Hayao Miyazaki’s latest masterpiece The Boy and the Heron will air for the first time on Japanese television tonight, May 2, during the Friday Road Show on Nippon TV (starting at 9:00 PM JST). This marks the highly anticipated TV debut of the legendary director’s first feature film in 10 years.

Ahead of the broadcast, voice actors Soma Santoki (as Mahito) and Masaki Suda (as the Blue Heron) shared personal stories from the dubbing sessions—revealing a unique look into the creative process behind the acclaimed film.

Soma Santoki on His First Ghibli Role and Working with Miyazaki

Santoki recalls the audition as nerve-wracking, having visited Studio Ghibli for the first time. “I had to sync lines to the video with strict timing—like ‘say this in 40 seconds’—which was something I’d never experienced before,” he said. When he learned he got the role, both he and his family were shocked. “They were more worried than excited—like, ‘Are you really okay?’” he laughed.

He also shared how casual chats with Miyazaki and producer Toshio Suzuki during breaks helped him relax. “We talked about school and basketball practice—I was the captain of my team. At first, I wasn’t sure if that was appropriate, but it really helped ease the pressure.”

Santoki described Mahito as a quiet, mature boy, very different from himself. One of the most challenging scenes was shouting “Mother!” while acting as if running. “Unlike in live-action, I wasn’t actually running, so I had to express it all through my breath and voice—it was exhausting and I felt lightheaded,” he noted.

Masaki Suda on Playing the Mysterious Blue Heron

Suda said portraying the ambiguous Blue Heron required constant awareness of emotional distance. “The Heron is a jester, a storyteller, a friend… but never fully trustworthy. I imagined the relationship as similar to that between Miyazaki and Suzuki—mutual trust with playful teasing.”

He also recounted how the line “Well, everyone forgets anyway. See ya, partner,” at the end of the film took several retakes. “I later heard Miyazaki didn’t want that scene to end—he was just emotionally attached to it,” Suda said.

For the Heron’s voice, Suda experimented with tones resembling both a man and a bird. “I was told to do both if possible. I strained my throat to mimic the harsh, metallic screech of a real heron, and after hours of takes, I nearly lost my voice.”

His favorite scene? The Heron’s exit. “It’s short, but I loved the phrasing and timing—it was hard to match the animation precisely. The scenes where I switched between man and bird were fun too, especially when the beak is stuck and I had to roll my tongue like ‘lerolero.’”

Source : ORICON NEWS