In this post, we will be translating a feature about Hazuki Ishigaki, the voice actress for Shenhua in the Japanese version of the first two Shenmue games, from a magazine at the time.
Ishigaki was 21 years old at the time, and her acting and voicing career had started a couple of years earlier, with appearances on Japanese TV and radio prior to her work for the Shenmue games. Online information suggests that she retired from acting around March 2004.
The magazine feature was published in the Japanese Dreamcast Magazine's October 1999 edition, and contains a series of Q&A as well as Shenhua cosplay photos taken on location around Dobuita St, Yokosuka.
Although this was still a few months before the release of the first Shenmue game at the end of that year - and well before Shenhua would be properly seen in-game in the second game - the character of Shenhua would already have been a familiar sight to gaming enthusiasts from promotional material and magazine articles.
The introduction to the interview article states:
"Thank you for waiting, Hazuki-chan fans. Shenhua couldn't wait any longer for her turn to come, so she has come to the streets of Yokosuka! What discoveries await her in this foreign land?"
Background:
At the time of publication of this article in September 1999 (although the magazine was officially the October 1st edition), interest in Shenmue had been further fueled with the distribution of the What's Shenmue demo to the public. Regarding the full game, the release date was officially still scheduled for October 28th, although a delay would be announced soon afterwards. The autumn edition of the Tokyo Game Show was to take place September 17th-19th, with a special Shenmue promotion at the Sega booth.
-- Translation starts here --
Profile: Hazuki Ishigaki
Hazuki Ishigaki, who plays the heroine Shenhua Ling in "Shenmue." Her real name is Akiko Ishigaki. Born on July 12, 1978 (21 years old). Blood type AB. She is from Hokkaido. Height 160 cm / Bust 80 cm / Waist 58 cm / Hips 82 cm / Shoes 23.0 cm. Her hobbies and special skills include tennis, drawing, and even Rakugo [Japanese verbal comedy].
Currently, she appears as a monthly regular participant in the TBS Radio program "Anime Donburi." She is also scheduled to appear at the game show so fans, hurry along! Additionally, fan letters can be sent to the address given below. If you send her something like "How to Raise Seaman" now, you'll get in her good books (lol)!
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| Shenhua Ling |
Interview
Surprise! Shenhua Appears in Chapter One!?
Q: What have you been up to recently?
Ishigaki: Lately, the finishing touches are being put on Chapter One, so there's been a break in recording. However, there's a scene in Chapter One where Shenhua makes a brief appearance, so we shot that. The voice recording for it will happen next. Other than that, I have been doing [gym] training about twice a week. Also, I have a regular radio program, "Anime Donburi." We're going to record the next one in front of an audience, which I'm really looking forward to. If you can, please come and join us (laughs).
Q: How are the development staff doing?
Ishigaki: They seem to be having a tough time. The Shenmue team didn't even have a break during Obon*. So, I wonder if everything will be okay. I'm excited and nervous about people's reactions when the game is released. But I think people seeing it for the first time will be really moved.
*Obon = an annual Japanese holiday remembering deceased ancestors
I Ran Out of Food...
Q: What do you do usually?
Ishigaki: What I've been doing recently is playing "Seaman" (laughs). Actually, there was an incident. I thought a bunch of eggs were food and gave them to Seaman saying, "Here's your meal!" and they all disappeared. I asked Matsukaze-san (the actor who plays Ryo, the protagonist) about it, and it turns out those were insect eggs that you raise to make food. Matsukaze-san told me, "It's sad to see him suffer without food, so why don't you start over?" So, reluctantly, I've started over (laughs).
The first time I raised him as far as a baby who can talk a little. His proper name is Umikichi, but since he won't respond unless you call him "Seaman", I named him "Seaman Umikichi" and call him by his last name (laughs). Oh, and I also played the demo version* of Shenmue (laughs).
*What's Shenmue was made available in June of 1999 to everyone who had pre-ordered Shenmue.
SHENMUE TOPICS: Let's Visit the Sega Booth at the Tokyo Game Show!Themes: Motorcycles, Nozomi, and Forklifts!?
At the Sega booth's Shenmue exhibit, the theme will be the streets of Yokosuka, with a recreation of Yokosuka Harbor including forklifts and drum cans. Director Yu Suzuki himself will appear on the main stage and show new information based on the latest footage. It's said that the actress who plays Nozomi Harasaki, the Chapter One heroine, will also be announced. This is a must-see!
