The weekly column by Michihiko Suwa, the Yomiuri TV producer
October 9, 2006 Original Japanese text
(Not touching on the InuYasha TV series)

Last week, at a studio in Minato, Tokyo, the dubbing of Kekkaishi Episode 6 was done. Its atmosphere was good because there were both cozy feeling and tension. It took 3 hours to finish it.

Afterward, like usual, more than 20 persons of voice actors/actresses and staffers, and I went to a certain restaurant near the studio to hold a dinner. It was me who requested to adjust the beginning time of a dubbing so that its end time corresponded to eating time. This is very important thing! At the dinner, we were talking about various things with drinking vines and sake. Among the participants, there were some people with whom I met, worked, and had dinner for the first time. Talking about anything with them was so interesting that we usually continued a dinner chat for 4 or 5 hours.

Ms. Rie Saito (Rie Saitō), being a hard drinker unexpectedly, as Tokine Yukimura, Mr. Yoshiyuki Yoshino, being vigorous always, as Yoshimori Sumimura, Mr. Yohei Tadano (Yōhei Tadano), being the same character as Shigemori Sumimura he plays, Ms. Mayumi Tanaka, looking like made-younger Tokiko Yukimura she plays, and so on, participate in the dinner every time. Mr. Kenji Kodama, the director, and Ms. Eriko Kimura, the music director. Mr. Naohiro Ogata, a Sunrise producer and other staffers also come there. Even though we always occupy a room, it's as loud as their voices go through a wall because they are too vigorous in addition of being the voice actors' voice. At the last week dinner, we all wrote messages on a large Kekkaishi poster that I requested the restaurant to put up on a wall, and the voice actors did reply of a scene that many kinds of ayakashi (yokai, demons) appeared and cried in a same curious voice. It was enjoyable time.

I buy vines on the net and send a dozen of them to the restaurant for drinking with all every week. It’s surprising that the vines always get empty. But I'm caring if there is no problem despite the fact that they occupy the refrigerator of the restaurant. As written above, the production of Kekkaishi is progressing smoothly with the good teamwork.

Finally, at 7 pm on October 16, a new program Kekkaishi does start to run. In the initial airing, not only episode 1 but also episode 2 are broadcast. Because of the opening (intro) and ending (closing) movies were not completed by the premiere show, the 16th day is the first to unveil them. For a while, you can listen both songs of the movies only in the program. Moreover, we elaborated the scheme of the program in many ways. One of them is a scene of showing sponsors. As for Detective Conan (Case Closed), Conan announces, "This program is brought to you by the following sponsors..." In Kekkaishi, how is it created? Please wait for the answer till the airing.The broadcasting of the 16th day contains many services, for example, the part before the opening movie is a special version, and amazing news is superimposed in the last part. Please don't miss a detail as well.

The episodes themselves of course have many highlights. I want you to focus on a difference in color between Kekkai of Yoshimori and Tokine, and cool smooth movies of Kekkai techniques that you watch for the first time. In addition, a conflict and difference between the Sumimura and Yukimura families headed by very energetic grandfather and grandmother, respectively. And what I desire you to check the most strongly is what happened to Yoshimori and Tokine and what made them want to get strong. Watching the 60 minutes, you can surely understand the background. On the poster of Kekkaishi, a catchphrase "We go to school even at night" is printed. I think it's pretty good because of implying many things. Please turn in to Kekkaishi on the 16th day and participate in this unique story. And don't hesitate to leave your feeling and opinions on a guest book at the official website.