Note:  Has nto been edited/cut yet.  Has not been fixed up for grammar.  

Note Again:  I ran out of tape and I didn't ask any Fruit Basket Questions 
because I am unfamiliar with the series.
 


Justin Cook, who does the voice of Yuseke Urameshi (Yu Yu Hakusho) and 
Hatsumaru Sohma (Fruit Baskets) is also the Voice Director for Yu Yu Hakusho, 
was at the 2003 Anime Expo in Anaheim this year signing autographs at the 
FUNimation booth.  Luckily for us, we managed to snag an interview at the 
booth with Justin Cook. 
 

A day in the life of Justin Cook 

Hmm, so a day in the life of.  So I go in the office about 9 o' clock. . . 
8:30 to 9:00.  That's when I start looking over everything I hope to 
accomplish for that day.  I'll go through and look at line counts. . .when I 
say that I mean, what we do is take every strip that we have for Yu Yu 
Hakusho, Fruit Baskets, whatever it is we're working on and we would go down 
and individually count everybody's lines.  Some are very long lines so we 
have a system of counting it to kind of guesstimate how many lines.  You know 
a narration line might be pretty long it might be considered 7 lines instead 
of just 1 even though we don't do it all in one take.  The reason for that is 
that, those numbers will help me to know how long I need to get in an actor's 
work.  If Yuseke has got 67 lines in an episode, I know that's probably going 
to take me 3 1/2 hours.  So, I go through each of the line counts for each 
episode, look down to see what I'm going to be needing to do for the next 
week, and
 
  send all the information out to the scheduling person who does all that 
work for me.  Anyway, at 10 o' clock my first actor will come into the 
studio.  It's either be me, Merideth, Sonny, or whoever else is scheduled for 
that day.  From 10 - 1 is typically a 3 hours session working with ju
 
 1 actor.  All of our shows are also recorded 1 actor at a time so its very 
important that before I even start an episode I need to know how all the 
conversations are going to be.  I might be recording Cynthia Cranz as Boton 
for 4 or 5 episodes and then it'll be 4 -5 days later that Shawn Tieg will 
come in and do Koenma and so I need to make sure that everything Cynthia said 
is going to fit with everything Shawn is going to say. 
 

Typically at 1 o' clock we'll take a lunch break.  If things are really 
hectic which a lot of times they are, typically we'll use that lunch period 
to kind of look through the work we've done in the first part of the day, 
start doing what we call "clean up" which are programs that we use to record 
all the voices.  Once an actor lays out the track we have it and we can move 
it around or we can compress it to make it shorter or expand it to make it a 
little longer and all of that is so it can match out with the mouth movements 
of the animated characters.  We'll try to make that as precisely as we can, 
you know some scenes are a little harder than the others.  At 2 o' clock I'll 
start another session, just like the morning session and I'll do that from 2 
o'clock to 6 o' clock provided that the actor's needed for 4 hours.  At 6 is 
typically the end of the work day and at that point is when I'll do some work 
with the mixing engineer.  What he'll do is he will hand me an episode th
 
 at he has mix and my job is to go home, watch the 20 minute episode and I'll 
go through and I'll take notes over the entire thing.  Lines that need to be 
picked up and just didn't quite come out right, as in conversation notes.  I 
might have discovered a better read I would've liked to do for sequence too, 
so I'll make notes for all those kind of things, make line changes, or even 
decide to drop lines to the scripts.  A lot of times in the English scripts, 
the writers will tend to add dialogue.  A lot of times in anime there will be 
long pauses, you know silence to add to drama and what not.  Sometimes the 
wr
 
ers will write over that and sometimes I'll drop those lines and sometimes 
its warranted to help explain the scene a little better but a lot of times 
we'll drop line or certain reactions that might be a little over the top or 
little things like that.  So I'll go through it and I'll make notes on all 
that.  I then come in the next morning and he (the mixing engineer) an
 
 d I will get together and then make all those corrections in the episode.  
Typically at that point I'm about to start another session and the mixing 
engineer will then play back those episodes onto a broadcast ready tape, if 
you will.  So, that will be a day in the life. 
 