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| The latest forklift-related images will be revealed!? |
Live demonstration by Yu Suzuki: [September] Sat. 18th at 15:50 & Sun. 19th at 15:45.
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| Yu Suzuki, Masaya Matsukze and Hazuki Ishigaki |
Q: Did you have a good look at the high-resolution Shenhua in the Shenmue demo?
Ishigaki: Yes, I did. I even showed it to my family, saying, "Look, look!" at my debut (laughs). It's a strange feeling to see the character I voiced. My family were pleased for me. The visuals are amazing. I think the full game will allow you to explore even more places, and the world will expand, which is exciting. Plus, the story is interesting. Seeing thugs chewing on grass these days is quite funny (laughs).
Q: What are your impressions of Yokosuka, where we you went for the on-location photo shoot?
Ishigaki: It was fun because there were places in the game that I recognized. It felt like I was really there. Its appearance has changed quite a bit, but there were many vintage clothing stores. They even had cute army-patterned shirts in sizes that girls could wear. And there were lots of stores with things like embroidered satin "Sukajan" jackets. I want to go shopping there myself in future (laughs).
Q: At the upcoming game show [Tokyo Game Show, Autumn 1999], it's said that besides yourself, the actress playing Nozomi will also appear.
Ishigaki: It feels like a new member is joining the Shenmue family (laughs). I haven't met her yet, so I don't know what she's like. The game's character has big, cute eyes, kind of like how Morning Musume* looked when they first debuted (laughs). But there will be a lot of girls at the game show this time. Matsukaze-san will be surrounded by girls (laughs).
*Note from Switch: Morning Musume was a hugely popular Japanese J-Pop group that formed in 1997.
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| Japanese female pop group Morning Musume |
Q: We also hear that you will take part in the talk show [at TGS] too. Do you have a message for the attendees?
Ishigaki: It has been a while since I've seen everyone, so I'm looking forward to it. I want to meet everyone from time to time (laughs).
Autograph Giveaway!
Two winners will receive a signed card! To enter, write your address, name, age, phone number, and thoughts on the article, and send it to the address provided!
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| Autograph give-away! |
Trivia
Dobuita Street has changed quite a bit. The Dobuita of today is a much cleaner town than the one seen in the Shenmue demo. This is due to redevelopment that began over ten years ago. Exposed ground was paved, and major supermarkets opened, significantly transforming the area. However, the old shops and alleys still retain their traditional atmosphere.
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| "Like in the demo, there really are a lot of jacket shops and military surplus stores!" |
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| "A vending machine on the street corner. Maybe Ryo drank here too?" |
[Message from the Editor] Shenmue: Moving Towards Completion At Last
During my recent interview with Yu-san, what surprised me the most was an element that now makes up more than 30% of Shenmue's appeal. Initially, just hearing about it didn't quite make sense to me, but upon actually seeing it on the screen, it made me realize how amazing it is.
If this element is fully integrated, Shenmue will become an almost perfect system, with a long lifespan. That's really how I felt. There is potential for a feature that is unprecedented in any other software title to be realized on the Dreamcast. Chances are good that it will be revealed at the Tokyo Game Show, so keep an eye out for it.
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| Dobuita St.: the buildings in the distance show its ongoing redevelopment. |
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| A screenshot of Dobuita Street from the game. Did it have more charm ten-plus years ago...? |
---- End of translation ----
Final Comment
There is not much to be found online about Hazuki Ishigaki's career after Shenmue. It seems she retired from public appearances after 2004.
This interview with Hazuki Ishigaki was not as in-depth as it might have been, which is perhaps to be expected, having taken place prior to the first game's release and with little being known about the character of Shenhua at this point. There was perhaps a missed opportunity to hear more about her experience with the voice and motion recording process, her interactions with Yu Suzuki or how she obtained the role of Shenhua.
In the short section above at the end of the article, there is an intriguing reference by the magazine staff member to an "amazing element" that will make up "more than 30% of Shenmue's appeal". It is interesting to consider that something this important had not been advertised as part of the game that would be released only a couple of months later.
One possible candidate is the Shenmue Passport that came bundled with the game, giving players access to music, tutorial videos, character profiles, lore and allowing participation in online minigame rankings. What do you think - leave a comment with your thoughts!
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