Jump to content

Masako Nozawa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Nozawa Masako)

Masako Nozawa
野沢 雅子
Nozawa in 1962
Born (1936-10-25) October 25, 1936 (age 88)
Arakawa, Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture, Empire of Japan
Other namesMasako Tsukada (塚田 雅子)
Occupations
Years active1939–present[1]
AgentAoni Production
Notable work
SpouseMasaaki Tsukada

Masako Nozawa (Japanese: 野沢 雅子, Hepburn: Nozawa Masako, born October 25, 1936) is a Japanese actress. Beginning work as a child actress at the age of three, by the time she became an adult, voice acting had inadvertently become her main occupation. Throughout her career, Nozawa has been affiliated with Production Baobab, 81 Produce, the self-owned Office Nozawa and Aoni Production. She is best known as the voice of Son Goku in the Dragon Ball franchise, which had its first animated adaptation in 1986. She also voices most of the character's male relatives, namely Son Gohan and Son Goten. Nozawa's other roles include Kitarō in GeGeGe no Kitarō (1968, 1971 and 2008), Doraemon in the 1973 anime, and Tetsurō Hoshino in Galaxy Express 999 (1978).

Credited as a pioneer of voice acting in Japan,[1] Nozawa has received awards from the Animation Kobe Awards, Tokyo Anime Awards, Seiyu Awards, Japanese Movie Critics Awards, Japan Academy Film Prize, and the Kikuchi Kan Prize. Her work voicing Goku in Dragon Ball video games has earned her two Guinness World Records, including for the longest video game voice acting career. Nozawa is a vice president of the Japan Actors Union.[2] Her husband was fellow voice actor Masaaki Tsukada.[3]

Early life

[edit]

Masako Nozawa was born on October 25, 1936, in the Nippori area of Arakawa, Tokyo as the only child of painter Ryoshu Nozawa and housewife Tsuru.[4][5][6] Due to the influence of her aunt, Shochiku actress Kiyono Sasaki, Masako became a child actress at the age of three.[1][5][7] Although she does not remember the titles of her earliest films, she said many depicted the love between a mother and her child.[5] Despite her aunt's wishes, Nozawa pursued theater instead of film.[7] Both of her parents loved kabuki and she studied Nihon-buyō, thus, Nozawa said she was never shy about being on stage.[7] In 1944, the family moved to Numata, Gunma to avoid the air raids of World War II. Nozawa lived in the city from the third grade of elementary school until she graduated high school.[8] When she obtained a copy of her family register to apply for high school, she learned that Tsuru was not her biological mother.[6] Because Tsuru had had a miscarriage and could not give birth, her parents agreed to Ryoshu fathering a child with a women he knew in order to continue the Nozawa family name.[6] Upon this admission, Tsuru told Masako she had raised her as her own and would continue to do so, and likewise, Masako later said "There is no other mother for me than her."[6]

Career

[edit]

In junior high school, Nozawa joined the Tougei Theater Company and worked as an actress in Tokyo during school holidays.[5][6] After graduating high school, she moved to Tokyo. She began voice acting in her late teens, in order to help support the struggling theater company.[1][5] She said her first voice role was dubbing an Indian boy in a foreign film at 19.[6] She explained, "It was the early days of television, and many foreign dramas were broadcast. At the time, voice dubbing was also done live, so using children to play boy roles was a concern. But adult men's voices have already changed, so women were chosen for child roles."[5] Although she did not plan on it and had already done a lot of acting in TV dramas, voice acting saw a boom and became Nozawa's main occupation.[4][5][6]

After handling a guest role on Astro Boy (1963), Nozawa voiced brothers Tonkichi and Kanta Hanamura in Sally, the Witch (1966).[1][3] Her first lead role was Kitarō in GeGeGe no Kitarō (1968).[1][9] It also marked the first time she did magazine interviews and her first fan event.[10] For the 1973 adaptation of Doraemon, Nozawa took over the role of the title character from Kōsei Tomita, who had voiced the character for the first 13 episodes.[3] She went on to voice Tetsurō Hoshino [jp] in Galaxy Express 999 (1978).[3] Although she had reprised the role of Kitarō for the 1971 adaptation of GeGeGe no Kitarō, Nozawa could not do the same for its 1985 adaptation, due to a rule that voice actors could not simultaneously play more than one main character on the same television station. However, she noted that this eventually resulted in her landing the role of Son Goku in Dragon Ball (1986).[11] She was chosen to play Goku by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, who later stated that he would hear Nozawa's voice in his head when writing the original manga.[4][12]

