Today’s results:- Group G3 有効コードがある票の順位 1位　566票　エルルゥ＠うたわれるもの << Eruruu @ Utawarerumono >> 2位　420票　リモネ＠シムーン << Rimone @ Simoun >> 3位　194票　トウカ＠うたわれるもの << Touka @ Utawarerumono >> Group G7 有効コードがある票の順位 1位　501票　グレーテル（静森えりか）＠おとぎ銃士 赤ずきん << Gretel (Shizumori Erika) @ Otogi Jushi Akazukin >> 2位　454票　五百川からだ＠あさっての方向。 << Iokawa Karada @ Asatte no Houkou >> 3位　257票　高良ゆかり＠らき☆すた << Takara Yukari @ Lucky Star >> Group G11 有効コードがある票の順位 1位　416票　桜木茉莉＠苺ましまろ << Sakuragi Matsuri @ Ichigo Mashimaro >> 2位　410票　高島一子＠乙女はお姉さまに恋してる << Takashima Ichiko [...]
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Today’s result:- Group F2 有効コードがある票の順位 1位　622票　アルルゥ＠うたわれるもの << Aruruu @ Utawarerumono >> 2位　395票　白藤菜月（白ロリ）＠Saint October << Shirafuji Natsuki (White Loli) @ Saint October >> 3位　165票　アリス・L・マルヴィン＠パンプキン・シザーズ << Alice L. Malvin @ Pumpkin Scissors >> Group F6 有効コードがある票の順位 1位　427票　九頭竜もも子＠すもももももも ～地上最強のヨメ～ << Kuzuryuu Momoko @ Sumomo mo momo mo >> 2位　366票　パキラ＠錬金3級まじかる？ぽか～ん << Pachira @ Renkin Sankyuu Magical? Poka~n >> 3位　207票　野上椒子＠あさっての方向。 << Nogami Shoko @ Asatte no Houkou >> Group F10 有効コードがある票の順位 1位　586票　藍華・S・グランチェスタ＠ARIA [...]
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Let me start by congratulating Nayuki to have qualified for the second round in Group B just now! Then, let me go into the main topic of this article.Yamaki's Saimoé Voting Schedule For 1st RoundDate - Group - Name (Anime)21/08 - C08 - Kasumi (Shakugan no Shana)22/08 - C06 - Mayuko (sola)23/08 - C11 - Aono (sola)23/08 - C07 - Primula (Shuffle!)24/08 - C12 - Matsuri (sola)27/08 - D07 - Shiori (Kanon)25/08 - D09 - Yue (Negima!?)01/09 - E03 - Nodoka (Negima!?)04/09 - F06 - Shouko (Asatte no Houkou)06/09 - F12 - Tsukasa (Lucky Star)08/09 - G01 - Ayu (Kanon)08/09 - G09 - Mana (Sola)10/09 - G07 - Karada (Asatte no Houkou)14/09 - H07 - Mai (Kanon)PredictionsTonight is the last night for the votings for Group B. Nayuki gets my vote, automatically - if I were earlier, but she still won anyways. Ahaha.It is really unlucky as if Aono and Matsuri were to both qualify in the first round, they would face each other in the second round. There's just too many sola characters in Group C, I'd say. To put more than two of the main characters in the same group is just... random unfairness! But what can be done about it?? On the other hand, I'm not voting for Makoto in C09 as I'll be giving my vote to Kasumi.Makoto and her adult form are going to have a strong competition if both are able to qualify the first round, I reckon, and the possibility is high, too, but I'd vote for adult Makoto anyways if that were to happen. I've never been interested in young Makoto in the very first place.D09 is another group with strong competition going on. I would really vote for Haruhi (Fujioka of Ouran, not to be confused with Haruhi Suzumiya) and Enma (Jigoku Shoujo) looks good too, but I'd have to discard them to choose Yue. I guess it's up to those fans out there to decide the fate of Haruhi and Enma. Haruhi looks cute in her casual wear, but she is mostly seen in her male school uniform and therefore less appealing while Enma is plain... creepy.I might consider voting for Kagami in D11 and Kaori in 06 if I were to be free on those day. Or else they're out of my list - I don't know much about Kagami other than the fact that she's the twin sister of Tsukasa from what I've read from Wikipedia and is somewhat Tsundere. The two Misaka sisters of Kanon, Kaori and Shiori, both are also in Group D so either one of them are going down if both were to reach D-final on 19/10. I'm all for Shiori to enter the final.Somewhat, after looking at the schedule, Nodoka was the only one I'm interested in voting for in Group E. Not voting for Setsuna 'cause I don't call her moé - it's just isn't the right word to describe her. I've chosen to vote for 2 characters in Group F, and they are Tsukasa and Shouko. I don't watch Lucky Star, but I've been rather interested in Tsukasa and I would like to see how far can she go competiting with girls from Rozen Maiden. Her elder twin sister Kagami seems to be more appealing to voters according to the preliminary results - Kagami got the first place in the preliminary round, beating girls from Rozen Maiden. I'm voting for Shouko (F06), but I'm not expecting much from her. Even if she loses, I won't be surprised at all - there's Momoko, the main female character of Sumomomomomo herself, competing with her in the first round, and even if Shouko were to qualify, she'll definitely lose to Suiseiseki in the second round, I predict, based on the fact that Suiseiseki was last year's overall winner.Group G is another group with intense competition, at least for those characters I would like to vote for. Karada is going to face Miyuki of Lucky Star in the first round (G07) while Mana is facing Yakumo of School Rumble (G09). Ayu would have a comfortable match in Group G thanks to her cuteness, cluelessness and *free warm-and-nice Taiyaki* to those who vote for her.That's the end of my predictions.For More Information
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In conjunction with Yamaki’s Anime Blog’s First Anniversary celebration (I wanted to buy a birthday cake to celebrate but I was short of money, so meh), I, kristalyamaki, would like to present to you, the best of the best, the ones that made many go fanatical, in a roundup of the best animes of each month as produced in every month for the past 12 months. It’s about time I proudly announce the best winners of the Remedial Anime Awards, August 2006 – July 2007. For those wondering what had happened to the awards for the month of July 2007, there is not going to be a July edition of the Remedial Anime Awards. Taking that apart, there’s still this overall awards so you can sit back and enjoy!And so, here is the list of anime series which are included in this award:1. Asatte no Houkou2. Sola3. School Rumble4. Honey & Clover5. Kanon (2006)6. Shuffle!7. .hack//roots8. Infinite RyviusThe following anime series are also specially allowed to enter a few specific awards due to lack of contestants:1. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Best Vocal Soundtrack)2. Bleach (Best ED Theme Song)3. Maria-sama ga Miteru (Best ED Theme Song)4. NHK ni Yokoso (Best ED Theme Song)There would be altogether 17 awards which will be given away tonight to the contesting anime series. The anime series have underwent strict judging by me and a few other anime watchers that I know and we have come to a conclusion. (well, I did most of the critiques and nominations while all the other judges did was nodded their heads to whatever I said. It’s hard to find good anime critics these days... =\ ) Eight awards are to be given away in the Storyline Awards. And so, the following are the awards with their respective winners. Best Storyline - School Category: Honey & Clover1. Best Storyline – Drama Category : Asatte no Houkou2. Best Storyline – Character Interaction Category: Sola3. Best Storyline – Comedy Category: School Rumble4. Best Storyline – School Category: Honey & Clover5. Best Storyline – A Slice of Life Category: Asatte no Houkou6. Best Storyline – Romance Category: Kanon (2006)7. Best Storyline – Climax Category: Shuffle!8. Best Storyline – Overall: Honey & CloverAsatte no Houkou became the proud winner of the Drama Category as well as the Slice of Life Category, making it the only anime series to win two awards in