Again… levelling up my Social Skills tree. Top 16 for today: 1位　274票　巻＠瀬戸の花嫁 < < Maki @ Seto no Hanayome >> 2位　234票　双海亜美＠アイドルマスター XENOGLOSSIA < < Futami Ami @ Idolmaster Xenoglossia >> 3位　229票　桜田のり＠ローゼンメイデン オーベルテューレ < < Sakurada Nori @ Rozen Maiden ~Ouverture~ >> 4位　218票　弥海砂＠DEATH NOTE < < Amane Misa @ Death Note >> 5位　207票　月島きらり＠きらりん☆レボリューション < < Tsukishima Kirari @ Kirarin Revolution >> 6位　203票　神凪綾乃＠風のスティグマ < [...]
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Quietly, quietly, the talents of 20-year-old voice actress Yahagi Sayuri 矢作紗友里 are being recognized. Not by 2channel, the Japanese otaku forum, where she is still on only her second thread. But directors are giving her constant work. After her debut as Karin in Karin in the fall of 2005, she had eight roles in seven shows in 2006, including Otogijushi Akazukin (Gretel and Kewpie), School Rumble 2 (Tennouji Mio), Tokimeki Memorial (Yuka), and Busou Renkin (Hanaka). In 2007, she has already had eleven roles in just over half a year, including the starring role of Kuu in Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora, as well as kiddy tech genius Amano in Gigantic Formula and Izumi in Hayate, classmate Chisato in sola, Kaho in Over Drive, and guest appearances in Venus Versus Virus and Gurren-Lagann, as well as a role in recent episodes of the long-running Kirarin Revolution, as Myuu-tan, and a minor role in the new show Potemayo. Below is a series of photos of Yahagi Sayuri over the past couple of years. As I have said before, no-one will ever mistake her for an idol. She is a lovely, plain girl with a great voice. Like Kawasumi Ayako, she will have to make her way on talent and personality -- of which she fortunately has lots -- rather than glamorous looks. She and male seiyuu Fujita Yoshinori (Masumi in Nodame Cantabile) are the 19th generation of hosts of the web radio show Voice Crew, a job given to top young seiyuu from the I"m Entertainment/Arts Vision stable. Previous hosts include Horie Yui, Saitou Chiwa, Morikawa Toshiyuki, Kuwatani Natsuko, Yamamoto Maria, Nakahara Mai, Ueda Kana, Kugimiya Rie, Hoshi Souichirou, Morinaga Rika, Asakawa Yuu, Takahashi Mikako, etc., etc.Here is an audio sample of their work on the show. For a video sample, click here or click the screencap below to view it on YouTube:She has even acquired a nickname. She apparently once told Inokuchi Yuka, her sister Anju in Karin, that she wished she had one, and Yuka, Nabatame Hitomi and Shitaya Noriko came up with "oHagi" (ぉはぎ), which she is now known as on radio and on 2channel. It's a nice nickname, and has puns in it that might refer to her being small, to a sweet rice-ball, and to a bush of long poetic significance in Japan that bears discreet purple flowers through the summer.Two things make oHagi great. First, she has a strong, mobile, liquid voice. Second, she has an intense professionalism that allows her to pick up tone and technique like a sponge. In Karin and Kyoushirou she shows what a unique and identifiable voice she has, but at first in Otogijushi, I didn't recognize her at all. She was clearly able to give the sound director exactly what he wanted, irrespective of her own natural timbre. Playing alongside Tamura Yukari, Kugimiya Rie, and Sawashiro Miyuki, among other top pros, that show was like her post-graduate training. She may still be a voice rather than a real actress, but she's getting there. Her mad weeping scene in Kyoushirou was a triumph. She seems to be a comparatively unassuming and conservative person, but friendly and popular with her fellow seiyuus. Her co-host on the Gigantic Formula radio show, Satou Rina, kept calling her an "old-man little-girl" (オヤジ小学生). When Karin came out, I translated an interview with her in which she explained how she came to be a seiyuu. Her classmates made fun of her high, little-girl voice and one day, watching anime, she realized that she could possibly turn that voice into her greatest asset. And she has.More leading roles are to come, but oHagi has become one of the more active young seiyuus, building a career in voice-acting. She works with the I"m Enterprise agency, which was the agency involved in the recent scandal over sexual harassment of a young seiyuu by its boss. We'll have to see if she stays with them. It's a big agency that can give its performers a lot of help, but the scandal has recently lost it some of its seiyuu -- including Morinaga Rika and possibly Horie Yui.Here are links to more info about oHagi:Hashihime Seiyuu GalleryAnime News NetworkWikipedia Japan
