Japan’s disdain for American police is palpable. New Season Disclaimer: I prefer to give every show a chance. You never know when your dream-eating insect wielding Mai HiME knockoff will turn out to be a psychological romantic thriller, or the strange moeblob show will be full of wit and urine jokes. However, my preferences are [...]
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Click pictures to enlarge them. Spoilers ahead so please be cautious. Well, it seems like animation quality is as good as they advertised, as long as the first episode goes. Along with FMA and K-ON!, this series probably has the highest animation quali..글 전체보기
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Short Synopsis: Nicoletta finds herself a job at the restaurant. Episode Rating: 7,5/10 (Good) Okay, so my first impressions on this show are going to follow as soon as Eden of the East airs. It’s a bit of a strange choice to start blogging, but before I explain why, let me first hijack this post to write [...]
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Basquash will almost definitely be my favourite show of the spring season. Though there are still a few shows to air and to get subs that I’m remotely interested in (Polyphonica, Tayutama, Eden of the East and more) I’m not expecting as much since they’re not really my genre type and the promotional material wasn’t [...]
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Seiyuu HAYAMI Saori 早見沙織, 17, is graduating from high school this spring and beginning her seiyuu career in earnest.Up to now, she has been limited to one role at a time. But in the upcoming spring season she will have three roles, including her biggest role yet.She began her career two years ago, at the age of 15, as Momoka in Touka Gettan. Since then, her other major roles have been Kou in Wagaya no Oinari-sama and Musubi in Sekirei. These were all important roles, but not necessarily the main roles in their respective shows.This spring, she has her first real starring role, in Higashi no Eden. She is the main protagonist, and the story is told from her point of view.There is no word yet on a solo recording contract. Hayamin is a competent seiyuu, but I think she is a brilliant singer and should have a great future on that side of the business.CollegeShe turns 18 in May. One rumor is that she will be attending prestigious Gakushuin Women's College in Tokyo. This is the school Princess Mako will be attending, and seiyuu Inoue Marina is a graduate. Another rumor is that she is still trying to get into a college.The prestigious college would be no surprise, since she attended a prestigious girls' school from kindergarten right up into her last year of high school. That was Shirayuri Gakuen, a Catholic school that could have been the model for the school in Marimite.She transferred to a co-ed school in Tokyo a few months ago, probably because of her work, but as you can see from the top photo, she retains the straight posture of a proper young lady.Higashi no EdenHigashi no Eden ("Eden of the East"), which airs beginning Thursday April 9, is a mystery-romance in which Hayamin stars as a 22-year-old Japanese college graduate who goes on a trip to the US before beginning her working career.Outside the White House, she encounters a Japanese guy the same age...who is stark naked and has no memory of who he is. His only possessions are (1) a gun and (2) a cellphone that gives him access to a huge bank account. The story covers eleven days during which she "looks after" him.This is the new spring show I am most looking forward to. It is from Production I.G.; features character designs by Umino Chika, the mangaka of Honey & Clover; and is directed by Kamiyama Kenji, the director of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Seirei no Moribito. Here is the trailer:<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j2Wizf9B0YA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j2Wizf9B0YA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>other rolesHayamin also has supporting roles in two other spring shows: Basquash!, a science fiction anime produced by the developer of Macross and involving basketball played using mechas; and 07-Ghost, a gothic fantasy adventure.She will also be doing the OP to Basquash!, singing with Tomatsu Haruka and Nakajima Megumi as a new group called Eclipse.And she will play a major supporting role in this summer's Sora no Manima ni. That show is directed by Takamatsu Shinji, the director of Gintama and School Rumble. Also in the cast will be Maeno Tomoaki, Itou Kanae, Tomatsu Haruka, Takagi Reiko, Majima Junji, and Koshimizu Ami. Looks like a real money-maker (PV). No doubt she will have other roles this year, as well.Here are images of the four major roles Hayamin has had in her brief career: top (l-r) Momoka (Touka Gettan), Kou (Wagaya no Oinari-sama); bottom (l-r) Musubi (Sekirei), Saki (Higashi no Eden): These roles don't cover a wide range of voices, but Hayamin gives each of them individual character.I"m Enterprise's Secret WeaponFrom her first words as Momoka in Touka Gettan in 2007, it was clear that she had voice-acting talent. And from the first strains of her ED for that show, it was even clearer that she had singing talent. She is already my favorite seiyuu/singer. Her voice is sweet and fresh and supple, and she has good technique and musical feeling.Because of her talent both as a seiyuu and as a singer, Hayamin is known as "I"m Enterprise's secret weapon." I"m Enterprise (the crazy punctuation is theirs) is the seiyuu agency that represents