Among a talented pool of contestants with impressive dubbing abilities and unique styles from various educational institutions in the Central Highlands region, the team Never Give Up, composed of five students majoring in Japanese Language at the DTU School of Languages and Social Humanities (LHSS), captivated both the judges and the audience with their exceptional role-playing performance. As a result, they won First Prize at the J-SEIYU 2025 Japanese Film Dubbing Contest held in Da Nang.
The Consulate General of Japan in Da Nang awarded First Prize
to the Never Give Up team from DTU at the J-SEIYU 2025 contest.
DANANG J-SEIYU 2025 was organized by the Department of Japanese Language and Culture of the University of Foreign Languages, University of Danang. The 10 best teams from universities and high schools across Da Nang and the Central Highlands, including Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted, DTU, FPT University, and the University of Foreign Languages (University of Danang), were selected to compete in the final round, held on June 2, 2025.
This “playground” of Japanese anime and drama dubbing offered excitement and inspiration to students. Throughout each round, teams showcased excellent Japanese language skills alongside emotionally rich, technically sophisticated, and personality-driven dubbing performances. The contest was not only a chance to hone language skills but also a valuable experience that contributed to the growth of the Japanese-speaking community in the Central Highlands.
Choosing a climactic excerpt from the popular anime Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc, the Never Give Up team, included:
- Diep The Khai
- Nguyen Thi Linh
- Cao Gia Huy
- Dang An Hoa (majors in Japanese Translation & Interpretation), and
- Tran Quoc Truong (major in Japanese for Business)
The team took on a dubbing challenge that required both technical expertise and emotional depth. The excerpt featured a thrilling battle between members of the Demon Slayer Corps and the Upper-Rank Demons, Daki and Gyutaro. With fast-paced sequences, intense emotions, dense dialogue, and contrasting character personalities, this scene presented a daunting challenge for any dubbing team.
The five DTU students with the anime poster of Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc
The Never Give Up members fully immersed themselves in their characters, breathing life into every line and leaving a strong impression on the audience. Their harmony, teamwork, and advanced dubbing skills helped them convincingly win over the judges and surpass many strong opponents to claim the top prize.
Diep The Khai, team leader and the voice behind two of the most demanding characters in the excerpt, shared: "From our very first rehearsals, we knew this was a chance for each of us to explore our capabilities and do something we love. Fortunately, all team members share a deep love for Japanese and a passion for the art of dubbing. In this contest, the hardest part wasn’t just correct pronunciation or matching the character’s emotions, it was making the audience believe that we were the characters, living and feeling with them in every moment. We also wanted to convey emotion through the unique intonations of Japanese that matched the spirit of the story. Each day, we balanced schoolwork and practice, listening, adjusting, and perfecting our delivery to fully capture the spirit of the scene. It was our shared perseverance, passion, and teamwork that led to our success today."
The victory of Never Give Up was not a stroke of luck, but the well-deserved result of serious training and dedication nurtured at the School of Languages and Social Humanities (LHSS) at Duy Tan University. This modern, dynamic environment not only provides in-depth training in translation and interpretation, business, and tourism Japanese, but also inspires students to grow through contests and extracurricular activities that promote the values of Japanese language and culture. The team’s journey to the top was also guided by the devoted instructors at DTU’s Japanese Department, who offered detailed feedback on pronunciation, tone, and emotional expression.
Tran Quoc Truong, another team member, reflected: "The greatest fortune in studying Japanese at DTU is how what might seem like ‘dry knowledge’ becomes lively and engaging through the many cultural exchange activities we’re encouraged to join, like Vietnam-Japan cultural events, Kendo or Tea Ceremony workshops, and Japanese speech contests. These experiences have made Japanese no longer a distant language, but a vivid part of our daily lives. On top of that, the enthusiastic support from our teachers and the tight-knit bond among friends gave me the motivation to keep striving. I believe with valuable opportunities like this, our journey to master the language of the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ will grow ever stronger and more meaningful."
The organizing committee awarded the top dubbing teams as follows:
- First Prize: Never Give Up, DTU
- Second Prize: Unicorn ni note, University of Foreign Languages, University of Danang
- Third Prize: Smile Warriors, Le Quy Don High School for the Gifted
(Media Center)