For me, the best way to guess how good a coming anime will be, is by looking at its staff: the director and writers and animation director and sound director, and so on. People who have made good shows before tend to make good shows again.I sometimes start watching a show for its voice actors, but I can't keep watching unless the staff builds a good show around them. Even genre or story outline or character design do not predict as well as staff.The following previews give highlights of staff and cast for 30 upcoming summer shows, as well as story outlines, pictures, and links to preview videos, where available.Here are the shows, in the order of their first broadcasts. Times are given in Japanese TV listing style: "26:00 Thursday" means Friday morning at 2 a.m. Titles in red are shows I myself find particularly interesting:Ikkitousen - Great Guardians.一騎当千 Great Guardians.A new series of ecchi Ikkitousen. If you don’t like seeing pantsu and breasts, don't watch this one. The story revolves around three schools that fight each other and is loosely based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.A great cast includes Asano Masumi, Kaida Yuko, Horie Yui, Nabatame Hitomi, Inoue Kikuko, and Hino Satoshi.This show has basically the same staff as the first series, but with a new writer, Akaboshi Masanao (Sadamitsu the Destroyer; Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry).Broadcasts have already started. anim: Arms. subs: Arthemis, Chihiro, Nightshade-yesy. forum. preview. 09:30 wed11jun.Telepathy Girl Ranテレパシー少女 蘭.What draws me to this show is Katou Emiri (Kagami in Lucky Star, Sakuya in Candy Boy, Blair in Soul Eater) in her first real starring role. Alongside Seki Tomokazu, no less, and supported by Ueda Kana. Maybe that seiyuu award actually meant something. At least it may have got Emirin more good roles."Telepathy Shoujo Ran is a story of personal growth and friendship. Isozaki Ran is an energetic junior high school student who happens to have ESP but doesn't realize it until she meets Naha Midori. Strange events start happening after she learns of her new powers, so she decides to investigate them together with Midori and her childhood friend Ayase Roi." (from Toua, on AnimeSuki) From a series of children's novels.The director is so unknown that I can’t even find the pronunciation of his name. 大宙征基 could be Takahiro Seiki or Hiromichi Seiki. He appears to be a storyboard specialist, having storyboarded episodes of Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Pani Poni Dash. But this appears to be his first directing job. anim: Tom's Entertainment. subs: Nocturnal/DFC. 18:25 sat21jun.Ultraviolet: Code 044ウルトラヴァイオレットコード044Paku Romi stars in a series directed by famous old-time director Dezaki Osamu, who directed Ashita no Joe, Ace wo Nerae, Rose of Versailles, the AIR and Clannad movies, a number of Lupin III shows and the great yuri melodrama Oniisama-e.The main character '044' is a female warrior who is genetically engineered with high combat skills and ordered by the government to annihilate a vampire army. (from anidb)With production from Sony Pictures, I expect high production values. And I expect Paku Romi to be in her element, aided by Tomokazu Seki and Koyama Rikiya. Madhouse. 12eps. subs: Moetaku? Ureshii? forum. preview. 22:00 tue01jul.Slayers RevolutionスレイヤーズREVOLUTIONThe fourth series in the Slayers franchise, which began in the early 1990s.The big deal here for me is the return of Hayashibara Megumi in the starring role of Lina Inverse, the same starring role she has played in all the other Slayers shows. And as usual, she also sings the OP and ED. Ishida Akira and Midorikawa Hikaru also return, and Kobayashi Yumiko joins the cast.Director Watanabe Takeshi is now even better known for the Shakugan no Shana series than for Slayers. anim: JC Staff. 26?eps. subs: Mishicorp, Toki. forum. preview (OP). 