in there in front of the mic and you get to see, you know, what was in your head come to life on screen and it all just like slots together. It's it's a beautiful thing. And the fact that that does not go unappreciated is like it it really does mean a lot for the people that are recording on that as well, because you know, everything is a part of the world and somebody who gives, you know, a yeah performance that feels out of place in one of those spots that can take you out of it.
00:19:07
Speaker
And the fact that everybody does lock in and gives good performances and people will recognize that and say like, Oh, I know that person, you know, that's, that's sick. Like that's fucking awesome.
00:19:19
Speaker
it's like, even when you have scenes that were, and I've seen this and they they've all been pretty bad anime, so I'm not gonna name drop, but it's like where a scene is too silent because the director didn't consider the essence of what was going on. or it's like a scene in a school.
00:19:32
Speaker
And for some reason it is silent despite a crowd of people being around. It's like, It takes you out. It takes you out so fast when we're having a really busy conversation in the middle of a school and no one around makes a single fucking noise. What's going on?
00:19:46
Speaker
um Like that bad mixing stands out so strongly. So when you see a director do the opposite and actually invest into the world a little bit, it's so much better. And i just I hate when people don't do it. I hate when it's unrealistic.
00:20:00
Speaker
Well, it'll peel back the the curtain a little bit as well. And if you're talking specifically about dubs, you know, We are, for the most part, just kind of sticking to what we're given. Yeah. and like, you know, if somebody's time coding, they will mark down the things that are heard in the J and then that'll get sent over and things will get written and directors can make the choices to fill those things out. But yeah, especially like on those shows where like they're coming over from Japan and they are missing those elements and you feel like, man, if there was just like a little bit more swell back here, if like one of those people that had their mouth flapping in the background, they were saying something.
00:20:34
Speaker
it It does. It changes that immersion a lot. Yeah. and And I'm also a big fan. Oh, sorry. ahead. As an actor, I could imagine, and you'll have to correct me if I'm wrong, that those kind of background ah roles might be a little bit more exciting at times because you can try things that are new. Like your name isn't immediately attached to it and someone might not immediately recognize you. So you can maybe try something in a different direction than you would have had it been a different role.
00:21:03
Speaker
that That does happen sometimes, yeah. I mean, like, in in the background parts, like, you know, you'll, you'll have your bit parts where like, it'll be on screen and you do kind of have to stick to what's there.
00:21:14
Speaker
um Background and Walla for sure. There is a lot of room to just like, yeah, do something different with like your performance or sometimes even your voice. If you think that like the characters got ah something going on with them. I remember doing a lot of stuff with a Jonathan Rigg on um the, the beast princess. I,
00:21:34
Speaker
Always going to forget what that show is called because it's one of those very long titles. um But there are a lot of animal characters. ah Princess and the King of Beasts. That's the one. ah And the ah you know, you have like, you know, one day you're going to be like a guy that is a lizard. And then the next week, you know, you come in and record another bit part and you're like a big pig with tusks.
00:21:55
Speaker
And ah you're going to talk like you've got something in the way your mouth and, Like doing things like that is always very fun. But let me tell you, the things that get in to the show with Walla is the the the amount of things is sometimes just like Well, I guess you're probably not going to hear that unless you're like rewinding the episode eight times to hear Jordan talking about, hey, did you notice the walls orange in here? Because we were talking about that when we walked into the booth earlier.
00:22:30
Speaker
And look at that. what I don't even remember what show that was. It was sometime in 2021. out find somewhere. go out and find it somewhere And you'll hear somebody in the background talking about orange walls because they just were in the Crunchyroll studio. I love that though.
00:22:46
Speaker
It's Crunchyroll orange. should talk about something. Yeah. Well, like, that's my favorite part is because I pick up on those. I love when things are candid. I love when lines are added because you have to match the lip flaps somewhere. And especially if it's a comedy, it's like, I think we can fill it in.
00:23:00
Speaker
Like when it comes to the change of direction where you are having to adapt Japanese slang to what English slang. And this is a really good example within like My Hero where, um what's her name? What's her name? Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. The girl in the black suit.
00:23:14
Speaker
um The girl in the black suit with blonde hair. Kami? Yes, where she talks in just straight up like meme talk now because of the way it's adapted to English. I know a lot of people did not like that. I like when people take those directions. I like when voice actors have fun with the role, even if it is just adapting and adding in random shit.
00:23:30
Speaker
And I know it's, you know, comedy focused when I say that, but there are times in series animes where the delivery, even if it's a little bit funny, does still hit a little bit differently. It makes those characters a lot more personable.
00:23:42
Speaker
So when people are doing it in Walla, I'm having fun. Like I'm a good, I'm having a good time right now. ah It's like the with Jujutsu Kaisen is an example where it's like, you're just saying stuff right now and it's fun, who cares?
00:23:54
Speaker
I well, I think that those those examples also like, first of all, there is a ton of credit to be given to the writers, like after things get translated, the way that they will write things.
00:24:05
Speaker
um ah There are some people that are just so ah good on the back end of just like being able to localize things and. I don't know, like even if it's not like a perfectly direct one to one localization, it'll get across the same vibe.
00:24:22
Speaker
i love seeing that with characters. and And sometimes there's one of two steps, either like the writers will make a choice or the director and the actor will make a choice. um Final Scripting Prince of Tennis, there were so many times where I'm going through the scripts and just the dialogue that comes out of David Wald's character is not even a little bit close to what's on the script, but it works perfectly. And, you know, you just sometimes I have to decide Well, am I going to write out all that dialogue or am I just going to put in brackets excited David noises to one minute, 45 seconds, 23 frames? He'll figure it out.
00:25:03
Speaker
It's like it's up to the subtitling team. Are they going to put in all that word? i don't know.
00:25:11
Speaker
I think that's why i love dubbed anime so much because what fascinates me about the back end is the localization aspect and that exact aspect. Like what Parker said with Kami's character, how do you translate something like that from Japanese and Japanese social media culture and how they like have all these abbreviations or emojis or whatever?
00:25:30
Speaker
um Versus an American audience How do you localize that And how do you translate that across memes And things and just little things like that I just fucking love it, it makes me so happy Because it's not, if it's a direct translation I feel like it's very boring
Identity and Acting Career
00:25:45
Speaker
It's all the localization that makes it Truly like spring to life it's there There is a level of like understanding what they're going for with the character or what the character is doing. And sometimes you know that'll evolve in the writer's room and they will find a way where it's like, okay, this will get sort of a similar point across where you can enjoy it the way that the source material would. Where if it was directly translated, you just kind of go, i don't ah don't really know what that means.
