We Are Tomodachi Japan and Russia Edition 2018

15/20

15Jenya singing Melodies of Life from the soundtrack of Final Fantasy IX, accompanied by a full orchestra at a Game Symphony Japan concert in Russia.Meeting fans and signing autographs for the screening of GIRLS und PANZER das FINALE 1 in Moscow, in April 2018.Jenya in matching cosplay next to a life-size cardboard cutout of her character Clara from GIRLS und PANZER der FILM. ©GPFPIn the recording studio with fellow seiyu Sumire Uesaka. Jenya’s interview on NHK WORLD-JAPAN is available at: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/editors/3/2016041501/index.html ©NHK WORLD-JAPANwin a small part in a popular anime, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance. The character was a Russian who worked as an operator at a facility called NERV’s Bethany Base. Jenya took the original Japanese lines from the script and translated them into Russian for the role.While continuing to pursue her dream of becoming a seiyu, Jenya found herself becoming a regular performer on an NHK TV show for Japanese people wanting to study Russian. “I enjoyed this work immensely. Japanese was hard for me at first, which helps me appreciate that learning Russian can be hard too.” Her next adventure saw her briefly return to Russia. In 2014, famed conductor Kenichi Shimura was planning the first performance in Russia of the popular Game Symphony Japan concert, in which a full orchestra performs music from computer games and anime shows. He asked Jenya to accompany him as a singer and emcee. “It was a great honor to introduce Japanese culture to my fellow Russians,” she says. The event was a huge success, and Jenya was thrilled to join the orchestra on stage to sing popular anime songs in Japanese and English, bringing her further Russian media attention. She returned most recently to Russia in April 2018 to perform at the Game Symphony Japan concert, her sixth tour with Shimura.In 2015 Jenya worked as a Russian translator and dialog coach on a feature-length anime titled GIRLS und PANZER der FILM. Thanks to Jenya’s dedication and her excellent Japanese, the rest of the crew warmed to her very much; so much so that director Tsutomu Mizushima created a role especially for her. She was asked to play the part of a Russian schoolgirl. “I felt like my 10 years of work in the anime industry had finally paid off. I felt indescribable happiness! Mr. Mizushima made my dreams come true,” she says. Jenya was especially thrilled that the character she played spoke fluent Japanese. The franchise became a big hit and was granted an overseas release, including screenings in Russia, bringing great joy both to Jenya and to the fans and colleagues that had supported her.Much encouraged by this success, Jenya continues to build her career as a seiyu. “The progress I’ve made so far would have been impossible without my fans and colleagues. They are everything to me. With their continued support, I’ll keep developing my seiyu skills and perfecting my Japanese, while building cultural bridges by popularizing anime in Russia and beyond.”