Cue! Episode 2: First Audition Struggles

After the introductions in the first episode, the talents of AiRBLUE agency are now taking the first step towards becoming renowned voice actors – auditioning for a role. As a voice actor, you have to work hard in order to land a role and auditions are the most common way to go. Episode 2 of Cue! revealed the struggles and pressures that the girls experienced during their first auditions. The episode also shows the process of how an audition as a voice actor goes. Spoilers Ahead!

Picking A Role

The first step to auditioning is choosing a character you want to play. Good thing that the second episode began by introducing the series and the characters which the girls are auditioning for. While choosing a role there are a few things to consider; one of which is knowing the character. Obviously, in order to play the character well, one needs to at least be acquainted with them. It’s difficult to just blindly voice a character without really knowing their personality or their part in the story. By learning the character, one will also realize if their voice has the range to have what it takes to act out the role.

In the episode, the girls were given audition materials and the manga to be familiarized with the characters in the series. Some were already fans of it so it didn’t take them long to choose which character they want to audition for. Meanwhile, there are others who aren’t familiar with the series such as Haruna who had a tough time choosing a role. When she was reminded by her coach about their first lesson from the previous episode to just play the character based upon how she feels about them, Haruna finally decided on which role she will perform. After everyone has chosen a role, it’s now time for them to step in front of the microphone, face the directors, and give their all.

Pressures in Front of the Microphone

The first one to audition was Maika who was pretty confident since she was already following the series and wanted to voice her favorite character. However, her confidence was rather short-lived when she made a blunder of hitting her microphone due to her nervousness which ruins her momentum. The directors still let her continue the audition but the error may lower her chances of getting the role. After Maika, it was that time again: a montage of everyone’s audition since there is quite a bit of ground to cover.

The last to step into the audition room was Haruna who gave an impressive performance at first. Although, she might have done it too much her throat couldn’t keep up causing her to cough and disrupt her pacing. Just like Maika, they let her continue with her audition but sadly, her acting wasn’t as great as before. What’s interesting though is that the creator of the series, who was also present in the audition room, wanted Haruna to try out different characters. In voice acting auditions, it’s common that the directors/creators want to hear how voice actors play out roles in contrast to what they initially picked. In Haruna’s case, however, it was rare because she didn’t only voice one or two characters but a lot in her audition. But, this doesn’t mean she is guaranteed to have a role in the series.

The Real Struggles of Auditions

Episode 2 of Cue! definitely shows that auditions are a harsh test to see if one’s voice acting fits a character or not. There are a lot of people out there trying out for a single role which can be hard especially for new voice actors to earn. Aside from that, being in a room together with the casting directors and the creator of the show can add more tension to the voice actors. While some of the girls in the episode had an edge, it still wasn’t easy for them. That is why I’m glad that we are getting more rookie voice actors on main roles today. Voice acting is a pretty tough job as you get to compete not only with yourself but also with veterans in the industry. In reality, not every audition will guarantee someone a role but rather it can be a test of how much can passion drive someone to continue pushing forward. As for the girls in Cue!, although there are 24 characters in the show they auditioned for and that’s more than the size of their entire agency, some of them might not even land a role. If that ever happens, hopefully, the series will show how will they overcome these challenges as a voice actor.

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Images via Crunchyroll
©CUE! Animation Project