I’ve got to stop dropping these boring-looking series without giving them a chance… looking back at what I wrote on my first impression on this series, I realize what an idiot I’ve been, dropping this series in favour of… Binbou Shimai Monogatari. In any case, if you’re looking for good romance, then look no further, [...]
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Late today thanks to… Noto Mamiko. Har har har. Today’s results: Group C1 有効コードがある票の順位 1位　669票　すず＠ながされて藍蘭島 << Suzu @ Nagasarete Airantou >> 2位　418票　久寿川ささら＠OVA ToHeart2 <<Kurusugawa Sasara @ OVA ToHeart2 >> 3位　280票　アーエル＠シムーン << Aaeru @ Simoun >> Group C5 有効コードがある票の順位 1位　731票　ヴィヴィオ＠魔法少女リリカルなのはStrikerS << Vivio @ Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS >> 2位　360票　山田あす＠貧乏姉妹物語 << Cecille Croomy @ Code Geass >> 3位　346票　セシル・クルーミー＠コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ << Yamada Asu @ Binbou Shimai Monogatari >> Group [...]
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Bizarrely, this post began life as a profile on Matsuki Miyu but I lost the plot halfway through ^^; I wasn't gonna label this a profile cos to be honest; it's mostly made up of random videos and mostly useless stuff but what the hell. I'm still stuck on two I've been working on for the last month so I'll just get this one up to hold the fort.Let's just say off the bat, that I find Kaneda Tomoko's voice about as appealing as eating a piece of gorgonzola that's been lying at the back of the fridge for 5 years. I think she's really a 10-year old kid trapped in a 34-year old's body - though you probably couldn't tell Kaneda was that old, she's just 146cm.... which is probably the height I was when I was 10-years old >_>The problem with her voice? I'm sure most people would've watched her role as the loveable Chiyo-chan in Azumanga Daioh and thought Oh she sounds cute! It's one thing to hear that voice coming from a 10-year old kid genius but to hear it coming from a person who's old enough to be Chiyo's mother is another thing. I find it pretty disconcerting that she always sounds like that be it when voice acting or talking normally - but as Kaneda herself says 'The seiyuu world would be a poorer place without somebody like me' ^^;;;Vital StatsName: 金田朋子 (Kaneda Tomoko)Date of Birth: 29th May 197?Hometown: Kanagawa, JapanAgency: Aoni ProductionHeight: 146cm/4'7''Weight: unknownBlood Type: BKey Roles: Mihama Chiyo in Azumanga Daioh, Marie in Onegai Teacher/Twins, Yamada Asu in Binbou Shimai MonogatariRandom Facts1*Kaneda actually graduated from Kanto Gakuin University (the same uni as the members of Asian Kung-Fu Generation) with a degree in Architecture, Engineering Department.2*Kaneda only became a seiyuu on her sister's suggestion; she used to work in a bank (cos she loves money lol) and took night classes at Aoni Production's school. She actually only debuted in her late 20s, which is pretty much a dinosaur these days. Her age has never been officially confirmed, estimates range from 32 to 34.3*Released a single with Matsuki Miyu under the name SD★Children which was used as the Ryusei Sentai Musumet ending theme. And yes, SD stands for Super Deformed (or déformer in French as they call it). Unfortunately Kaneda appears to be a bit confused about the concept of SD and had to have an exasperated Matsuki explain it to her (see random links below, SD Children interview).Even if I find Kaneda's voice acting (mostly) incredibly irritating, there is no doubt she is one of the most entertaining individuals around. Kaneda's what I'd call 'mad as a box of frogs' - I may not care much for her voice acting ability, but watching or listening to her is comedy gold. Just stick her in a room with a bottle of sake and off she'll go. Like in the video below....I think Kaneda has more or less developed a pretty 'famous' reputation in the seiyuu world, I've seen/heard her voice & mannerisms being mimicked countless times. I was rather amused watching a recent episode of ClubAT-X (below) where Yanagino Reiko was interviewing the two main seiyuu in Sola, Noto Mamiko & Nakahara Mai. They were talking about how unique each of the characters in the show was, and Yanagino asked them 'What do you mean by, or how do you define unique?' and the two of them looked at each other, then dissolved into a fit of giggles.Nakahara then said 'Maybe it's the people who are doing the voices that are unique' and Mamiko quickly agreed. Yanagino then read from her script - 'Like Kaneda-san?' which sent