00:26:15
Speaker
You know and i have to have it explained to you later. um And sometimes that happens in the booth and somebody, ah you know, like especially big personalities who aren't afraid to take risks, you know, guys like Alex Lee, for example, is one of the people I think of that love like.
00:26:29
Speaker
They they will evolve characters ah just in their own performance that the writers will take note or you and the director will work together and the character will become like a little bit different than maybe it was.
00:26:44
Speaker
ah You know, it would kind of seem if you directly translated it, but it still gets that same point across. And it just, the execution's a little bit different. Like, again, there are so many points in any dub where that can happen. And it all comes together because everybody that works on an anime dub is so incredibly passionate about whatever step that they're working on. And all the times that I'm sitting on the back end doing, you know, whatever like scripting work that can be a little bit mind numbing at times.
00:27:20
Speaker
like I always take like I zoom out for like a minute and just go i get to work on this stuff and I get to contribute to it and it's just an endless gratitude of like this is cool this is cool to work on stuff like this well it's like even within um like even your old past roles how is it when you're on that side of things where you have to kind of mimic and I'm specifically talking about like your role in My Hero where you have to be Hawks' phone um where you have to still kind of convey because even when I watched your reel um Of course I did. um But it's like, you have to convey, ah who hold on.
00:27:55
Speaker
Xena Robinson. Sorry, I always, I'm one of the people that can mix this up, AJ Beckles and Xena Robinson's voices. And I always forget which one's which, um for which roles. But it's like, when you did that, you still had to mimic Hawks' voice a little bit, which is, you know, Xeno's performance.
00:28:09
Speaker
Have you felt like because of your experience prior, it's become a little bit natural to you to be able to do that in, I guess, a subset of a role of another character that someone's already doing?
00:28:21
Speaker
Yeah, that was that was a really unique one because there was, like, you did have to get across the, like, ah you know, sort of like the intent of what he's saying. But that one slotted into a very unique case in which, at the time, ah this is I think, maybe the...
00:28:40
Speaker
maybe the only time so far that my e-sports work has actually very directly influenced by voice acting work rather than vice versa, where at the time I was doing a lot of voiceover for a company that now and longer exists called Panda.
00:28:56
Speaker
And they're ah they they had basically sort of like an ESPN YouTube channel, but for competitive smash. And i was doing a lot of voiceover for videos on that channel to, you know,
00:29:07
Speaker
summarize things that had happened or maybe we had like an analytical video. Um, And I had posted that on like my pinned tweet as like, you know, one of the things that I do and that people should hit me up for.
00:29:18
Speaker
And ah forget if it was ah if it was Emily or Colleen. That was I think it was Colleen that was directing that episode. and And Colleen had brought me in because I had, you know, sort of been able to establish a a cadence like that and to be able to speak sort of ah effectively enunciating, like being clear.
00:29:40
Speaker
but not having like crazy personality. Like it's just very straightforward. And for that smartphone voice, she needed something that was, yes, this is coming out of a text translation app, but based on the Japanese, it's sort of like a smart app. Like, you know, it's, it's not, uh, what was it like logic? Just like walking past his fans and going, this is AI voice.
00:30:02
Speaker
Like it's just, it's, it had to be, ah you know, a good balance of this is clearly synthetic voice, but, It also does have an amount of personality. You do have to channel sort of like a bit of the feeling of what, ah you know, I think, like you said, Zeno is doing with Hawks there.
00:30:22
Speaker
yeah um And yeah, that was that was a challenge. I think that like doing those first couple of takes, we took about like 10 minutes to do them so that we could really. narrow down what we wanted the voice to sound like but then after that yeah it was pretty natural because you just sort of get into a place mentally in your head of okay where did that come from and then you just sort of pour it through that filter which is really just all the acting is is just making sure that every thought that goes into your head is going through like the filter and the visor of the character that's in front of your face and it gets out there that's awesome man I wish I could put on my resume that I was anime c siri
00:30:59
Speaker
A little bit. i love I love having just like the the the roster of characters I've voiced as well. and one of them is just zoomed in on a phone. And it's like, do you mean that you're like Hawks? Because I see him and I'm like, I'm not Hawks. I am not Zeno Robinson.
00:31:16
Speaker
and my My face reflects light very well. I am not Zeno. Like...
00:31:23
Speaker
Different people. well just It was so funny. like I love that performance. It was funny. i i like i don't know I keep saying that I like the small details of it, but it's like I do. I like that they did have someone specifically for that role.
00:31:35
Speaker
And I love that you, because you know you cast and you have to, the The fact that you just, we need someone that can speak clearly, please. Someone that can just enunciate perfect. Get in here. um Just feels so right, honestly.
00:31:48
Speaker
um It is, again, part of what I enjoy a lot. um In the same vein of your roles, it's also funny because you're the fifth big mom kid we've ever had on the podcast. ah we keep like yeah 86 of you and I will get you all eventually. We will keep popping up. I promise. love that Every single one of you. We'll have every
Conventions: Challenges and Joys
00:32:10
Speaker
single one on here. Well, it's like, that's not even your only one piece role. So um we've talked about this a little bit, like with Marianne and everything where it's like, once you're kind of in the slot, we just have to make sure your character never shows back up again.
00:32:22
Speaker
So did you kind of have to have that same process because you were a little bit more of a side character compared to some of the other big mom kids um as mobile specifically is a mobile mobile. I don't know with them. Okay. But it's like because you were able to come back and I think you're two characters in Wano, aren't you?
00:32:37
Speaker
Yeah, I so it's it's kind of hard to keep track because the the fun thing about recording for One Piece is that. if you have ever recorded with Funimation or Crunchyroll, 99% chance you have been on One Piece at some point.
00:32:51
Speaker
yeah Probably a lot of that has been like backgrounds and bits, but like... You're our Marines. Exactly. Well, and again, that's like the first couple of things. It's just like, oh, who's that? Oh! Just doing... You're going to do that at least like twice a year.
00:33:06
Speaker
um But yeah, so there's there's mobile and then I know... there's a character that I was ah really shocked to find out that he had a name because he didn't in the script, but he does have a name. It's like said in the manga and he shows up in one scene in like a bar.
00:33:23
Speaker
um Yeah. That's one piece. Every single person will be seen. and that's, and that's awesome. I love that they have that. Cause that has happened to me quite a few times where like, I have, you know, booked something and then that episode will come out and then somebody will be like, oh, you were like, you know, ah yeah male mafia, you know, 377B like, oh, that's, you know, Mr. Ghouls. And then it's that's up on the that's up on the all the wikis. And I'm like, oh, I guess I was Mr. Ghouls. All right. Like, that's cool.
