The Essentials Name: Kamisama Kazoku, God’s Family Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama Episodes: 13 Released: May 18, 2006 - August 10, 2006 Based On: Kamisama Kazoku light novels by Yoshikazu Kuwashima Director: Kimitoshi Chioka Produced By: Toei Animation US Distribution By: N/A Major Japanese Cast Tenko: Ami Koshimizu Samatarou Kamiyama: Daisuke Kishio Kumiko Komori: Ai Maeda Osamu Kamiyama: Masashi Ebara Venus Kamiyama: Nanaho Katsuragi Misa Kamiyama: Yumi Touma Meme Kamiyama: Akemi Kanda Shinichi [...]
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The panel started with a trailer for 07-Ghost, which I had no interest in previously, but am now intrigued.  Something about seven mystical beings and a guy with the power to save the world just pushed the right buttons for me. Next were quick overviews of their new titles, Kamisama Kazoku, Cy-Believers, Ultimate Venus, and [...]
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For those of you who have been waiting five months now, the sixth volume of Kuwashima Yoshikazu-sensei's harem romantic comedy God Family or Kamisama Kazoku is scheduled for release the 25th of June, along with the latest volume 5 of the #15-ranked bestselling manga Midori Days by Inoue Kazurou-sensei. Latest installments of Harold Sakuishi-sensei's BECK (volume 14), Hata Kenjiro-sensei's
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Manga by Yasuda Suzuhito, who drew illustration for Kamisama Kazoku. I haven't read it myself but, introduction of the book sounds like another "destroy yokai" kind of book. I think I'll take a look when I have time. I mean, I already know character des..글 전체보기
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The new season is coming up fast. The first new show, Ayakashi, has already begun, and the season gets fully under way exactly two weeks from today. As with most winter seasons, there are not a huge number of new shows. The Spring and Fall 2007 seasons had almost 40 new shows each. This winter season has around 20. I don't see anything potentially classic here, but you never know.I myself am looking forward to the new show from the director of Simoun, Nishimura Junji. True Tears looks like a standard harem romance, but his presence, along with that of writer Okada Mari, who wrote many episodes of Simoun, gives me hope for something a bit special. Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koshinryou) is based on an award-winning novel about a young travelling merchant and a wolf-goddess, who are played in the anime by Fukuyama Jun and Koshimizu Ami. The wolf-goddess's character is entrancing: playful and bold. I keep wanting Ami to get better roles, and I think this might be a big one for her.Even though it is too long for my taste (52 episodes) Porfy no Nagai Tabi could be interesting, made as it is by Mochizuki Tomomi, who did both Zettai Shounen and YKK. Rosario+Vampire has an amazing cast, headed by Mizuki Nana, and an intriguing vampire+school life plot. And the "second helping" of the enjoyable Minami-ke will be interesting, since it is made by a completely new staff (but with the same cast). H2O～Footprints in the Sand～ is another harem romance, but it has Koshimizu Ami in it and was written by Hanada Jukki, who wrote sola. A new season of ARIA, a new season of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, a new season of Gunslinger Girl.The list below is in the order the new shows will air. English titles link to a show's Anime News Network encyclopedia page, which has more staff/cast info. Japanese titles link to official sites. Clicking "forum" will take you to the AnimeSuki forum for each show, where people post even more info about the show. Times are in Japanese TV-listing style: 26:30 Monday means 2:30 am Tuesday (midnight is 24:00, plus 2:30 makes 26:30).The list includes only series. I'll cover OVAs separately, time permitting. A couple of big OVAs are actually coming this Friday, 21 December, with the first episode of a four-ep Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien OVA and the first episode of Amuri in Star Ocean, starring Makino Yui, Noto Mamiko, Saitou Momoko, Kaneda Tomoko, and Aizawa Michiru (Furoe in Simoun).Ayakashi. アヤカシ. "Adapted from an adult superhuman battle action visual novel. Ayakashi is a parasitic force that gives superpowers to its host, taking in return the host's entire life force. Kusaka Yuu