Mamiko into another giggling fit. And Nakahara replies 'Yes, she's extremely unique!' to which Noto says 'Tomo-chan Saiko desu! (Tomo-chan's the best)'WorkAnimeMy first taste of Kaneda was in Hanaukyo Maid Tai as the silent schizo Cynthia/Grace but I guess most would know her best for Chiyo-chan and Marie in the Onegai series. Or maybe Bonta-kun ^_^ She functions best when all she's required to do is stand around and act cute, anything that requires more than 3 consecutive sentences is just annoying. Renge from Air Master in particular was VERY.ANNOYING. Though there are some of her roles lately that I've found pretty tolerable - Gretel in Black Lagoon, Asu in Binbou Shimai Monogatari & Mayuko in sola. But Kaneda's voice is so distinct it's incredibly easy to spot her no matter the size her role - she only had fleeting cameos in 12Kokki and AIR but she stood out like a sore thumb ^^;Radio/TVShe appears to be a much sought after radio personality - probably due to her spontaneity and tendency . A lot of her shows descend into chaos, and there are rumours that various colleagues had to quit cos they couldn't stand working with her ^^; She had a 1 1/2-year stint presenting AT-X's Yappari Anime ga Suki! alongside Azumanga colleagues Asakawa Yuu & Matsuoka Yuki, and also did shows with the likes of Matsuki Miyu, Nakahara Mai and the rest of DROPS.DROPSShe was part of the Aoni Production seiyuu group DROPS who were probably most famous for their cover of TOM★CAT's Furare Kibun de Rock'n'Roll which was used as the Sensei no Ojikan ending theme. Amusingly, in DROPS (the other seiyuu involved are Kouda Marika, Shiraishi Ryoko, Nonaka Ai & Kanda Akemi) each member was assigned a 'family role' based on their personality & age. For example, Kouda was the 'eldest daughter', Kanda was the 'okan' (Kansaiben for mother), Shiraishi the 'second daughter', Aipon the 'youngest child' and Tomo-chan was....'the pet'. Thankfully they didn't let her sing too much, for the safety of the otaku populations' eardrums.After wading through tons of downright strange Kaneda-related media I'm think I'm actually starting to like her now. Oh dear. Goes to show how personality can make up for shortfalls in talent (and vice versa). So if you can't sing/act etc. just act like a buffoon, it might win you a lot of fans. Just ask Sanjaya Malakar ^^;Other random rubbishhttp://blog.aniuta.jp/index.php?e=265 A video featuring bizarre impressions by Tomo-chan of random stars (including KimuTaku), alongside a bemused Kano Yui.Kaneda Tomoko no Mini Mini Micro ni Ke ga Haeta - Website for radio/TV etcKaneda Tomoko no Mini Mini Denshi Youchien - Internet radioAnimate Interview with SD Children - Absolutely hilarious interview. Kaneda manages to piss Matsuki off by describing her role in Musumet (she plays an adult) as a 'casting miss'.Loads of Videos on NicoNico Douga - Requires registration - the best vid is http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm125936 where she does imitations of, amongst others, Hard Gay & a rather impressive 'sound that Mario (mustachioed fat plumber) makes when he's jumping'DROPS' Furare Kibun de Rock'n'Roll PVDROPS' Furare Kibun de Rock'n'Roll live - Painful. Aipon, shut up!Agency profile
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Happy New Year everyone! I found making this list quite difficult and cumbersome…The top five was easy, but listing the rest was quite a recall exercise lol. There were shows I thought didn’t belong in 2006 but did–so I had to do some research. This is my punishment for watching too many shows. [...]
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I can now exclusively reveal that the reason my blog is so HARD GAY is because I have Lui chained up in my basement.   As the days became depressingly short and winter tightened its grip upon the land, I had the great idea of summarising all the 2006 series I watched in one great ‘Annual Round-Up’; [...]
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.Hack//Roots - 74/100 MMORPG-Based Drama Adolescence of Utena - 87/100 Strange School Life Dueling Movie Ayakashi ~ Japanese Classic Horror - 87/100 Medieval Japan-Based Horror Stories Binbou Shimai Monogatari - 63/100 Slice of Life featuring two poor sisters Blood+ - 82/100 Epic Action-Drama Series Comedy - 89/100 Stylish 10-minute OVA Story Dead Leaves - 71/100 Chaotic Action Movie Eternal Family - 91/100 Comedy Movie Ergo Proxy - 87/100 Complex Post-Apocalyptical Mystery-Mind-Game Eureka 7 [...]
