Greg is really just a huge anime fan simply as that. The interview was very long and took forever to get though. Then again maybe it was a bad idea to transcribe everything in one sitting. Still you guys are in a treat since you get a lot of good information from the voice actor and some One Piece stuff. A little bit of everything.
Things to know before going into this interview, the night before Greg did the DJing for the con and he was really tried. I think I was tired too which may explain why I couldn't understand what I was saying during the interview. Also the day before I was in my Ikuto (Shugo Chara!) cosplay where my hair was painted blue. I am sure he would have liked that.
Mikey-san: I am with Greg Ayres, not Chris Ayres.
Greg Ayres: *Laughter*
MS: Who has done many different types of roles like Ouran to One Piece to Nerima Daikon Brothers.
GA: Hello. How are you doing?
MS: Okay. Since this is One Piece. How about we start with One Piece itself.
GA: Cool.
MS: So how much One Piece have you seen?
GA: I have seen very little of One Piece actually. My original introduction to One Piece was illegal which I am not a big fan of. I had a friend who was unfortunately an habitual downloader who was downloading One Piece before it was release in the states. He kept telling me about this awesome show. Of course, the only way to see it at that time was illegally download which if anybody knows anything about me knows that I pretty much been the crusader against downloading for a long time.
MS: I was at your panel the other day, you were really passionate.
GA: I been doing that for about seven years. I been crusading against downloading anime for seven years and I kind of predicted all the bad things that we have seen happening in the last few years. Umm...I was really disappointed to see the treatment that 4Kids gave the show. The interesting thing about it, a lot of the problems or a lot of thing that the fans didn't like about the 4Kids productions were things that the Japanese creators insisted on. Which is really funny and a lot of the One Piece fans refuse to believe that. So my personal introduction to One Piece was when Funimation got the rights to release the unedited version and Mike McFarland thought it would be funny to cast me as Cabaji because he is kind of the emo, punk rocking of the pirates. He also thought it be fun because I always spend most of my time playing little kids. And so I be playing this giant, gruff pirate with this huge hairdo.
MS: And unicycle.
GA: Yeah. So it was fun. When I went in for one of the first Cabaji fights I went in for. The lines were just ridiculous and we were laughing. Like some of the shouts he called out, some of the battle cries.
MS: Whats your favorite one? In the Cabaji voice.
GA: I can't. Oh no I can't do it today. I'm trashed after the dance. I was also DJing.
MS: Yeah. I was there last night.
GA: So yeah. But it was one of...There was several of the fights that he called out that sounded like circus moves. And I was like, "What?". Umm...But I was really pleased to see Funimation gets the rights of the show. Now I have the whole, I got all of the discs that they have put out so far. I just never get the chance to sit down and watch anything. The nice thing about what they done is they gone back and recreate it from the beginning and they done it uncut. They cut out all of those hiphop stuff that was in the 4Kids version. And the thing that I liked the most, I know the people at Funimation and I know they will treat the show with the respect it deserves. I know that fans of the show were so disappointed with the 4Kids release and I think its kind of cool that Funimation has the reins of the show and I think they'll do it right. I know the people, all of the people that have directed the show enjoy it and you know. It's a really big project for Funimation. It's one of the things like Alchemist or Detective Conan. It seems like there is always One Piece being recorded at Funimation. Which is nice. It means there is steady work and the people working on it have a lot of fun with it so it's a good deal. So, I really not seen much but I own all that is out so far. So one of these days when I get caught up on all of my viewing. I defiantly plan on watching it. Because I think it will also be fun to watch it when all the hype is over. Umm...(I'm) a person that doesn't really like things that everybody else likes. So if I let all the hype and screaming die down, I'll probability enjoy it much more.
MS: Now getting back to Funimation, the fact that Funimation now dubbing it, I have watched One Piece when 4Kids was dubbing it. I mean to me, that was great but seeing what Funimation has done. It's awesome.
GA: It's closer to the original. The original intend of the show.