JJ:  Is coffee also a big part of your day? 

JC:  (laughs) that's been written in several places about me.  It use to be 
but it's not anymore.  Coffee hurts my stomach now. . . I think I'm getting 
old... So now it's hot chocolate every morning. 
 

JJ:  What about these line changes, do you decide the parts yourself or do 
you work with the writers? 
 

JC:  Ummm, a lot of times the writers aren't always "floating" to the area.  
For instance, the Yu Yu Hakusho writer lives in umm, here, in California 
somewhere, so I don't always call him every time I'm going to make a line 
change. Although what I will do is I'll refer to the Japanese translation 
every now and then and I'll use that as kind of a guideline.  The line needs 
to change but it still needs to convey its point, as in "this has to happen" 
in every scene in every episode I work on.  I can watch a 20 minute episode, 
and I'll know that in the first 5 minutes I'm trying to convey to the 
audience an emotion or a thought or something to that extend.  What I'll do, 
is push that harder than anything else.  Let's say for instance, Toguro and 
Yuseke are fighting the final bout in Yu Yu Hakusho.  All of a sudden Poo 
(Yuseke's alter ego) gets possessed by Genkai, floats down to the stadium, 
chats to Toguro for a second, and then to Yuseke.  Now the main intent of the 
scene is to
 
  show that, Genkai once again is kind of comi
 to zap Yuseke's butt to gear and getting him to fight instead of being such 
a little pansy because he's feeling sorry for himself or worrying about his 
friends. 
 

A better example is episode 52:  Genkai's Death.  Obviously her death is the 
main importance of the entire scene so anything that is going to happen on a 
peripheral scene, a flash to Koenma, or a flash to Boton or whatever, you 
know, crying when she's died, I didn't want to play that so enormous.  The 
writer had written in the line when Boton crumples in front the sink and the 
water is turned on and is crying to put in a kind of a "Noooo" which was 
going to kind of echo over the cut.  Well, to me, I felt that was campy than 
anything else.  When I got to watch the scene, I felt like "well, that's not 
going to quite work for me"  which is an example of me dropping the line.  
Because her reaction to that took away from the reaction that Genkai was dead 
you know what I mean?  You were focusing more on that instead of on her.  
Everything to a scene has to make sure to go to its intention.  Genkai's 
death being the example, stay with her and let her have that spotlight and 
not let 
 
 it drip to the other characters. 

Fan Questions: 

JJ:  People have noted that Yuseke has a couple more curse words in 
the dub than in the sub, you know, they add a couple more "bastard" 
here and there.  How do you feel about that? 

JC:  Well, sometimes that's true if your going to compare it verbally.  Every 
time Yuseke uses profanity in the uncut version of the english dub, it's not 
always going to be there in the Japanese version at that exact point.  
However, and an example of this is when Yuseke and Kuwabara are staking out 
Touroukinae's stronghold.  "Yuseke's line in the english version was, "This 
place smells like ass." The reason for that going in there was that I brought 
in Sumoko, whom is a Japanese woman that works in our company.  I bring her 
up and ask her to watch the scene and we ask, "What's he saying there?"  
Well, she couldn't exactly give an English translation of the phrase that he 
used, but she did say that its basically that he's cursing the fact that he's 
walking thru the woods.  So, I don't know what he was saying exactly but I 
was able to watch the picture. In the scene: Yuseke walks by talking, 
Kuwabara walks right behind him and he smells with a brick face.  So I 
thought Well, 
 
 what would be funny there? "This place smells like ass" and Kuwabara goes, 
"Ugh" so that's what we did.  Sometimes I'll add humor in there and I don't 
think I'm taking anything away from the show and at the same time I don't 
think that the U.S. version of Yuseke is too far of a stretch from the 
original Japanese.  I really have used that voice actor, the style that he 
speaks, and the way that he delivers his line and his complexions.  That's 
something that transcends past language.  You can hear the way somebody says 
something and convey his emotion so, I always try to make sure that's coming 
foward and if it feels right that Yuseke should cuss, then he will, but 
sometimes its written in a little bit too much and I'll cut some of it out. 
 

