Thoughts on her daughter Megumi Han, who inherited the role of Sasha<\/h3>\n
Published April 13 by Mantan Web. See the original article here<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Keiko Han is appearing as Mother Dezarium in the remake series of the popular anime Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>. In the third animated film Be Forever Yamato<\/em> released in 1980, she played the popular character Sasha, and after more than 40 years, she\u2019s appearing in Yamato<\/em> again. <\/p>\n In the latest installment of the remake series, Be Forever Yamato REBEL 3199<\/em>, her daughter Megumi Han plays Sasha, and it has also become a hot topic that she took over the role from her mother. We asked Keiko about her thoughts on her daughter Megumi and her reappearance in Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n Mother Dezarium, played by Keiko, first appeared in the two-part Yamato 2205<\/em>, which was screened in theaters in 2021 and 2022. Keiko was strongly urged to appear in Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> again by Harutoshi Fukui, who is not only the series writer for 3199<\/em>, but also the general director.<\/p>\n \u201cI have fond memories of Sasha, and I couldn’t take on two roles in one work, so I initially declined. I’m getting older, and I didn’t want to risk anything, so I thought I’d pass on new roles. There were many people who wanted me to do it, so I felt bad. But then Fukui-san contacted me. I told him, ‘I’ve already done it once,’ but he said, ‘This is a remake, so it’s different,’ and ‘It’s an AI role.'”<\/p>\n Encouraged by Fukui’s passion, Keiko “returned” to Yamato<\/em>. Mother Dezarium is the mysterious being who reigns at the top of the Dezarium.<\/p>\n \u201cAI is developing rapidly these days, and I thought that in the future, AI would probably speak normally. So at first, I tried to make it sound like a normal human being. However, Mr. Fukui told me, ‘It must be from a superior perspective. Without any emotion.’ I recalled my previous role in Queen Millennia<\/em>. It was the image of a human who sold her body to a machine in pursuit of eternal life. But since I worked on Queen Millennia<\/em>, I had this mindset of ‘Don’t lose to machines! Don’t lose to AI! Humans will definitely defeat AI!\u201c That resonated with me, but Mr. Fukui might say, \u2018That’s not it.\u201d<\/p>\n Keiko also feels that the existence of Mother Dezarium and the grand theme of Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> are connected.<\/p>\n “I don’t know how 3199<\/em> will end, but when I think about what can defeat AI, I think it’s a heart that cares for people. Love, parent-child relationships, friends…we have the desire to do something for someone, the feelings we have for people, and we can be grateful. Can AI do that? I think the theme is people caring for others, and it’s wonderful that this continues to exist without changing.”<\/p>\n Following 2205<\/em>, Keiko appears as Mother Dezarium in 3199<\/em>. She heard directly from Fukui that her daughter Megumi would also be appearing.<\/p>\n “I wondered if it would end with 2205<\/em>, but it never ended. (Laughs) One day, when I was having dinner with Fukui-san, he brought out a storyboard. He said, ‘We’d like to ask Megumi to play Sasha.’ I remember saying, ‘Can Megumi do it?'”<\/p>\n “Sasha in Be Forever Yamato<\/em> is fragile, but girls are strong nowadays. Sasha has a strong will, but at the time, fragility was what was wanted, so I think it was a product of the times. My daughter is stronger than me. She has a strong will, stamina, and spirit. I was 26 when I played Sasha, and I wondered if my daughter could portray the fragile feeling of 14 to 17 years old. But after seeing the storyboards, I thought maybe she could do it for this version of Sasha.\u201d<\/p>\n Megumi, her daughter, made her voice acting debut in 2011 as Gon Freecss, the main character of Hunter X Hunter<\/em>, and is a popular voice actress who has appeared in numerous anime. Keiko reveals that she “doesn’t like” acting with her daughter.<\/p>\n “It’s fine for us to sit together at events and stuff, but I really don’t like acting. I play different personalities, and I don’t like showing sides of myself that I don’t usually show to my children. My children have to stand on their own, and as an actor, I don’t want to let my private life out in the open. It would ruin the role. For a voice actor, the character is important, so I think it’s best not to be in the public eye. After all, it’s the character that counts. That’s been my motto since I was little. There was a time when I couldn’t do that, though.” (Laughs)<\/p>\n The role of Sasha was passed down from mother to daughter, but she didn’t give her any advice.<\/p>\n “I have nothing to say. I’m not worried. I only said something at the very beginning. Before the audition for Hunter X Hunter<\/em>, I heard her practicing in her room, and I just said, ‘You don’t have a partner to practice with!’ I said, ‘It’s important to have a partner and to know what they think…who is your partner?’ Once I said that, it seemed she understood. Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> is also filled with feelings of caring for others. That feeling never fades, no matter what.”<\/p>\n “Even though we do the same job…” she speaks of her feelings for Megumi.<\/p>\n “We only really talked about work at the beginning. We ended up living apart. Actors are special, so we can’t live together. Even after my daughter was born, the moment I closed the door to go to work, I became a different person. I decided that when I got home, I would become a mother. I have to be a normal mother. I’ve never taken her to the studio, and I’ve never shown her my acting face. When I stand in front of the microphone, it becomes my own world, so I don’t want to show it. When acting, you have to watch the timing and have a calm side. It takes a lot of concentration. If you don’t get absorbed, you can’t create a role.”<\/p>\n When she heard Megumi’s voice as Sasha in 3199<\/em>, she said, “She’s more into it than I am.” (Laughs)<\/p>\n “When I played Sasha, I was a newcomer, but my daughter has built up a lot of experience, so I felt her growth and I’m not worried. During Be Forever Yamato<\/em>, I felt the love in the line “Sasha!” from my senior, Kei Tomiyama (who played Susumu Kodai). It was a line filled with so much love that I thought he loved me! I was raised in a wonderful environment. My daughter is also learning from the support of everyone on set, rather than from me saying anything.” <\/p>\n There are still many mysteries surrounding Mother Dezarium and Sasha, so let’s all keep an eye on future developments. <\/p>\n <\/br><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/may25\/mantan413A.JPG\")
\nKeiko Han at Anime Japan 2025 (March)<\/em><\/p>\nThe importance of caring for others<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nShe hasn’t shown her acting face to her daughter<\/h3>\n
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