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Vanness Wu's long-awaited challenge

Taiwanese heartthrob Vanness Wu's dream has come true with his new role, lending his baritone voice to an animated character in the soon to be released Animax Asia flick, LaMB

Meninaputri (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sun, November 2, 2008

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Vanness Wu's long-awaited challenge

Taiwanese heartthrob Vanness Wu's dream has come true with his new role, lending his baritone voice to an animated character in the soon to be released Animax Asia flick, LaMB.

"I've wanted to have a part in an animated film for so long. I love the feeling of creating something beyond your imagination.

"Up till now the closest experience I have had was singing on the soundtrack for Walt Disney's Lilo's & Stitch with F4 and dubbing Pixar Studio's animation Cars in Chinese. But now I can fulfill my dream by filling the voice of Dr Jake Griswold in English," Wu told The Jakarta Post in an exclusive teleconference Tuesday.

Wu is loved and remembered by fans here mostly for his role as Mai Zuo in Meteor Garden, the melancholy drama of friendship between four rich boys, which screened on local television in 2001.

A huge fan of anime, Wu said he did not want to waste the opportunity to do a voice-over when it first came to him.

"I'm a big fan of animation. I love watching Naruto, Astro Boy, Dragon Ball, Akira, Ghostbusters, Robotech, Evangelion and other anime. And I really enjoy Finding Nemo for it's funny and touching story. That's why I am so excited to be involved in LaMB."

Wu, who has released solo albums - including Body Will Sing (2002) and V.Dubb (2007) - and collaborated with international pop artists such as Beyonce Knowles, Coco Lee and Wang Lee Hoom, spent a lot of time practicing with his vocal coach to be able to deliver Jake's voice perfectly.

"Doing an animated character's voice is so different than singing or acting. There's no camera around you to capture your emotion, so you must be able to deliver your character's emotion through your voice.

"And sometimes, whether you like it or not, your body instantly follows the lines you say for the character," said Wu who also starred in the latest Daniel Lee's movie,

Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragons, with Mandarin famous actors and actress Andy Lau, Sammo Hung and Maggie Q.

"The producer and team from Animax are very good at their job. It makes it easier for me to be in Jake's complicated character."

The main character of LaMB, Dr Jake Griswold, is well-known for being a genius. But after the unexpected death of his wife, the characters starts to breakdown.

This sci-fi anime tells a story of Dr Jake Griswold (Wu) and Keiko Suzuki (Josie Ho), who become prisoners on planet Cerra. Dr Jake is sentenced to prison for losing his mind after the death of his wife. And Keiko is accused of committing multiple murders due to failed laboratory research.

The next thing we know, they are sent to Planet Cerra for an unlimited time.

In this place, all prisoners must use specialized laminated uniforms with shields, which limits their ability to socialize. That's why these prisoners are called LaMB, shorthand for Lamination process. The story depicts the relationship between Dr Jake and Keiko and their struggle to survive.

LaMB is the newest production from Animax Asia, a specialized teen channel from Japan that only screens animation and anime.

"Animax Asia is very proud to have Wu and Josie Hoe as part of the cast of LaMB, which I believe will attract a young audience.

"Launching LaMB in this region with different languages was the reason we chose to involve these two Asian stars in the project," Gregory Ho, Animax Asia vice president and general manager, said.

The projected started in 2007, with Camelo Junio winning a Animax Award for his script. LaMB is the first animation project funded by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and SPE NetworksAsia. It has a US$6 million budget.

LaMB, directed by Ryosuke Tei, is currently in production at Peach Blossom Studio Media with the artistic concepts being handled by Imaginary Friends Studio.

The anime is set to be released at the end of this year. But in the meantime, Wu's fans should not be discouraged as he remains to be seen.

"This November I will open for Kanye West performance in Shanghai and then I will do some collaboration project in Taipei with Christian Crusade," he said.

And what about a career in animation in the future?

"I definitely will do some more because I love making funny voices, especially crazy voices; high and low voices.

"It would be very exciting and challenging for me to do it all over again."

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