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I'm not as high on this season as fans of shounen shows and mecha are, but I'm sure there will be some pleasant surprises. There always are. However, I don't see anything like the three masterpieces that debuted a year ago: Suzumiya Haruhi, NANA, and Simoun. Then again, I didn't see them coming, either.Since everyone likes different kinds of shows, I'll just go through the week, starting with Monday, talking about each show, and you can draw your own conclusions. Titles link to more information. Titles of the shows I myself am most anticipating are violet. Click pictures to enlarge.This is the season of "Ohagi": rising seiyuu star Yahagi Sayuri is in four new anime this season. Having proven herself in Karin, Otogijushi Akazukin, and Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora, she will now be in Gigantic Formula, sola, Hayate, and Over Drive, all at the same time.I'm also eager to hear more of comparative newcomer Fujimura Ayumi, who played Karada in Asatte no Houkou and is in two of the new shows: Kaze no Stigma, in which she stars, and Touka Gettan. And the incredible voice of Sasaki Nozomi (Nana-chan in Bokura ga Ita), who was discovered last year during a seiyuu workshop in Kobe, returns in a supporting role in Lucky Star, which stars Hirano Aya.El Cazador. A girl named Elis is suspected of murder and on the run from the Hunters. A woman bounty hunter offers her help in escaping and in finding out the truth about her past. Nice cast, including Shimizu Ai, Itou Shizuka, Hisakawa Aya and rising male star Miyano Mamoru (Light in Death Note). Music by Kajiura Yuki. Questionable director, unless you like the .hack shows. Bee Train animation. (mon 25:30, starts apr02)Touka Gettan. This is the anime that most intrigues me this season. A fantasy romance from Studio Deen, written by the writer of YKK and Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito and director of Zettai Shounen (Mochizuki Tomomi), and directed by the director of Yamibou and Strawberry Eggs (Yamaguchi Yuji). Animated by Nishida Asako of Simoun, F/SN and Yamibou. And with the sound director of those three shows, veteran seiyuu Tsujitani Kouji, there to work with the cast.Stars two new seiyuu, but also has Yukana (Dominura in Simoun, CC in Code Geass, Lottie in Soukou no Strain), Kitamura Eri (Saya in Blood+, Tatiana in Chevalier), Kobayashi Yu (Setsuna in Negima), Fujimura Ayumi (Karada in Asatte no Houkou), and Nojima Kenji in the cast. Like Yamibou, it is an adaptation of an adult PC game by Carnelian. And like Yamibou, it will likely have some yuri elements. (mon 25:30 apr02)Idolmaster Xenoglossia. One of the most anticipated shows of the season, a mixture of mecha and moe. After the moon is destroyed, only moe young maidens qualify to pilot the mecha that protect Earth from its fragments. The mecha-fication of an idol game (!?). Great cast includes Horie Yui and Tamura Yukari, as well as Koshimizu Ami, Nakahara Mai, Noto Mamiko, Yukana and Takahashi Mikako. Director Nagai Tatsuyuki did Honey & Clover 2. Lead writer Hanada Jukki did Rozen Maiden and Kashimashi. Animation by Sunrise. (mon 26:30 apr02)Kiss Dum - Engage Planet. AD 2031. Grotesque beings attack humanity, which is defended only by brave young pilots. Will we survive? What is the secret of the "Book of Death" discovered by a scientist? Classic mecha SF plot. Director Nagaoka Yasuchika (Crest of Stars) was said on a staff blog to be way behind schedule, and then to have left the project. Then he returned as "chief director," with Sato Eiichi (Slayers Next) as "director." Hard to say what's going on, or whether the upset will be good for the show or bad. Mizuki Nana and Ono Daisuke in the cast give it a chance. Satelight. (tue 25:00 apr03)CLAYMORE. Kuwashima Houko and Paku Romi. Wow. From a tough, atmospheric manga set in a world where humans coexist with demons called Yoma. Yoma feed on humans, hiding themselves in human society until they strike. Warriors called Claymores protect humans, infusing themselves with demon flesh and blood to become powerful half-human hybrids, with silver demon-seeing eyes. Beautiful Claymore warrior Claire struggles to retain her humanity. Animation by Madhouse. (tue 25:26 apr03)Over Drive. Sports anime based on a manga about cycling. Directed by the director of Busou Renkin, written by the writer of Kaikan Phrase. With two newish stars and a fine supporting cast of Nojima Kenji, Taniyama Kishou, Nazuka Kaori, Yahagi Sayuri, and Okiayu Ryotarou. A potential sleeper. Animation by Xebec. (tue 25:30 apr03)Oh! Rocket. Based on a stage play by Nakashima Kazuki, a playwright who specializes in spectacular period pieces. In in the 1840s, a bomb disposal expert and his young friend are approached by a mysterious girl asking them to make an illegal firework that will shoot high into the sky and "awaken" the populace. With Soumi Yoko (Marciano in Coyote Ragtime), Yamadera Kouichi (Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop), Paku Romi and Kugimiya Rie. Director Mizushima Seiji and writer Aikawa Shou did Fullmetal Alchemist together. This looks very different from that, but definitely has possibilities. Animated by Madhouse. (tue 26:00 apr04)Shining Tears. Animation of a fantasy role-playing game with character designs by Tony Taka. Great cast includes Mizuki Nana, Kuwashima Houko, Kawasumi Ayako, Horie Yui, Okiayu Ryoutarou and Houshi Souichirou. Studio Deen. I'll watch an episode or two for the sake of the cast and see what's going on. (tue 26:10 apr03)Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS. A new series of the very successful magical girl show which I for some reason find unwatchable. Set ten years after the end of the last series, with the entire