Evangelion’s Megumi Ogata On Gender Roles And Voice Acting
Legendary voice actress Megumi Ogata recently received the award for best voice actress
At Seiyuu Awards, Japan’s annual voice acting recognition ceremony. Ogata initially considered withdrawing the award, but decided to accept the honor of making a broader statement about gender, identity, and voice acting. Ogata is best known for being the voice of Shinji Ikari in Neon Genesis Evangelion and Sailor Uranus Sailor Moon. The voice actor also plays the protagonist Yuuto Okkotsu in Jujutsu Kaisen 0 Movie.
The speech that followed was not your typical acceptance speech. Rather, Ogata used the platform to make more important statements about the meaning and art of voice acting. Ogata asked the audience, “Are you sure I should win the Best Actress award?”
“Seventy percent of the roles I’ve played are boys, and I don’t consider myself an actress,” Ogata continued (via a translator). Mishima Kitan). “Are you sure I should get best actress? There is so much talk about genderlessness these days and there are voice actors in the industry who have come forward.
Ogata added that there are those who, like the famous voice actor, live their daily lives without considering themselves women. “Compared to actors who have to show their face in the media, I think it’s the voice actors who can advocate to go beyond gender and drop the labels of ‘male actors’ and ‘actresses’. Ogata suggested removing the gender labels for the next one. Seiyuu awards.
“At first, I was a bit skeptical about turning down this award,
But decided to accept it for the people who made games with me,” Ogata continued. “In the Japanese anime industry, actresses my age don’t play the main characters. I thought that for a job in such an industry, receiving my award could be a positive impact, so I decided to accept it. I apologize for the arrogant tone. I’m really happy for that.”
We are so lucky to have such a monumental and important talent as Ogata.