00:33:53
Speaker
Yeah. i didn't know I didn't know he was going to matter, guys. My bad. that's it Exactly. And it's like, okay, so ah there was there was that guy and then there was a big blue ogre named Zonkey.
00:34:04
Speaker
ah i love the numbers! Scratch Manapoo, gang we up! I love the numbers. I do. i do I really do. So the fact that you, yeah, keep talking. Sorry. I'm i'm a big numbers fan. I'm a big beast pirate fan.
00:34:21
Speaker
No. And look, here's the thing. I'll never forget Zonky because I recorded three lines of dialogue for him and all of them were Zonky.
00:34:32
Speaker
And that's, that's one of the things I love about one pieces. I think it was Zonky, Zonky, Zonky. And then it was literally just like, those were my lines. And I was like, well, I'm Zonky bros. like Well, it's like, that's the best part about one piece is that, you know, you voice these side characters, you get merch, you get merch, you get fan art when you're in one piece.
00:34:52
Speaker
Even if you're the guy in the background, people will love you and they will find you. ah thats honestly boy apart That is, it does not matter who you are in one piece. There is someone out there that loves that character because there's thousands of them.
00:35:03
Speaker
People will know what you're talking about. Like, you know, mobile shows up, like he probably has, I think like 11 lines in all of, you know, the thousands of episodes of one piece that will occur over the course of the timeline.
00:35:17
Speaker
And ah people go like, oh, like you're One Piece? Because they like look at my, like like glance through my IMDb and I was like, oh yeah, like, you know, I'm one of the, ah you know, big mom pirates, you know, i was ah I was Charlotte Mobile and they're like, oh, the wine guy? And I'm like, how do you know that?
00:35:32
Speaker
He's the one with the big arms. He's the only one with three arms.
00:35:38
Speaker
Because he's always sipping, you know what I'm saying? I'm evil and I'm ah i am a big One Piece fan, so I memorize every single one of these fucking characters and I'm not kidding.
00:35:49
Speaker
she really does. So i when I was like, when you emailed us, I pulled the book and like, my fucking god, we're in. We are always in. Every single one of your One Piece credits, i was like, holy shit.
00:36:00
Speaker
um Because it's also like, you know, Mobile appears in red for like a second. A second. Does he really? he's the background. doesn't have a line. and he's in the your character doesn't have a line in something, you don't know that they're there.
00:36:13
Speaker
Oh, don't worry. He's there. um Because during a little bit, I think he's also technically there in Wano, but not quite. So, you know, you're good. um Because he's one of the most favored background big mom kids.
00:36:25
Speaker
um So you just see him in background. Because he out. Yeah, genuinely. it's ah We have to collect, because it's One Piece plot, we have to collect all the races. So we have to make sure we can include that guy in the diversity pick, okay? Genuinely, it's a real plot point.
00:36:38
Speaker
um but So it's just, it's funny. No matter what... Yeah, that's the whole point. That's what she does. shoutouts to Big Mom for the DEI hires. Genuinely. Genuinely. That's my woke Big shoutouts.
00:36:51
Speaker
That's my woke queen. I love her. But it's like, it's funny because it's there's so many fucking characters in One Piece. There's so many. And the fact that like the story's written in a way where even if you do come back later or you do voice a new character, people will remember you.
00:37:07
Speaker
that you will not be forgotten. and And, you know, you'll probably show up in 10 years for another line to record that exact same character that you thought you were done with. Oh, yeah. but it's It's really funny when that kind of stuff happens that you're just like, oh Right. Like that did get another season, like, especially for, you know, anything where like a show does go on hold for a little while and then it comes back.
00:37:30
Speaker
I can't imagine for some people like, i mean this is a less extreme example of it, but I know that, um, uh, our last crusader rise of a new world, ah season two, like stopped in the middle of it And, uh,
00:37:45
Speaker
Like, I can't imagine what it's like to be Jason Liebrecht to record the first five episodes of that stop for a year and a half and then go back to recording it like in the middle of a season. And it all still sounds really good. It's just like suddenly jumping back into that has got to feel like, oh, right, we were doing that.
00:38:02
Speaker
Well, it's like, there's so many times I've approached a voice actor who's done a role 20 years ago. I'm like, I loved you in this. You're like I don't know what you're talking about. um I did that to David Lodge and he's like, I don't even remember being. I was like, oh, like you're like one of the main characters, man.
00:38:16
Speaker
yeah didn't remember. um But you wouldn't know that. it' So I just, I love, I love voice acting. I love talking to people about their experiences and what makes them want to do more or how they get into it in between those breaks.
00:38:30
Speaker
And I'm rambling about it. but but I would love to That's exactly how I got into it, too, is that I was also fascinated with the same thing. And i wanted to know what it was like to be in that world. And then, you know, I just happened to end up really loving it once I got into the world. And that's why I stayed in it.
00:38:50
Speaker
I would love to ask, because you identify as non-binary, um has that impacted your career with voice acting, either in positive or negative ways that you would like to share? Because I'm very curious from an actor's perspective, exploring gender and kind of how that might bleed into some of your characters or vice versa, if you took inspiration from other characters and that helped you figure out who you are.
00:39:14
Speaker
Yeah, no, um I can definitely it's very easy to think of the the positive ways ah for for one. I mean, if you're working in an industry with actors and all of that, and especially in the anime industry, like the professionals and the people that you're going to work with are just generally super, super supportive. And you're going to find a lot of people like you. um There are so many friends that I've made just off of being able to share that camaraderie. Like,
00:39:43
Speaker
I know that every, every gay voice actor that has ever existed is going to sing the praises of Kieran strange because he is fucking incredible. That is my goat. and being able to have that bond with Kieran and get to know him and be like, all right, like finding that community of other people like you, there is always a ton of support.
00:40:07
Speaker
um And I can even say like not only is it good to like feel validated and be able to find people like you. Um, I have had a couple of roles where I've gotten them booked because of my gender identity and one that I can think of specifically, ah second appearance, uh, in my stories of one Jonathan rig, but, um, in,
00:40:29
Speaker
ah The Fruit of Evolution, when that show is coming out and that show got two seasons. um When that show is coming out, one of the you know main gimmicks of the show is that the main character, Saria, is this very pretty girl.