the Best Storyline Awards. However, that does not make the anime series the best of the best as Honey & Clover was the anime series which won the Overall Best Storyline awards. It had also won the School Category, defeating Kanon (2006) and School Rumble in a close match in the category. Besides that, Honey & Clover seems to be balanced in almost all of the qualities above, making the anime one which truly deserve the Best Overall award.Meanwhile, School Rumble, which would be most likely to have its final appearance in this blog (unless if I were to get my hands of season two) won the Comedy Category for its unique out-of-the-universe character gags which would end anyone watching the anime series having a good time rolling on the floor laughing out loud. Shuffle! won the climax category with its sudden, hasty change in plot. Not going to elaborate to avoid leaking spoilers.The Romance Category is another category with intense competition as most contenders are somewhat romance related. Kanon (2006) overcame various obstacles and finally it manages to outstand other anime series such as Honey & Clover and Shuffle!. I received many objections on this but neither of the objections were strong enough to change my mind. Do you like to see you favourite anime characters interact with another character? Will they end up fighting, or will they end up as lovers or normal friends? Just thinking about that makes you high, right? And that’s the main reason why I’d introduced the Character Interaction Category. Like to see the Koyori and Aono interaction, do you? Like to see Matsuri and Mana’s interaction, do you? Well, I do, and that’s why I’d given Sola ‘Best Character Interaction’.And now, onto the next awards.9. Best Fansubbing Group – Lunar FansubsOne of the judges (Wangba) wasn’t too satisfied with Lunar winning best Fansubbing Group. However, when I asked him for his suggestion, he kept quiet. In other words, he wasn’t able to think of any other better group to win this award. Well, I have chosen this group based on the works that they have done, such as Asatte no Houkou and Sola. They may have not done everything perfectly, but they sure did a good job in. Way to go, Lunar! Disclaimer: Yamaki’s Anime Blog is no way affiliated to Lunar Fansubs. Oh and, if you’re from Lunar, feel free to claim a banner from me. I’ll specially make one for your fansubbing group. Best Art – Character Category: Honey & Clover10. Best Art – Character Category: Honey & Clover11. Best Art – Background Category: Kanon (2006)Honey & Clover’s art is quite different from other animes, having characters with round face, no nose and a big mouth. They’re rather chibi-fied but not exactly chibi-fied, and they give everyone a ‘cute’ feeling towards them. That’s what made them special.On the other hand, Kanon (2006, and NOT 2002) won the best art for Background. From a large barley field, a neverending snowy path, a long school corridor at night to the busy shops of the shopping district, the background were drawn very nicely and it became a plus for Kanon which had high expectations from fans.Komorebi Diari - Karada Chapter-12. Best Vocal Soundtrack:Finalists:- Namida Gumo – Suara (Komorebi Diary -Karada Chapter-)- SELECT – Minori Chihara (Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Character Song Vol. 2 Yuki Nagato)- COOL EDITION – Natsuko Kuwatani (Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Character Song Vol. 5 Ryoko Asakura)- Natsuiro Sweet Pain – Fujimura Ayumi (Komorebi Diary -Karada Chapter-)The winner: Namida Gumo – Suara (Komorebi Diary -Karada Chapter-)*looks around for any Haruhi fans* *dodges a knife* HEY! Even though I have not chosen either of the Haruhi girls’ songs, but that doesn’t mean that I do not like them! It is just that Namida Gumo’s better, in my opinion. Yeah, I do enjoy solemn slow songs. Well, listening to Namida Gumo reminds me of fighting those monsters in a cavern underwater in those Final Fantasy games on my GBA... yeah, it reminds me of that.13. Best OP Theme Song:Finalists:- Hikari no Kisetsu – Suara (Asatte no Houkou)- Roling Star – YUI (Bleach)- Madokashii Sekai no Uede – Yui Makino (NHK ni Yokoso)- Silly-Go-Round - FictionJunction Yuuka (.hack//Roots)- Colorless Wind – Aira Yuhki (sola)The Winner: Silly-Go-Round - Fiction Junction Yuuka (.hack//Roots)The song has hooked me on since I’ve first heard it. Being .hack//Root’s OP theme, it somewhat gives me the sudden boost of energy to do something which I am rather sure that I’ll be able to achieve someday, somehow (itsuka kimi e...). On the other hand, I am also an online gamer, although not yet a hikkomori, and watching .hack//Roots is like something new to me where everything seems so real despite the characters only being a sprite! That feeling wouldn’t come to me when I play MapleStory!Kaze no Tadoritsuku Basho – Ayana (Kanon [2006])14. Best ED Theme Song:Finalists:- Waltz – Suneohair (Honey & Clover)- Chercher – KOTOKO (Maria-sama ga Miteru OAV)- Mellow Melody – Ceui (sola)- Innocence – Miyuki Hashimoto (Shuffle!)- Kaze no Tadoritsuku Basho – Ayana (Kanon [2006])Winner: Kaze no Tadoritsuku Basho – Ayana (Kanon [2006])I’m really going to regret making this decision, but a decision made is a decision made. Kaze no Tadoritsuku Basho – Ayana (Kanon [2006]) is the winner of Best Overall ED Theme Song. This song kept repeating in my head while I was shopping in HarbourFront in Singapore last December, but at that time I couldn’t remember what song it was. Later when I came back to Malaysia then I found out that it was Kanon’s ED. Bah, I even had to search Wikipedia for the name of the song!Best Overall Male: Aizawa Yuuichi (Kanon 2006)15. Best Overall MaleFinalists:- Aizawa Yuuichi (Kanon [2006])- Iokawa Hiro (Asatte no Houkou)- Tsuchimi Rin (Shuffle!)- Takemoto Yuta (Honey & Clover)- Mayama Takumi (Honey & Clover- Aiba Kouji (Infinite Ryvius)Winner: Aizawa Yuuichi (Kanon [2006])If you hadn’t noticed, in the six finalists, three of them are voiced by Tomokazu Sugita, Yuuichi included. Well, it was indeed thanks to Tomokazu Sugita who had given Yuuichi this sarcastic character. So, what else have I to say? Yuuichi had totally overtaken the other finalist with his antics and gags as well as his warmness. He’s also a hopeless romantic to those who see him in a different way.Best Overall Male, Yuuichi, with Best Overall Female, Shiori.16. Best Overall FemaleFinalists:- Iokawa Karada (Asatte no Houkou)- Nogami Shouko (Asatte no Houkou)- Misaka Shiori (Kanon [2006])- Kawasumi Mai (Kanon [2006])- Yamada Ayumi (Honey & Clover)Winner: Misaka Shiori (Kanon [2006])A girl who is always sick, although she did eventually became better. Despite being a weak crybaby in the inside, she’s the perfect weapon to deal with Yuuichi as she is able to rebuff his words by a few simple words such as ‘I hate people who says things like that...”. The best thing is, she is not even a little bit tomboyish unlike other popular girls. Anyone would fall in love with her at once once they get to know her better!17. Best Overall Anime.Winner: Kanon (2006)All contesting animes are included. The following are the results based on the animes’ performances in throughout the year. That's the end of the awards. Have fun! Yamaki's Anime Blog is now one year old. I hope I can continue to blog until next year. Gotta go now, my parents are nagging at me to go to sleep.