25:20 wed02jul.Mahō Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto: Natsu no Sora魔法遣いに大切なこと ���夏のソラ���One of my picks to click this summer, a new series of the delightful Someday's Dreamers. The story follows a new young mage in training, in a Tokyo where magic is an official public service.The new anime comes with a new director, a new studio, and a new cast, but the same writer: Yamada Norie, who wrote the original manga and anime. That gives me comfort, and the rest of the staff and cast make me optimistic, too.Someday's Dreamers was from JC Staff, this new anime is from Hal Film Maker. It is directed by Kobayashi Osamu, who did BECK and Paradise Kiss, two very good shows, but very different in tone from the original Someday's Dreamers.The new anime stars the wonderful Hanazawa Kana (Sora in Sketchbook), who is in the running for moe-est voice in anime. With her is Maeno Tomoaki, who is very good as Doujou in Library Wars. Inoue Marina, Koyama Rikiya, Namikawa Daisuke, and Takahashi Mikako are also on board. Music by Hakata Takefumi (Someday's Dreamers, Vampire Knight). anim: HAL Film Maker. subs: White Light, Mellow? Formula? forum. preview. 26:40 wed02jul.Strike WitchesストライクウィッチーズI sure hope this show is okay, since it has an outstanding cast: starring the so-far somewhat ordinary Fukuen Misato, but extremely well supported by Chiba Saeko, Nazuka Kaori, Sawashiro Miyuki, Tanaka Rie, Saitou Chiwa, Koshimizu Ami, and Kadowaki Maii. Whew, what a list.On the surface, it looks like a rerun of the 2006 OVA and of Sky Girls: girls flying light mecha in battle. But the staff is completely different, except for the character designer, and this show is by Gonzo rather than JC Staff. I liked Sky Girls, but my hopes for this show are not high.Director Takamura Kazuhiro is new, but did character design and animation for Mahoromatic and This Ugly Yet Beautiful World. Writer Tamai Tsuyoshi did Inukami. Humiane Shimada is the original creator and did character design for both this and Sky Girls. anim: Gonzo. subs: Live-eviL, Moetaku? forum. preview (2006 OVA). thu03jul.Antique Bakery西洋骨董洋菓子店 ���アンティーク���Keiichirou quits his job on a whim and starts a traditional Western-style patisserie. His father hires an expert patissier who turns out to be a gay acquaintance of Keiichirou's from high school.Director Okumura Yoshiaki has nothing more to recommend him than Bakkyuu HIT! Crash Bedaman, but writer Takahashi Natsuko did the adaptations of Moyashimon and Blue Drop.Miyano Mamoru, Miki Shinichirou, and Fujiwara Keiji make a great main cast.The story is from a novel, was a successful TV drama in 2001, and has been made into a film in Korea this year. It's the Noitamina show this season. anim: Nippon Animation, Shirogumi. 12?eps. subs: Yoroshiku. 24:45 thu03jul.Hidamari Sketch x 365ひだまりスケッチ×365Season two of the excellent slice-of-life art-school comedy from Shinbou Akiyuki and Shaft.Kugimiya Rie, Fukuen Misato, and Sawashiro Miyuki are added to the cast, which already included Asumi Kana, Mizuhashi Kaori, Gotou Yuuko, Shintani Ryouko, and Matsuki Miyu. anim: Shaft. subs: SpoonSubs. forum. 25:25 thu03jul.Birdy the Mighty - Decode鉄腕バーディー　DECODEA new take on gender-bending, as a hapless shounen is accidentally killed but survives by becoming merged with a glamorous interplanetary agent. Remake of the 1996 OVA.Chiba Saeko proves there is seiyuu work after marriage with the starring role of Birdy the agent. And we get to hear Itou Kanae in her first role since helping make Shugo Chara a hit. Irino Miyu and Fujiwara Keiji round out an attractive main cast.Directed by Akane Kazuki, director of Noein and Escaflowne. Written by Ohnogi Hiroshi, who did Noein and Aquarion. Music by Kanno Yuugo, who did Toshokan Sensou and Hataraki Man. Top sound director Aketagawa Jin (Ichigo Mashimaro, KimiKiss, Genshiken) rounds out a solid staff.I have high hopes for this one. anim: A-1 Pictures (Ookiku Furikabutte, Persona). 13eps. subs: Orange-Side, Infinite-Zero, Moetaku? forum. preview. 