JJ:  A few new characters will be coming up in future episodes, and a few 
fans were wondering if you would be able to tell us who you'll be casting for 
the role of some of the new characters.  I have a short list of names here. . 
.Shinobu Shensui? 
 

JC:  I haven't cast that one yet. 

JJ:  Game Master? 

JC:  Ummm, I'm going to audition for the part. . . so it could be somebody 
completely different, but I think somebody who can probably do a good job on 
it is is the actor who played Hiro in Fruit Baskets, the little boy. 
 

JJ:  Hagiri the Sniper? 

JC:  Haven't thought about it yet. 

JJ:  Itsuki? 

JC:  I don't know yet.  I think most of these are characters from the third 
season that they are going to say and I have a cast with only three 
characters.  Well let me put it this way.  In the dark tournament I used a 
lot of FUNimation's actors who have done a lot of stuff with us before:  Andy 
Shantler, Jerry Jewel, a the people who we've worked a lot with.  I did try 
to introduce new people every once in awhile.  Touya was played by a brand 
new actor named Daniel Casthew.  Same goes with Yukina who was cast with a 
brand new first time actress.  The third season, in watching it you have all 
these characters coming back; Yuseke, Hiei, Kuwabara, Kurama, Genkai, Boton. 
. . you know?  Everybody.  So those voices, I think you grow use to.  So what 
I hope to do is cast all new people,  like actors who we haven't necessarily 
worked with before to kind of give the audience something new to listen to 
instead of passing out more of the same (yet wonderful) actors whom we've 
used a lo
 
 t.  I haven't used Sonny Straightman, hardly at all in Yu yu Hakusho so he's 
somebody that I definitely look forward to seeing sometime in the third 
season.  Sean Shemel would be another person that I'd really love to consider 
for some parts.  So there will be some old actor's that I'd love to use 
again, but for the most part I would like to get a cast of new actors. 
 

JJ:  So what episode are you up to in the dub? 

JC:  We've just finished, yesterday morning I reviewed episode 57 which is 
the fight between Bui and Hieh in the dark tournament and that was for a mix. 
 Recording wise when I get back in town. . .I'm going to have to record 
Yuseke on episode 67 and I'll be finished with that episode.  I just got into 
the third season. 
 

JJ:  What advice would you give for people who aspire to become a voice actor? 

JC:  Well, um.  For me all I can base it off of is where I came from on it.  
My suggestion would be if you're at an age where you're getting out of high 
school and your thinking about doing this..My suggestion is when you go to 
college and when you do get there find something either theater, either drama 
or radio, something that is going to make you talk.  Make you talk and talk 
on to a microphone.  The reason for that is because that is a lot more 
uncomfortable than a lot people think.  To get on to a microphone and to let 
it all out, leave it all there.  The other thing would be, another thing you 
can do to kind of get use to this talking would be. . . when your reading 
books on your own time, read them out loud.  You start reading out loud and 
you start finding places, you know different places to inflect things.  
You'll find that you read a lot differently out loud than you do when you 
read to yourself.  So that's just one of those other things that'll get you 
into talkin
 
 g.  As far as getting you into a business, one of those production companies 
that here in the states, that's all about researching those companies that 
you'd like to work for.  FUNimation, Bandai, ADV, whoever it is, you know, 
you'll probably need to move to that area and start putting out auditions in 
those places.  The question I always get, "Well, how do you get the 
audition?"  Well, a lot of times its marketing yourself.  When you become an 
actor that's what your doing.  You now have a business and the business is 
you.  Whether its your voice or your body as a stage actor or a film
 
ctor or anything.  It's all about learning to market yourself out to other 
people, that's the key. 
 

JJ:  What other anime titles are you into, aside from the ones your working 
on? 
 

