The audio director could also be considered the person in charge of ‘sound’ when it comes to animation. The work involves creating the theme song and background music to match the scenes, sound effects, and even directing how the voice actors perform as their characters. Here, we discuss with Kazuhiro Wakabayashi, who was the audio director for Ghost in the Shell, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and Innocence, how he approached the voice actors and about behind-the-scenes stories from the analog age of recording. Wakabayashi looks back on his work with candor and even throws in a few jokes. Within all that, we also heard more and more that showed just how deep his connection with the director, Mamoru Oshii, really goes.

――When did you first hear about Ghost in the Shell?

 

Kazuhiro Wakabayashi(“Wakabayashi” Below) I believe it was when I was first approached to work on Ghost in the Shell. That was what inspired me to buy the graphic novels. My first impression of Motoko was, and this might not be the most appropriate expression, “Wow, she’s a really spirited lady, huh?” Living in a cyberpunk world, solving cases, and then disappearing into the vast, unknown web… I’d never encountered a female character who was so free before. But then, Oshii told me that his project would be quite different from the original, so I was excited to see what direction he would take it in.

 

――So Oshii personally requested that you work on Ghost in the Shell?

 

Wakabayashi: That’s right. Previously, we had worked together on Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai! (1989), so I assume it naturally came from that. Oshii and I originally met during his tenure on Urusei Yatsura. At the time, I was still in high school and a fan of the series, and a friend of mine knew where Urusei Yatsura was being recorded, so we went to check it out. And someone said, “An employee just quit; are you interested in a part-time job?” so I started working as an apprentice. I think after that, Oshii, who was the director then too, remembered me as that weird kid.

 

――As I recall, it was your mentor, Shigeharu Shiba, who was the audio director on Urusei Yatsura, correct?

 

Wakabayashi: Yes, he took me under his wing and taught me, while also sending me out to buy beef bowls and do odd jobs for him. When I struck out on my own, Oshii offered me a job on Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai! But there were certainly a lot of trials and tribulations that got me there. *laughs* On a different project, Mizuho Nishikubo had asked, “Do you know any good audio directors?” and for some reason, Oshii recommended me with, “I think Wakabayashi’s pretty good.” And so I began to work with Nishikubo. In fact, later on, Oshii asked, “How was Wakabayashi?” And when Nishikubo said that I had done good work, that was what prompted Oshii to invite me to work on Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai! Which means, basically, recommending me to Nishikubo was like a test to make sure I did good work. *laughs*

 

――So, in Oshii’s eyes you had reached your full potential. Moving on, can you tell us what led you to cast Atsuko Tanaka as Motoko, Akio Otsuka as Bato, and Koichi Yamadera as Togusa?

 

Wakabayashi: Basically, it was their auditions. At the time, Tanaka was very new; she’d only been working for about two years and didn’t have as much experience in anime yet, but I had heard she was good. She was still young and seemed a little scatterbrained, but her voice was mature and calming. Oshii was drawn to her immediately. This was still early in Yamadera’s career, but he had just worked on Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai! and Oshii strongly wanted him to work with us, too.
This isn’t just limited to Tanaka and Yamadera; I would have my opinions, but in the end, it was Oshii who had the final say. It’s very important that the voice actors have something that captures the imagination of the director. The director will then use that to embellish and develop the story, so no matter what I think, it’s important to cast people that inspire the director.
I had known Otsuka since we were young, but his passion for the character of Bato blew me away. This was his first time working on something made by Oshii, and his fierce declaration that his work set the golden standard (for anime) left a strong impression. He carried that attitude all the way into recording, declaring that “Bato and I are one and the same; I don’t need any preparation.”

 

――You also worked on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Did the director, Kenji Kamiyama, have any specific requests for you?

 

Wakabayashi: Since it told the story that came before the original Ghost in the Shell, he wanted it to have a “fresh” atmosphere. For that reason, he wanted voices that suited the appearance, in particular, of the cyborgs. At the time, this was only the second work that Kamiyama had directed. I was also the audio director on his first work, Mobile Police Patlabor Minimum, so he relied on me a lot for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex overall, going along with many of my suggestions. Even when holding auditions for the new characters, Kamiyama and I selected the candidates together, and it was rewarding to be given that amount of influence.

 

――Aramaki was played by Tamio Ohki in Ghost in the Shell but is replaced by Osamu Saka in Stand Alone Complex. Was this change also made with that idea of “freshness” in mind?

 

Wakabayashi: That’s right. The Aramaki that Oshii envisioned in Ghost in the Shell was someone who had achieved a certain mastery of his craft. He gave the impression of a man about to do one last job before settling down at the end of his life. On the other hand, Kamiyama envisioned him as a man at the top of his game, fully devoted to leading Section 9 in Stand Alone Complex. Since this was going to leave quite a different impression than how Aramaki was in Ghost in the Shell, we made the bold decision to re-cast the character.

 

――How did you direct Tanaka in regard to her characterization?

 

Wakabayashi: Motoko holds no attachments to human life, showing very little emotion and always remaining calm and composed. For this reason, we thought the key to her character would be to choose her words carefully, and it was important that she remained cool and detached. Motoko has no set age, but we imagined she was in her forties. At the time, Tanaka was still in her twenties, but her voice was beyond her years, so she was able to play this character without it sounding mismatched.
I’ve always liked how Tanaka is a serious person at her core but still has a surprisingly scatterbrained side to her as well. Even so, she was still new to acting when we worked on Ghost in the Shell, and that serious, stoic side of her often came out when she would ask me about the technical terms in her lines or about the weapons in the story. Otsuka belonged to the same agency and understood that side of her well, so he did his best to support her when he could. In that sense, seeing Otsuka provide a stable foundation for the serious and straightforward Tanaka was just like the relationship between Bato and Motoko.

 

――The teamwork that happens behind the scenes greatly affects the quality of the finished work, doesn’t it? Is there anything you kept in mind to make sure everyone was comfortable working on this project?

 

Wakabayashi: As someone who was entrusted by the director to keep things running, instead of giving detailed orders, I made sure the voice actors had an active role in their performances. In this way, I believe that the voice actors themselves were able to grow through their work on this project. And this doesn’t just apply to Ghost in the Shell; I often ask that the voice of the main character also take on a sort of leadership role, especially when it comes to long-running television series. I usually ask that the voice of the main character act as a leader and to pay attention to the overall recording along with me. I asked this of Tanaka when we worked on Ghost in the Shell. Before recording even began, the main cast got together for a meal and discussed their opinions on the story. Well, it wasn’t quite that serious. We really just drank together. *laughs*
But the kind of warmth fostered by this kind of interpersonal communication really has a positive effect on what is being created by those same people. One aspect of being an audio director is keeping the cast focused, but by forming a relationship based on trust, not fear, we can all aim for the highest quality end product we can. That’s why my approach is to try and make sure everyone meets face-to-face before we begin work. It worked well for Ghost in the Shell, but recently, not so much. Many people in the younger generation don’t like that approach. *laughs*

 

Continued to #02 Sticking your head in a pot at a furniture store—anything in the pursuit of just the right sound.　

 

 

KAZUHIRO WAKABAYASHI

Born in Tokyo, 1964. Began working as an audio director after training under Shigeharu Shiba. Served in this role for Ghost in the Shell, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and Innocence. Has also worked on many Studio Ghibli productions, such as Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, under the name “Kazuhiro Hayashi.” In recent years, he has worked on The Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light,Time Patrol Bon, the WOWOW original animated series The Fire Hunter, and more.