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Brief notes on anime series that I watched and have recently concluded. Air Gear 1. Animation/Graphics: 2. Appeal/Impression: 3. Storyline/Adaptation: 4. Themes/Music: 5. Setting/Atmosphere: 6. Recommendation: Sentiments: Adapted from Oh! Great famous work Air Gear, the animation was a disappointment for me because its character deformation. Several deformations appeared throughout the series, particularly in the middle and towards the end of the series. However, the fanservice and the fandom of Air Gear manga managed to appeal much fans. Overall, it's enjoyable but a rather disappointing anime for me. Ah! My Goddess Sorezore no Tsubasa 1. Animation/Graphics: 2. Appeal/Impression: 3. Storyline/Adaptation: 4. Themes/Music: 5. Setting/Atmosphere: 6. Recommendation: Sentiments: I have a post dedicated to AMG season 2. Season 2 wasnt a good as the first season. They could have attract more interests since two highly anticipated arc, Peorth and Hild, were animated. However, it didnt deliver the series with flow and appeals. The music is excellent and the animation quality is consistent. But the series really lack developments and fail to impress the fans. Aria The Natural 1. Animation/Graphics: 2. Appeal/Impression: 3. Storyline/Adaptation: 4. Themes/Music: 5. Setting/Atmosphere: 6. Recommendation: Sentiments: I have a post dedicated to ARIA The Natural. I gave many excellent ratings for ARIA because if its dedication and appeal in the animation series. However, there were few episodes where small sections were poorly animated. The music and atmosphere continued to impress me. A higly recommended anime but some might find it rather boring with its genre. Binbou Shimai Monogatari 1. Animation/Graphics: 2. Appeal/Impression: 3. Storyline/Adaptation: 4. Themes/Music: 5. Setting/Atmosphere: 6. Recommendation: Sentiments: Avex mode, lost faith in them after its poorly animated Ichigo 100%, now further support its incabability with similar animation quality. The only thing I like is the mangaka's drawing prior and post commercial break. Rather uninteresting, surprise how I even finish watching it even with much hesistations. Muteki Kanban Musume 1. Animation/Graphics: 2. Appeal/Impression: 3. Storyline/Adaptation: 4. Themes/Music: 5. Setting/Atmosphere: 6. Recommendation: Sentiments: Although I didnt give high rating for it, it has been fun watching the series. The drawback was the constant fighting, challeging and gimmicks repeating in the series. I dont really appreciate its background musics. The animation was consistent and I like the dog most, as long as its teeth's not showing. It's fun to watch but could be boring or lack of appeal for some. Zegapain 1. Animation/Graphics: 2. Appeal/Impression: 3. Storyline/Adaptation: 4. Themes/Music: 5. Setting/Atmosphere: 6. Recommendation: Sentiments: Zegapain has one of the best animation quality due to its 3D rendering. However, it started with characters development which I found boring at first. Only until the end, I started to appreciate the importance of earlier episodes. But many fans and I, was about to drop Zegapain but decided to press on. It did turn out to be a good anime, except the ending was a bit ambiguous. Recommended but hope you manage to survive in watching all 26 episodes. Zero no Tsukaima 1. Animation/Graphics: 2. Appeal/Impression: 3. Storyline/Adaptation: 4. Themes/Music: 5. Setting/Atmosphere: 6. Recommendation: Sentiments: The series didnt spark any interest initially, it was about the 3rd episode when I started watching. After that, it has been one of my most anticipated series, mainly due to its appeal and humour. I would settle for less fanservice, but I guess that's the appeal of the series. Really love the animation and highly recommended to anime fans. Max: P/S: I reserve the right to view my personal sentiments. :p
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I was clearing my room today .. Then I realised I actually bought 5 magazines in total this month … 1. Dengeki Daioh 2. Newtype 3. Megami 4. Hobby Japan 5. Animage Now … I think its kinda overboard … I gotta stop this !! At this rate .. I would become even poorer than the sisters from Binbou Shimai Monogatari But then … [...]
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Binbou Shimai Monogatari is your typical slice-of-life series. Kyou and Asu are two sisters. Their mother died when Asu was born, while their father ran away and left a huge debt. This means that they’ve been living most of their lives together. And that’s basically it. The ten episodes of this anime basically follow these [...]
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*Project Raw Kyou remembers about the promise she made with her mother when the latter was pregnant with Asu. Their father was still with them then. Then Asu wakes her up, it was a dream after all, and she’s sick. However, Kyou still insists on doing newspaper deliveries. But her body is [...]
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