NAKA-KON: Junko Takeuchi Shares the Stage
by guest contributor Kayla Ford
The hardest part of a con is to choose which events to attend out of all the ones offered. However, for everyone there is a certain one that they just can’t pass up. Whether it be the rave or that one 18+ panel. For me it was “Live Stage Show with Junko Takeuchi”.
It was quite a unique opportunity put on by Naka-kon where the attendees got to watch as a voice actor performed live. Making it even more remarkable, a few lucky people got to try out voice acting themselves. For some this was greatest moment of their lives.
They started it out with a clip from Road to Ninja. The first time it was played through completely unedited. Then it was played again. This time Junko was voice acting live for all of us to see. The room was dead silent as we saw Naruto coming to life before us. It was an extremely surreal moment hearing the voice of Naruto coming out of someone. Everyone was in awe as she screamed “RASENGAN”, but that wasn’t all they had in store for us.
They needed four volunteers who would get to voice act out their characters from their favorite show. The people they called up were all enthralled by the opportunity presented before them. They were able to stand on the same stand as Naruto and voice act part of the movie.
The participants were given two tries at it. Then they played a new clip and gave another chance for more people to take advantage of this one in a life time event. This time it was just two people Menma (Dark Naruto) vs Naruto. Before they went though, Junko was up. She had to do both parts making it seem like a conversation with herself. It was incredible to see how easy it was for her to switch back and forth between characters.
Making it more interesting, after the two people finished voice acting one more person got to voice act. It was the same scene as the last group but this time Naruto was Junko and Menma was an overjoyed fan.
This moment made that fan’s life. He even said so himself after voice acting with his idol. The panel was such a rare event that created incomparable memories.
SciFi4Me’s Gena Ford got a chance to sit down with Junko Takeuchi:
_______________
Kayla Ford is a student at Missouri University of Science & Technology, studying Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering with minors in explosives and German. She’s a member of the Society of Women Engineers, plays Humans vs. Zombies, and is an amatuer photographer.