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’cause everyone of us has the devil inside Imagine this: On a dark and cloudy full-moon, your 12 year-old adopted little sister gets turned into a busty babe; to top that off, your 24 year-old ex-girlfriend now has the body of a pre-pubescent girl, now child-like both in appearance and voice. Awesome, right? Well, only when [...]
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Koshimizu Ami 小清水亜美 is just 21, but already she is one of the top voice actresses in Japan. The youthful vibrancy and great professionalism of her voice have won her numerous good roles, and she was recognized as the top supporting actress of 2006 in the first annual Seiyuu Awards."Amisuke," as she is called, is a big puppy-dog of a woman, with a lot of energy, a sweet temper, and a big mouth -- and many, many friends. Her blog is full of pictures of her with her seiyuu pals: Sanpei Yuuko, Mizusawa Fumie, Iizuka Mayumi, Itsuki Yui, Nazuka Kaori, Nabatame Hitomi, Yukana, Mizuhashi Kaori, Shimizu Kaori, Kadowaki Mai...the list goes on. She seems to be a strong, friendly person, with a sense of fun and an open, innocent heart.Depite her youth, she is already a veteran. Her debut role was as Nadja in Ashita no Nadja, when she was 17 years old and in 11th grade. Her most famous role is Tenma in School Rumble. And she won her supporting actress award for the role of Karen in Code Geass.Ami was born in Tokyo and was involved in acting from an early age. She was in the famous Wakakusa ("Young Grasses") Theatre Group when she got her debut role as Nadja in 2003. Wakakusa represented her for two years, then she became an independent, not attached to any agency, but hiring her own manager/assistant. The good roles she has got since then attest that leaving the protection of an agency did not hurt her. Recently, she is even branching out into production. She produced a singing event on Saturday at the Ginza branch of a karaoke chain, starring herself, Sanpei Yuuko, and others. (l-r) Ami at about ten; Nadja; Tenma; Ami; Ami.Ami's voice has a bright quality that gives her characters a strong presence. It was her striking performance as Tenko, the down-to-earth angel in Kamisama Kazoku, that put her at the front of my mind. The sweet immediacy she gave the role just blew me away.She also has great voice-control, the kind of supple control that can give a phrase a lot of movement and nuance. And she has tremendous range: from gentle Tenko to the masculine Paraietta in Simoun. From serious rebel Karen in Code Geass to scatterbrained Tenma.(left) Ami with Noto Mamiko: Tenma and Yakumo, sisters in School Rumble. Amisuke shows her typical exuberance, Noto-Kawaii her typical tranquillity.Ami can make even minor roles stand out. She made Kotomi in Asatte no Houkou come alive within seconds. As Sae in sola, she created a weird, somewhat unlikeable character with a unique fey drawl. The portrayal was so strong that it turned some viewers right off.Ami is proud of her ability as a seiyuu -- in a good way, as Kitamura Eri once said. She has declared that she intends to be as good a seiyuu as anyone. She is beginning to get roles that demand serious emotion, such as Paraietta and Karen, but she is so far best known for comedy.She can also sing. She has numerous character CDs, and is one of the better seiyuu singers. Unfortunately, her first album, Natural, did not do very well commercially, despite the two good video features that came with the premium edition. She has also performed on stage in the musical version of School Rumble.People have said that Ami's real personality resembles that of the wise fool Tenma in Sukuran (School Rumble). But when Nabatame Hitomi and Shimizu Kaori said that on-air, Ami bridled, saying she wasn't that dumb, and that people probably thought so just because it was her voice. Of course, the naive openness of her reaction just confirmed that she does in fact have something in common with Tenma. (l-r) Ami at her radio show; Ami with the figure of her character from Shuraki; Ami with Chinese chopsticks on location in Shanghai.When she was 17 and recording the drama CD for Nadja, she made a number of reading mistakes, since she didn't know kanji that well. She says in her blog that she still has a lot to learn. She dropped out of high school when her career took off, and only recently got her graduation diploma, by distance education from a school in Aomori. But her comparative lack of education doesn't mean she isn't smart and capable, as her success as an independent shows.Since 2005, she has been a regular host on the anime music radio broadcast Comchat Countdown, along with Sakurai Takahiro. With her nimble tongue, she is good at repeated catchphrases and puns; and with her straightforward nature, she often just blurts out what she thinks. Once when Ohara Sayaka was a guest on the show, Ami said she wanted to give as mature and womanly an impression as Ohara-san. Sakurai and Nabatame Hitomi, who was also a guest, laughed that that would be a real stretch. (l-r) Ami with her close friend Sanpei Yuuko; Ami's friend Itsuki Yui; Ami with Naba-sama (Nabatame Hitomi).Ami has said of herself that she talks too much, and speaks out when she should keep quiet. She had a moving piece in her blog earlier this year, lamenting how words can hurt people, and saying that since words were a seiyuu's profession she should be more careful with them.But it doesn't seem to make much difference to her friends. She and Sanpei Yuuko -- whom she calls "Pe" -- have been friends for ten years, since middle school. Pe is another highly talented and successful seiyuu. She was Renton in Eureka7, Souta for the last thirteen episodes or so of Otogijushi Akazukin, and Cure Dream in Precure 5. They are so close that Ami sometimes refers to Pe as "my wife" (in English). They even held a mock wedding banquet on a radio show last January, with Ami as the bride. The fact that neither one of them referred to the other in their blogs for a few weeks after that makes me think they realized they had maybe gone a bit too far. (l-r) Ami with her senpai Iizuka Mayumi; Ami, Nazuka Kaori (Eureka in Eureka 7), Kitamura Eri (Saya in Blood+), and Sanpei Yuuko; Ami's friend Mizusawa Fumie (Juliet in RxJ).Yuri pretense is a common meme in seiyuu radio shows, so the wedding banquet was probably all joke. But Amisuke and Pe are definitely very close friends, and Ami says she hopes they can be together forever. Nabatame Hitomi (Nobue in Ichigo Mashimaro) is a friend of Ami's who makes the yuri meme part of her public myth. The joke is that Ami is Naba-sama's "number three girlfriend": Itou Shizuka (who had a radio show with Naba-sama, and was Rei in Marimite) is her wife, and Noto Mamiko and Shimizu Kaori (Lain) are her first two girlfriends.Seiyuu Iizuka Mayumi (Makoto in Kanon) was part of the stimulus for Ami to become a seiyuu. She was an admired senior, several years ahead of Ami in the Wakakusa troupe, and they are still friends. (l-r) Ami, Makino Yui, Pe; Yukana and Ami; Shimizu Kaori.Ami