00:40:41
Speaker
ah But she's also like a really big, giant pink gorilla, ah which is not referencing the retro game stores that my sister owns. It just happens to be a really big pink gorilla.
00:40:51
Speaker
um and in the J that character has just like a super, like a pitched down deep, uh, you know, big male voice doing all of like the gorilla efforts and the conversation and everything.
00:41:05
Speaker
Um, and rig was like, he reached out to me, um, before he actually did all the casting and said, Hey, would you be interested in doing this because this is a female character and I would like somebody with at least some amount of female identity, ah you know, bringing into this, I think is fair, right? I'm she, they, ah to ah be able to bring in like, you know, the proper tone of voice for this character,
00:41:31
Speaker
big ass gorilla, but also, you know, be able to have some of that identity and to be able to bring in, you know, that, that affect to that character where there's like a very motherly affect, especially in those first couple of episodes.
00:41:45
Speaker
um And that ended up being really fun because I ah got to play my first lead role. That was a woman. it just happened to be a really big gorilla. And i was literally standing there, you know, doing this and going, like just doing big ass gorilla noises.
00:42:06
Speaker
And I never would have gotten that opportunity, you know, if it weren't for my identity. Um, so there are a ton of really, really great things that have happened from it. Um,
00:42:17
Speaker
And as far as negativity, nothing that has ever been to my face. I think that there is an understanding among a lot of trans people that, you know, a lot of times it's not even malicious, but directors are like afraid of crossing a line with people sometimes. And, you know they just get anxiety, even if they know sort of what you said about, you know,
00:42:41
Speaker
if you're a trans woman and you know, if you're somebody like me, where a lot of your voices are going to be just squarely in, you know, the male basket, you can push yourself to do, you know, some like older female voices, especially if you've done voice training, which I have not.
00:42:58
Speaker
um And, you know, you'll get like the upper male voices. That's, that's where we're going to live. And those are the voices that we're best at doing. And some people don't want to ruffle our feathers. They don't want to offend us. And they,
00:43:10
Speaker
think that they can't cast us in those roles. But like, unless somebody puts out a blast and says, don't cast me for male roles, like I don't want to be considered for that.
00:43:21
Speaker
Like I have yet to personally meet another trans person that does not still take roles for, ah you know, their their gender at birth, because if you can still utilize that voice to bring a character to life,
00:43:37
Speaker
for most people, I think that that is still ah really joyous experience. Um, and there, there is an amount of, Hey, I'm not that character. This does not, you know, necessarily just me in there.
00:43:51
Speaker
I don't have to continue to be a man or continue to be a woman or anything like that. Um, so I, I do think that there is some anxiety, ah in terms of like being cast in things on the casting directors and the director's ends. Um,
00:44:04
Speaker
um And again, i don't even think that any of that is malicious. I do think that it makes our lives harder. um But also, I'm never in the room for those conversations. And it's hard for me to know, well, you know, do I just need to be like, you know, putting myself out there more? And, ah you know, does my performance need to strike?
00:44:21
Speaker
somebody's heart harder right when I'm auditioning or anything like that uh you know or is that something to be considered and I tend to be pretty open about the fact that like hey if you think I'm a good fit for something just let me know I'm never going to be offended um at the end of the day you're you're all still actors and like actors act that's the point that's the job yeah if I mean if we if we had ah trouble separating that ah just so completely i think it would just be really hard to be an actor in the first place like if somebody books you as a villain and you have trouble removing that from yourself you're just going to start thinking that you're a bad person like it's not gonna it's gonna change my gender identity on the dime if i have to play a male character in fact most of my life i lived as a guy so you know it's like i know what that's like i trained for this i acted as a guy for no so many years
00:45:15
Speaker
No, like literally, if you want somebody that can pretend to be a guy. No, exactly. So, ah you know, there there are probably some challenges for me specifically. I think I've been very fortunate to just be around a lot of people ah that have been really supportive and really understanding. um And yeah, just straight up for me, it's been pretty much universally a positive experience.
00:45:38
Speaker
That's really wonderful. And that's also why I wanted to ask, because I know that like, anime on the fandom and unfortunately is very well known and notorious for being shitheads when it comes um to other people's gender identities and just women in general.
00:45:53
Speaker
um And so i was very curious to hear from a professional standpoint. And it's really, really wonderful to hear that the people making that and putting themselves out there are fully supportive of the community.
00:46:06
Speaker
Yeah. and And to be honest, I would be super willing to talk about, you know, how things are in the fandom space as well, especially for professionals in the community. um But, you know, the the the big part of it is that just like I'm not, you know, a level of notoriety where, you know, people are ah swamping my Twitter timeline or, you know, coming to mob me at conventions. I don't really even book conventions that often as of right now. Yeah.
00:46:34
Speaker
And I think that there is just like a part of like, okay, the more you're in the spotlight, the more you're just going to be in front of people. and that just kind of increases the likelihood that you're going to be in front of people that are willing to make your life difficult.
00:46:47
Speaker
Um, and I, I know that other people like me have gone through that kind of thing, even if they are, you know, certainly if they have more popularity than I do, definitely a lot of people that, you know, have less and they just get driven away almost immediately by the idea of having to be in front of people like that.
00:47:09
Speaker
Um, and And it can be a problem. But again, for for my money, I think that most of the time, especially if you see somebody at a convention, it it takes a particularly unhinged person to make it a problem in person because, ah you you know, you know, fandoms online, people, people will say things and they won't back it up.
00:47:32
Speaker
Yeah. Most of the time people are way too afraid to do anything to your face. Yeah. I think I can, I can actually tell you the funniest example of this was the first time that I ever got asked to sign something at a convention, ah which was at, I think it was the last ACON that ever got ran. I think it was ACON 2019. Rest in peace, Steve-er!
00:47:55
Speaker
Uh, yeah. Rest in peace. Um, oh God, that, so that convention, I was not initially there as a guest or a panelist. I was actually there because the company that I worked for was running a smash tournament there and I was going to commentate it.
00:48:10
Speaker
Um, and i think that we were just off of recording. i think it was season three of Overlord. Um, and i think like after the first night, uh, I got a DM from Chris Guerrero, voice of and she was like, Hey, um, I'm doing a panel for Overlord a con. Um, I saw you tweet that you're there.
00:48:33
Speaker
um I think, I think it was, uh, I think it's, is it Sarah that voices shall to your, um i i didn have i don't know off the top of my head i'm a girl you watched overlord i've i've watched overlord like two three times um but somebody somebody dropped from the panel and chris was like hey i would still like to fill this slot and i know you're there ah do you want to hop on the panel that was my first time doing a panel at a convention and i was like
00:49:03
Speaker
Hell yeah, I've never done panel. That's probably going to be really fun. And it it was really fun. ah In fact, i remember at the beginning of the panel, the tornado sirens are going off outside, which is very funny.
