Check out our Q&A transcript of the Ulysses: Jeanne d’Arc and the Alchemist Knight panel featuring Yuko Ono who voices the main character Jeanne d’Arc, and Sound Director Ryosuke Naya at the 2018 Crunchyroll Expo.

As Jeanne has 2 faces, what techniques do you use to play those roles?

Ono: When I first auditioned for the role, I went in and did a similar type of voices. I was later directed to imagine and voice the personalities as two different characters and I have followed through with that direction since.

What are some of Naya-san's responsibilities?

Naya: As a Sound Director, I have to find ways on how to apply a style to a particular character. For example, adjusting the laughter of a particular character, whether it needs to be louder or softer. In addition, I pay special attention to understanding each voice actor’s personality which allows me to give them the right directions to match the characters.

For Ono-san, I typically don’t give her long directions but just enough where she can relate to the character. For example, Ono-san has a cute personality so it wasn’t difficult for her to match the character; however, for Jeanne’s other self, it was harder. Ono-san had to be angrier.

What type of voice actress does Ono-san want to be?

Ono: My goal is to have more people enjoy my work globally and not just in Japan. It makes me really happy to hear when fans appreciate my work.

How can Naya-san help Ono-san achieve her goal and grow?

Naya: For a voice actor, it’s not a job you can simply do by yourself. While a musician can grow by doing street performances, a voice actress needs to be offered a role after an anime has been created. Ono-san has told me she wanted to be a voice actress her whole life. I would like to continue helping her in finding the right roles to match her skills now and throughout her career - even 10 to 20 years down the line.

Closing Words 

Naya: We’re in the middle of working on Ulysses and I really want to transport you to the 100 Years War as the Sound Director. I really hope you enjoy it.

Ono: For this particular anime, there are many interesting points. You can enjoy the story about the war, Jeanne herself as a cute character, and the comedic parts.
I hope after watching all twelve episodes, you can say it was an amazing anime.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone who came out to support the series!

_{©Mikage Kasuga?Shueisha?Ulysses Partners}