had unspecified health problems a few months ago, although they don't seem to have affected her work schedule. She has said that since she reached 20, sometimes her body won't follow where her mind wants to go. Once when she was ill, her friend seiyuu/singer Itsuka Yui ("Yuin", Kira in Futakoi), who lives only five minutes' walk away, brought over some rice porridge for her.Ami has mentioned staying the night at Yuin's place, as she has at Pe's. On her 21st birthday, in February, Yuin and Kadowaki Mai (Souju in Futakoi) made her a cake. She has previously gone traveling with the pair, and she visited a hot spring last week with Saiga Mitsuki (Francis in Nadja, Makoto in Genshiken) and the (female) director of her radio show. Ami and Pe were invited to a birthday party for pro wrestler Kikutarou. He is apparently also a friend.These days, you can hear Ami in many shows. She is Yayoi in Xenoglossia, Yutira in Heroic Age, Sae in the recently concluded sola, Aika in AIKa R-16 Virgin Mission, and Kanako in the Marimite 3 OVA series. The final two episodes of (the first series of?) Code Geass will air at the end of July. This fall, Ami will star in Kimi Kiss ~pure rouge~. And she is swordswoman Akatsuki in Shuraki, a drama CD that is coming out this fall, marketed with quite dramatic 1/8 scale figures. (l-r) Itsuki Yui and Kadowaki Mai with the cake they brought Ami on her 21st birthday; Pe with a cake for her own 21st birthday, a few days after Ami's; Saiga Mitsuki. (below left) a capybara.In a show where seiyuu were asked what animal they would be, Noto Mamiko, Nabatame Hitomi, and Horie Yui all said that if Ami were an animal she would be a rodent. Ami felt put down. Then in a game center UFO catcher, her friends all wanted her to go for a capybara cellphone strap. The fact is, she does look a bit like a capybara, the South American animal that is the largest rodent in the world -- an extremely pretty capybara, of course.Ami has said she would like to buy land on the moon -- on the side facing the Earth -- and to make a "Koshimizu Shogunate" there, where she would create a "good country." I think big Amisuke would make a great ruler, positive and humane. She's looking for taxpayers, she says. Where do I sign up?Statistics: Born Tokyo, 15 February 1986. Height 168 cm, weight 48 kg (just over 5'6" and around 106 lb).Roles: Here are her major roles over the years, with a few recent minor roles included. Full info is available from the sites following the list:-- 2003: Nadja (Ashita no Nadja), Claes (Gunslinger Girl).-- 2004: Tenma (School Rumble), Kanoko (Sweet Valerians), Ichijou Sumireko (Futakoi)-- 2005: Anemone (Eureka 7), Natsuko (Futari wa Precure Max Heart), Nina Wang (Mai-Otome)-- 2006: Tenko (Kamisama Kazoku), Saya (Lemon Angel Project), Paraietta (Simoun), Megumi (Muteki Kanban Musume), Karen (Code Geass), Kotomi (Asatte no Houkou), Ritsuko Kubel Kettenkrad (Kujibiki Unbalance), Yukari (Gift~Eternal Rainbow~).-- 2007: Yayoi (Idolmaster Xenoglossia), Sae (sola), Yutira (Heroic Age), Kanako (Marimite 3), Aika (AIKa R-16 Virgin Mission), Ichiru (Keitai Shoujo), Yumi (KimiKiss pure rouge).English-language sites:Anime News Networken.wikipediaHashihime seiyuu galleryJapanese sites:ja.wikipediaAmi's home pageAmi's blogSeiyuu Watch Koshimizu Ami postsSanpei Yuuko's blogItsuki Yui's blogKadowaki Mai's blogMizusawa Fumie's blogNazuka Kaori's blogIizuka Mayumi's blogYouTube:-- Ami at 17 in an appearance for Ashita no Nadja (YouTube)-- Ami (Nina) and Kikuchi Mika (Arika) in a ten-minute TV talk for Mai-Otome. It takes a couple of minutes for them to relax, but after that they are quite funny. (YouTube)-- Ami and Mika at a Voice NewType photoshoot. (YouTube)-- Ami and Horie Yui performing at the Futakoi Live event (YouTube)
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The seiyuu industry churns out so much new talent each year that it's hard to keep up. Shake a tree and a new seiyuu falls out. Every new anime season turns up some unfamiliar names and I'm always scratching my head and thinking 'Who on earth is that?'When I first started watching anime people like Noto Mamiko, Ueda Kana and Shimizu Ai were still relative unknowns ; and it's been quite a ride watching them progress from voicing support characters to regularly headlining anime series. Likewise it's been cool to see some like Nazuka Kaori, Shimizu Kaori, Koshimizu Ami, Hirano Aya & Irino Miyu grow up from awkward-looking teenagers to 'proper seiyuu' ^_^It doesn't always turn out that way though - there've been some seiyuu I thought might go on to bigger things but never really did; Yoshida Sayuri, Asano Ruri, Katou Nanae, Tasaka Hideki & Hoshino Takanori have sort of fallen in between the cracks and haven't quite had the sort of impact I initially thought they would.Anyway, here's a list of 10 seiyuu I think (or blindly hope) that in five years' time will have achieved success of Noto Mamiko proportions ^_^ The brick wall I faced doing this post was finding half-decent pictures of the seiyuu since most of them haven't been around for too long. And the list appears to heavily favour the girls... where have all the talented young guys gone? ^^;; Note: I deliberately left out Kitamura Eri & Inoue Marina, cos I don't want to sound like a broken record talking about them all the time...1. Yonaga TsubasaOne of Ken Production's biggest young hopes - Yonaga is one of the most recent graduates from their seiyuu academy School Duo (also attended by other KenPro heavyweights like Nabatame Hitomi & Itou Shizuka). Already he's landed two lead roles (Ren in Ookiku Furikabutte & Shingo in Gigantic Formula), something many of his seniors (Kakehashi Atsushi, Mogami Tsuguo etc) haven't quite managed to do. It probably helps that Yonaga's voice is pitched pretty high (to me, he sounds a lot like Sakaguchi Daisuke) & hence he's able to voice young male characters. Actually if you listen to the voice sample on his agency profile you'll find he's got reasonable range. Looking forward to hearing more of him in the future.2. Tomatsu HarukaHer debut performance as Corti in Polyphonica left a good impression on me even if the show itself didn't. A mere 17-years old and still in school, Tomatsu commutes to Tokyo from her Nagoya home every week for seiyuu work. Haruka-chan is............SUPER HYPER GENKI. Just listen to Polytalk (Kari), the mini shows she hosts on the Polyphonica website - she's like an Energizer bunny ^^; Tomatsu may be young but she manages to hold her own against all her experienced costars, her chats with Konishi Katsuyuki and Satou Rina were pretty fun. She also had a small role in Bokurano as Daichi's sister Futaba, and do look out for her next major role in Moetan as Ink's classmate Sumi (she also sings the opening theme with Nazuka Kaori & Tamura Yukari). I have high hopes for Haruka ^_^3. Hasegawa ShizukaTechnically not a newcomer; like Hirano Aya (they're both signed to the same agency Space Craft, which also has Chiba Saeko & Nanri Yuuka on its books) the 18-year old Hasegawa made her anime debut in Tenshi no Shippo