00:49:14
Speaker
That's funny. You know, but we were, but our panel room was underground, so we were just chilling. um And i remember that the panel was fun. um You know, it was it was like a dark stage for whatever reason. But um after the panel, I walk off the stage and and this like nervous looking fan walks up to me um and he's got like a sharpie and he's uh got something in his hand and he's like hey um would you would you want to uh sign this for me um i i really like overlord i'd love to get your signature and was like oh yeah dude totally he hands me a sharpie and he unfurls um
00:49:52
Speaker
He unfurls one of those 4chan Nazi flags and he like puts it on the stage and I'm holding, I'm holding the pen. I'm holding the Sharpie. I look down at it and thankfully I know what it is because ah I'm terminally online.
00:50:10
Speaker
Uh, yeah, the green, the, yeah. And I looked down at it and in my head, i had a split second where I went, is it okay for me to turn down signing this? Then i was like, of fucking course it is I'm a Jewish trans person.
00:50:26
Speaker
Like, i'm not going to sign that. And so I, I looked down at him and I'm like, how can I do this diplomatically without like potentially causing a problem in here?
00:50:37
Speaker
And I just look at him and I go, what what is that, by the way? And he goes, oh, it's the flag of Kekistan. And I went, I'm not, I hand his Sharpie back and I go, I'm not going to sign that.
00:50:53
Speaker
And i he looks at me and he goes, oh. And I looked at him, like there were like two seconds of silence and I just went, I'm transgender, by the way.
00:51:04
Speaker
And he went, Oh, yeah. Y'all don't fuck with me. So I don't want to sign. There was like another four seconds of silence. And I just went, all right, enjoy the convention, man. And I just went back to the tournament.
00:51:19
Speaker
And I was like, you know, the first time I ever get asked to sign something. So, you know, that's that's going to be a core memory for me.
00:51:31
Speaker
i wish those I wish that 4chan people would have shame. wish that they would have like shame in their hearts and ah little bit of- I think those four seconds of silence was that guy's shame.
00:51:42
Speaker
I think he was experiencing it for the first time. my My hope is that that caused some sort of reconsideration where he's like, oh no, people are not going to like me if I keep doing this. Were there already signatures on it?
00:51:56
Speaker
Or was it were you the first one on that flag? I think there were some signatures. No! I feel bad for the people that signed it because I'm sure that they just did not know.
00:52:07
Speaker
Because you you only know that kind of thing if you're terminally online like I am. yeah And I'm like, yeah like i don't i I want to be clear. I don't know any of the names that would have been signed on that. I looking. I was sort of locked in on the fact that somebody asked me to sign a Nazi flag.
00:52:24
Speaker
um But like, I can imagine that like, maybe Christopher Waycomp doesn't know what that is. And he's just like, oh, sure. What country are you from? And like signs it like.
00:52:35
Speaker
You're approaching someone's grandpa and making them sign the worst thing in the world and they don't know! what I'm saying! Like, anyone's signature on that flag, you took advantage of them! What the hell?
00:52:45
Speaker
And I'm like, thankfully, that is the closest I've come to being harassed at any sort of event. And it wasn't even harassment. This guy was just like, he didn't know what the hell he was doing. He didn't he was targeting you. He didn't know he was making you the victim. Exactly! And so I was just like, man, I'm not doing that. I walked away.
00:53:02
Speaker
How old was this guy? Oh, I mean, he had to be like 15. that's No one who's carrying a 4chan flag is in their, like, they're not in adulthood. They cannot buy a beer.
00:53:14
Speaker
That was the thing. Like, if that was if that was somebody that was, like, in their mid-20s, I would have, you know I would have done a talking to, but I was like, this kid doesn't know what's going on. And, know. Or he thought he was funny as fuck, I bet.
00:53:28
Speaker
I bet. But, you know, again, sometimes you just gotta to walk away and be like, I, you know, that's that's not for me to engage with. You know, um that's not- that's not What the fuck?!
00:53:42
Speaker
I'm completely flabbergasted. Parker's losing her fucking mind over this. Oh, this is so bad! It's- it's, you know, it's not ideal is what it is. Like, it's embarrassing bad.
00:53:54
Speaker
ah Again, thankfully at least all of the other interactions I've had with fans or anything up until this point- If you want a palate cleanser, i can talk about Sakura Con and say on the last day when I was walking out, it was a little bit before it ah was closing.
00:54:08
Speaker
um And I can also do an Overlord palate cleanser as well. um i ran into ah a very, very nice group of Overlord cosplayers. There was a... ah gosh.
00:54:21
Speaker
Um... there was the, the important part is that there was a Sebas cosplayer. Um, one of them was a cosplaying Shaltier and one of them was cosplaying Demiurge. That's the guy. oh We saw those guys. Yeah.
00:54:35
Speaker
Yes. Uh, very good cosplays by the way. super Um, and i was like, I remember I was walking down to go start ah to help my sister, like pack up her, uh,
00:54:47
Speaker
her booth. And I ran into those guys and I was like, Oh shit, Sebas, I've got to get a picture with this guy. Um, and I, I was like, yo, can I get a picture, ah with, uh, with, with you? I was like talking to the Sebas cosplayer and the whole group was like,
00:55:07
Speaker
uh the whole group is just like oh yeah like they got in like i took a picture and i was like can i get one with just sebas as well and they were like oh i get it you just like the old man was like okay i so i should just explain that like i was an overlord super super nice people to talk to though and i like we we got it we got a picture of um doing just like the it wasn't like the the the face off or whatever but like i was pretending to hold a sword and he was doing like a just like ah Just like a cross crossed arms and nod.
00:55:36
Speaker
And I was like, thank you, man. It's like, it's so... it's I am very honestly... I don't want to say that I'm jealous, but I'm a little jealous of the people that, like, get to see the characters that they voice, like, walk around, ah just, like, people bringing them to life with cosplays, and I'm like, at least that's my dad.
00:55:55
Speaker
Like, Seb is my dad. Dad's representation! We got it! We're in! Even Grandpa's in the house, I gotta to get a picture with him, you know what i'm saying? So, like... Listen guys, let me get a photo with dad right now. Okay.