is a student that lost his will to live after the death of a dear childhood friend, until the day a mysterious girl appears. Hunted by Ayakashi and their hosts, the power within Yuu awakens and a never-ending battle begins." (ANN) Director and writer Takada Jun and Kouno Takemitsu did the totally different show Lamune. Stars Mizuki Nana, Kishio Daisuke, Matsuki Miyu, Sugita Tomokazu, Yukino Satsuki, et al. Preview broadcast of eps 1-2 on 8 Dec 07. Starts 11:00 wed dec12. forum. Sisters of Wellber 2. ウエルベールの物語 第二部. Three episodes of the first series was all I could take. I think it was the talking tank that got me. The cast is great: Takahashi Mikako, Takeuchi Junko (Naruto), Sendai Eri, Namikawa Daisuke, Sugita Tomokazu. And the basic set-up is good: a princess flees arrest for murder, under the protection of a female thief. Time to take another look? Director Hamana Takayuki did Prince of Tennis. Production I.G., TransArts. Starts 26:30 tue jan01. forum.Rosario to Vampire. ロザリオとバンパイア. One of the more anticipated shows of the season, with an outstanding cast: Mizuki Nana, Chiba Saeko, Kugimiya Rie, Inoue Kikuko, Fukuen Misato, Kishio Daisuke, Seki Tomokazu, Koyasu Takehito. "Tsukune Aono (Kishio Daisuke) is not a good student. The only school he can get into turns out to be a school attended by youkai ("monsters"), disguised as humans. Fearing for his life, he attempts to escape. But he meets Moka Akashiya (Mizuki Nana), a beautiful girl who just happens to be a vampire. He decides to stay at the academy, hiding his human nature from students and teachers. But Tsukune discovers that when the rosary around Moka's neck is removed, her true vampire nature emerges." (Anime News Network)Director Inagaki Takayuki directed Sunabouzu, Marginal Prince, and Koharu Biyori. Lead writer Yamaguchi Hiroshi did Argento Soma, Comic Party, Sunabouzu, and ToHeart2. Could become just a moe monster-of-the-week anime, but has promise. Gonzo. 13eps. Starts 23:30 thu jan03. forumH2O ～Footprints in the Sand～. H2O ～FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND～. Koshimizu Ami in yet another harem romance. Adapted from an ero-game. People say the game is slow and makes poor use of some good ideas. But the anime adaptation is written by Hanada Jukki (Rozen Maiden, sola). Perhaps he can make better use of the material. Starts 25:20 thu jan03. forum.Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de. 君が主で執事が俺で. Although it's being broadcast at 6:30 Friday evenings, this appears to be a full-on harem show with tsunderes. It has a fantastic cast: Seki Tomokazu, Itou Shizuka, Tanaka Rie, Gotou Yuuko, Hiyama Nobuyuki. "...in the game, the player’s character is a butler who must serve a demanding wealthy heiress. The Kuonji family is a very old and very rich one with three daughters (Itou and Gotou play two of them), each of whom has her own staff. It’s a Kuonji family tradition for the staff to swear absolute loyalty to their masters, so when teenage runaway Ren Uesugi (Seki Tomokazu) and his sister Mihato (hitomi) are desperate for the money, they agree to make the pledge." (jcdranzer, AnimeSuki) A.C.G.T. Starts 18:30 fri jan04. forum Hatenkou Yuugi. 破天荒遊戯. Kobayashi Sanae, Sakurai Takahiro, and Miki Shinichirou are an excellent main cast. A young girl named Rahzel is booted out of her house one day by her father with the instructions to 'see the world.' And so her journey begins. However, she won’t be doing it alone. She befriends a stoic young man named Alzeido seeking revenge for his father's murder. Alzeido and Rahzel are like oil and water, but they feel strangely drawn to one another. This could be either the result of an underlying attraction — or their shared powers with magic... (Baka-updates) The outstanding Kobayashi Sanae (Maya in Glass Mask) means I have to watch at least one episode. Miki Shinichirou and Sakurai Takahiro are more reasons to watch. Studio Deen. Starts 26:30 fri jan04. forum. Zenryoku Usagi. 