Chapter 65: Voice (1)

Chapter 65: Voice (1)

Everyone has a childhood.

A time when they were small, innocent, and pure, knowing nothing about the world.

It’s the time when everything in the world is new, and one yearns for fantasies.

I had such a time too.

And like most people, I needed some fragments of the past to cherish those memories.

For example, things like the old stationery store where you could buy all sorts of odd things with coins, colorful chicks in front of the school, or dragonflies flying around the playground, or the 300-won tteokbokki from the snack bar.

You might be wondering why I’m suddenly talking about this. Well, it’s because this is a very important story when it comes to voice acting.

Memories shape a person.

More precisely, the past represented by memories accumulates to make the person we are today.

It was an extension of that story.

The antagonist from the manga I used to enjoy as a child, Black War Tyranomon.

That character played a significant role in shaping the person I am today.

“I don’t listen to anyone weaker than me.”

That character made a strong impression on 8th-grade Cheon Yeonho with just the first impression.

It felt like facing the Black Dragon within me.

The ultimate villain who crushes everything with overwhelming power and never submits to anyone.

Impressive, isn’t it?

Of course, it wouldn’t be the most memorable memory just because of that.

The reason this antagonist had such a significant impact on my memories as a person was the questions it posed through its narrative.

“Am I also living a pitiful life?”

Black War Tyranomon was a character in the story who was artificially created and questioned his own existence.

He ultimately decided his own path and chose to sacrifice himself as a complete being.

The narrative of being born to be trampled on and sacrificing oneself, the constant existential question of “Who am I?” that he faced throughout the story.

It was my first encounter with existential questions while still a child.

You could say it showed an excessive level of philosophy for a children’s manga.

You could also say that I feel embarrassed thinking about how deeply absorbed I was in it.

However, there was an undeniable fact.

The earnest contemplation of those trivial but serious questions during that time played a significant role in shaping who I am today.

Who am I, what am I living for, and what am I willing to die for?

The young me’s ponderings led me to my destination, my dream.

My dream was to become a game director.

I loved games, cherished the meaning they held, and hoped that others would feel the same emotions as I did.

So, the questions led to dreams, pushing me forward.

I became a game director, and now I was getting a miraculous second chance to save a new life.

That’s the story of the memories that made me.

Now, let’s get to the story about voice acting. It was a revelation that came to me later.

One day, I thought, “Why was that story so deeply ingrained in my young self? Why was the narrative of that somewhat ordinary antagonist so powerful to me?”

The answer came when I became an adult.

“Nice to meet you Cheon Yeonho. I’m Lee Suchang, a voice actor.”

It was the charisma.

The charisma of someone who could compress emotions into words and make them resonate even through the speaker.

The magic of a voice that could turn a character painted with pixels into a living, breathing entity, making you feel like he was there.

So, the reason why that narrative of agony had such a strong impact on me was the power of that voice.

The person who immersed me in such agony and allowed me to reach this dream must surely be able to show the same level of immersion and charisma in Hellic 3.

“It’s an honor to meet you like this.”

I bowed deeply.

In the reception room of Rewind, the man in front of me was an ordinary middle-aged man wearing glasses.

Lee Suchang, a veteran voice actor with over 20 years of experience.

I couldn’t contain my excitement and ended up being a bit impolite.

“I’m a fan. Can I ask for just one autograph before we start the conversation?”

“Sure!”

I tightly held the hand of the voice actor.

“···Yes?”

...He seemed taken aback.

***

Lee Suchang, 42 years old.

A veteran in the voice acting industry who had built a solid reputation and earned a lot of money as a voice actor on traditional television in the past.

However, now he was just an average freelance voice actor.

There was no dramatic reason for his downfall.

In fact, it was a common story of trying entrepreneurship after success, only to fail miserably.

Suchang had debts to pay off.

To resolve them, he returned to the only industry he knew well – voice acting.

“It was your charisma that brought life to the character you were cast for. It was because of the charisma that breathed life into the character’s suffering in your voice.”

Yeonho’s voice was devoid of doubt.

“I believe that. Being able to express suffering through one’s voice alone is a tremendous feat. And only you, as a voice actor, can do justice to the roles I have in mind.”

Suchang was as flustered as he had been when he first met Yeonho.

He couldn’t figure out how to respond to those words.

It happened simultaneously.

Ironically, at this moment, Suchang wasn’t looking at the present. He was looking at the distant past.

Yeonho’s genuine kindness and praise made Suchang recall what he had forgotten.

“Have you received the script?”

“Yes.”

“It won’t be any different from Black War Tyrannomon. The barbarian whose role you will play must experience suffering and agony as they deny the path they once believed in. They must keep moving forward relentlessly, free from any constraints.”

What flashed through his mind were past experiences. Before he even thought about the instability of his livelihood, the thrill of breathing life into a character through his voice resurfaced, sweeping away the dust that had accumulated within Suchang.

“Just express that. It doesn’t matter if your voice has changed over the years. You’re the one who can embody the barbarian character. Let the years show in your voice. Unlike Black War Tyrannomon, this guy is a human who has weathered severe storms. It’ll suit you even better.”

Suchang loved being a voice actor. He loved how characters came to life as he voiced them. He loved seeing kids immerse themselves in those characters and escape to different worlds.

While reminiscing about these things, he suddenly realized something.

“To me, you’re the best voice actor. The charisma that moved my heart exists only in your voice.”

At that moment, the fact that the child who had grown up watching him perform with such passion was right in front of him struck him.

“Is that enough of an answer?”

They say that as you get older, your emotions become richer. Perhaps that’s why Suchang was moved by words that might have seemed cliché.

He felt a surge of embarrassment.

Embarrassment about his own mediocrity.

Embarrassment about doubting the person who had believed in him.

Suchang couldn’t respond immediately.

At that moment, Yeonho spoke up.

“I remember a lot of things. Especially the philosophical lecture that Black War Tyrannomon gave when meeting the final boss, the one where he said, ‘You should do it somewhere else.'”

A memorable scene.

Suchang let out a dry laugh.

Then, he found himself speaking in the same tone he had used during those days.

“You have to eliminate the trash!”

Yeonho’s body froze for a moment.

His wide-open eyes and trembling lips vividly conveyed the emotions he was feeling.

In that moment, Suchang felt a deep sense of fulfilment.

Someone who remembered him and carried those memories had grown up like this. It struck him deeply once again.

Yeonho took a deep breath, then burst into laughter.

“You’re good.”

Suchang also burst into laughter.

His face turned red with embarrassment.

“Sorry, I said something weird. If you entrust it to me, I’ll do my best.”

“Of course.”

As they shook hands in agreement, Yeonho added one more thing.

“But... there’s something I wanted to say.”

“Yes?”

“Well...”

Yeonho hesitated for a moment, his lips trembling, before finally speaking.

“Can you consider casting other voice actors as well? We haven’t proceeded with the casting for anyone other than you.”

A somewhat hesitant tone.

Suchang laughed heartily.

“Of course. There are plenty of talented juniors.”

And so, the contract was signed.

***

People cannot see themselves objectively.

Because momentary emotions or circumstances always obscure their self-perception.

Suchang was no different.

Among voice actors, he was better known by others than he himself remembered.

To be precise, they remembered the pre-time-worn Suchang more vividly.

“Just do it right away.”

“What?”

“I said do it now! Its Suchang senior!”

“But, the fee...”

“Oh, then just lower it! I am doing it with the senior, so I should definitely go for it!”

Star voice actors were on the move.

Their senior, whom they admired and idolized, had extended a hand to them first after ten /RomanceMTL