His looks and name might not be familiar, but you’d recognize his voice in a flash. This 37-year-old narrator and voiceover artist made the words “pu nee ni aeng” (“He is the man,” from TV Champion) into a cultural phenomenon. His sense of humor and energetic voice lighten up many popular programs on cable TV including Cooking Showdown and Maki’s Magic Restaurant. Sajja has created voices for characters in Japanese animation movies, documentaries and TV series. He currently narrates the hit show, Kam Kling Ling Kab Mah.

I had no idea what a narrator or voiceover speaker did when I came to the cable station for an audition. I just thought it was a challenge and wondered if I could do it.

There’s no official training for this job. Senior pros in the business were my model. I observed how they worked and memorized some of their tricks.

I practiced by reading everything out loud—from books to billboards—for the first three years of my career. Now, I that I work 10 hours a day, I don’t do this anymore.

It took me half a year before I got a chance to voiceover extras who just said krab or very short sentences.

There were a few times when I felt I wanted to give up. It happened on days where I couldn’t keep up my usual standards.

No one talked me out of quitting. I stayed on because I thought, “If others can do it, so can I.” I also thank those who were patient enough to coach me. I feel grateful to them.

I was very surprised when “pu nee ni ang” became so popular because the words are spoken at the end of the program. It meant audiences watched the show until the end.

This hit phrase was originally created by a translator. Now everybody asks me to say it and teases me about it.

I don’t aim to do my trademark voice when I narrate a program. The voice comes from the feelings I’m trying to convey. When it’s a competition, I have to be exciting and amusing.

Some people specifically request I do the same voice as on TV Champion. I have to explain that my tone is from my feeling. If the program is sad, I can’t use a fun tone like on TV Champion.

When I narrated TV Champion, there were many food competitions. I did research by talking to people at Japanese restaurants so I could provide information more accurately.

Personally, I don’t like my voice. I have never thought of it as a handsome voice. It’s just normal.

Both narration and voiceover are difficult jobs. While a narrator has to be accurate with names of food, people, or cities, a voiceover artist has to match the feeling of his character and converse with other actors naturally.

If I have a choice, I prefer to narrate a program than to do a voiceover. I love to narrate because it allows me to be myself. With voiceover, I sometimes have to be an 18-year-old problem teen. That’s not me.

With voiceover there is no perfect replacement. If I have to do a voiceover for a colleague who is on vacation or is sick, I must do it in my own style. There is no way I can do exactly the same voice as someone else.

I believe in both opportunity and fortune, but I think I’ve reached the point I’m at now because I have worked hard.