crew now working in the Time-Space Adminstration Bureau. What a great cast: Tamura Yukari, Mizuki Nana, Ueda Kana, Saitou Chiwa, Nakahara Mai, Inoue Marina, Takahashi Mikako, Shimizu Kaori, Yukana. OP by Mizuki Nana, ED by Tamura Yukari. Animation by Seven Arcs (Inukami). (tue 26:30 apr03)Sisters of Wellber. Promising adventure drama. Victim of a forced engagement to the prince of an enemy country, princess Rita stabs her fiance and flees toward a neutral country. Tina the thief becomes her protector. Director and writer did Prince of Tennis (Hamana Takayuki and Maekawa Jun). Animation by Trans Arts (Prince of Tennis), with support from Production I.G. The wonderful Takahashi Mikako as the princess, and Takeuchi Junko (Naruto) as the protectress. Namikawa Daisuke and Sugita Tomokazu also in the cast. (tue 26:00 apr03)Saint Beast: Kouin Jojishi Tenshi Tan. Female director Shimazaki Nanako directs a cast of popular male seiyuus in a new series of this shounen-ai fantasy: Yoshino Hiroyuki (Yuuji in Tona-Gura), Miyata Kouki (Isami in Noein), Sakurai Takahiro (Suzaku in Code Geass), Fukuyama Jun (Lelouch), Sugita Tomokazu (Kyon in Haruhi), Midorikawa Hikaru (Seiran in Saiunkoku), Ishida Akira (Athrun Zala in GSD), Morikawa Toshiyuki (Ernst in the Angelique shows). Animation by Tokyo Kids. (tue 26:58 apr03)Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica. Human beings rely on the miracles of fairies, while fairies that have materialized in this world survive on the music played by humans. A great young musician in a romance with a powerful female spirit.Top sound director Aketagawa Jin did Ichigo Mashimaro, Honey & Clover, etc., and can get great performances from his seiyuu. Excellent cast includes Kawasumi Ayako, Mizuki Nana, and Satou Rina. Kamiya Hiroshi (Takemoto in H&C) returns to a leading role after his serious motorcycle accident. This is the first full production project for the animation producer, Ginga-ya, which assisted on Shinigami no Ballad and Zettai Shounen. OP by eufonius. (tue 28:15 apr03)Hitohira. The staff that did PetoPeto-san animates another cute manga. A new girl in school sometimes gets so nervous she can’t speak, yet she is recruited into the drama club. The promo video made this look sweet and emotional, like PetoPeto-san. Director Nishimori Akira, writer Sasano Megumi, and animation producer Motohashi Hideyuki all worked on that show. The cast includes Kawasumi Ayako, Narita Ken (Lin in Ghost Hunt), Kishio Daisuke (Yunoki in Corda D'Oro), Hikami Kyoko (Rabi~en~Rose in Di Gi Charat) and Yukino Satsuki (Ai in Planetes). This one gets a head start on the other shows, opening on 28 August. Animation by Xebec M. (wed 11:00 mar28)Nagasarete Airantou. A boy is shipwrecked on a desert island inhabited only by beautiful girls desperate for a man. Need I say more? This could set a new standard in harem comedy. Great cast includes Horie Yui, Takahashi Mikako, Chiba Saeko, Itou Shizuka, and Shiraishi Ryouko. Intriguing writers involved in Emma, Fruits Basket, NANA, etc. New director. Animation by Feel (Otome wa Boku ni Koi Shiteru). (wed 25:20 apr04)Kotetsujin Jeeg. Classic hard-core giant robot action. Takes place 50 years after the original Jeeg, with a new cast. The previously defeated "Haniwa" evil robots re-emerge, and Kotetsushin Jeeg is manned to fight again. Ono Daisuke, Ueda Kana, Susumu. Directed and animated by the Shin Getter Robo team of Jun (Innocent Venus) and Kikuchi Akira. OP by JAM Project. (thu 23:30 apr05)Darker than Black- Kuro no Keiyakusha. Action thriller set in Tokyo involving spies with supernatural powers and violent supernatural bad guys. Bones production. Yoko Kanno music. Creator/director Okamura Tensai (Wolf's Rain). Cast of experienced pros, with Ikeda Masaru (Ren in NANA) and Fukuen Misato (Liz in Red Garden), and Mizuki Nana in a supporting role. OP by abingdon boys school. Definitely worth a look. (thu 25:25 apr05)Ookiku Furikabutte. The director of Genshiken and XXXHolic, Mizushima Tsutomu, animates a manga about kids playing baseball. Written by Kuroda Yousuke, who wrote Gokujo Seitokai and Infinite Ryvius. Animation by Yoshida Takahiko (Honey & Clover, Welcome to the NHK). The magazine (Afternoon) that serializes the comic also did Gankutsuou, Yume Tsukai, Genshiken, YKK, and AMG. Could be a sleeper. Animation by A-1 (Aniplex). (thu 25:25 apr12)Kaze no Stigma. Could be good. Based on a fantasy novel by Yamato Takahiro. Ono Daisuke (Yukito in Air) is a member of the fire-controlling clan who is banished for his inability to control fire. He returns to as a wind-master and immediately becomes a suspect in a murder in his clan.Great-looking cast: Fujimura Ayumi (Karada in Asatte), Itou Shizuka (Shouko), Morinaga Rika (Mamiina in Simoun), Makino Yui (best new seiyuu nominee as Misaki in NHK), Inokuchi Yuka (Anju in Karin). Director Sakata Junichi did Comic Party Revolution and storyboards for many shows, including CCS and FMP. Writer Sekijima Mayori did Tsukuyomi and Angel Sanctuary. Gonzo. (thu 25:30 apr05) Princess Resurrection. Schoolboy Hiro dies in a car accident, but is resurrected by the princess of darkness, who feeds him her precious