00:56:08
Speaker
That's what I'm saying. That's that is it's me papa, you know, so you can always take the Marianne route and cosplay the character that you voice and then go to the meetup and not tell anyone that's who you are until you leave She told me that but I was stupid and I didn't have any data and was like, uh-huh and then I forgot So I knew, I couldn't. She dropped it in the Akon chat afterwards. like, thanks for the meetup. By the way, i literally voice her goodbye. And we're like, what? that is That is one of my dreams for sure is to be able to do that. I need a character that kind of has my body type, but that would be so much fun. Because one of my favorite things is when people go like, oh man, you really sound like that character. And i'm like, yeah.
00:56:54
Speaker
I wonder why. Well, it's like your natural range. Your natural range. If I was to hear you talk just in the wild, I would know you were a voice actor because of your cadence, because you do speak very, very clearly.
00:57:06
Speaker
So it's very obvious to me that your voice is your job to some degree. I'd be able to suss you out, but not by like name because I'm terrible with naming faces all the time. But if you approached me is like and took a photo with me, I'd be who the hell are you? Who are you? are you Well, there's there's also a difference with like, i this is kind of something that I got from doing commentary as well. But like when I'm on camera, I'm like, yeah I am a little bit more elevated and I'm like doing a bit more to like project and everything. Because man, sometimes like if I'm in line and, you know, like if if I'm in line to get some food, you know, at ZakraCon, I'm just going to be like,
00:57:45
Speaker
Can I get the Lampy Grani?
00:57:49
Speaker
Yeah, thank you. You got that vocal fry, no enunciation. Well, that's how I was after every single panel. like I felt dead. I felt like I got shot and killed because every time that we were hosting a panel every day, we were also hosting a meetup every single day. So I had to yell.
00:58:05
Speaker
And um that was a nightmare. Don't do that. um But that whole time I was also not talking. I felt like I was dead and I understand the, I don't want to talk anymore. Yeah. No, you're just like, yeah every, every time I'm at a gaming tournament, it's just like the first two days. I'm just like, yo, what's good, man. You know, I'm doing like four hours of commentary in the day. And then on Sunday, you know, I just have to just somebody who's like, yo, come on. And I'm just like, what's up, man?
00:58:35
Speaker
It's like, even when there's a mic in front of you, you have to start yelling. I don't know. It's the yell always brings it together. You have to start yelling. And even though you know you shouldn't because you have stuff to do, we're going to start yelling.
00:58:46
Speaker
Yeah. There are some tournaments you can go back and listen to me. Like if I'm commentating grand finals at a tournament or like top eight and it's on a Sunday, i don't sound like me. it i so i sound like a different person. And it's just like, oh, my God, it he doesn't do it.
00:59:04
Speaker
that That caught me off guard. i but Hit by a car. Tired, deep, like, yeah. yeah Smoker for 12 years. no just put it at con for two days. Yeah.
00:59:19
Speaker
Oh my goodness. Oh my god. Kumona, you've been so fun to talk to. um you are such a delight. i am so glad that the voice acting community has you as a part of it.
00:59:29
Speaker
And I am, it's just, you just bring me joy. this you segwaying into segments? Yeah, because you have to go see a movie. Hey, don't tell people that. I'm professional and cool, and I'm watching my own time, okay?
00:59:43
Speaker
Parker has all the time in the world, and we're just getting to the natural progression point of the podcast. as Exactly. yeah i say like we haven't recorded for three hours before. Oh, Jesus. um Sometimes you just have a good time. Sometimes you just have a good time.
00:59:58
Speaker
um Well, everyone, it's been a minute. So here's our segment where we're going to do a beach episode and a boss battle. That is our little gratitude exercise because we have the brains of little dead hamsters who have to keep themselves on their wheel.
01:00:13
Speaker
um So a beach episode is going to be something good in your life right now, something you're up to, something you're excited for. And a boss battle is going to be just a minor grievance, something that's kind of getting you down or You know, something not so massive massive in this world.
01:00:28
Speaker
Yeah, we'll do boss battles first and then beach episodes as our fun little palate cleanser. um Parker, would you like to go first? What the hell? was about ask you if you wanted to go first. Oh, yeah, I can go first. sure um My boss battle is that I moved recently and I am just living in cardboard boxes constantly. They're everywhere. I have i feel like I have a little Stuart little sized city in my living room of all these stupid cardboard boxes.
01:00:54
Speaker
Is this your lead in to tell everyone you're recording in the bathroom right now? I wasn't going to. i want I want everyone to know because you sent me the most embarrassing photo. my My rate, my setup picture of my fold out table. It's the world's most professional bathroom, I have to say. I've never seen a bathroom this professional.
01:01:12
Speaker
fold-out table, my laptop, all my recording bullshit, and then my little folding screen. To give credence you, it is your closet, I think it's not even the fact that your toilet is like five feet away, it's the fact that you're on like a shitty poker table that really is doing it for me. Like the poker table really sets up like divorce dad. Like, here's my chapstick. Here's my, like, it looks like put a bar of Irish spring soap. And I'm in the moment with you right now. Yeah. That's sweet. I mean, I do have a cup that says don't be a jackass.
01:01:42
Speaker
So yeah. And it looks like a fucking bucket. Okay. It's just what's popular here. Buckets. Deep south. Deep south. It's not, I'm not deep south, but I am south.
01:01:53
Speaker
It's the the stupid fucking Eskimo Joe's brand that popularized it down here. So now everyone has to make these like 22 ounce cups. They're atrocious. Anyways, that's my boss battle.
01:02:04
Speaker
Parker.
01:02:07
Speaker
ah My boss battle is that I'm really tired and really busy this month. That's it. um I just, I have had a convention. Sorry, I be drinking a lot of soda today. um I had a convention last weekend. I have a convention this weekend.
01:02:18
Speaker
And then I had a charity foundation yesterday. And I, or today is Tuesday, on Sunday. And I, for some reason, managed to fucking eat it during my photo shoot last Sunday, the previous Sunday before that.
01:02:31
Speaker
And then last Sunday, this foundation. So two back-to-backs, I have managed to trip and eat shit. So my left knee is really fucked up. And I have to keep walking on it because I'm a not done with what this week has to offer me. And that's my fucking boss battle.
01:02:45
Speaker
I'm busy and I'm injured. Yay! Mona, would you like to give us your boss battle? What's up in your life right now? I honestly, I'll just say my, like, I don't want to be boring and say that my boss battle is also that I'm like a little busy and that I don't have time to rest. But I will also say that, uh, look, I'm still getting used to like just having AC in the one room in my house after moving to Seattle, because look, Texas is hot as shit, but at least literally every room in every building has air conditioning there. Yes.