MS: Closer to the original. It's awesome. I can tell the difference and I love the Funimation's (one) better then the 4Kids one.
GA: Well the weird thing about it for us is, we're friends with many of the actors that worked on the 4Kids production. It's always hard because of umm...a lot of the things that...you know. It has happen with several companies that (we) work for. The things that a company decides to do with a show is never the actor's fault. So it's funny because some of the old people will say, "Oh. I love the Funimation's One Piece and I hate the actor for-" Now my phone is going to be rude. *Continuing from last sentence* "The actor for this part for whatnot." (Greg:) "Hey, that's my friend. Don't say that."
MS: I enjoy the actors for the 4Kids's (one).
GA: The show is just treated much better.
MS: It's treated much better.
GA: It's nice to- *Phone vibrates* Come on phone, stop it. *Pause to look at phone* That's funny. I totally lost my train of thought. Oh, it's nice to be able to pick up and do the show, take it in a different direction too. Even the voices don't sound the same. It's almost like a new show.
MS: So what you like about One Piece from what you seen as Cabaji and I think you did Little Franky in the video game.
GA: Yeah, I was Little Franky from the video game. What I like about One Piece has nothing to do with the show. I like it's loyal following. That's something as an anime fan that I think is unique. Television shows, if you think about American television like Lost, it got lots of fans and people are sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to watch Lost. Fans of certain anime shows, it is always like different shows like One Piece, has a huge fan following. Ranma is another. I should be saying Inuyasha(SP) another. Fullmetal Alchemist. But One Piece fans,the thing that I like the most about One Piece is the people involve in One Piece's fandom are excited about it but they are not excited about it in a way like Alchemist fans who think Alchemist is the only important anime (that's) on. That's its the only thing that matters. One Piece fans are not like that. They just want you to like One Piece. They don't care if you watch every other show. They just want you to like One Piece too.
MS: I tell that to my friends too that say, "I use to watch One Piece." Then I have my friends, and our styles are all different, it's not serious. I am okay with that.
GA: I enjoy One Piece fandom. One Piece's fans to me are fun loving fans. They enjoy dre- If I had dollar for every One Piece costume I see at a con, you know, I'll be rich. And I think the fandom is kind of what keeping the show alive.
MS: That's true.
GA: And I think thats the only reason why it has weather the storm of two different studios. I think had it been any other show without a fanbase, it would have never survive a second release.
MS: One Piece has been though different hardships. With what happen in May with the simulcast.
GA: Yeah, it's amazing. So, it's funny for me to say that my favorite thing about the show has nothing to do with the show at all. It has to do with the fans. I really like One Piece fans and the show is fun too. The show is not the genre of anime that I really watch that much but that's what makes it fun for me to work on. Because it is very different from anything that I do.
MS: How is it different from anything else you do?
GA: I work on a lot of either high comedy or super serious shows but the one thing that I think that is very different about One Piece's animation style is, it's animation style is very much like a cartoon. It's not like anime. It's very cartoonly looking. I'm not use to a raw style. And it's fun. Because it is cartoonly, when you have to do something ridiculous, it's not hard to because it looks funny. You can be funny. So it's very different. The style of the show. I don't do a lot of fighting shows. Because you know, I play a lot of little kids a lot of the time. There is just so much that is different. The animation style jumps out the most to me. *Takes a moment to talk to fan and signs a Chorno Crusade DVD. Talks a bit to fan.*
MS: And you been part of different animes like mention earlier. You been Cabaji in One Piece, you been in Ouran.
GA: I been doing this for seven years. I work a lot.
MS: Your list on ANN and other websites, your cast list is huge. I had to make the font smaller just to print it on four pages.