Nozawa led a lawsuit by 361 voice actors against Nippon Animation and its recording studio subsidiary Onkyo Eizo System in demand of unpaid royalties from DVD releases of anime series.[13] After four years, a judge ruled in 2003 that Onkyo Eizo owed 87 million yen (US$796,000) to the actors, but dismissed the case against Nippon Animation as they deemed actor compensation to be the responsibility of the recording studio.[14] Both parties appealed the decision.[13] On August 25, 2004, the Tokyo High Court upheld the ruling against Onkyo Eizo and also found Nippon Animation liable, ordering both companies to pay the 87 million yen.[13][15] The Supreme Court of Japan upheld the ruling in 2005.[16] On April 1, 2006, Nozawa left 81 Produce to establish Office Nozawa. In 2012, she closed the self-owned talent agency. A number of voice actors who were affiliated with her agency went on to affiliate with Media Force.

In 2017, Guinness World Records presented Nozawa with two world records related to her voicing Son Goku in Dragon Ball video games for 23 years and 218 days; "longest video game voice acting career" and "voice actor who voiced the same character in a video game for the longest period".[17][18][19] Two years later, Nozawa was included on Newsweek Japan's list of "100 Globally Respected Japanese People".[20] In December 2023, Nozawa became the first voice actor to receive the Kikuchi Kan Prize in its 71 year history.[21]

Philosophy and technique

[edit]

Nozawa said she initially preferred acting on stage because she could see the audience's reaction, but came to prefer voice acting in her 30s for "breathing life into things with only your voice."[1][6] However, she noted the two jobs are the same, only their names are different.[5] Nozawa is extremely dedicated to her craft and is known for never being late.[7] The only exception saw her show up to a morning recording session for Tiger Mask ten minutes late wearing ill-fitting clothing, and only afterwards explaining that her house had burned down that morning so she had to borrow clothes from a friend.[7][22] Although she has sung some songs related to her acting roles, such as the theme to The Monster Kid, Nozawa said she is not a good singer and always tries to get out of it.[7] In 2005, Nozawa said she had never turned an acting role down and had never regretted taking one either.[4] Nozawa mainly plays young male characters. This originated in the early days of voice acting when the dubbing of foreign films was done live and actual boys could not be used; staff members would recommend and automatically cast her because they knew she had done it before.[4] Nozawa also speculated this might be due to her childhood as a tomboy; she was the only girl having sword fights with the boys, and preferred that over playing with dolls.[5]

When she goes to an audition, Nozawa does not create the character's voice beforehand, she improvises once she is in front of the microphone.[4] However, after getting the role, she does think about the character's history and background and incorporates that into her acting.[4] She also watches the works she is in when they air on television. For Dragon Ball specifically, she said she watches it twice; the first is simply as a fan for personal enjoyment, but the second is to critique her performance and see if there are adjustments that need to be made.[4] During recording sessions, she avoids speaking with the actors who are playing enemy characters; "Of course, if someone talks to me, I respond, but I try not to initiate conversations myself."[23]

In Dragon Ball, Nozawa is responsible for portraying Goku as well as his sons Gohan and Goten. When they have scenes together, she records the lines for all three in the same take, switching on the spot, rather than performing singular takes for each character.[24] Nozawa revealed that younger actors once asked her to stop doing this because it gives the impression that anyone can, and her colleague Toshio Furukawa stated there is no one else who can do it except Nozawa.[25][26] Nozawa helped create the unique way Goku speaks, which is known as "Goku language" (悟空語, Gokū-go).[25][27] His famous phrase from anime adaptations, "Ossu! Ora Goku!" (オッス！オラ悟空！, 'Yo! I'm Goku!'), was ad-libbed by her during a recording session as a joke for the staff.[25][24] However, she noted Toei Animation has somehow gone on to receive credit for creating it.[25][27]

When asked about the voice acting industry in 2016, Nozawa said it had become formulaic and young actors lacked individuality, with everyone using the same "cute girl" voice for example.[10] She speculated one of the reasons for this was due to voice acting schools. Although she had taught a few lessons before herself, Nozawa said those were largely reluctant on her part and she tries not to do it anymore because acting is not something that can be taught; "If you tell a rookie who doesn't know what to do, 'In this scene, you should act like this', everyone will act that way."[10]

Filmography

[edit]

Anime television series

[edit]
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s

Original video animation (OVA)

[edit]

Original net animation (ONA)

[edit]

Theatrical animation

[edit]

Computer and video games

[edit]

