The anime-verse had been mesmerized by the saga of Attack on Titan, a series that had pushed the boundaries of storytelling and character development. As the epic saga reached its controversial conclusion, fans were not the only ones grappling with the intense emotions and complexities presented in the final arc. Behind the scenes, the voice actors, who breathed life into these characters, were deeply affected by the story’s climatic moments.
There was another perspective that often went unheard besides fans’ and viewers’ reactions – the voice actors. Yuki Kaji, the voice actor of Eren Yeager, offered an insight into his experience working on the final chapter. His struggle to understand and portray Eren’s ultimate choice offered a glimpse into the difficulty of voice acting when a character’s journey takes an unforeseen turn.
Voice Actor’s Struggle in Attack on Titan‘s Final Arc
In an interview (via Comicbook), Yuki Kaji revealed that one of his most memorable moments as a voice actor came during Eren’s final storyline.
The scene that stood out to him was Eren’s expression of regret before embarking on a killing spree. He found it particularly challenging to understand and portray Eren’s complex emotions in the series.
“Eren’s words of regret when he is going to kill someone in the final part,” Kaji explained, describing the scene that had affected him the most. He added, “It was really hard for me to understand his feelings so painfully.“
The Emotional Toll of Voicing a Conflicted Character
Kaji had found himself overwhelmed by Eren‘s emotions, and he had never encountered such an intense emotional connection with a character before. He shared in the interview, “I was so with his feelings that I had to interrupt the recording.” He described the recording as a shocking experience.
The scene that had affected Kaji so deeply involves Eren’s realization of the consequences of his actions, as his abilities could see past and future events. He understood the full extent of the destruction he would cause, including the deaths of innocent people like the young boy Ramzi.
Kaji reflected on this situation, stating,
Conflicts divide us into ‘friends and the other people’, but the other people also have their own lives. I realized that again when he (Eren) said ‘I’m sorry,’ with tears in his eyes.
The voice actor’s struggle with Eren’s character highlighted the series’ exploration of complexities like morality, consequences, and conflicts.
As fans debated on the finale, Kaji’s experience served a powerful reminder of the impact that storytelling can have, not just on the audience, but also on the artists. The connection that could form between an actor and their character.
You can watch Attack on Titan on Crunchyroll.