blood, which is an elixir of immortality. The director last did Strawberry Panic. Animation director/character designer Kuroda Kazuya did Vandread and Chrono Crusade. Kawasumi Ayako, Noto Mamiko, Shimizu Ai, Morinaga Rika, Oura Fuyuka. From a manga. Animation by Madhouse. (thu 25:55 apr12)Koutetsu Sangokushi. This may be the first anime I watch for its male cast: Miyano Mamoru (Light in Death Note), Koyasu Takehito (Sakujun in Saiunkoku) and Suwabe Junichirou (Ren in Karin). Add Nabatame Hitomi and there you go. Set in an alternate version of Three Kingdoms China, with a magic jade added. Written by Takahashi Natsuko (Gakuen Heaven, involved in Gankutsuou). Character design by Tsukamoto Chiyomi (Chevalier). Animation by Picture Magic (Kagihime, Lamune, and the notoriously poorly animated Soul Link). (thu 26:15 apr05)Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula. Gotoh Keiji (Uta~Kata, Kiddy Grade) goes mecha. About a dozen famous mecha designers have contributed mecha, including Kawamori Shoji andIzubuchi Yutaka. And Yahagi Sayuri gets another prominent role, beside Satou Rina (Negi in Negima). Definitely worth a look. (thu 26:28 apr05)Keitai Shoujo. An unusual little romance show based on a cellphone game, with an amazing cast. Five four-minute episodes will be streamed online for PC and cellphone. Yahoo! is asking the public to choose which direction the plot should go. Koshimizu Ami, Ishida Akira, Ueda Kana, Nazuka Kaori, Takahashi Mikako, Satou Rina, Suzuki Chihiro. The director and animator did Happy Seven, but the animator also did the Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas. Starts in mid-March. Studio Hibari. (fri 12:00 mar17)Kamichama Karin. Very, very cute. Orphaned 12-year-old girl whose dead mother's pink ring gives her god-like powers. She gradually finds other people who have similar rings that give them their own god-like powers. Directed by Anno Takashi (YKK, Maison Ikkoku), written by Kakihara Yuuko (Otogijushi Akazukin) from popular manga by Koge Donbo (Di Gi Charat, Pita Ten). Add Nakahara Mai and Sawashiro Miyuki and we may really have something. Satelight animation. OP by Ali Project. (fri 17:30 apr06)Emily of New Moon. From the novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables. Also involves a girl sent to the country to live with relatives, but Emily is apparently a harder case than Anne. Emily is played by Kawakami Tomoko, who was Utena, Misuzu in Air, Soi Fong in Bleach, etc. NHK Saturday morning can make good things happen, so I'll take a look. Animation by TMS. (sat 07:25 apr07)Seirei no Moribito. From a novel by Uehashi Nahoko, set in a fantasy land reminiscent of old Korea. A prince is chosen to bear a fairy's egg. His father wants to kill him, but his mother hires a woman guard. Star Adachi Naoto is 13. VAs are a mix of unknowns and older pros. VA Tsujitani Kouji (who played the Irresponsible Captain Tylor) was sound director of Simoun. Director Kamiyama Kenji did GITS:SAC. Animation by Production I.G. (GITS:SAC, Chevalier, etc.) Great-looking backgrounds. A typical NHK cast of old pros. This has possibilities, with echoes of Saiunkoku and Changeum, and something more. (sat 08:06 apr07)Saiunkoku Monogatari new series. Second season of a great fantasy adventure/romance, set in an analogue of old China. Kuwashima Houko is amazing as Shuurei, the brilliant, kind, moral - and human - girl who becomes an official. Yoshida Reiko's adaptation of a successful series of novels. I watched the first 39 episodes, and I'm ready for more. I hope for the return of Shuurei's one weakness: Sa Sakujun. Animation by Madhouse. (sat apr07)Blue Dragon. Takes over Otogijushi Akazukin's Saturday morning 9 am time-slot on TV Tokyo. Director Matsushita Yukihiro did Marimite. Writer Yamatoya Akatsuki did Gintama and helped with Simoun. Namikawa Daisuke, Hazuki Erino, and Paku Romi in the cast. Worth a look. Maybe it will be a kids' show for adults, as Akazukin was. Studio Pierrot. (sat 09:00 apr07)Lovely Complex. Highly popular shoujo manga about a tall girl and a short boy who are a bickering comic pair, but may become a romantic couple. Unknown seiyuus and kid-oriented director (One Piece, Sailor Moon S) give me pause, but one of the writers was lead on Hana yori Dango, and worked on Marmalade Boy, Gokinjo Monogatari and Ashita no Nadja. I will be there for at least the first couple of eps. Toei. (sat 17:30 apr07)To Terra... Light-years from Earth, where everyone's life is controlled by the great master computer, if you are a telepath, you are doomed. Telepaths have been hiding for centuries, and Terra (Earth) may be their last sanctuary. Saiga Mitsuki, Sugita Tomokazu, Koyasu Takehito (yes!), Kobayashi Sanae, Inoue Marina and Namikawa Daisuke make an outstanding cast. Let's see what director Yamasaki Osamu (Gallery Fake 13-on) can do with them and a classic SF plot. The art on the home page looks good, and some of the writers were involved in shows like Ergo Proxy, Eureka 7, and Noein, so there is promise here. Remake of an older film. Animation by Minamimachi Bugyousho (Gallery Fake, episodes of Mushishi). (sat 18:00 apr07)Emma - A Victorian