back in 2001 when she was just 13, but she's been a child model since.... she was born ^^; Since she was 2 months old in fact (she mentioned this on Takahashi Mikako's radio show, who called her Dai-senpai) though she only signed up to Space Craft when she was three. Mainly voices young girls - Ruru in the Futakoi series, Tomohane in Inukami!, and currently Yukino in Airantou & soon to be in Lucky Star as Konata's cousin Yutaka. Shizuka likes eating bananas with mayonnaise on top, she's said that a few times on various radio shows now ^^; Plus she has the most infectious/irritating laugh, depending on how you look at it.4. Kakihara TetsuyaHe's maybe less of a newcomer now after all the publicity he got on the back of his surprise win in the inaugural Seiyuu Awards, but Kakihara only made his debut in 2005 as Bright in Futagohime. Born in Germany, the 24-year old is a graduate of Amusement Media's seiyuu training school (classmates include Kadowaki Mai & Hatano Wataru) and is now signed to 81 Produce, one of the bigger seiyuu agencies around. His voice is like Yonaga's, a bit higher than most male seiyuu but he can do serious characters like Mercutio in Romeo X Juliet in addition to the screaming shonen types (Simon in Gurren Lagann), plus the 5 inanimate objects he voices in Nanoha StrikerS (some in German). Kakihara's stock has certainly risen since the Best Newcomer award, and he's got a role in GONZO's autumn anime Dragonaut a.k.a. The S.O.S-dan reunion ^^;; And he appeals to the female fans too ^_^5. Fujita SakiTo me she really is a carbon copy of Tamura Yukari both in looks and sound. But I do like Sakki, her blog's part of my daily to-read list and I listen to her weekly radio show/podcast (when I remember). Mentioned in the KitaEri profile that she got a special prize in the V&S AUDITION; after which she enrolled in Nichinare (ARTSVISION's seiyuu training school), graduating in March this year. Sakki had a small role in Yoshinaga-san'chi no Gargoyle as Momo and then got her first major role in Tsuyokiss as Kanisawa Kinu, followed by the imouto-type Yayoi Mina in Tokimeki Memorial and the complete weirdo Momo-chan in Manabi Straight. She hasn't got anything on at the moment apart from that radio show... though she did go to Disneyland with Inoue Marina earlier this month ^^;6. Goto MaiI'm not sure of how versatile Goto is - the sample on her agency profile doesn't really show much range but her voice has got that sweet and soothing feel to it; reminds me a lot of Satou Rina (someone whose voice I could listen to all day long). She could find her niche playing moe characters in visual novel to anime conversions ^^; Her current credits list reads: Asagiri Mai (Tatsuya's sister) in Yoake Mae etc etc and Kohinata Sumomo in Happiness! And up next are roles in Nanatsuiro Drops and ef - a tale of memories which are both anime adaptations of games as well.... guess she's already being stereotyped.7. Fujimura AyumiClockwise from Top Left: Suara, Yuumao, Ito Shizuka & Fujimura AyumiAnother one of Ken Production's bright young stars. Ayu first got in the spotlight with her role as the mighty morphing Iokawa Karada in Asatte no Houkou, though she did have a supporting part in Nishi no Yoki Majo prior to that. Being a first-timer on Asatte, Fujimura mentioned on the radio show how she constantly fluffed her lines (up to 50 retakes once) & was generally a nervous wreck ^^; As Karada she did get to show off her ability to voice both little girls and teenagers and I thought she did a good job on the radio show and singing the character songs as well. Since then Ayu's had a lead role in Bartender, and is now in Touka Gettan as the maid Nene and in Kaze no Stigma as the tsundere joshikosei (with flaming pink hair) Kannagi Ayano.8. Okamoto NobuhikoOkamoto (front, centre) with the rest of the cast of solaFunnily enough, the three guys on my list possess similar sort of voices, squeaky high. Maybe there's a shortage of such male seiyuu, which is probably why the young male characters often end up being voiced by females. Okamoto's debut was in the rather underrated Ghost Hunt as John Brown, the gaijin priest with a funny Kansai accent but he's probably gained a bit more attention as the lead character Yorito in sola. Okamoto will be in Potemayo this summer voicing Natsu Yasumi (which translates to Summer Vacation), who earns my vote for second stupidest character name of the season (after Osana Najimi a.k.a. Childhood Friend from Doujin Work).9. Asumi KanaThe cute-as-a-button 24-year old Fukuokan wormed her way into many hearts with her performance as the similarly cute Yuno in Hidamari Sketch. Signed to Voice & Heart, the same agency as Inoue Marina; Asumi can currently be heard in Gainax's Gurren Lagann as Kiyal (one of Kittan's 3 sisters) and in Bokurano as Kana, the obnoxious Jun's little sister. At the moment, she's also co-hosting Busou Shinki RADIO RONDO with Kitamura Eri (she voices the MMS Angel Type Arnval in the game) and the Hidamari Sketch radio show just finished not long ago. Her blog is updated pretty regularly too.10. Endo AyaI guess her voicing meganekko Takara Miyuki in Lucky Star has gained her a few more fans, but Endo has been under the radar for a while now. First heard her in Okusama wa Joshikousei (for some reason, I quite liked the manga but the anime was a bit of a turn-off) as one of Asami's best friends, then forgot about her until she popped up in Inukami! as Imari (one of the twins). Endo was also on the 'infamous' Oshikari and Kokuhaku CDs and actually formed a unit called Plume with two of the other seiyuus on it, Kawaragi Shiho and Mizuno Manabi - they have a radio show and a blog. She's currently voicing major roles in two spring anime, Noa in the it's-so-bad-it's-good KissDum & of course, Lucky Star. Hopefully she'll get more roles after this....There are a few others worth keeping an eye on; the bubbly Katou Emiri (Kagami in Lucky Star), Hashimoto Mai who sounds really cute, and Nakao Eri (Escartin in Getsumen to heiki Mina) who is bizarre but fun, plus she possesses a deep, scratchy voice rarely heard amongst female seiyuu. Also Kano Yui, Takagaki Ayahi, Sasaki Nozomi, Hatano Wataru, Terashima Takuo, Akesaka Satomi, & some others who in my mind have been around for a long while but are actually pretty new (Yahagi Sayuri, Mizusawa Fumie, Tsuji Ayumi, Kawamoto Naru etc).
