The duel. Morikawa (Obi-Wan) and Suzumura (Anakin) recorded side by side, separated only by a translucent screen.
His voice dripped like oil. Suzumura, as Anakin, leaned in. No overacting. Just two predators circling.
The recording studio in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district was small, soundproofed, and sacred. It was early spring, 2005. For three weeks, the voice cast of the Japanese dub for Star Wars: Episode III had gathered to breathe new life into George Lucas’s tragedy—not just translating it, but transforming it. star wars episode 3 japanese dub
And somewhere, a galaxy far, far away wept in kanji.
Darth Vader’s first breath. Ōtsuka didn’t just breathe—he suffered . The sound engineer added mechanical reverb live. The duel
The famous “Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise” scene arrived. Veteran actor Masane Tsukayama, voicing Palpatine, removed his glasses. He spoke not as a politician, but as a kyōgen actor—a trickster of classical theater.
Kenichi Suzumura, the voice of Anakin Skywalker, arrived first. At 30, he was young for the role, but his voice carried a frayed wire of desperation perfect for the Chosen One. Opposite him, the legendary Akio Ōtsuka—voice of Darth Vader—sat motionless, studying the script in kanji and furigana . Suzumura, as Anakin, leaned in
So they tried again. This time, Suzumura let the arrogance linger before the punchline. It worked.
