Japan's dubbing studios fueled by Chinese games

A surging need for Japanese-language dubbing in Chinese-developed video games is fueling a boom in business for sound production studios in Japan.

To Japan's decades-old dubbing studios, speed has become their top priority when responding to the soaring demand from China.

Chinese titles have topped the revenue ranking for mobile games in Japan. Released in late February 2024, Legend of Mushroom, developed by China's Joy Net Games, quickly climbed to the top of both the App Store and Google Play download rankings in Japan.

Later, Zenless Zone Zero, developed by Chinese gaming giant miHoYo, debuted in July 2024 and immediately soared to the top of Japan's download charts on launch day.

In June, 33 Chinese publishers ranked among the global Top 100 mobile game publishers by revenue, with total earnings of $1.76 billion, accounting for 33 percent of the Top 100's worldwide revenue during the period, according to Sensor Tower data.

The popularity of Chinese-made video games has fueled demand for localizing the language in their games for the Japanese market.

TwoFive, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based audio and video company CRI Middleware, said its voice-over work for Chinese video games has grown fivefold in five years, according to a report by Nikkei Asia.

Revenue for CRI Middleware's sound production, handled by TwoFive, rose nearly 67 percent year-on-year to 240 million yen ($1.65 million) in the six months to March, driven by large dubbing orders.

TwoFive is not alone. Tokyo-headquartered Tohokushinsha Film Corp has received "a growing number of Japanese dubbing orders from Chinese game developers", said Koji Okano, executive officer and head of the dubbing and subtitling business division at Tohokushinsha Film Corp.

Okano attributes the surge in business to the strong alignment between the narrative-driven style of Japanese games and Chinese developers' increasing emphasis on story-rich experiences.

He also mentioned another important factor. "Many Chinese game creators grew up watching Japanese anime. Naturally, their works incorporate elements that appeal to Japanese players, especially including their childhood idols for voice-overs," Okano said.

Among the various needs of its Chinese clients, one word stands out — speed, according to Okano.

"What Chinese game companies value most is our ability to respond immediately after they place an order," Okano said in an exclusive interview with China Daily. "Speed has become our top priority."

In April, Tohokushinsha created within its dubbing and subtitling division a group dedicated to video game and anime sound production, Okano said.

"Given the significant increase in demand — particularly from game companies in China — we have taken steps to strengthen our organizational structure accordingly. Specifically, we have established a new team dedicated to managing production and coordination, comprising 35 specialized staff members who possess a deep understanding of the production process," Okano said.

A key task for Okano's team is to secure popular voice actors in time for Chinese game developers.

Okano said that booking top Japanese voice actors is extremely difficult and the main challenge is coordinating schedules.

"While some voice actors may agree to appear in a project if it's a one-off session, they often decline when they learn it's an ongoing series — simply because they can't commit to long-term schedules. This makes planning and communication even more essential," Okano said.

The company is actively developing its in-house staff, including directors who are currently studying Chinese, with the aim of enabling them to handle both Japanese and Chinese dialogue direction, he said.

More opportunities

The collaboration does not end at voice work.

For Tohokushinsha, last year's China Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference — also known as ChinaJoy — highlighted both the demand for high-quality voice production and opportunities for deeper cooperation with Chinese developers.

"Chinese developers showed strong interest in voice recording and local promotion strategies for Japan," Okano said.

The company's dedicated promotion production division received very positive feedback, prompting Tohokushinsha to double staff and expand its booth at the expo this year.

Over the next two to three years, it plans to support them with both high-quality sound production and tailored promotional efforts.

houjunjie@chinadaily.com.cn