[A Voice Actor’s Masterstroke] Koichi Yamadera Recreates 26 Sound Effects in Suntory’s New Ad—Calls It the “Hardest Role” in His 40-Year Voice Acting Career
In Suntory's latest animated commercial for KARADA WO OMO-U ALL-FREE, veteran voice actor Koichi Yamadera (63) performs an astounding 26 different sound effects, ranging from the boiling of noodles to social media notification chimes. The ad, titled The Temptation of Midnight Ramen, is available on Suntory's official YouTube channel.
Suntory's latest animated commercial
Reflecting on the project, Yamadera called it “the most difficult role” of his 40-year voice acting career. Rather than voicing characters, he tackled all the onomatopoeic sounds in the commercial, including bubbling water on a gas stove, opening a packet of instant noodles, and the subtle hum of a refrigerator—all using only his voice.
Koichi Yamadera
The animation features the first-ever anime depiction of popular YouTuber SUSURU, who is known for eating ramen daily. It captures the joy of food, showing SUSURU indulging in ramen and ALL-FREE, particularly during late-night cooking sessions.
Despite joking on set, “There’s no way I can do this! (laughs),” Yamadera had actually practiced extensively before recording. For example, to perfect the refrigerator sound, he repeatedly opened and closed his own fridge at home. A production team member praised his performance, stating, “It was a flawless recreation of every sound!”
26 Sound Effects Performed by Koichi Yamadera
When offered the role, Yamadera recalled, “I’ve always enjoyed mimicking sounds and voices since I was little, so I found the idea intriguing and fun at first. But when I saw the materials they sent me, I thought, ‘There’s no way I can do this!’ (laughs).” Staff had requested he make the sounds as realistic as possible, prompting him to practice every day by mentally becoming the objects—be it a refrigerator, a plastic bag, or even a green onion.
26 Sound Effects Performed by Koichi Yamadera
He noted that the most difficult sounds to replicate were “probably the fridge and the sound of opening a noodle packet. It’s really hard to mimic the collision of objects. No one’s ever asked me to do something like ‘the sound of your pinky hitting a desk,’ either. It was all extremely challenging.”
As for the sound he’s most proud of, he said, “The SNS notification tone. Many people use a whistle for it, but I wanted to do it with my voice. I practiced that one the most, so I hope people pay close attention to it.”
He concluded with a message to viewers: “Please enjoy this web commercial! And why not try mimicking some sounds yourself? I often get asked what my most difficult role was. Next time, I think I’ll say this project. (laughs) But ultimately, I had a great time recording it—so I hope everyone enjoys it too!”
🎙Cast
SNS Notification Sound: Koichi Yamadera
Refrigerator: Koichi Yamadera
Noodles: Koichi Yamadera
Green Onion: Koichi Yamadera
Owl: Koichi Yamadera
Cricket: Koichi Yamadera
Clock: Koichi Yamadera
Ambient Noise: Koichi Yamadera
Stomach Sound: Koichi Yamadera
Throat: Koichi Yamadera
Chair: Koichi Yamadera
Desk: Koichi Yamadera
Instant Noodles: Koichi Yamadera
Pot: Koichi Yamadera
Gas Stove: Koichi Yamadera
Cutting Board: Koichi Yamadera
Seaweed: Koichi Yamadera
Chashu Pork: Koichi Yamadera
Can: Koichi Yamadera
Lips: Koichi Yamadera
Breath: Koichi Yamadera
Ramen: Koichi Yamadera
Motorbike: Koichi Yamadera
Car: Koichi Yamadera
Narration: Koichi Yamadera
Source : ORICON NEWS