Romance, Second Act. Second season of the excellent period romance. Animation studio has changed from Studio Pierrot to Asia-Do, but the staff remains largely the same. Touma Yumi (Mel in Angelique, Urd in Ah My Goddess) continues as Emma, and there are other great voices, too: Kobayashi Sanae (Maya in Glass Mask), Ohara Sayaka, Mizuhashi Kaori, Inoue Kikuko, Ueda Yuuji (Morita in H&C). Directed by Kobayashi Tsuneo (Twelve Kingdoms). Music by Ryo Kunihiko (Twelve Kingdoms, Saiunkoku). (sat 25:30 apr07)Skull Man. Mass murders and catastrophes all over Japan are committed by a masked/caped psychic madman, called the Skull Man, and his shape-shifting sidekick. The calamities are investigated by a detective agency and the son of a yakuza. Directed by the director of Vandread, Mori Takeshi, written by the auteur of Rahxephon, Izubuchi Yutaka. Not my style, but could be good for those who like this sort of thing. Preview episode 21 Apr. Bones. (sat late night apr28)Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann. Mecha comedy with great animation and a nice cast (Asumi Kana, Ueda Kana, Inoue Marina, Konishi Kaysuyuki, Taniyama Kishou, Itou Shizuka, Satou Rina). But a kiddyish shounen look that doesn’t appeal to me personally. Set in the future, in an underground world where a boy is suddenly confronted by a mecha and a girl from the upper world no-one was sure existed. Shows Sundays at 8:30 am. Gainax. (sun 08:30 apr01)Gegege no Kitaro. A cast of veterans, including Takayama Minami (Detective Conan), revive a classic kids' show. Animation by Toei. (sun 09:00 apr01)Hayate the Combat Butler. From a popular comedy manga. Hayate Ayasaki's parents sell him to the yakuza to pay off their debts. Escaping, he finds a rich girl called Nagi wandering in a park at night. He decides to kidnap her for ransom, but she thinks he's confessing love. She pays off Hayate's debt in return for him being her butler until he earns the money back -- which will take decades. She's a very dere tsundere, and he becomes her "combat butler." The trailer makes this look like a good-hearted show.Great cast includes Shiraishi Ryouko (as Hayate), Kugimiya Rie (as Nagi), Tanaka Rie (as the maid), Itou Shizuka, Matsuki Miyu, Ueda Kana, Nabatame Hitomi, Takahashi Mikako and my current favorite, Ohagi (Yahagi Sayuri). New director Kawaguchi Keiichirou is demonstrating his talent with Getsumen to Heiki Miina. OP by KOTOKO. Animation: Synergy SP (Kirarin Revolution). (sun 10:00 apr01)Lucky Star. Cuteness so thick you could spread it on toast. SaiMoe here we come. From a smart 4-koma comic strip that has a bit of Hidamari Sketch and a bit of Ichigo Mashimaro. Kyoto Animation's first venture into this kind of show. Director Yamamoto Hiroshi was series director of Suzumiya Haruhi. Lead writer Machida Doko wrote Muteki Kanban Musume.This is Hirano Aya's only new spring show. The all-star drama CD cast was replaced by Aya (Suzumiya Haruhi), Chihara Minori (Yuki) and a lot of unknowns. For me, this is a must-see: because of KyoAni and Aya, because the manga is funny, and also for the incredible voice of Sasaki Nozomi (Nana-chan in Bokura ga Ita). (sun 24:00 apr08)Heroic Age. Mecha SF adventure. Humanity, the "Iron Race," is the last of the sentient races to enter space. Aeons later, it is threatened with extinction by the Silver Race. In order to save her people, the queen sets out toward a far-off galaxy, following the prophecies. She meets a boy called Eiji.... Good cast includes Yazaki Hiroshi, Kugimiya Rie, Tamura Yukari, Arai Satomi and Kondou Takashi. Writer Ubukata Tow (Fafner, Chevalier d'Eon, Mardock Scramble) is a larger-than-life character who can create real SF. Animation director Hirai Hisashi did the designs for Gundam Seed, Fafner and Infinite Ryvius. We can hope. I will give this one a chance, especially since it has conscious references to the ancient Greek heroic age. Animation by Xebec. (sun 25:30 apr01)Bokurano. One of the most anticipated shows of the season, from an extremely popular manga. During summer vacation, a group of 15 children discover a mysterious man living in a seashore cave. The man says he is a game developer creating a video game in which 15 giant robots defend Earth from alien invaders. He asks the kids to test the game for him. They soon begin to find the game horribly real, especially after one of them dies following their first victory. And they have no idea how to leave the "game." Mecha adviser: Suzuki Tsutomu (Zone of the Enders). Gonzo. OP by Ishikawa Chiaki, who did the great OP for Simoun. (sun 25:30 apr08)sola. An original story by the writer of Kanon, adapted by the screenwriter for Rozen Maiden, directed by the director of Utawarerumono, with original character designs by the designer of Da Capo adapted by the designer for ARIA, and starring an amazing cast including Nakahara Mai, Noto Mamiko, Koshimizu Ami, Fujiwara Keiji, Kaneda Tomoko, and Yahagi Sayuri. Genki classmate whose imouto is in hospital, onee-san figure, mysterious girl in a church, goth loli: they're all there. Let's see what the staff and cast can do with them. Animation by Nomad. (sun 25:30 apr08)Seto no Hanayome. Mermaid