JC:  I've always had a soft spot for Cowboy Bebop.  I think that is probably 
one of the greatest shows  ever.  Passing the fact that its anime, and all 
shows, live-action, whatever.  It is a great TV series, its wonderful.  So I 
say probably that one, though I say recently I have just recently gotten into 
Trigun.  I know I'm a little late on the ball on that but I spend so much 
time watching Fruit Baskets, Yu Yu Hakusho and other things that I've worked 
on.  Not watching the final product, but watching it in Japanese and learning 
the show, and memorizing every scene so that when a person can name an 
episode number of Yu Yu Hakusho and I can tell you what happens in it.  I 
don't feel comfortable even working or beginning directing a show unless I 
can do that for a series.  So I spend a lot of time doing that.  On occasions 
that I get to see something else Trigun and Cowboy Bebop are the two that so 
far are really something I enjoyed.  I enjoyed Blue Gender too, I didn't work 
o
 
 n that one so I actually got to watch that after the fact that it all came 
out.  It's pretty incredible. 
 

JJ:  I read that you had a special voice appearance on Blue Gender as like 
Man #3 or something? 
 

JC:  Yes, I did do something.  Sabath was trying to get finished with an 
episode, get it out the door and he needed to get somebody to be crazy and 
insane so he called me in.  It was 6:30 one evening and I just happened to be 
there and so I do have one line in Blue Gender but that would be the only 
thing I have done for the show. 
 

JJ:  How similar are you with Yuseke and Sohma? 

JC:  I'm not very much like Haru at all.  Haru is the one part I've done the 
most acting on.  Haru is an extremely complicated character.  From the moment 
I saw the episode with him, episode 10 and his proceeding episodes after, I 
spent a lot of time watching and learning.  I learned  more of his character 
from watching him instead of listening to the Japanese, though I had the 
Japanese writer with me when I watched it.  It was really his movements, it 
was in the way he made other people react when he talks.  For instance, when 
he's walking up the stair case in episode 10 and he tells Tohru that Yugi was 
his first love and she freaks out.  Well, he needed to say it in such a way 
that she would freak out.  It couldn't have been obviously in a way that he 
would yell it out or anything.  He's quite Haru at the time, so I I really 
tried to play in on that.  The attitude that to me I think Haru has which is 
a 13 year old boy who really doesn't know where he stands with anything wh
 
 ether its life, sexuality, his friends, and the people he looks up to.  I 
thought he was a very unique character, letting out a lot of emotions that 
I've never really felt so it took a lot of work to do him.  Yuseke. . . first 
off Yuseke, when I watched the show originally at the very beginning before 
it ever cast, I watched the entire show.  I knew by the end of it, I had 
ideas, or I thought who would be good voices for some of the characters, 
which is of course all a matter of opinion.  But, to me I saw that. . . the 
one character who I was the most confu
 
d about and I did not know how I was going to handle it was Yuseke.  I didn't 
know who could play that character, just for the kid that he is.  He's a very 
unique character.  Upon a 4 - 5 day audition process, I had 30 - 40 auditions 
and it was when my producer that steps in to listen to the final take on 
everything and he asked me to audition for the part.  So I went in and 
auditioned for it and then I had to leave beca
 
 use as soon as I auditioned for the part, no longer am I allowed to cast 
anymore, it wouldn't be ethnically right you know?  So I stepped out of the 
casting room when I auditioned and 4  hours later was when Barry opened the 
door and said, "your going to be playing the part of Yuseke, can you handle 
that and direct the show?"  It just. . . it was great because from watching 
the show he was my favorite character by far.  His character, for me to do is 
a little bit easier mainly for the fact that I am kind of a smart ass and I'm 
always the most tactful person in the way I handle situations so I saw where 
he's coming from.  At the same time aside from those negative qualities 
though. . . He cares about his friends implicitly and I think I do too and I 
would defend any single one to them to the death. 
 

JJ:  Thanks for your time. 
--