Puppet shows

[edit]
  • Nobi Nobi Non-chan (1990–1996) (Tame-kun, Ana-chan's mother, Kitsune's granny)
  • Zawa Zawa Mori no Ganko-chan (1996–) (Kero-chan)

Dubbing roles

[edit]

Live-action

[edit]

Animation

[edit]

Live-action

[edit]
  • Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths (2007, TV) (Kitarō's voice)
  • Super Voice World: Yume to Jiyū to Happening (????, DVD)
  • Sono Koe no Anata e (2022, Film) (Herself)[45]
  • Let's Talk About the Old Times (2022, Film) (Herself)[46]

Tokusatsu

[edit]

Audio

[edit]

Others

[edit]
  • Law of Ueki commercial for Shōnen Sunday (Kousuke Ueki)
  • Naruhodo! The World (narration)
  • NHK Kyōiku: Kagaku Daisukishi you Jaku (narration)
  • Dream 9 Toriko & One Piece & Dragon Ball Z Super Collaboration Special!! (Goku, Gohan and Goten)
  • Wakasa Seikatsu commercial (narration)
  • The Wide Friday Ranking (narration)

Awards

[edit]
Year Award Category Result Ref
1997 2nd Animation Kobe Awards Special Award Won
2012 8th Tokyo Anime Awards Merit Award Won [47]
2013 7th Seiyu Awards Achievement Award Won [48]
2017 Guinness World Records World Record (Longest video game voice acting career) Won [17]
World Record (Longest period voicing the same character in video games) Won
26th Japanese Movie Critics Awards Best Voice Actor Won [49]
2018 Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Special Awards Child Welfare Culture Award Won [50]
2022 45th Japan Academy Film Prize Distinguished Service Award Won [51]
2023 71st Kikuchi Kan Prize Won [52]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g "野沢雅子、『日本アカデミー賞』会長功労賞受賞「お年玉のような賞をいただいた」". Oricon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "新役員のお知らせ（第59・60期）". Japan Actors Union Official Website (in Japanese). Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "野沢雅子のプロフィール". Oricon News (in Japanese). October 17, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "An Interview with Masako Nozawa". Tokyo Foundation. August 30, 2004. Archived from the original on April 19, 2005. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "No. 106 野沢 雅子（のざわ まさこ）". Arakawa City Art Culture Promotion Foundation (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "ドラゴンボール孫悟空は「我が子というより分身。実はときどき2人で会話します」《声優・野沢雅子（87）インタビュー》". Bungeishunjū (in Japanese). July 3, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "野沢雅子×「ROCKMAN HOLIC ～the 25th Anniversary～」スペシャルインタビュー". Natalie (in Japanese). December 19, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  8. ^ "人気声優・野沢雅子さん ラジオでＰＲ 交通安全や確定申告 「第二の故郷のため」 群馬". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). January 18, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  9. ^ Voice Actor Bible, 2004, p.27, Ohzora Publishing, ISBN 978-4776790211
  10. ^ a b c "少年役を女性声優が演じるという"常識"は野沢雅子が確立させた!? レジェンド声優の数々の伝説が明かされる。". Otocoto (in Japanese). August 17, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  11. ^ Nikkan Sports, 2013, "Sunday Heroes and Heroines 845", p.30, The Asahi Shimbun
  12. ^ DRAGON BALL 大全集 3 TV ANIMATION PART 1 (in Japanese). Shueisha. 1995. pp. 202–207. ISBN 4-08-782753-4.
  13. ^ a b c "声の使用料支払え 番組ビデオ化で東京高裁判決 声優361人の主張通る". Japanese Communist Party (in Japanese). August 26, 2004. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  14. ^ "Japanese Voice Actors Sue Studio". Anime News Network. November 7, 2003. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  15. ^ "Voice Actors win Second Round of Lawsuits". Anime News Network. August 30, 2004. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  16. ^ "Japanese Voice Actors Win In Court". Anime News Network. July 2, 2005. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Goku Voice Actress Masako Nozawa Earns 2 Guinness World Records". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  18. ^ "ギネス世界記録 特別インタビュー：野沢雅子". Guinness World Records (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  19. ^ "野沢雅子：「ドラゴンボール」でギネス認定 「あと100年は続けるから、よろしくな！」". January 31, 2017. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved November 18, 2018.