saves boy's life and must marry him because he has seen her true form. But her father, the underwater mob boss, is not pleased and tries to do away with him, while he and his parents try to keep it a secret that his bride is a mermaid. From a popular manga. Great chance for Momoi Halko to show her talent as the "Bride of the Inland Sea." From the director of Magikano, with good-looking animation from Gonzo. The writer did Utawarerumono, which is good, but also Amenaideyo and Lovedol, which is bad. (sun 26:00 apr02)And there are some good shows continuing: Nodame Cantabile, Les Miserables, Death Note, Rocket Girls, and the recently started Moonlight Mile.Information for this post came from Moon Phase, AniDB.net, Anime News Network, Japanese Wikipedia, anime official sites, the AnimeSuki forums, and Shoboi Calendar. Anime titles link to their pages in the Anime News Network encyclopedia.
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It's difficult to get a good idea of the ratings for most anime. The main commercial ratings sites, Video Research and Oricon, just cover the top ten, which are almost all prime-time kids' shows.There is another site that appears to collate info about shows lower in the ratings list, probably from postings on 2channel and elsewhere by people who work for companies that have paid Video Research for the full list.Here is a translation of the latest rankings list. The most recent ratings available are for the end of February. Some shows are not listed, and I've edited out some others that I didn't know or didn't seem of interest.The highest late-night ratings are for NANA (avg 4.4, early late-night, 11:55) and Nodame Cantabile (avg 4.4, but it has fallen from initial dizzying heights), and Death Note (avg 3.1). Next are History's Greatest Disciple Kenichi (2.5), Corda D'Oro (2.4), and Getsumen To Heiki Miina (2.3). Getsumento is a big hit in Japan, but doesn't seem as popular in Western countries.Next come Code Geass (2.1) and Ghost Hunt and Hidamari Sketch (both 1.8) and Manabi Straight and Busou Renkin (1.7). Then there is a low group of Venus vs. Virus, Super Robot Wars (1.5), Tokimeki, Galaxy Railways (both 1.4), Venus Vs. Virus, Red Garden (both 1.3), Master of Epic, Yamato Nadeshiko, Souten no Ken (all 1.2), and Sumomo mo Momo mo (1.1). Some shows are not included in the list.The thing that strikes me most is the popularity of shows aimed primarily at females: NANA, Nodame, and Corda D'Oro. And we might include the prime-time show Kirarin Revolution in that. It started low but has gradually risen into the same range as Gintama, and about triple Negima's numbers.The thing that strikes me most among shows in prime time is the dismal performance of the very good show Negima!?, which is clearly being broadcast at the wrong time: 5:30 Wednesday evenings, rather than late at night.Oricon also has a weekly DVD sales ranking.Here is a list of average rankings between the beginning of January and the end of February. Data is available for different numbers of episodes for different shows, and the source is unofficial, so this is a very rough guide that the exactness of the figures makes seem more accurate than it is: time/stn avg 18:30 CX Sazaesan 19.5 18:00 CX Chibi Maruko-chan 14.1 19:30 ANB Crayon Shin-chan 10.8 19:00 ANB Doraemon 10.1 19:30 NTV Detective Conan 9.7 19:30 TX NARUTO Shippuden 8.0 19:00 TX Pokemon Diamond and Pearl 7.8 19:00 NTV Kekkaishi 7.2 08:30 ANB Yes！Precure 5 6.7 18:00 ETV MAJOR 2nd season 6.6 19:30 TX NARUTO 5.8 19:26 TX BLEACH 4.7 19:00 TX Eyeshield 21 4.6 23:55 NTV NANA 4.4 18:00 TX Kirarin Revolution 4.4 24:45 CX Nodame Cantabile 4.4 10:00 TX Fushigiboshi Futagohime Gyu! 4.3 10:30 TX Kateikyousha Hitman REBORN! 4.2 09:00 TX Otogijushi Akazukin 4.2 18:00 TX Gintama 4.0 08:00 TX Deltora Quest 3.9 18:00 TX D.Gray-man 3.4 18:00 TBS Tempou Ibun Ayakashi Ayashi 3.2 24:56 NTV DEATH NOTE 3.1 18:30 ETV Tsubasa Chronicles 3.1 18:00 TX Yugiou 3.1 24:55 TX History's Greatest Disciple Kenichi 2.5 25:00 TX Corda D'Oro 2.4 26:15 CX Getsumen To Heiki Miina* 2.3 25:55 TBS Code Geass 2.1 25.25 TBS Hidamari Sketch 1.8 25:00 TX Ghost Hunt 1.8 25:30 TX Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight 1.7 25:00 TX Busou Renkin 1.7 07:00 TX Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls 1.5 25:30 TX Super Robot Wars OG 1.5 17:30 TX Negima!? 1.5 25:30 TX Tokimeki Memorial～Only Love～ 1.4 26:25 TBS Galaxy Railways~Eternity Junction~ 1.4 25:55 TBS Venus Versus Virus 1.3 26:40 ANB RED GARDEN 1.3 26:30 TX Master of Epic　～The AnimationAge～ 1.2 25:30 TX Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge 1.2 26:40 ANB Souten no Ken 1.2 25:35 NTV Sasami Mamou Shoujo Club 1.1 26:40 ANB Sumomo mo Momo mo 1.0
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Okay, it's not as serious as all that. It simply seems that Negima!?'s ratings suck compared to the rest of TV Tokyo's afternoon block. Which isn't fair, considering how much fun it is. What got the top spot? Kirarin Revolution. Then again, we can't expect the world to be functioning properly after the discovery that typing "Haruhi Suzumiya" into Google Earth indicates a hospital in Kagawa.
