Interview with Dorothy Melendrez
Dorothy Melendrez is one of the best-known voice actresses in the L.A. area. Though best known to some as the voice of Meryl Strife in Trigun, others consider her work as Kaoru Kamiya in Rurouni Kenshin to be her best to date. We asked Dorothy about her role as Kaoru, and what it's like to portray a major character for three full seasons of a show. Many thanks to Ms. Melendrez for her time and consideration!
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Dub Review: Rurouni Kenshin is different in many ways from other shows you have done-- it's three seasons long, and contains many Japanese words and cultural references that were not translated (such as Kenshin's attacks). How did you feel about working on this show?
Dorothy Melendrez: It was fun to work on a show that ran so long. You got to know your character really well... and the Japanese words were definitely a challenge. I don't know how the fans feel about untranslated cultural references... then again, they probably actually know some of them!
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DR: Did you hear any of Sony's "Samurai X" dub of the TV series? If so, how did it affect your portrayal of your character?
Melendrez: Didn't see it.
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DR: What was your first impression of Kaoru? How did that impression change over time?
Melendrez: I couldn't tell from my first impression that she would end up having such a wide emotional range to play. And that was a nice surprise.
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DR: Some feel that your approach to most characters you play does not stray too far from, for example, your Meryl Stryfe (Trigun). Yet with Kaoru Kamiya, you have a somewhat deeper character who, though headstrong, runs the emotional gamut more than many of your previous roles. How do you feel that Kaoru differs from other characters you've voiced, and how did this affect your portrayal?
Melendrez: Well, Meryl in Trigun was a much more modern gal than Kaoru, and she kind of just flowed out of me. Kaoru is a more traditional Japanese character than I usually play, which was, at times, a teensy bit more difficult. But for any character, finding the truth of the moment is always the most important thing.
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DR: What do you admire most about Kaoru?
Melendrez: You gotta admire a gal who looks good in a kimono. That, and her love for Kenshin.
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DR: One of the most amusing out-takes from the show was one of yours, where you began laughing with glee after successfully pronouncing "Amakakeru ryu no hirameki." So, how many times did it take to pronounce that?
Melendrez: I don't remember... I've blocked it out of my mind!
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DR: A few of your costars in Rurouni Kenshin, such as Lex Lang and Wendee Lee, also write and direct anime dubs. Have you considered doing this as well?
Melendrez: I would love to do that, maybe at some point in the future, but right now I barely see my family as it is!
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DR: Now that it's over, how do you feel about working on Rurouni Kenshin?
Melendrez: It was great; I'd do it again in a second!
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DR: What is your favorite moment from Rurouni Kenshin?
Melendrez: The one moment that sticks out more clearly than any, is a scene where Kenshin was leaving. They used music from the opera "Cavalleria Rusticana" under the scene, and as the music swelled and Kenshin walked off into the distance, Kaoru starts weeping and falls to her knees... I'm tearing-up just thinking about it!