her. I"m and Arts Vision were the agencies involved in scandal a couple of years ago when their chairman was charged with sexually assaulting a young girl who wanted to be a seiyuu. Hayamin was even rumored to have been the girl involved, although that apparently was not the case. Now it is Hayamin whom some people see as the savior of the agency.She is even entertaining as a radio and TV personality, and has already had her own radio show, young as she is. To get an idea of how well she can handle the usual seiyuu banter, have a look at this Sekirei TV feature, in which the 17-year-old Hayamin appears alongside Inoue Marina (23, left), Hanazawa Kana (19, center right), and Endou Aya (28, right):<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Op2KQjO8_1A&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Op2KQjO8_1A&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>a performerI read a post on 2channel that said Hayamin was in the radio club at her school and made regular noontime broadcasts. Many students liked them, but others tried to get them cancelled. Having heard her on the radio, I think she's a performer, and not averse to hearing the sound of her own voice.She has wanted to be a seiyuu since she was in fourth grade, and she began voice-acting classes at Nihon Narration when she was in the first year of middle school (seventh grade). Her mother is a part-time jazz singer (see previous blog post), and Hayamin took jazz-singing lessons, as well as piano. She used to sing along to tapes in the car, with her mother making sure she stayed on tune.Mummy has supported -- even pushed -- her all the way, it appears. Hayamin says her parents have always supported her in doing what she wants, but have also always encouraged her to do things well.Now all that effort is coming to fruition. The producers of Higashi no Eden have put Hayamin in a show with two male co-stars who are actors as well as seiyuu -- Kimura Ryouhei of Himawari Theatre Group and TV actor Miyauchi Atsushi -- and with fine actress seiyuu Tamagawa Sakiko (Onashia in Simoun, Fujitsubo in the new Genji). They must have confidence that she can hold her own. I look forward to finding out if she can.stats:- born 29 May 1991 (17 years old)- from Tokyo- real name: Matsuo Saori 松尾沙織- height 163cm (5'4")- blood type AB (cool but sociable, sometimes standoffish, artistic, unpredictable)linksinfo and pics:- Hayami Saori Anime News Network page- Wikipedia page- Japanese Wikipedia page- agency page (Japanese)- interview re Nihon Narration seiyuu school: part one, part two (Japanese)- interview at Wagaya no Oinari-sama live event (with Yukana and Takahashi Mikako, in Japanese)- interview re Wagaya no Oinari-sama ED (Japanese)- radio dot i blog (Japanese)videos:- Touka Gettan ED "Kono Sekai ga Itsuka wa"- Wagaya no Oinari-sama ED1 "Kaze ga Nani ka o Iou to Shiteru"- Sekirei character song "Koi Suru Otome Muteki Desu"- Sekirei insert song "Kimi wo Omou Toki"Hayami Saori's roles so far (full list from Japanese Wikipedia and 2channel, major roles bold):anime series:2007- Clannad (student #1)- Touka Gettan (Kawakabe Momoko)2008- Shigofumi (lover #5)- Ghost Hound (pupil A)- Sekirei (Musubi)- Monochrome Factor (student #5, student #21)- Wagaya no Oinari-sama (Kou)2009- 07-Ghost (Razetto, Burupya)- Basquash (Violet)- Higashi no Eden (Morimi Saki)- Sora no Manima ni (Saya)OVAs2007- Koharu Biyori (Midou Sumire)Games2007- SD Gundam Ggeneration Spirits (Neri Orson)- Joteiru (Makino Yayoi, Kano Matsuha)- ♂Motto!! Renai Shugi♀ Boreas (Kinohara Chiho)2009- Ranshima Monogatari Leyland Story (Fei)Radio- Sekirei Radio (2008.05.16 - 2008.12.26)- Radio dot i - Hayami Saori's Positive After-school Club "Sweets" (2008.10.03 - 2008.12.26)Radio Drama- Vomic "Fly High" (Tachibana Meru)Music CDs- Sekirei OP, ED- Sekirei Sound Stage 01 "Koi Suru Otome wa Muteki Desu"- Sekirei Radio Theme "Tamanai Kiss or Die" (CD in Sekirei DVD 1 Premium edition)- Sekirei insert song "Kimi wo Omou Toki" (CD in Sekirei DVD 1 Premium edition)- Touka Gettan OP- Touka Gettan ED "Kono Sekai ga Itsuka wa"- Touka Gettan Drama CD "Love Draft Wakiwaki Bugiugi"- Touka Gettan Music Collection "Saigo no Ai no Tame ni"- Wagaya no Oinari-sama ED- Wagaya no Oinarisama song collection "Shiawase no Kotodama"Drama CDs- Sekirei Sound Stage (Musubi)- Soul Kureidoru Drama CD Koutei Majutsushi Youdo no Karei Naru Dai Bouken (member of the Water-dwellers' guard- DearGirl〜Stories〜Hibiki (Sayaka)- Touka Gettan (Kawakabe Momoka)- Wagamama Sentai Bloom Heart (Kazema Sakura - Pink Cherry)Dubbing- Meitantei Monku 5 (#5)
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As the Fall and Winter shows are finishing, here's a preview of the Spring 2009 shows premiering next week and beyond. There aren't quite as many new shows premiering as last fall - 28 major titles not including kiddie stuff or OVAs - but that still leaves a huge variety of shows. And for once my schedule isn't filled with continuing series, so theoretically I can watch something new for every day of the week (unlike this past Winter season when I had almost all of the Fall shows carrying over). As usual, I'll try to watch the first episode of as many shows as I can within certain parameters (in other words, not the kiddie shows), and what I list here are the chances of me actually blogging something based on my initial impressions from promotional material. However, even if I list the chances for a show as good or guaranteed, it doesn't necessarily mean I'll stick with it for more than a few episodes. By no means does this list reflect every single