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I'm already looking at what new shows are coming up in January, so perhaps it's time to look back over 2006.What a year it was! I sat down to do a top ten and came up with a top three or a top fifteen. And my top three are competitors not just for the top anime of this year, but for my favorite anime of all time:Simoun -- I have never enjoyed an anime more. Great characters, great emotions, a fascinating alien society. A wonderful and mysterious conclusion. True art. I have compared it to Shakespeare. And the fact that all the voice actors are women, even those who play male parts, gives this show a special feeling. The sound director got outstanding performances from the entire cast, which is a large and impressive one. The light dusting of yuri adds to its appeal.Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu -- The best animation ever in a TV anime, brought to us by Kyoto Animation. A bizarre and interesting story and one of the funniest anime ever. The episodes were shuffled from their chronological order, leaving some viewers angry and perplexed and me delighted. It marked the arrival of Hirano Aya as a top seiyuu. In Haruhi, she created one of the great characters in anime. And there was wonderful seiyuu work as well from Sugita Tomokazu and the inimitable Gotou Yuuko.NANA -- This show leaves me emotionally exhausted every week. Such real, deep, suffering and exalted characters, and a story that just won't quit. The perfect adaptation of a great josei manga. And NANA has taken late-night anime to a higher range of TV ratings in Japan, broadening its appeal to a female audience that normally stops watching when the dramas are over at 11.Those are my top three. But there are so many more. These next three are almost at the same level:Asatte no Houkou -- A realistic-feeling story based on a magic event. Very beautiful direction -- spacious and calm -- by Sakurabi Katsushi, the director of Tsukihime. Extremely atmospheric, and with strong voice-acting from Itou Shizuka and others.Bokura ga Ita -- The best shoujo romance anime I've ever seen, at least the equal of KareKano. The performance by new seiyuu Sasaki Nozomi is glorious. She may have the most moé voice I've ever heard, and she uses it to create strong emotion. The look and direction -- by Artland and Daichi Akitaro, the director of Fruits Basket -- are pretty and poetic.Hataraki Man -- Totally unique and deeply involving, especially for those of us who have been in the work world. The central character is a workaholic editor at a popular magazine. The stories deal with her work, her life, and her relations with the people around her. Serious and comic by turns, Tanaka Rie elevates herself to the seiyuu elite, if she wasn't there already. No two characters could be more different than Chii (Chobits) and Hiro, the Hataraki Man. This show is the only late-night anime besides NANA to have entered the top ten anime TV ratings this year.And now we come to a group of nine anime that would belong in my year's top ten, if I could have limited the number to that:Saiunkoku Monogatari -- It's a Saturday-morning shoujo historical romance, set in a fantasy analogue of ancient China. With nine popular novels to work with, the first series has 39 episodes, and another series will start in the spring. Seiyuu Kuwashima Houkou creates a great character in Shuurei, the cute but serious teenager who is a brilliant scholar with ambitions to help her country, and who is loved by its young king (played by Seki Tomokazu), and others.Honey & Clover 2 -- Not the equal of the first series, but the equal of almost any other show. Perhaps my enjoyment was tempered by the fact that I had read the entire manga by the time I saw it. But this, like NANA and Hataraki Man, is anime at a higher intellectual and emotional level.Shinigami no Ballad -- A neglected short show, six separate episodes with some touching stories of death and near-death, presided over by a cute, white-clad shinigami played by the fascinating voice of Kobayashi Akiko.Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora -- Such a wonderful hospital romance that it has been made into a TV drama. Started this year's trend toward basing anime on popular light novels. After her triumph in Honey & Clover in 2005, Takahashi Mikako began this year, which has been a great one for her, starring as the tsundere sick girl Rika.Otogi Jushi Akazukin -- So it's a Saturday-morning fairy tale for kids. But it has some of the best backgrounds, animation and colors I've ever seen, some nice variations on fairy tales, and great voice-acting from Tamura Yukari, Sawashiro Miyuki, Kugimiya Rie and others, with guest shots from such stars as Kuwashima Houkou. What's not to like?Negima!? -- Unbelievable visual invention from director Akiyuki Shinbou, who has developed steadily from Tsukuyomi Moon Phase, through PaniPoni Dash!, to this. Fans of the first anime or the manga may be a bit put off by the great liberites he takes with the story, but visually this is truly art. The colors are unbelievable. The seiyuu cast is large and exciting. And the humor is good, too.Kanon -- Kyoto Animation has taken it upon themselves to remake a classic anime, and they have made it even