全力ウサギ. "Full-power Bunnies." Saturday-morning anime featuring construction-worker rabbits. When an official site doesn’t give the names of the staff, I worry about quality. TMS Entertainment. Starts 08:30 sat jan05. MAJOR 4th season. MAJOR 4th season. The fourth season of the perennially popular baseball anime. Director Kasai Kenichi has branched off from here to do Honey & Clover 2 and KimiKiss ~pure rouge~. Starts 18:00 sat jan05. forum. PERSONA -trinity soul-. PERSONA -trinity soul-. Set in another futuristic city ten years after the events of Persona 3, the anime revolves around the undead known as "reverse," who disguise themselves as humans. It will be a supernatural story like the Persona series and will involve 3 brothers. Not my thing, but the preview has a quality look about it. Director Matsumoto Jun is new, but lead writer Muto Yasutuki wrote many episodes of Chevalier D'Eon. Cast includes Okamoto Nobuhiko (Yorito in sola), Koyasu Takehito, Sawashiro Miyuki, Asumi Kana, and Nakahara Mai. A-1 Pictures (Ookiku Furikabutte). Starts 22:30 sat jan05. forum. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei season 2. 俗・さよなら絶望先生. After the comparatively poor ratings for Negima, director Shinbou Akiyuki only got 13 episodes for Zetsubou Sensei. But the success of the first season got him a second season. A unique show with a terrific cast. Kamiya Hiroshi is great as the sensei, and he is surrounded with fine performances: Nonaka Ai, Sawashiro Miyuki, Matsuki Miyu, Gotou Yuuko, Shintani Ryouko, Sanada Asami, etc., etc. 13eps. Starts 24:30 sat jan05. forum true tears. true tears. Looks on the surface like a standard harem anime, but the preview has a very nice feel. A cast starring Nazuka Kaori, Iguchi Yuka, and Takagaki Ayahi is promising. Add Nishimura Junji, the director of Simoun, and Okada Mari, who wrote many episodes of that show, and you've got my attention for sure. P.A.Works. 13eps. Starts 25:00 sat jan05. forum.Shigofumi. シゴフミ. "A story about a miracle, involving Fumika, a quiet but hard working girl who wears a uniform that of a mail carrier, and her talkative staff and partner Mayama. The Shigofumi is a posthumous letter, the last resort of relaying a deceased person's last message to his/her loved ones: family, friends, and significant other." (Dengeki Bunko newsletter, via eggplant on AnimeSuki.) Directed by Satou Tatsuo (Stellvia) and starring Ueda Kana and Matsuoka Yuki. JCStaff. 12eps. Starts 25:35 sat jan05. forum. Porfy no Nagai Tabi. ポルフィの長い旅. A Sunday prime-time family show slated for 52 episodes. Stars Kaida Yuki, Fujimura Ayumi (Ayano in Kaze no Stigma), Inoue Kazuhiko (Gorou in Moonlight Mile), and Shimamoto Sumi (Kyoko in Maison Ikkoku, Kanata in Lucky Star). The story revolves around a Greek boy who loses touch with his sister after an earthquake and travels around Europe looking for her. Directed by Mochizuki Tomomi, who did the excellent Zettai Shounen and YKK. Nippon Animation. 52eps. Starts 19:30 sun jan06. Minami-ke O-kawari. みなみけ～おかわり（仮）. Another helping of Minami-ke, but from a different set of cooks: the same cast for ingredients, but a different studio and staff to prepare the meal, including the director of Shuffle!, Hosoda Naoto. Satou Rina, Inoue Marina, and Chihara Minori have all been good in the first helping, so I'm looking forward to seeing this new version. Reminds me of Futakoi and Futakoi Alternative. asread. Starts 25:30 sun jan06. Aria The Origination. Aria The Origination. Third season of the show that defines "slice of life." No details yet available, but I expect to hear the same great cast, including Hazuki Erino, Ohara Sayaka, Hirohashi Ryou, Saitou Chiwa, Kawakami Tomoko, Minagawa Junko, Mizuhashi Kaori, and Watanabe Akeno. Hal Filmmaker. Starts 26:00 mon jan07. forum. Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino-. GUNSLINGER GIRL -IL TEATRINO-. When the Social Welfare Agency investigates the disappearance of an operative, their inquiry leads them right into the lair of their rival, the Five Republics. The assassin Triela infiltrates the hostile organization, but her search is cut short when she finds herself staring down the barrel of a gun... (ANN) Many changes in the voice cast from the first series. The new series features Mizuno Risa, Shiono Anri, Enomoto Atsuko, Hanazawa Kana, Koyasu Takehito, Kishio Daisuke, and Shiraishi Minoru. And it has a new director: Mano Rei, the woman who directed Ghost Hunt. Artland. Starts 27:00 mon jan07. forum. Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koshinryou). 