Main Cast Interview 3 - Rei Sakuma (Shampoo)

Translation by: Harley Acres

As the story progresses, Ranma and Akane gradually become closer. The sudden appearance of Shampoo between the two of them complicates their love story once again. The voice of this popular character is Rei Sakuma. While recording her voice, she felt that Shampoo's charm is not just found in her cuteness.

The devilish mischief is also part of the Shampoo's charm.

If the person she loses in a fight is a woman, she will try to kill them, and if they are men, she will make them her husband. Shampoo abides by the rules of her clan and pursues [male] Ranma and [female] Ranma for her own purposes. Contrary to her cute appearance, she also shows a violent side at times, and has gained many fans in both the original manga and the anime.

"Actually, I only found out that Shampoo was a popular character quite recently. In the past, I had few opportunities to interact with fans at events and I didn't have social media, so I didn't really feel it. A while ago, I was surprised to hear that she was ranked high on a list of popular characters from Rumiko Takahashi's works on a program. ^[1] If I had known then, I would have been so proud (laughs)." Sakuma-san was also filled with joy when the decision was made to remake the anime. However, she said that she was hesitant to play Shampoo.

Although Shampoo seems like a nuisance, in the end, she brings Ranma and Akane closer together.

"When I heard that I would be taking a voice test, I think I was the most unsure out of all the cast members. ^[2] I thought, 'It might be a bit difficult to recreate the original Shampoo I had back then.' But as I was unsure, I got a cute LINE message from Non-san (Noriko Hidaka) saying, 'Rei-chan, do your best for me ♡'. When I arrived at the studio, Kappei (Yamaguchi)-kun was waiting for me. Even though he had already finished, he said, 'I thought that doing it together might help me get my instincts back.' It gave me the courage to want to get together with this amazing cast again for Ranma 1/2!'"



Shampoo does not appear in the story until a little later, both in the original manga and in the anime. It is also quite a shocking appearance.

"She suddenly breaks down the wall and shows up saying, 'I'm going to kill you, Ranma!' (laughs). At the time, I was really nervous because I felt like I was just jumping into a circle where the atmosphere had already been created at the recording studio. I was also feeling my way through the image of the role. But one day, Takahashi-sensei said to me, 'My Shampoo-chan is talking!' I was really moved. "Thank you for making her so cute." Those words made me feel really relieved. In this work, I have to struggle with the Chinese language and the direction from the director, but I feel the enthusiasm to make a new Ranma 1/2. Basically, I'm left to my own devices, so I'm going to treasure what I've built up in the past and play Shampoo-chan well."

When asked about the change in her impression of the role this time, Sakuma-san said, "Her personality may have changed a little."

"I feel like in the previous work, we emphasized her cuteness. She was a sweet, cute girl, like a piece of candy. But this time, by sticking to the original work, her devilish side really comes out (laughs). Some may think she's not as cute as she used to be. But I feel like she has become more human, and that's what gives her a new charm."

This long-loved romantic comedy could only have been made with this cast.

She chases Ranma and courts him, but on the other hand, if she finds him, she challenges him to a fight. Shampoo's presence is "nothing but a hindrance to Ranma and Akane," she says with a laugh. However, it is her hindrance that brings them closer together.

"That's right! Akane is a really cute girl, but she's really bad at strategy (laughs). She's also clumsy and can't express her feelings honestly. But, it's the same with Ranma, and it feels like we're just staring at each other. If the timing was right even for a moment, they'd fall in love, but no matter how much time passes, their eyes just never meet (laughs). And that's what's driving it, even if it's unwillingly, with the disruptive behavior of Shampoo."



Shampoo's feelings for Ranma are always one-sided. No matter how much time passes, they will never be reciprocated. Then, her childhood friend Mousse appears before her. With his arrival, Shampoo finds herself in the position of being "wildly pursued."

"Personally I think, 'Why not Mousse?' (laughs). He cares very much for Shampoo, and is very sincere. But unfortunately, the two of them are too close. From Shampoo's point of view, she only sees him as a close relative, and doesn't see him as a love interest. It's a very painful relationship for Mousse. But it's not that she hates Mousse; rather, in a way, Shampoo is the person he can depend on the most. So, even though she sometimes says mean things to him and kicks him around, I try to be conscious of the fact that deep down inside she has feelings of 'love' for him."

The love stories of the characters are all twisted and turned, and never intersect. "Each one of them is truly lovable," says Sakuma-san.

"What I personally love most about it is how devoted Ryoga (Hibiki) is to Akane. When he is in the form of the piglet P-chan, Akane holds him in her arms and you think he is getting the best of her, but Akane doesn't know that P-chan is Ryoga, so he blurts out his feelings to Ranma as if he is talking to himself. I can't help but wonder what he is thinking as he hears those words. Moreover, he is so innocent that he doesn't take advantage of Akane's feelings that only he is privvy to. It brings me to tears. And then Shampoo tries to steam cook P-chan. She really is terrible (laughs)."

Furthermore, each character has a strong personality, and the romances they each stir up are so complex they could cause a traffic jam. Nevertheless, the reason anyone can watch and laugh easily is because of the entertaining, skillfully executed dialogue and the way the story develops smoothly.



"After all, Takahashi-sensei's original work is brilliant. There are few explanatory lines, and a variety of emotions are packed into small exchanges of dialogue. I also think that the fact that as a cast we had the strength to express that to the fullest on set was a big factor. We all threw amazing balls at each other with all our might, and even if the ball rolled in an unexpected direction, there was a sense of security that someone would always pick it up. This kind of back-and-forth exchange of trust is actually very important in a romantic comedy. A love story is an exchange of heart to heart interactions, and comedy only works well if you can create an atmosphere where everyone can laugh together. Ranma 1/2 has been loved for so many years, and I think it could only have been created with this cast."

Now, reunited with her friends, Sakuma-san says, "I feel like I've opened a treasure box that I've been carefully storing away."

"One of Shampoo's lines is "Bie Liao," which means "final farewell," and I felt the same way about Shampoo. ^[3] But now that we've met again, I want to explore all of her good points and bad points (laughs). I hope she'll show me all of her different sides."

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Footnotes

• [1] She is referring to the NHK's The Complete Rumic Anime Grand Poll, which ranked the series, characters, individual anime episodes and music of all of Rumiko Takahashi's works in 2019. In that poll Shampoo ranked #4 out of 150 characters, she was the highest ranked Ranma 1/2 character.
• [2] Many of the actors have expressed being nervous about returning to their characters after so many decades away from when they originated these roles including Noriko Hidaka and Koichi Yamadera.
• [3] This line is from episode 12 of the 2024 series.

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