25:00 fri04julRyoko's Case File薬師寺涼子の怪奇事件簿Another promising show. Based on a series of light novels written by Tanaka Yoshiki and illustrated by Kakinouchi Narumi. The story revolves around Ryouko Yakushiji, brilliant and madly energetic multilingual investigator with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Ryoko not only has to deal with supernatural beings, but also with her rival Yukiko, another talented and beautiful police investigator. (from anidb)Director Iwasaki Tarou is new, but he has done episodes and storyboards for shows like Fullmetal Alchemist, Ookiku Furikabutte, and Ghost Hound. Writer Kawasaki Hiroyuki is an old hand who wrote The Irresponsible Captain Tylor and Sakura Wars. The original novel is by Tanaka Yoshigi, who wrote Legend of the Galactic Heroes. We have some interesting names writing this show.The cast is also interesting, with Nabatame Hitomi in the lead role, backed up by Kuwashima Houko, Fukuen Misato, Kiuchi Hidenobu, and Nojima Kenji.Japanese title: Yakushiji Ryouko no Kaiki Jikenbo. anim: Dogakobo. 13eps. subs: Hitode-AnimeSS, Infinite-Zero? forum. preview. 24:30 sat05jul.SekireiセキレイPromising fanservice anime (this is not an oxymoron) about a loser on whom one day a busty miko drops from the sky. She moves in with him, in the midst of constant fighting with other similarly well-endowed creatures, all of whom are "sekirei" fighters.Extremely attractive cast stars brilliant 17-year-old Hayami Saori, along with other outstanding young voices such as Inoue Marina, Hanazawa Kana, and Endou Aya. Directed by Kusukawa Keizou, who directed Inukami and the two most recent Nanoha series. Anime adaptation by Yoshioka Takao (DearS, Elfen Lied, Yoshinaga's Gargoyle, Sky Girls).I'll be watching this for Hayamin, who sounds t0 me in the preview as if she has taken another step forward. She and her fellow seiyuu -- all of whom are good singers -- do the OP and ED. Sound director Aketagawa Jin (Genshiken, Ichigo Mashimaro, Honey & Clover, etc.) will make sure we get the best from the cast. anim: Seven Arcs (Nanoha series, Inukami). subs: Moetaku? Tsundere Built My Hotrod. forum. preview. 25:35 sat05jul.Zero no Tsukaima - Princess Rondoゼロの使い魔 ���三美姫の輪舞���ZnT never did much for me, but it did enough for a lot of people that it is now getting its third season.Kou Yuu, who directed the second series, is back again. This time, Hasegawa Nahoko, who adapted Hidamari Sketch, is the lead writer.And we have a similar cast back, featuring Kugimiya Rie and Hino Satoshi as the leads, with Horie Yui as everyone's favorite maid, Siesta. Noto Mamiko joins the main cast, too, as Tiffania Westwood. anim: J.C. Staff. 13eps. subs: Toki. forum. 24:30 sun06jul.Neo Angelique Abyss: Second Ageネオ アンジェリーク Abyss -Second Age-The best Angelique series ever gets an immediate second season. The infusion of new production blood, especially from the staff of Corda D'Oro, gave this series a new lease on life.Endou Aya helped, too, continuing a remarkable year that has also given her starring roles in the new Mai-Otome Sifr OVA and in Macross Frontier. And she will be ably supported here by a bevy of top male seiyuu, likely continuing to include Takahashi Hiroki, Ohkawa Toru, Nakamura Yuuichi, Ono Daisuke, et al. anim: Yumeta. subs: Strawberry-Mint. 26:00 sun06jul.Natsume Yuujin Chou夏目友人帳Natsume Takashi keeps secret his ability to see spirits. However, once he inherits a strange book that belonged to his deceased grandmother, he discovers the reason why spirits surround him: a binding contract was formed between the spirits and the owner of the book. Now Natsume is determined to free the spirits and dissolve the contracts. With the help of a spirit cat, his days are filled trying to return the names to these spirits. The show is apparently based on good research into folk mythology.This is one of the most attractive shows of the summer: the director of Koi Kaze, Jigoku Shoujo, and Baccano; the writer of Ai Yori Aoshi, Jigoku Shoujo, and Zetsubou Sensei.The cast of actors includes Kamiya Hiroshi in the lead, with Kobayashi Sanae, Sawashiro Miyuki, Fujimura Ayumi, and Itou Miki. Inoue Kazuhiko (Gorou in Moonlight Mile) is the cat. anim: Brains Base. subs: Nocturnal/Black Lotus, ainex?. forum. preview. 