GA: Well I think it's fun because I like anime. A lot of actors that do this are not anime fans. I'm an anime fan. I can tell you shows that I like that I'm not in. It's funny. That is one of the funny questions that I love being on a panel- And I am a proud anime fan. I have always been an anime fan. Not always but since a teenager. It's funny for me to hear other voice actors asked, "What other shows do you watch? Do you watch any other shows?" And they really have a hard time, "Umm...Umm...Whatever he said." You know, I jump in and say, "I love Boogiepop Phantom.", "I love PingPong Club!". I been watching anime longer then some of the kids that come to conventions have been alive. I been watching anime since I was a teenager and I am in my forties now.
MS: Okay, that longer then I've been alive.
GA: Yeah. I'm an old guy. I don't look it but I'm an old guy. So I love so much of anime. I love old shows. New shows. So it's funny, it always happen. Just like with One Piece, we end up getting to redubbing old old old shows. It's fun for me because I know these shows. "Yeah! I remember this show!" So it's good. One Piece just got the retreatment early that's all.
MS: That's really good. So what is your favorite type of characters to do?
GA: My favorite type of characters. I like villains a lot because they're not. It's easy to play heroes. It's super easy to play hero. Villains are fun because they are ridiculous at times. Their goals and ambitions are ridiculous. But then most, I get cast playing as little kids. And I get a lot of crap about it because I play whinny, girly little kids. I love that because that is not who I am in real life. I got a hot temper. I really quick to lose my cool. So it's funny for me to play a totally wimpy character like the Pope in Trinity Blood. Right, every time somebody looks at him the wrong way. That's just funny to me because I am not that person. There are guys that are like, "Doesn't it bother you that you always play wimpy characters?" I like, "No." I'm the first one to shoot my mouth off in a real life situation so it's totally fine with me. Spike Spenser, the guy that plays Shinji Ikari in Evangelion, just hates the fact that that character is so wimpy. It's like, (Greg:) "It's not you. You're an actor you know. You just playing a part." So the parts that I enjoy the most though are the parts that are real. I like my character in Beck. I play Koyuki in Beck and I like that because it's a real story. That kid has something to say. I like my character in Samurai Seven because he is a noble character and there's a lot to him. I love my character in Chrono Crusade because he is loyal to the bitter end. I like character that have a little bit of meat to them. Not just, "Look at me! I'm the hero!" or "Look at me! I'm the villain!". I'm an actor so I like characters that have three dimensions. Even if they are two dimensional characters. I love my characters in shows like Welcome to the NHK where I play total Otaku in that show. He's ambitious. He got all kinds of problems. That's more realistic.
MS: You mention you love villains before, and you played Cabaji. And Cabaji really skewered Chris Sabet's character, Zoro. How did that felt? You did got beat up in the end.
GA: *Laughter* I love Chris Sabet. I think that Chris Sabet, not just phenomenal talent, but he's a funny, funny person to work with. But the funny thing is, we don't really play off of each other.
MS: So I heard.
GA: Because we record as individuals. So we never see each other as we are recording. Many times I don't even recognize unless- especially with Sabet because Sabet is so good with so many different voices. Sometimes you don't even realize you are recording with Sabet because you don't recognize his voice right off the bat. But that being said, anytime I can be in a show with Sabet is a great time because Sabet is a fun guy. He is a really cool guy. He actually has his own studio and he does a lot of video games stuff too.
MS: I think most of the One Piece video game that Funimation did was done at Sabet's studio.
GA: Yeah, we did. We recorded that at Chris Sabet's studios. And he is a nerdy gamer like me. We can nerd out about games. He is the reason why I have a copy of the first BioShock. He gave me my first copy of BioShock because he was done with it. He was, "Well this my play it forward. If you like it, give it to somebody else." So yeah, I love anytime I get to work with Sabet. He's a super cool guy. And his studio is a lot of fun. They have the best coffee in town.
MS: Oh wow! So going into a few random questions that some came from the fans. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
GA: *Silent* I don't know about wood. I mean I don't know about woodchucks but I have a prairie dog and she could eat quite a bit of wood so I would say a pretty good amount.
MS: Okay. What is your favorite color?
GA: Purple and blue. Obviously. Those are the two colors I have in my hair more often then any.