better. This show defines moé. The animation is near the level of the studio's Suzumiya Haruhi, and director Ishihara Tatsuya (AIR, Suzumiya Haruhi) draws out the emotional trajectory with delicacy and restraint.Soukou no Strain -- A complete surprise, this looked like a mecha show but turned out to be a shoujo-ish SF adventure with mecha dressing. Kawasumi Ayako and Yukana make it their own personal playground and show us what real voice-acting is. It mixes genres in a profligate way, but ends up pleasing those of us who don't demand the strengths of standard mecha SF. It has lots of angst, lots of fanservice, uneven humor, and an interesting story based very loosely on A Little Princess.Lemon Angel Project -- A little show about a group of aspiring idols. Few other people liked it. I thought it was one of the nicest shows of the year, with a real story and some enjoyable characters. The young teen idol who was the star had the weirdest voice imaginable, but it worked to produce the emotion the story required. And it was the first appearance this year of Chihara Minori, whose role as Yuki in Suzumiya Haruhi later took her to prominence.There are so many other shows I enjoyed. Kashimashi was the first of two shows this year where a boy turns into a girl. In this case, he is reconstructed by aliens after a tragic accident. The humor works, the shoujo-ai (?) romance works, and the voice-acting is wonderful: Ueda Kana, Tamura Yukari, Horie Yui, Asano Masumi. But I had read the manga, and that often reduces my enjoyment, since the anime almost never equals the manga. The other show in which a boy becomes a girl, Otome wa Boku ni Koi Shiteru, is like a mix of Maria-sama ga Miteru, Kashimashi and Strawberry Panic. Horie Yui does a great job as the boy whose grandfather makes his attending a girls' school a condition of his inheritance. S/he is a lovely character: strong, funny, natural, and romantic.I enjoyed Nishi no Yoko Majou, but the story was too rushed. It needed 24 episodes rather than 12. I watched Kirarin Revolution for a while: it's a pure shoujo aspiring-idol show for young girls, but still seemed to me to have something. However, the repetition of tropes finally got me down. Sumomo mo Momo mo has some hilarious bits and excellent voice-acting, and/but some of the most intense underage fanservice ever in anime, rivalling Rizelmine. Kin-iro no Corda is a prototypical reverse harem, but the bishounen are real people, not ciphers, and the lead girl, played by Takagi Reiko, is a wonderful character.And there are many good shows that I just didn't personally like as much as others did. Ouran High School Host Club had a great performance from Sakamoto Maaya and humor that really reached some people. But not me. Red Garden is a good show, but anything with monsters is hard for me to enjoy, and the plot and character development move slowly for me. Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto has animation that at least rivals Kanon's, and an interesting setting at the end of the shogunate in the late 1860s, but the story doesn't reach me, and the magic seems out of place. ARIA the NATURAL and Mushishi were good shows, but I found the plots insipid and just never cared about the characters. Higurashi no Naku koro ni was excellent in its way, but violence to innocent people doesn't do much for me. Welcome to the NHK has some good parts but in the end doesn't do it for me, either. I never got into Black Lagoon, but I love Toyoguchi Megumi as a seiyuu, and from what I read, it's something I should take another look at. The Third was not a good show, but she was outstanding in it. Noto Mamiko in a new kind of role was a revelation in Witchblade, but once again...monsters.And so, on to the end of the season and to next year!
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Not even Kirari’s cute brother can get me to continue watching this series (even though he only appears for 1 episode.) According to the manga we never even see her family members, so he’s probably a made up character anyway. In any case, I’ve decided to drop Kirarin Revolution, blog wise and viewing wise. [...]
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Morning Musume promotion episode. The episode was basically there was a fake campaign for an “extra member” of Morning Musume…but it turns out it was for “MOMO musume”….a dancing cow for a grocery store. Probably a filler. I’m curious to see what this manga is like because supposedly it’s not as overexaggerated (and less annoying [...]
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“Naaaa?!” picks up small annoying creature that looks nothing like a cat and ponts into the distance…yay! I liked the stupid, boingy sound effects in this but Kirarin’s voice hurt my brain. Ok so this is another story about a girl who wants to become an idol singer aimed at 12 year olds. It’s kinda cute [...]
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We now turn to some more heavily anticipated anime, and one show which seems to have been lost in the shadows. I was fairly surprised when I saw the latter of the three appear on Tokyo Toshokan. In any case, all of the main characters in these shows are interested in some way in a [...]
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