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On the brink of a new season, here is a look at the new shows, concentrating on staff and cast. The shows I'm looking forward to? As usual, it's hard to tell which shows will work for me, but I'm looking at Code E, Doujin Work, Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umisho, Moetan, Mononoke, Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei, Tetsuko no Tabi, and Zombie Loan, for various reasons.Zetsubo Sensei is by Shinbou Akiyuki, who directed PaniPoni Dash and Negima!? The director of Kenko Zenrakei, Soutome Kouichirou, was involved in directing Bokura ga Ita and did episodes of Mushishi. I hope Nishimori Akira, who directed Hitohira and PetoPeto-san, will infuse the rather different Zombie Loan with his trademark emotional delicacy. Code E has the participation of some staff people from Simoun.Titles of shows of special interest to me are in red. Click pictures to enlarge.Baccano! バッ カーノ！ A large cast of alchemists, Mafia, lunatics, immortals and terrorists seeks a long-lost elixir of immortality in 1930s America. Based on a popular light novel. By the director of Jigoku Shoujo (Omori Takahiko) and the writer of Koi Kaze (Takagi Noboru). Starring Yoshino Hiroyuki (Zed in Kiba), Aoki Sayaka (Sia in Shuffle), with Kobayashi Sanae, Kobayashi Yuu, Gotou Saori, Itou Miki and 0thers. Preview. Brains Base. Starts jul26, thu 24:30.Code E. A transfer student has an uncontrolled ability to disrupt electrical equipment. A boy in her class wants to study her, and a relationship develops. But outside forces are also interested... Director Toshiyuki Kato did Full Moon wo Sagashite and some episodes of Simoun. The director of Simoun, Nishimura Junji, directs some eps of this. The Simoun connections definitely get my attention. I'll be watching episode one.This appears to be the first named role for the star, Hashimoto Mai. She has a blog, with pictures. Nazuka Kaori (Yun in Simoun) and Halko Momoi are also in the cast. Studio DEEN. 12 episodes. Starts jul03, tue 26:43.Devil May Cry. Based on a PS2 game, with a cool lead and lots of fighting. Not my thing. With Morikawa Toshiyuki (Takumi in NANA, Chan in Black Lagoon), Tanaka Atsuko (Kusanagi Motoko in GITS), Orikasa Fumiko, Fukuen Misato (Eve in Black Cat), Ohtsuka Akio (Black Jack). Directed by Itagaki Shin (Black Cat). The first ep was quite bloody. Madhouse. 12 episodes. Started jun14, thu 23:00.Doujin Work ドージンワーク. Based on a 4-koma comic by the well-known doujin mangaka Hiroyuki. The story follows a girl who is a newcomer to the doujin (independent comic) scene.Director Yatani Kenichi did the funny and workmanlike Renkin 3-kyuu Magical? Pokahn. Stars Asano Masumi (Manatsu in Uta~Kata, Mariya in Otome wa Boku ni Koi Shiteru) and Saitou Momoko (Choco in Chokotto Sister, Solty in Solty Rei). I'll be giving this one a shot. Animation by REMIC (Renkin 3-kyuu Magical? Pokahn). Starts jul03, tue 25:30.Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai ひぐらしのなく頃に解. Second series of the mysterious, bloody, and well produced anime. More stories from the dangerous world of Oyashiro-sama. Houshi Souichirou, Nakahara Mai, Tamura Yukari, Horie Yui, Kanai Mika (Misato in NANA). Directed by Kon Chiaki, with the same staff as Higurashi 1. Studio Deen. Starts jul06, fri 26:30.Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umisho ケンコー全裸系水泳部 ウミショー. Okimura Kaname joins his school's swimming club in order to learn how to swim. The club is filled with weirdos, but a sunny, happy-go-lucky girl named Ninagawa Amuro , a transfer-student from Okinawa, joins up. Her extraordinary underwater speed and unorthodox swimming style -- and the fact that she likes to swim nude -- rocks the club. She reminds Okimura of a mermaid-like creature he saw once in his early childhood... Based on a shounen manga by Hattori Mitsuru.Directed by Soutome Kouichirou, who was the general director of Bokura ga Ita and directed some eps of Mushishi. This one intrigues me. Add the facts that the lead writer, Ikeda Mamiko, wrote Emma2, and that animation is by Artland and the animator of Now and Then, Here and There, and this could be a sleeper. Starts jul03, tue 26:00.Moetan もえたん. Who would ever have expected the Moetan books -- bizarre Engrish-language textbooks using loli-moe characters -- ever to be animated? But add the director of Hayate and Getsumen to Heiki Mina, and seiyuu Tamura Yukari, Kaori Nazuka and Ueda Yuuji (Morita in Honey & Clover) and this could be interesting. Animation by Actus. Starts jul08, sun 25:30.Mononoke モノノ怪. Noitamina show for the summer, a sequel to the Bakaneko chapters of Japanese traditional horror animation Ayakashi Ayashi.The staff -- including director Nakamura Kenji and animator Hashimoto Takashi -- is a carry-over from the beautifully animated Bakaneko, which tells of a medicine seller who kills monsters after first discovering the tragedies that gave rise to them. Scriptwriter Chiaki J. Konaka is also involved. He was the lead writer on Lain, Air Gear, and Texhnolyze, and did several episodes each of Rahxephon and Princess Tutu. The only cast member so far announced is Sakurai Takahiro (Suzaku in Code Geass). Toei. 12 episodes. Starts jul12, thu 24:45.Mushiuta ムシウタ. These mushi are insect-like creatures that eat people's dreams, sometimes giving their host great powers, but eventually killing the host when all his or her dreams are consumed. Our protagonists are mushi hosts, mushi investigators, or just people who love someone who is host of a mushi.With Hanazawa Kana (Ryouko in Zegapain), Nabatame Hitomi (Arcueid in Tsukihime), Asanuma Shintarou (Kyo in Zegapain), Takagi Reiko (Hino in Corda d'Oro). Written by Yoshida Reiko (Marimite, KGnE, RomeoxJuliet, etc.). Music by Fujita Junpei of Elements Garden. Previews. Beat Frog. 12 episodes. Starts jul05, thu 24:00.Nanatsuiro Drops ななついろ★ドロップス. Super-cute show about Haru, a shy and clumsy boy who accidentally drinks a potion that turns him into a little stuffed sheep at night. A moe magical girl comes to his aid as he seeks the magic potion that will keep him human. With character designs by Noizi Itou (Shana, Haruhi), written by the writer of Emily of New Moon, Shimada Michiru, and directed by the director of Final Approach, Yamamoto Takashi.Starring the young seiyuu who played Jun in Happiness, Yuimoto Michiru, and Nojima Hirofumi, who is Shuga in Seirei no Moribito. The incredible cuteness of it all may or may not be enough. Studio Barcelona. Starts jul02, mon 25:40.Potemayo ぽてまよ. The magical little creature Potemayo, with her black nekomimi (cat ears) appears from protagonist Moriyama Sunao's refrigerator one day. She becomes a favorite of all the kids at school. Then her rival creature Guchuko emerges from the fridge... Interesting cast, including Hanamura Kana (Ryouko in Zegapain), Tsuji Ayumi (Rose in Red Garden), Kitamura Eri (Makoto in Touka Gettan), Kawasumi Ayako, Kugimiya Rie, and Inoue Kikuko. But the director, Ikehata Takashi did Daphne in the Brilliant Blue and Tsuyokiss, so I'm worried. JC Staff. Starts jul06, fri 25:30.Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei さよなら絶望先生. It appears that prime-time anime Negima!? -- which was an artistic success but a commercial disaster -- has not blighted Shinbou Akiyuki's career. Here he is again with a late-night anime about a teacher.Hiroshi Kamiya (Takemoto in Honey & Clover) stars as a multi-level marketer who gets into some kind of danger and flees to southern Japan, where he is mistaken for a teacher in a girls' school. The plot involves his class of weird girls foiling his repeated attempts at suicide.I think Shinbou (who also did Tsukuyomi Moon Phase and PaniPoni Dash and oversaw Hidamari Sketch) is a great director, especially visually, so I'll be watching. Outstanding cast includes Kobayashi Yuu (Setsuna in Negima), Sawashiro Miyuki, Gotou Yuuko, Shintani Ryouko, Matsuki Miyu (the last three all from Hidamari Sketch), and Sanada Asami (Di Gi Charat). Animation by SHAFT. Starts jul07, sat 24:30.School Days スクールデイズ. Based on an animated game that is infamous for its violence. A girl (Sekai) helps a boy (Makoto) get closer to her beautiful friend (Kotonoha). When Makoto finally gets a date with Kotonoha, the compensation Sekai demands is…a kiss.An interesting love-triangle-with-violence premise, but the director and writer did the horrible Amenaideyo and Lovedol, so I'm not hopeful. Animation by TNK. 13 episodes. Starts jul03, fri 26:15.Shigurui シグルイ. Based on a seinen manga by Yamaguchi Takayuki. "An exceptional manga artist decides to tackle the forbidden work by the last giant figure in samurai literature, only to give birth to a colossal period drama filled with unspeakable tragedy and cruelty!" (anidb.info)The director of Texhnolyze (Hamasaki Hirotsugu) and the writer of Asatte no Houkou and co-writer of Paprika (Minakami Seishi) do the anime adaptation, working with Madhouse. This could be good, if you can stand the gore. With Namikawa Daisuke (Rock in Black Lagoon), Kuwashima Houko, Sasahara Emi (Sailor Jupiter, Karin's mother in Karin), Sasaki Nozomu (Yuusuke in Yu Yu Hakusho). Preview episode jul01. Madhouse. 12 episodes. Starts jul19, thu 23:30.Sky Girls スカイガール. Moe young girls in skin-tight suits are integrated with their own individual mecha frames to defend the Earth. The one-episode OVA went nowhere, and now we have 26 episodes? Very moe, but I have my doubts.It has a good director (Iwasaki Yoshiaki: Love Hina, Gokujou Seitokai) and writer (Yoshioka Takao: DearS, Elfen Lied), however, and an outstanding cast: Kawasumi Ayako, Gotou Saori (a strong up-and-coming talent), Itou Shizuka, Tsuji Ayumi (Rose in Red Garden), Fujiwara Keiji, Horie Yui, Shiraishi Ryouko, Taniyama Kishou. And music by Mitsumune Shinkichi, who did Asatte no Houkou and Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora. So there is hope. Preview. JCStaff. 26 episodes. Starts jul05, thu 25:28.Tetsuko no Tabi 鉄子の旅. Non-fiction account of editor, mangaka and train otaku travelling Japanese train lines in he 1980s. 4-koma comic is bizarre, low-key, and amusing. Old-school director Nagaoka Akinori did eps of Rose of Versailles and Record of Lodoss War.Cast includes Tomosaka Akira (Kate in Red Garden) and Hiyama Nobuyuki (Madarame in Genshiken). OPED and some music by SUPER BELL ''Z, which specializes in using samples of rail station sounds. Preview. Group TAC (Hantsuki, Futatsu no Spica). 13 episodes. Starts jun24, sun 10:00.Tokyo Majin Gakuen 2 東京魔人學園剣風帖 龍龍 第弐幕. If you liked the first series, you'll probably like the second: shounen supernatural horror, with good animation, good voice actors, lots of fighting and a school setting in a dark world. I tried the first series, but couldn’t get into it. BeStack/AIC. Starts jul27, fri 23:00.Wangan Midnight 湾岸MIDNIGHT. Animation of a popular manga about street racing, which has now reached 36 volumes. The protagonist buys a Nissan S30 Fairlady Z which is about to be scrapped and discovers it is the legendary "Devil Z," a car that was the fastest ever, but ended up killing its owner, because it was so hard to control. This is the story of the protagonist's struggles to restore and tame the Devil Z.Directed by Tominaga Tsuneo (Wind: a Breath of Heart) and adapted by Kishima Nobuaki (Eyeshield 21, Katekyo Hitman Reborn). With film actor Oguri Shun, Miki Shinichirou (Kurz Weber in FMP) and Suhou Reiko (Kousaka Yuri in NANA). Not my thing, but fans are enjoying the early episodes, although the animation by ACGT is reportedly a bit sub-par. Started jun09, sat 21:00.Zero no Tsukaima: Futatsuki no Kishi ゼロの使い魔 ～双月の騎士～. New director and chief writer for this second season of Zero no Tsuakima, so it's hard to know what to expect -- except for more of the same from the mistress of tsundere, Kugimiya Rie. Director Kou Yuu and writer Kawahara Yuji did Loveless, so there may be more subtlety involved this time. We can only hope.Also with Satoshi Hino, Horie Yui, Kawasumi Ayako, Takahashi Mikako, Inokuchi Yuka, Sakurai Takahiro, Inoue Kikuko, et al. Music by Mitsumune Shinkichi, who did Utena, Rozen Maiden, Asatte no Houkou, etc., and is also doing a second show in the new season: Sky Girls. JCStaff. 12 episodes. Starts jul08, sun 24:30.Zombie-Loan ゾンビローン. "When a human is marked to die, a faint gray line that is invisible to most appears around their neck. As time passes, that ring becomes darker and darker, until it is eventually black, and that person dies. Kita Michiru has an unusual gift, she possesses 'Shinigami eyes,' which allow her to see these rings. When Michiru notices that two of the boys in her Class, Akatsuki Chika and Tachibana Shito not only have rings, but that they're jet black, they reveal to her that the were supposed to die in a tragic accident six months ago. With the help of the Zombie Loan loan office, they were given a second chance at life, should they be able to pay for their debt by doing the work of Shinigami and killing malicious zombies. They petition Michiru to assist them in their efforts, and she finds her everyday life changing dramatically." (ANN)Directed by the director of PetoPeto-san and Hitohira, Nishimori Akira, and adapted by the writer of Pumpkin Scissors and Trinity Blood, Tomioka Atsuhiro. With an excellent cast: Kuwashima Houko, Sakurai Takahiro, Suzumura Kenichi, Morikawa Toshiyuki, Saitou Chiwa, Suwabe Junichi, Ueda Kana, Gotou Saori. This is one of my picks to click, based on staff and cast alone, even though it isn’t in a genre I normally like. Based on the manga by PEACH-PIT. Animation by Xebec M2. Starts jul03, tue 26:40.One of the season's more anticipated shows, the loli classic Kodomo no Jikan, has no firm air dates yet, and the main Japanese source, Moon Phase, just has it slated for some time in 2007. The website of the animation studio, Studio Barcelona, makes no mention of it, but emphasizes the new series of Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan, which is due to start 24 August.There are some other interesting OVAs due out this summer: Ghibli's Iblard Jikan on 4 July; the fantasy slice-of-life Miyori no Mori, directed by the art director of Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies and Fantastic Children, who also did background art for Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo, Spirited Away, and Castle in the Sky (24 August); and an ARIA OVA called Arietta (starts 21 Sept.) And the second season of Moonlight Mile starts in September.There are a number of animated films coming out: Buzzer Beater, Studio 4°C's Genius Party, Gonzo's Kappa no Coo to Natsuyasumi, Madhouse's Piano no Mori (all July); Naruto Shippuden (August); Rebuild of Evangelion, Kiddy Grade: Truth Dawn, and the Clannad movie (all September).Read more about individual shows in the forums on AnimeSuki, especially the Unaired forum.
