Susan Roman, voice actor of one of the original 5 Sailor Senshi (Lita Kino / Sailor Jupiter), joined Anime Revolution 2012 as part of a special 20th Anniversary Sailor Moon Celebration Panel.

Check out the following interview where Susan talks about her role as Sailor Jupiter.

AR: How are you Susan?

SR: I’m feeling great, thank you. How are you?

AR: I’m doing well.

SR: Good.

AR: So tell us, how did you land this role of Sailor Jupiter? I know you were one the very few cast members that lasted throughout the entire season. Tell us about how that was.

SR: Well, first of all. I should have put my microphone in front of my mouth when I said hello. So, that’s a very silly mistake for a voice person to make, but you know… So I’ll say it again, Hello! Okay, there was a big casting call. Actually the first audition was for Sailor Moon. So all of Toronto, and probably East and West, points East and West of there showed up for the audition. And we all really wanted to be Sailor Moon, because it’s such a great part. I mean there’s just- we didn’t see heroes who were female and certainly not that age, certainly not so cute, and certainly not so human and real. And full of flaws. So after the auditions were over, my agent called me and said ‘Well, I’ve got some good news and some bad news. You didn’t get Sailor Moon, [cry] but you got Sailor Jupiter.’ So I looked it up, and was like ‘Oh, that’s great!’ because of all the Sailor Scouts, she was the one that I identified with the most. So it was a very, very good piece of news for me.

AR: Now Sailor Jupiter is actually personally my favourite.

SR: Alright! I like to hear that!

AR: I love her lightning rod- would we be able to hear the battle cry she does?

SR: Well, she does a lot of them. But the main one- okay. It’s one of my favourites. Jupiterrr Thundercloud CRAAASH! And that’s where the sound-man now has just gone crazy.

AR: That’s awesome.

SR: Well, that’s where the- the tonsil-burners. We had to do those in every single show. The war cries or whatever. And so if you don’t get it right the first time. In fact, you say to yourself, ‘Get it right the first time, because I do not want to have to do this again.’. Because I just did at half throttle right now, because I didn’t want to break your microphone.

AR: Right, so you have previous training for reaching that kind of loudness in your voice?

SR: Yes, well that comes from going to theatre school. Because you’re projecting, you’re learning how to speak so your voice can project to the back row. So it’s exactly the same sort of thing. Breath control, when you’re doing animation. Animation is very, very close to real acting. It’s great. I mean that’s what so wonderful about it. You’re using the same skills.

AR: So would you prefer acting, or voiceover acting?

SR: Well, I used to be an on-camera actress. I was for the first fifteen-twenty years of my life. And then one day I just decided not to do it anymore. And I like being behind the- in the safety of a studio, and doing my thing. It doesn’t really matter so much what you look like, but it’s still the same power and the same force that you have inside of you. So it’s good, I like it.

AR: So I bet you’re enjoying this anime convention here in Vancouver?

SR: I think this is terrific. I’ve been to a number of conventions in Toronto, but that was more when the show was actually on the air. And there were maybe two people in costume way back then. And everyone is kind of going ‘Oh look at her, she’s wearing a Sailor Moon costume, isn’t that crazy?’ so nobody did it. So here, everybody is wearing some sort of costume. They’re walking down the streets, and they’re in hotel lobbies, on the buses. I think it’s fantastic. I love it!

AR: They’re all proud of their passion for anime here. It’s amazing.

SR: And the effort that goes into it. And the fact that there’s an individual creation that goes- I mean, obviously you want it to look like the character. But then you’re also- each person is adding their own little twist. I love it! Because that’s what we need. We need more displays of self-expression. Creatively, I think.

AR: Would you come back again next year if they had Anime Revolution?

SR: I would absolutely some back, if they would ask me again. I would love to come back. And I would wear a costume!

AR: Would you wear the Sailor Jupiter costume?

SR: Well, if it still fits! You never know.

AR: Alright, well thank you for joining us today Susan.

SR: Oh, my pleasure. My pleasure, really nice to meet you Sean, take care.

AR: Thank you, you too.

Interview and video production done by Hype Life Films.