狼と香辛料. From a prize-winning novel set in a fictional version of medieval Europe. The main character is a 25-year-old traveling merchant, Lawrence. He meets Horo, a pretty but unpredictable centuries-old wolf and harvest-goddess. She has left the village she's supposed to watch over because she believes the people there have forsaken her. She wants to go north, back to her homeland, and also to travel and see the world, which she knows has changed since she came to the village. (with info from Tangowr, AnimeSuki) Stars Koshimizu Ami, Fukuyama Jun, Kaori Nazuka, Nakahara Mai. I think this role could be a great one for the talented Koshimizu Ami. Unfortunately, the staff makes me worry: director Takahashi Takeo and lead writer Arakawa Naruhisa made the ecchi comedy Cosmoplitan Prayers together. IMAGIN. Starts 25:30 tue jan08. forum. Noramimi. のらみみ. Seinen comedy. Cast includes Katou Nanae, who played Princess Tutu, as well as rising star Kitamura Eri, and Shiraishi Minoru in what appears to be a minor role. TMS Entertainment. Starts 25:45 wed jan09. forum Hakaba Kitarou. 墓場鬼太郎. "Graveyard Kitarou." Spin-off from Gegege no Kitarou. Director Chioka Kimitoshi did a good job with Kamisama Kazoku. Toei. Starts 24:45 thu jan10. Yatterman 2008. ヤッターマン 新シリーズ. Revives a successful 1970s kids/family franchise. Starring Yoshino Hiroyuki (Zed in Kiba), Itou Shizuka, Takahashi Chiaki, Yamadera Kouichi. Directed by original directior Sasagawa Hiroshi, written by Takahashi Natsuko, who did Blue Drop, Moyashimon, and Gakuen Heaven. Tatsunoko. 70eps. Starts 19:00 mon jan14.Yes! Precure 5 Go Go! Yes！プリキュア5 GoGo! The new Precure 5 series will be directed by the director of the previous Precure 5 series. Cast details are not yet available, but I expect to hear the wonderful Sanpei Yuuko back as Cure Dream, along with Ise mariya, Maeda Ai, Nagano Ai, and Takeuchi Junko. Starts 08:30 sun feb02.Mnemosyne. Mnemosyne -ムネモシュネの娘たち-. This won't start until sometime in February, but it should be worth waiting for. "In this sexy, hardboiled science fiction action anime, Tanaka Rie voices Yamanobe Sayara, head of Aoyama Pharmaceutical Company's Sayama Laboratory. The haughty, quite sadistic Sayara conducts illegal experiments at the laboratory." (Siegel Clyne, AnimeSuki) Add Noto Mamiko, Kugimiya Rie, and Ohara Sayaka and we may really have something here. If we can take it. The preview video includes nudity and violence. Director Ueda Shigeru did Elemental Gelade and episodes of FMA and Lain.There will also be a couple of very short shows notable mainly for their stars. Tanaka Rie will star as on-chan, Hokkaido TV's popular mascot character, in a weekly six-minute show called on-chan onちゃん. Also in the show will be Konno Hiromi, who was Akira on Lucky Channel, and Kaneda Tomoko. Fridays at 19:54, starting fri 18jan.And Hirano Aya will star in Moegaku 5 もえがく★5, a daily 15-minute show that has both a live-action and an animated part. She will be the host of the live-action part and will voice a charcter in the anime. The show teaches languages, one language for each day of the week (English, Korean, Spanish, Chinese and French, Monday through Friday). The animation is by the director and the writer of Tokimeki Memorial, Takamoto Nobuhiro and Watanabe Akira. Starts 17:00 mon jan14.
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http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2245 Plot Summary: Hibino Hallelujah is a delinquent teenager who is tough and loves to pack a punch. His father is none other than the almighty God who does not approve very well of his son’s rebellious acts. Disappointed in Hallelujah’s lack of responsibility, his father sends him to Earth as a normal high school student, [...]
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GO! COMI ANNOUNCES KAMISAMA KAZOKU, OTHER NEW MANGA LICENSES June 30 2007 Long Beach, CA Go! Comi announced five major new manga licenses at its Anime Expo industry panel this weekend. Chief among these is KAMISAMA KAZOKU, the story of a high school student struggling to have an ordinary life and to romance the [...]
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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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Is Ex-Fansubber Hitorigoto’s 1 year anniversary! So while I wanted to do the analytics thing like tjhan did for his blog but I didn’t actually install that until March of this year so it’s gonna be inaccurate. So anyway here we go: First Blog Entry: Kamisama Kazoku 05 on June 24, 2006 First Commenter: Anga from Strangely Common [...]
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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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