MS: Yeah, you got them right now today.
GA: Yeah. I call them my natural hair colors.
MS: I wish I had my hair from yesterday. It was all blue.
GA: *Laughter*
MS: What is your least favorite color?
GA: I would say orange. Bright orange. Loud orange.
MS: Oh, your brother said the same thing too. Your brother said orange too.
GA: Orange is a color that is really hard to work with. Like if you have an orange jacket, what do you wear with it? You know, it just a color that doesn't go with many things. It's loud. It reminds me of a school bus.
MS: *Laughter* Okay, who would you like to thank or say inspired you to be where you are today?
GA: Umm..That is really weird. It's not always actors. People around me inspired me. My friends, my family, and people in my immediate surroundings inspired me to do things. I have people in this industry that I look up to. Chris Sabet being one of them. My own brother who you know is not only an actor but a director. But's it funny because people always have, "Oh, my inspiration in action is this." There actors that I look up to but the people around me inspire me to do the things I do. So I want to do interesting things and things that impress them. So it's my need to make them happier, impress them or the strength I pull off of them that gives me the inspiration to do what I do. Not necessary another actor. There definitely actors that I look up to: Luci Christian, Monica Rial, my brother, Johnny Bosch, Mike Nicolas, Stephanie Sheh. Too many to name. I work with very many talented people.
MS: Yeah, you do.
GA: Inspiration is a weird one. I think most people pull inspiration from the people around them.
MS: Okay, friends. Family.
GA: Friends, family. Even convention people I know.
MS: What has been the most awkward moment you been part of or seen?
GA: In a scene? Umm...Hmm...In Legend in the Mystical Ninja Goima, I had to fight with myself. That was pretty weird. We generally avoid playing parts- There is nothing for us playing two parts in a show. Obviously there may be a chance that Little Franky shows up in the series. I don't know because I haven't seen that far. It is not a big deal to play both that and Cabaji but in that show (Legend in the Mystical Ninja Goima), the two characters that I played end up fighting each other. Nobody ever saw that coming. So when we got to that moment. The director, Scott McClennen, and I kind of step back and, "Okay, let's record all the robot's parts first and then go record the other parts." But it was awkward because to me it still sounds like me fighting with me. My friends have watched it, "No. It doesn't sound like the same person." but I always afraid that I sound like old video game action where it's one guy doing the voice of seven people. But yeah, that definitely the most awkward moment.
MS: I guess we have to finish up soon, it has been like what? Twenty minutes already? So what you want to say to the fans out there?
GA: Keep watching anime and more importantly, keep buying anime that you like. Not because I get any money of of it but because this industry is in a lot of trouble. Apple computers is a perfect example of something that should have gone away a long time ago but the fans kept it alive. People who love Apple computers kept it alive. I been watching anime for a long time and things have never been this bad. There are studios closing in Japan and studios closing in the United States and the only way anything is going to get any better is if we get behind what we love and support it. That is why I am going to buy, even though I already got Fooly Cooly (FLCL) on DVD, I am going to buy the Blu-ray when Funimation puts it out because I love anime and I want to see it go away. Keep loving what you love and keep doing that you do and hopefully this industry will turn itself around and we see more awesome shows.
Still that is my interview with Greg Ayres. It was a fun interview and felt kind of like talking to a very involved fan. The guy is really passionate about his work and what he does. I think that if he wasn't a voice actor then this guy would be just a really big anime fan that be against illegally downloading. It is cool to hear that too. Still with this interview, my coverage of KamiKaze Con is over! Still you can hear Greg as Cabaji in One Piece: Season 1, First Voyage and Fourth Voyage and during the up coming Third Voyage.
very long interview haha, i ddnt pay attention to the class im in lol..
ReplyDeleteme and him cant get along lol, i download everything illegally haha.. well, i'd buy One Piece, but it will cost me a lot, i'll just stick to the volumes..
looking forward for more interviews, gd luck man.