Pokemon Journeys May End Its Hiatus Soon
Pokemon has well over a 1,000 episodes to its name, but fans have gone weeks now without any new [...]
Pokemon has well over a 1,000 episodes to its name, but fans have gone weeks now without any new content. The anime was forced into hiatus due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak which has left fans eager for any news on its return. But as Japan takes its first steps out of its State of Emergency, netizens are thinking it will only be a matter of time before Pokemon Journeys returns. And thanks to one of the show's sound directors, it seems the anime may leave its hiatus behind before too long.
For those who have not heard, Japan began relaxing its State of Emergency orders within the last couple weeks. Now, the country has confirmed it will be ending the period entirely as Japan comes to terms with its new normal. This means work will begin on a large scale once more, and barring any severe outbreaks, it looks as if Pokemon Journeys won't be exempt from this back-to-work order.
Fans have not heard anything about an official return date for Pokemon Journeys, but one of its staffers has been getting things ready for resumed production. Masafumi Mima is the sound director behind hit anime like My Hero Academia, but he also oversees Pokemon. One of the biggest concerns in the anime industry regarding health is recording sound as voice actors most often perform together in Japan. It is not advised to have so many people speaking in an enclosed space, but Mima has found some ways to secure the area.
音響作業を
— 音響監督 三間雅文 (@Sunma47) May 16, 2020
徐々に試みている。
幾度と無くシュミレーションを行い、感染防止策を練っている(役者さんの感想をもとに改善中)。
新作を1日も早く。それが作品を作るスタッフの共通の願いだ。
役者さんを一人一人録音していては、今度はスタッフとスタジオマン達の命は、守れない。
アイデア勝負の時! pic.twitter.com/rCX9UzCIXB
実は、このスタジオ。オーケストラを録音する為の大スタジオ。
— 音響監督 三間雅文 (@Sunma47) May 16, 2020
楽団が入り、大勢での録音が不可な今。発想の転換で、アフレコでの最大人数で録るのも、ひとつの案。
特にキャストが多い作品は、是非一考して欲しい。
小さなスタジオで、エアコンをガンガンはやっぱり不安だ…。
ワクチンが出来るまで! pic.twitter.com/GIrnSddYTT
Over on Twitter, Mima began posting photos of the studio he records in, and it has been overhauled with brand-new safety measures. As production gets underway on his anime again, Mima has found way to partition each actor into their own booth with divider walls, personal recording equipment, and more.
The studio will also have strict rules put in place for actors recording dialogue. Not only will actors have to wear masks all day until they record, but they will be subjected to temperature checks at home and in the studio. Cast members will also be asked to limit personal items to a certain area in the studio, and any small talk is discouraged. For the well-being of their careers and others, these actors are being asked to come in to do their job and that alone. That is the best way to ensure the health of both actors and thee anime industry. So if you have been missing Pokemon Journeys, it will hopefully return before too long!
Do you think Pokemon Journeys will resume before too long...? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!