anime series that is going to be aired, though I did try to be as comprehensive as I could. Check out MOON PHASE for an entire listing, syoboi's calendar for specific air-times, and Fansub Wiki's Spring 2009 page for who's tentatively subbing what. Technical Note: All times are given in a 24-hour, relative-day format where times are extended to show which day they belong to. For instance, Friday morning at 1:30AM would become Thursday at 25:30 to show that the episode aired late Thursday night. Queen's Blade - Rurou no Senshi http://queensblade.tv/ Premiere on April 2nd, 2009 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 08:00 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Wednesdays at 19:00 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, MyAnimeList, syoboi Queen's Blade is about a competition to choose a beautiful queen, and all the contestants are big breasted warrior women. They threw in some tentacle monsters for good measure, making this probably the closest you can get to straight up hentai. Certainly the promos (see below) are filled with nudity and ridiculous character designs, including one character whose bra is a pair of hands formed by her hair. And given that ARMS and GENCO are producing this and AT-X is airing it, I suspect that it'll turn out similarly to Ikkitousen: DD and GG, though it's been announced that the AT-X version will indeed feature the nudity. All this is to say that I'm not expecting this show to be very deep, however in its defense, it's got one helluva cast, from Hirano Aya to Kawasumi Ayako to Noto Mamiko to Tanaka Rie and Kugimiya Rie. I might watch an episode of this just to see how far they push the envelope, but there are too many other potentially good Thursday shows to take this one seriously. Odds I'll Blog This: Poor Eden of the East http://juiz.jp/ Premiere on April 9th, 2009 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 24:45 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 11:45 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, AniDB, MyAnimeList, syoboi If Ristorante Paradiso isn't your thing and you want the series that truly looks like Honey and Clover, then look no further than Eden of the East because it's got H&C's mangaka Umino Chika doing character designs. And after seeing the trailer, it also happens to be one of the series I'm most excited about. Being animated by Production I.G, Eden of the East is an original story of a Japanese girl on a trip to America who gets saved by a naked guy in front of the White House. The guy, who is also Japanese, has no memories and carries only a gun and a cell phone with tons of money on it. The mystery deepens to involve terrorism and a missile attack on Tokyo. The trailer really, really impressed me, particularly their choice of music (I can already tell that I'm going to love the ED), so I'm really looking forward to seeing this. Odds I'll Blog This: Guaranteed Note: This is a rather long and fairly comprehensive list of April shows. Much much more after the jump, including a bunch of promo videos.
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For planning your spring viewing, here's a calendar showing the weekly anime broadcast schedule for April-June 2009. It includes new shows and continuing shows, and gives highlights of staff and cast, as well as links to sites that give more info. Click the image to go to the full calendar.The big days this season are Thursday and Sunday. The season gets going in earnest next Thursday, 2 April, with six new shows: Queen's Blade, Asura Cryin', Pandora Hearts, Basquatch, K-On, and Requiem for the Phantom. Higashi no Eden will join them the following Thursday, 9 April.On Sunday 5 April will come a full 13 new shows: Beyblade, Dragon Ball Kai, Jewelpet, Cross Game, Fullmetal Alchemist 2, Before Green Gables (Konnichiwa Anne), Hanasakeru Seishounen, Guin Saga, Shangri-La, Tayutama: Kiss on my Deity, Natsu no Arashi!, Tears to Tiara, and Saki. Good luck keeping up with that lot, lol.Here are my detailed previews of all the new shows. You can find other previews via Anime Nano. And there is another anime schedule here (Mahou Showtime).You may notice some minor changes from the dates/times given in my previews. There is always a little shuffling just before the season starts. I'll keep correcting the calendar as I get new info.
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Alright, they finally released the promotional trailer for Eden of the East! Now, I know that I am in serious trouble when the "trailer" yes, the "trailer" makes me fall in love with the main characters. Sufficed to say, I have a broad prediction that all of this shows credentials are putting it in a really good place. Here's to spring and the quickly approaching season. Although, from the preview I smell some hilarious Engrish. "Do you wannah Daaaiiihhh?" <object width="480" height="295" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/CanJ9APjZo0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CanJ9APjZo0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1"/><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"/></object> Oh, and a shameless plug for our new poll. How did Clannad's end make you feel? I would like to know! But if you're too busy looking at timeline graphs or checking your light orb count, I will also understand.
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The PV trailer for upcoming anime - Eden of The East, looks interesting. I wonder who will keeping tabs on this anime
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