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Ten favorite female seiyuu? I have too many favorites, but here are ten whose presence alone will make me eager to watch a series. They are not necessarily the best seiyuus, although most of them are among the best. Nor are they the most famous seiyuus, although some of them are that. There are even a couple of newcomers here whom no-one else would rank this high; but I just love the sound of their voices. In fact, what draws me to a seiyuu can be either just pure sound or acting. Or both, as with the first two names:1. Kuwashima Houko -- Her voice is so flexible and expressive, and communicates something I can only call "goodness." As a comparative newcomer to anime, I discovered her as Shuurei in Saiunkoku Monogatari. Most people know her as Rose Tomas in Fullmetal Alchemist, but she was also Kagura in Azumanga Daioh and is amazing as Claire in the current Claymore, playing opposite the next name on the list...2. Paku Romi -- She blew me away as rocker Nana in NANA. Just watch it. True acting power. Is this the same person who was Loran Cehak in Turn A Gundam? It is certainly the same person who is Teresa in Claymore. And she is most famous for her role as Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist. The fact that her ancestry is Koean -- although her family has lived in Japan for a couple of generations -- just makes the package more interesting.3. Kawasumi Ayako -- There is nothing she can't do. Her most recent role, as Nono in Hitohira, shows how finely she can pitch her performances. But the role that made me fall in love with her was Lafiel in Crest of Stars. Or was it Kurau in Kurau Phantom Memory. Or was it Aoi in Ai yori Aoshi? Or was it...? Lol.4. Hirano Aya -- She wasn't anything special until Haruhi in Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu, and she would never have made this list until her amazing, deeply emotional performance as Layla in NANA. Even now, I am putting her here as much from anticipation as past performance. But her work as Sanae in Sumo mo Momo mo and Mei in Manabi Straight, and her totally unexpected comic excess in Lucky Star, confirm her great ability. And she is only 19. She is not a smooth pro, but she brings something special to each role. And the fact that you can follow events in her life daily in her blog makes her even more interesting.5. Yahagi Sayuri -- Her liquid, mobile voice was a revelation as soon as I heard it in her debut as Karin in Karin, when she was 19. She then went through a kind of seiyuu internship, playing Gretel in Otogijushi Akazukin, alongside the likes of Tamura Yukari, Sawashiro Miyuki, and Kugimiya Rie, learning the finer points of her trade and moderating her uniquenes. Then she was given a chance to let herself go again and showed just how moe she could go, as Kuu in Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora. And now she has settled in as one of the voices that show up again and again in secondary roles: as a classmate in sola, as the ten-year-old genius engineer in Gigantic Formula. She has the skill to become the next Kawasumi Ayako.6. Koshimizu Ami -- Tenko in Kamisama Kazoku made me sit up and take notice. And she makes the minor role of Sae in sola so strong that some people hate her, lol. She won a best supporting voice award last year for Karen in Code Geass. Her range is marvellous. Amisuke and Hirano Aya are the next big things. Not coincidentally, they both have great photo blogs.7. Orikasa Fumiko -- From the moving role of Chise in Saikano to the hilarious one of Miu in Ichigo Mashimaro. Add Rukia in Bleach and Shirley in Code Geass? 'Nuff said.8. Sasaki Nozomi -- She has only had two roles, but I love her unique voice so much I yearn to hear it again. She debuted as Nana-chan in Bokura ga Ita, and her voice there may have been the most moe I have ever heard. It is even more exciting that she was an office worker in her early twenties who got her break by attending a seiyuu workshop in Kobe and just wowing the director of BgI, who was conducting the workshop. Now she has quit her day job and thrown herself into the maelstrom of seiyuu life. She was almost completely untrained when she made her debut, but she had been an amateur actress and was able to project emotion. Now I eagerly await her appearance as Patty Martin in Lucky Star.9. Yukana -- I first heard her as the forceful Dominura whom Noto Mamiko gradually softened in Simoun, but a lot of people discovered her as Mashiro in Mai Otome or as the mysterious alien C.C. in Code Geass. She has the most sensual voice of any seiyuu I know, and people say she gives off a lot of pheromones in real life, as well.10. Takahashi Rieko -- She has done so few roles that it is a little crazy to put here here. In fact, you could say she has done the same role twice: it was called Neviril in Simoun, and Deanna Soriel in Turn A Gundam. But I simply adore the combination of grandeur and humanity she can convey. She is more a stage actress than a seiyuu, but it is so good to have her grace us with her presence from time to time.There are so many great voice actresses who could be ranked higher than some of the names on my list, but who just don't entrance me like the ten above, at least on this particular day: Toyoguchi Megumi (Honoka in The Third, for example), Tanaka Rie (who was triumphant as Hiro in Hataraki Man), Chiba Saeko (Dokuro-chan, Chika in Ichigo Mashimaro), Nabatame Hitomi (Nobue-oneesan in Ichigo Mashimaro, for example), Kawakami Tomoko (Utena in Revolutionary Girl Utena, Misuzu in AIR), Itou Shizuka (Shouko in Asatte no Houkou, Rei in Maria-sama ga Miteru), Tamura Yukari (I don't get Nanoha, but I loved her as Tomari in Kashimashi), Kobayashi Sanae (Maya in Glass Mask, Eleanor Campbell in Emma), Sawashiro Miyuki (Shinku in Rozen Maiden), Yukino Satsuki (Ai in Planetes), Sakamoto Maaya (Haruhi in Ouran HS Host Club).Here are some more favorites of mine, but whom I can't rank with those top talents in the industry: Saitou Chiwa (Hazuki in Tsukuyomi Moon Phase), Asano Masumi (Manatsu in Uta~Kata), Noto Mamiko (how about Matsuri in sola?), Takahashi Mikako (Ayu in Honey & Clover), Gotou Yuuko (Nanami in Lamune), Nazuka Kaori (Yun in Simoun), Makino Yui (Misaki in Welcome the the NHK), Mitsuhashi Kanako (Miki in Zettai Shounen). Itou Miki (Sachiko in Maria-sama ga Miteru), Matsuki Miyu (Yoshinoya-sensei in Hidamari Sketch), Matsuoka Yuki (Setsuna in Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora).Horie Yui is extremely professional and has a lovely voice, but she has never really reached me. As someone who doesn't get tsundere, perhaps I judge Kugimiya Rie unfairly, but her voice just doesn't move me, either.Thanks to Kurogane and Riuva for giving me the idea to do this post, and to Kaioshin for starting a similar thread on AnimeSuki.
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I've put together a calendar-style schedule for this spring's anime viewing, giving TV days/times in Japan, along with staff and cast highlights.The calendar shows currently broadcast shows, including those that are not new, but began in past seasons. It leaves out only some kids' shows and hentai OVAs. It does cover mainstream OVAs released in April. Data is from the Japanese sites MoonPhase, Shoboi Calendar, and Wikipedia, and from Anime News Network and anidb.info.With almost 40 new shows starting in April, it's a chore wading through them all. But I have already seen several good ones.The first show of the season, Hitohira (Wednesdays) pleased me a lot. It is a sensitive comedy-drama about a girl who sometimes gets so nervous she can't speak, but is dragooned into joining a drama club. I see a mixture of Maria-sama ga Miteru and Glass Mask with some hints of the gentle sensitivity of PetoPeto-san, whose staff is doing this show. Kawasumi Ayako as a sympathetic senior is brilliant.Touka Gettan (Mondays) is a mysterious romantic drama that has some of the most beautiful animation and backgrounds I have ever seen, with a heady lushness that suits the overheated (and so far impenetrable) tale. In episode one, we have already seen romantic love, maternal love, sex, violence, death, madness, gender confusion, magical transformations, a chance meeting, and a lot of cherry blossoms. The voice acting is good, with two relative newcomers in the lead roles, but Itou Miki (Sachiko in Maria-sama ga Miteru) in the pivotal role of the mother of one of the romantic leads. Fujimura Ayumi (Karada in Asatte no Houkou) is also in the cast. The OP, sung by Kitamura Eri and the two leads, Ise Mariya and Hayami Saori, is good, and the ED, sung by Hayami Saori is outstanding, as is the music throughout the show. Animation by Nishida Asako (Simoun, Fate/Stay Night, Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito) and Studio Deen. The main staff, in fact, is entirely the same as worked on Yamibou.Seirei no Moribito (Saturday mornings) has some of the most detailed and beautiful backgrounds I have ever seen, almost at the quality of a full-length feature, and excellent animation. The story is good, too, set in a fantasy mixture of Heian Japan with China, Korea and Tibet, and telling of a woman bodyguard who is charged with protecting a young boy who is threatened by assassins probably sent by his father the king. The bodyguard is played brilliantly by actress and film-dubber Andou Mabuki.Heroic Age (Sundays). I would not have expected it, but this science fiction epic really rocked my socks. In the far future, humanity, the last great race to enter space, is in conflict with older races. The technology is so advanced as to seem like magic, and the human relations have a bit of the exotic about them, too. The center of attention on a human ship is a vague young princess who has the ability to project herself into space and to sense what is present there. She finds a ruined planet inhabited by a lone human boy living in a crashed ship. It turns out that he has been integrated with a tremendously powerful mecha-creature of another race. Even a non-mecha fan like me enjoyed the battles against insectoid invaders from another of the races. Seventeen-year-old actress Ishikawa Yui is fascinating as the princess, and Tamura Yukari, Kugimiya Rie, Arai Satomi, and Takashi Kondou are also in the cast.
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