  20. ^ "Kizuna AI Is in Newsweek Japan's List of Globally Respected Japanese People". Anime News Network. April 30, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  21. ^ "87-year-old Masako Nozawa Aims to Voice-Act for Another 100 Years". Anime News Network. December 11, 2023. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  22. ^ "野沢雅子のプロ根性 声優人生で唯一の遅刻は「家が丸焼けになったから」". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). June 8, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  23. ^ "[Dragon Ball DAIMA] Masako Nozawa Reveals She Avoids Talking to 'Enemy' Roles During Dragon Ball Recording [Past Interview]". Japan Anime News. Oricon. October 9, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  24. ^ a b "演じたキャラは300以上、「オッス、オラ悟空」はアドリブ！声優・野沢雅子 ８月17日放送『ダウンタウンなう』". Fuji TV (in Japanese). August 17, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  25. ^ a b c d "Goku Voice Actress Masako Nozawa Reveals Catchphrase in Dragon Ball Anime Started as Ad Lib". Anime News Network. August 25, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  26. ^ "[Dragon Ball DAIMA] At 87, Masako Nozawa Reflects on 300+ Roles: Dragon Ball's Goku Lives On Inside Me [Past Interview]". Japan Anime News. Oricon. October 10, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  27. ^ a b "「おっす！オラ悟空！」は 野沢雅子のアドリブだった". The Television (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. August 18, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  28. ^ a b "「3人でよく旅行に」"孫悟空"野沢雅子×しずかちゃん"野村道子" レジェンド声優2人が明かす「大山のぶ代さんとの思い出」". Josei Jishin (in Japanese). October 11, 2024. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  29. ^ "孫悟空の声優・野沢雅子さんはデビュー以来５０年以上、自宅が火事でも仕事を休んだことがなかった！". Weekly Playboy (in Japanese). June 27, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2024.
  30. ^ "The Foolish Angel Dances with the Devil Anime Unveils 2 New Cast, January 8 Premiere". Anime News Network. December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  31. ^ "Mysterious Disappearances Anime Casts Naomi Ōzora, Masako Nozawa". Anime News Network. March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
  32. ^ "'Go, Go, Loser Ranger!' Anime's New Arc Unveils More Cast, 3rd Promo Video". Anime News Network. April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  33. ^ "Dragon Ball will be receiving a new anime this year for Super Dragon Ball Heroes". May 18, 2018. Archived from the original on May 22, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  34. ^ "グーニーズ". Fukikaeru. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  35. ^ "インディ・ジョーンズ 魔宮の伝説". Paramount Pictures. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  36. ^ "Dubbed Western-style Theater Columbia 90th Anniversary "Last Action Hero" Deluxe Edition (First Press Limited Edition) (Blu-ray)". Amazon. January 28, 2015. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  37. ^ "ミート・ザ・ペアレンツ3". Kadokawa. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  38. ^ "ミート・ザ・ペアレンツ". Star Channel. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  39. ^ "リセット[吹]". Star Channel. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  40. ^ "眠れる森の美女". The Cinema. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  41. ^ "野沢雅子が40年ぶりのウィリー役！「みつばちマーヤの大冒険」長尺予告完成". eiga.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  42. ^ "クルードさんちのはじめての冒険". Wowow. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  43. ^ "クルードさんちのあたらしい冒険". NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  44. ^ "羽佐間道夫、野沢雅子、関智一、鈴村健一がイルミネーションの「FLY！」で吹替". Natalie. December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  45. ^ "声優・内海賢二さんの偉業に追ったドキュメンタリー、9月公開 野沢雅子、神谷明、戸田恵子らが出演". eiga.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  46. ^ "時には昔の話を 森山周一郎 声優と呼ばれた俳優". eiga.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  47. ^ "Gatchaman's Kuri, Ashita no Joe's Yamazaki Win Tokyo Anime Awards". Anime News Network. December 26, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  48. ^ "【速報】 第7回声優アワード授賞式が開催 受賞者に喜びの笑顔". アニメ！アニメ！ (in Japanese). March 2, 2013.
  49. ^ "A Silent Voice, Masako Nozawa, Makoto Shinkai Win Japan Movie Critics Awards". Anime News Network. May 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  50. ^ "Dragon Ball Voice Actress Masako Nozawa Receives Japanese Government's Child Welfare Award". Anime News Network. May 9, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  51. ^ "日本アカデミー賞「孤狼の血2」が最多13の優秀賞、「ドライブ・マイ・カー」は8部門". Natalie. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  52. ^ "『第71回菊池寛賞』東野圭吾、野沢雅子、栗山英樹ら【受賞一覧&受賞理由掲載】". Oricon. October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Masako_Nozawa&oldid=1260296337"