01:03:13
Speaker
Look, if I walk into my kitchen right now, if it's 81 degrees outside, i boil. I might be used to heat, but it's not supposed to be inside where I live. It's supposed to be outside. It's supposed to be out there.
01:03:24
Speaker
and it's not it's not supposed to get in here. And look, if I get home and I want to sit on the couch so that I can unwind from my five days of work and then going in out to travel and then mom comes in town, and I got to take care of her, explain to her that I don't have air conditioning in our living room. Like it's look.
01:03:42
Speaker
I like it to be cold inside my house. And it's... It only is in my bedroom. I didn't realize that there are homes built like that in Seattle. That's insane.
01:03:53
Speaker
Only if they're old. And the one we're renting is old. Ugh, that is awful. I'm so sorry. to sit in hut. And it's humid up there. Oh, yeah. But... No, I think it's more humid than Texas, huh?
01:04:06
Speaker
Ew. Ew! Unless you're in Houston, in which case you've never seen something so humid in your life. but Yeah, I've only been to Dallas, and i that was the first time I've ever dealt with humidity, and I felt like I was swimming. I felt disgusting, so I could never do that. I'm sorry you were without AC right now in these trying times. Yeah, that Hey, I've got it in my bedroom, so i'm la I'm wearing a jacket right now because it's fine in here.
01:04:29
Speaker
Just any time I step out anywhere else, it's not it's not working. Yikes. Ew. Nebula, you're yawning. i was going to say, you want it since you started us off, do you want to start on our beach episodes? Go ahead Yes, I will. I'm sorry. I yawned. I was trying to take a second. oh but My beach episode is that for ah people that are involved in like the Discord or follow us on Instagram are probably aware, and I think I've mentioned it once or twice on a previous episode.
01:04:57
Speaker
um my My poor kitty lunchbox had passed away earlier this year, so my beach episode is that i finally am in a place where I can start looking for another cat. So I am, um, I've been scouring shelter websites. There's a cat cafe that's local to me that I'm going to look at for adopting because i only adopt.
01:05:18
Speaker
Um, and I'm, I'm excited. I'm going to, going to start the process. So that'll be my early birthday present to myself is getting prepped for a cat. We love a new kitty's cat.
01:05:29
Speaker
Yeah. Parker, would you like to share? I don't know. Mine's the same thing as before. is I like being really busy because it's my friend's birth month, which is funny because their name is a month.
01:05:42
Speaker
um That's why, you know. So we've been doing a lot of photo shoots back to back to back. And it's just been really nice to be able to. And I'm also trading a costume because I bought two costumes from different places because one of them was supposed to ship last month, but didn't.
01:05:57
Speaker
So now I'm holding onto two costumes. And i was like, I don't know what the fuck to do with this. Do you want it? And now I'm getting a third photo shoot in the mix because I get to trade my costume for more photos.
01:06:08
Speaker
And it's just really nice to get a lot of my backlog out of the way because I get to also spend this time with my friends who is doing slight discounts for their birth rate or birthday stuff. I don't know. Mumble, mumble, mumble.
01:06:19
Speaker
But I'm just getting a lot of shit out of my backlog and I like it and I like having pretty photos of myself. So win, win. I feel great. Hell yeah. I feel that big time. you were You were talking about your cat, by the way. I was looking down at my phone because I was trying to get the picture of my sister's new dog sent to myself ah because she recently got a Borzoi.
01:06:40
Speaker
And ah if you've ever seen a Borzoi, those things are long. And I just want you to look the long boy. I love long dogs. Follow my Instagram. I share fucking Borzoi memes every day. i celebrate Whip It one Wednesday. I'm on Borzoi Pumpkin Monday.
01:06:55
Speaker
Like, I am deep in Borzoi memes. She will send Borzoi memes to the group chat of because she's very tall, so is her sister and her mom, and she'll scribble on the hair for her, her sister and her mom on the Borzoi pictures and then send it to us. That's how we know that she's hanging out with her family.
01:07:12
Speaker
as love that. Yeah, I'm deep in Borzoi. I love a Borzoi. Oh my god, I'm loving it. You would love Borushki. Borushki! My favorite thing about this dog is that, you know, it's like a young Borzoi.
01:07:27
Speaker
So every time that, like, the dog has to, like, get up and start walking, it's like somebody, like, getting into a Gundam for the first time and, like, trying to figure out how the limbs move, like...
01:07:39
Speaker
Well, it's like, Borzoi's, did they, um, did you get them as a puppy, like, some way smaller, or? Not, not way small. I think, think, I think, I think Poroshki's, like, five, six months old. Maybe a little bit older than that.
01:07:50
Speaker
Well, my favorite part about Borzoi's that when they're puppies, they just look like normal dogs, and then suddenly you wake up and that thing is long, and like, what the hell happened to you? When did you progressively get longer and longer? Yeah, genuinely.
01:08:02
Speaker
Where did my, where did this horse come from? And their nose is all the way out. Why am I doing special week? I love special. Are you deep into Uma right now? Are you?
01:08:13
Speaker
It's, it is almost impossible to find an anime voice actor. That is not, um, yeah I can, I can actually tie this into my beach episode, uh, which was that this last weekend, um, I just did my, uh, yearly hangout with, uh, all my friends in the discord server that I hang out in like,
01:08:30
Speaker
all the time. ah We do a yearly hangout where we rent an Airbnb. We just hang out for a weekend. It is the best week of every year of my life.
01:08:41
Speaker
Yeah. um And ah yeah, no, like every morning, like a bunch of us would just be like sitting on the couch while some of us are cooking breakfast and ah just like doing our Uma runs.
01:08:52
Speaker
um And ah yeah, you know, I've been I've been back on that. I love I love my horsies. Which is your main right now? Who's your main? I love Maruzenski. She's Lamborghini girl. She is a Lamborghini. How could you not love it when a horse is a Lamborghini and also a girl?
01:09:09
Speaker
Yeah, i'm I'm not playing because I get too addicted to gotchas, but my boyfriend is playing and I make him stream it for me and I just make him do what I want. um but getting able My favorite part is getting way too involved. like I'm at a real horse bedding and like screaming and freaking out when my horse is doing a job.
01:09:28
Speaker
um So we've been very lucky because I make him do all the work. We've managed to pull and save for every major support card. So we got Kitasan Black on the first try.
