Highlighting Attack on Titan Voice Actor Trina Nishimura
Behind the Graceful Scout
Anime fans gathered to attend Anime Las Vegas, a Vegas event. Fans watched a wonderful voice actor on the Attack on Titan (AOT) Panel, mirroring the moments of watching a beloved AOT character come from screen to life.
Trina Nishimura was a wonder and joy. She was kind enough to offer an exclusive interview—a truly special opportunity—to discuss her approach to voicing Mikasa Ackerman, the lethal and graceful scout and dedicated, loyal love interest in the series, Attack on Titan.
Anime Las Vegas and Anime Fire provided me with another dream interview to meet my favorite AOT voice actor, Trina Nishimura, and to interview her. I was truly awe-struck to meet Trina. It was a gift to have this chance. Not only was Trina welcoming and kind, but she was also friendly. Talking with her made you feel that she cared about her character and also her fans. Trina was genuine and warm in her responses, making the experience memorable.
A transcript of the interview with Mikasa Ackerman, Trina Nishimura (TN), is below:
Relating to Mikasa:
Me: “Hi, I am Krissy Rodriguez. I write with Anime Fire. I have a few questions to ask about your role as Mikasa. Do you relate to Mikasa?”
Trina Nishimura (TN): “Yes, I do relate to Mikasa. I think that she’s a very special character. I’ve been doing this since I was 19 years old. So, you know, being able to be a female that’s, you know, the strongest out of all of the characters has been really cool because that’s never happened to me before, before Mikasa. The girl can be like the smartest or the girl can be like most emotionally intelligent, but never like the strongest, you know, and I love that she’s not hypersexualized. That’s really cool. I relate to her mostly because of her devotion to her family and friends, you know. I have been really, really fortunate in my life to have a lot of awesome people in my life and a great family. So, that’s how I relate most.”
The Challenge of Mikasa:
Me: “I get that, and relate. What was the most challenging part of voicing Mikasa?”
TN: “The most challenging part of voicing her was probably not wanting to let the fans down. I mean, like, actors are insecure people by nature. Like we hear it all the time. It’s a problem. I’m sure my therapist would say so. Uh, but she benefits from it. So that’s fine. But I think the most challenging part would probably be [that] you want to bring this amazing piece of art to life without sacrificing any of Isayama-sensei’s original intention for the character while also relaying it to an English-speaking audience. Uh, so that, that was the most challenging part, I would say. Um, just not wanting to disappoint anybody.”
Trina’s Approach:
Me: “Awe. And what was your approach to voicing her? Do you have the same approach for all your characters, or was hers more special in another way?”
TN: “I mean, I didn’t read ahead. So, Mike McFarland, the amazing director, was like I don’t want you to read ahead. I’d worked with him on several projects prior, and he was like, ‘I’d rather you not know what’s going to happen.’ I was like, okay. So, I went in cold, uh, for all of the sessions, and that was, you know, both good and bad. Whenever I was preparing for a session, obviously, there’s vocal warm-ups and stuff, but I have a very specific Mikasa playlist to get in my headspace when I was driving to the studio.”
Me: “Okay, that’s cool.”
TN: “And so it’s a lot of feelings because Mikasa has so many feelings and so, so much goes on with her, but it’s all like very internal and she has a limited amount of words and text to like express all of that. Like you might have three words in a line, but you’re trying to express a paragraph of emotion. So that was kind of challenging. But luckily, you know Mike and the engineers and the producers and the writers of Attack on Titan were just so great and provided such a safe space and such a supportive space that you know, even though it was kind of scary and daunting, like it was also easy to get in that headspace.”
AOT’s Future:
Me: “I like that. Do you see Mikasa and Attack on Titan being a legacy anime or being a future classic like Cowboy BeBop or Dragon Ball?”
TN: “I mean, listen, I started with Cowboy Bebop. Like that was my very first anime. That was my entry way into anime, like my entry point. Um, and I would never presume that, like Attack on Titan, will be everything, you know. I hope that the major themes of Attack on Titan, like socioeconomic inequality, you know, the history of mankind trying to destroy itself. Um, and then like the other undertones, and you know the symbolism of friendship and adopted friendship and relationships and how we treat each other. Whether you’re a have or have not, I mean, I hope that those thematically ring true for people and still resonate with people, because I think there is a lot of symbolism and lessons and love in the show. So I hope that is still relevant. I don’t know if it’s going to be a legacy. I don’t know if it’s going to be important in a year or five years or whatever. I mean, I don’t know. I hope that people like it, but I would never presume to compare any of my work to Steve Blum. Come on.”
Me: “Well, thank you so much. I am so appreciative for this interview and for your time. I think you are great and so wonderful.”
TN: “Yeah. You’re welcome.”
Closing:
It was a dream experience to interview Trina Nishimura and speak with her. She is such a wonderful human, and I felt like I learned more about her as a person and her approach to the role of Mikasa Ackerman in Attack on Titan. There is much more to the voice, skill, and character than what we hear on screen. Talking with Trina, you feel the heart that goes into creating the character fans love. Trina’s responses show her inner reflection on this personal journey towards the role of Mikasa.
Final Thank You:
It was an unforgettable experience to talk with Trina Nishimura and to learn more about her approach as Mikasa Ackerman in Attack on Titan. Thank you to Trina Nishimura for taking the time to chat with a longtime fan. I have always admired your work. I am truly grateful! To Anime Fire and Anime Las Vegas, thank you again for this chance!
Leave a Reply