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Meet the Japanese Drag Queen Who Voiced One of Studio Ghibli's Most Iconic Characters
Watching her in the studio recording her dialogue (and laughing) will give any Miyazaki fan the chills!
Princess Mononoke has always been an all-time great movie, but many fans just learned a new piece of trivia about the film that makes it even better.
In the original Japanese version of the movie, the role of Moro, the Wolf Goddess, is played by drag queen Akihiro Miwa, and seeing him perfect the wolf's famous laugh from the film will send shivers up your spine.
In a clip that's going around on social media from the documentary How Princess Mononoke Was Born, we get to see the iconic Japanese singer and drag queen providing the voice for the equally iconic giant she-wolf character Moro.
Princess Mononoke is one of Oscar-winning director and illustrator Hayao Miyazaki's most beloved movies, and for many fans, Moro remains an indelible part of the film. The goddess of wolves, and mother to San, the wolf girl, Moro is both terrifying and beautiful. Strong and sharp and dangerous, and a good mother. Knowing she's voiced by a queer person makes her even better.
\u201cAkihiro Miwa perfects Moro's laugh in the recording sessions for Princess Mononoke\n\nFrom: How Princess Mononoke Was Born (1998), dir. Toshiro Uratani, Buena Vista Home Entertainment\u201d— Animation Obsessive (@Animation Obsessive) 1661256382
Seeing Miwa absolutely nail the creepy, powerful, feminine, and gruff laugh of the she-wolf is stunning, and shows just how much a talented voice actor's performance can help a movie.
Fans are also loving that Miwa was able to get such a happy and positive reaction out of the normally stoic Miyazaki. In the clip, the director is seen patting his coworker on the back and shouting, "Oh my god! I love it!"
Other fans pointed out just how much of an icon Miwa is in his native Japan.
"A reminder that Akihiro Miwa (born in 1935) is one of the most prominent queer icons in Japanese history who survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki (his hometown) during WW2," user @MishamaKitan said.
\u201cA reminder that Akihiro Miwa (born in 1935) is one of the most prominent queer icon in Japanese history who survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki (his hometown) during WW2. \n\n(Continued \u2193)\u201d— \u7b95\u5cf6 \u7dba\u8b5a(they/them) \ud83d\udc96 Support Black Trans Liberation (@\u7b95\u5cf6 \u7dba\u8b5a(they/them) \ud83d\udc96 Support Black Trans Liberation) 1661309412
Miwa has enjoyed a long and successful career as an entertainer, singer, and actor, and also voiced the character the Witch of the Waste in another Ghibli movie, Howl's Moving Castle.
Knowing he voiced Moro, and seeing him do it, makes us love the character even more!
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Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