01:09:38
Speaker
And it's like, this is the best place we could ever be right now is deep into Uma's. You know, it's it's funny you bring that up because there is somebody who I know, like, just for a fact, I'm like, if I think of somebody that is, like, just addicted to gacha games, I was like, look, I need to have somebody on my friends list that I can follow that I know will have a level 50 Kitasan Black that I can borrow by, like, two. Don't worry, I'll add you. You can get my Kitasan.
01:10:05
Speaker
Well, where I'm getting to is that about three days before the Kitasan Black banner dropped, Fae Mata posted her like friend code and was just like, follow me. And I was like, I know, i know what Fae Mata gets up to. And I know that by like 36 hours after that banner dropped, she is going to have a level 50 Kitasan Black. And that was the case. so Oh, if I have anyone who's got me, it's gonna be you! And he points game. I was like, if nobody got me on Kitasan Black, I know Fae Mata got me. I dropped to follow.
Gacha Games and Friend Gatherings
01:10:38
Speaker
always have a level 50 Kitasan Black to follow.
01:10:40
Speaker
ah ah it just, bart like yeah, no, that game is fun. my My personal rule on gacha games is that, one, I try to play the ones that are not mega predatory and that you need to spend money it to get ahead on anything. Games addicted to giving you currency on this game. They're addicted. I feel like they're inflating their servers.
01:10:58
Speaker
Oh, um'm i love it. I feel like they just make up excuses to give us diamonds. ah You guys just want to do it. I'm down for it. And my other rule on gacha games is that and unless it is specifically like Pokemon Go, where I am like playing it with other people in which case i set a particular budget my rule on gotcha games is that the moment that i open up the google play store and it is asking me to confirm a purchase for the game i uninstall it and i can't reinstall it i can't that's my um that's my rule on gotcha games i just set a hard rule i was like i can't i can't i know it'll happen to me i can't let it happen to me i'm an addict i get enough horse girls
01:11:36
Speaker
I am really, my one, one gotcha that I let myself get involved in is a one piece bounty rush. And I have spent a lot of her money on it Unfortunately, we one piece I just like to play waifu collector. i can't help it.
01:11:52
Speaker
And I'll do it every time. I love my JPEGs and my P&Gs. I love my JPEGs, but that one's like actual, because it's a it's like ah MOBA, so I have to actually play the fucking game. Oh, word oh yeah I have fun. It's fine.
01:12:06
Speaker
But when it comes to Uemus, it's like, thank you, just spoon feed me all these Medjiroma Queen banners. Thank you. And I pull every single one, and I'm so nice and fed. I don't know. feels good. It feels good. As long as you play it, you get to do it. But yeah, no, but that's, that was, that was part of my beach episode was that we, uh, uh, we, we, we had our meetup this last weekend. Um, I am way more able to just like, i don't know, hang out with a lot of people in my, ah area as well. Like some of my friends live up in Seattle as well, uh, that were there. and it's just, it's, it's super socially invigorating, uh, like getting to just see the people that you talk to all the time in person, you can like reach out and touch them and,
01:12:46
Speaker
eat dinner with them and we make carne asada on the grill and it's like oh ah god bless like it is just thank god we get to do that all the time uh just you know once a year do that meet up um and we've we've kind of hit the point where we know that like we don't really even make plans to go out and do anything we just sit inside ah we watch actually we uh got completely caught up on sakamoto days nice which I just didn't even know about.
01:13:12
Speaker
And then somebody put it on and I was like, damn, this show is peak. This show is awesome. It's so good. Starting the manga now, please. It's so good. Oh, I'm gonna, oh, I'm gonna, it's so good. So that was, that was a great weekend. i I'm fully rejuvenated. I'm coming into the work week hot.
01:13:31
Speaker
um That's my beach episode. I'm, I'm back. Hell yeah. Oh, to be at a house with all your friends for a week. ah So I can't, I can't reckon. There are a lot of logistics to go through. I'll warn you all. If you want to do that with your discord server, I do recommend it, but you've got to have at least two people that are good at handling logistics and going, how much food do we need to buy? Let's funnel the money into here. Like, but, oh my God, it's so worth it. It is just so much fun.
01:14:01
Speaker
That's awesome. I'm so glad you got to do that.
Social Media and Closing Remarks
01:14:05
Speaker
Well, Mona, my friend, thank you for coming on our podcast and chatting with us. um Would you like to plug your socials or any upcoming projects that you're working on?
01:14:15
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. I mean, socials, I'm not super active on Twitter anymore, but it's at that kimona still there. um I'm pretty much that kimona everywhere. ah That kimona on blue sky, that kimona on Tumblr.
01:14:29
Speaker
um I'm way, I care way less about the content that I post there. So, you know, sometimes you just see some big pretty anime girls on there. It's Tumblr.
01:14:39
Speaker
It's going to be, you're going to be seeing what you see there. Yeah. But yeah, ah you can find me there. um Shoot, like, I'm going to be going up to, i don't know when this episode's going to be going up, but I'm going to be commentating at Collision in a couple of weeks from when we're recording this, ah which will be a big Smash tournament.
01:14:57
Speaker
um Outside of that, i don't know, like, just... Feel free to hit me up. Talk to me. I don't got a ton of projects coming up ah that are like super big that I need to like say, like, keep your eyes on this space because I'm just I'm settling in up in Seattle and ah having a good time. i'm I'm super happy to to be around here to get to talk anime, talk about stuff in the fandom space with y'all. um Yeah, just a ah privilege to be on. Thanks for having me.
01:15:28
Speaker
Yeah, of course. And we We always appreciate having you on and thank you for working with us. And Nebula, would you like to start plugging your socials for me? Yeah, you can follow my bullshit on Instagram, Twitter, Blue Sky, wherever, at Nebula underscore Inky, I-N-K-Y.
01:15:45
Speaker
um Parker, would you like to plug... um You can find me on Blue Sky and Instagram at Crown Guard Cosplay, Twitter at Little Light B, and then you can find our podcast at Patreon.com slash FandamesPod, and Twitter and Instagram at FandamesPod.
01:16:01
Speaker
Smile. I don't remember if I have a Blue Sky. No, we do. I don't know. I don't remember. right now I'm pretty sure. Well, don't remember if I wrote the whole name out, so who cares? um Who cares? Remember that you can find all links in our Spotify, our Apple podcast, whichever way you choose to listen to in our description. And our Discord server is also there if you wish to join it.
01:16:20
Speaker
Did I forget anything else? And chill. I think that's everything. don't know. It's been a minute. Hell yeah. Bye, guys. Fuck. Hit the button. Bye. Bye, everybody.