25:00 mon07julMission-EMission-EA sequel to the charming but awkward and forgettable Code-E. Five years after Code-E, Chinami is in an organization aiming to integrate people with her powers into society.Director Kato Toshiyuki did Full Moon wo Sagashite, as well as Code-E.Voices include Hashimoto Mai, Nazuka Kaori, Mizuno Risa, Momoi Halko, and Kamiya Hiroshi. anim: Studio Deen. subs: Subbers Anonymous. forum. preview. 25:05 mon07julWorld Destruction: Sekai Bokumetsu no Rokuninワールド・デストラクション ���世界撲滅の六人���I've gone off Production IG. Their shows tend to be beautiful but boring. But this show is still one of the most intriguing of the season. A great cast stars Sakamoto Maaya and Miyano Mamoru, with Ono Daisuke and Kobayashi Yu in supporting roles.Director Tada Shunsuke did Prince of Tennis National Tournament and Tsubasa Tokyo Revelations. Writer Yokotani Masahiro did Reideen.Based on a DS RPG by SEGA. The game centers on a youth who secretly possesses the power to destroy the world. He is forced to join a party that aims not to save the world, but to eradicate it and start anew.On a desert planet, a fateful meeting between a good-hearted wandering boy and a positive, determined girl. Then they and a "hard-boiled" mini-bear alien set off to destroy the world, for its own good. anim: Production IG. 13eps. subs: Orange-Side, Nocturnal, Yoroshiku, Toki. forum. preview. 25:30 mon07jul.Koihime†Musou恋姫†無双Get ready for an all-moe retelling of the Romance of the three Kingdoms. It gives me pause that it is written by Go Zappa (Chokotto Sister, Myself;Yourself). And that the chief animator and character designer is Oshima Miwa (Cosmopolitan Prayers, Love Love). But it is directed by Nakanishi Nobuaki (Kasimasi, Sumomo mo Momo mo)The seiyuu are neither young nor well-known, but are experienced game seiyuu. This worked for ef, perhaps it will work here.Not very promising, but anything based on the Three Kingdoms is worth a look. anim: Dogakobou (Myself;Yourself). 12eps. subs: Serin, DFC, Hitode? forum. 26:00 thu08jul.Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu乃木坂春香の秘密Yuko discovers that school princess, Nogizaka Haruka, is actually an otaku. He keeps her secret and they become friends. Based on a series of light novels.Wonderful cast stars Noto Mamiko, with Satou Rina, Shimizu Kaori, Ueda Kana, Matsuki Miyu, Nabatame Hitomi, and Takagi Reiko.Should be funny…and ecchi. Director Nawa Munenori did Otome wa Boku ni Koi wo Shiteru. The writer who adapted the novels (Tsuyoshi Tamai) did the same for Inukami. anim: Studio Barcelona (Kodomo no Jikan). subs: Moetaku. forum. 26:00 thu10julBlade of the Immortal無限の住人"To end his eternal suffering, he must slay one thousand foes!" Manji, a ronin warrior of feudal Japan, has been cursed with immortality. To rid himself of this curse and end his life of misery, he must slay one thousand evil men. His quest begins when a young girl seeks his help in taking revenge on her parents' killers…. Based on a seinen manga by Samura Hiroaki, serialised in Afternoon." (anidb)Bee Train and Mashimo Kouichi (.hack shows, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle) are back with a high-concept samurai show from what appears to be a very strong (and bloody) manga.Seki Tomokazu and Satou Rina will be great as the leads, ably supported by such names as Konishi Katsuyuki, Noto Mamiko, Toyoguchi Megumi, Miki Shinichirou, and Sakamoto Maaya. anim: Bee Train. subs: Live-eviL. forum. preview. 24:00 sun13julMahou Sensei Negima! ~Shiroki Tsubasa Ala Alba~魔法先生ネギま������白き翼 ALA ALBA���Three episodes of summer holidays with Negi and the girls. Directed by the man himself, Shinbou Akiyuki. But this time, for the first time, the lead writer for the anime is Akamatsu Ken, the original mangaka. So I look forward to seeing what differences in tone and story might appear this time.The same cast return, including Satou Rina as Negi and all the rest, but with the addition of Ono Daisuke and Inoue Marina.I'm not perfectly certain of the date this will appear. MoonPhase says July 17, but the official site says ep1 will be 12aug, ep2 17nov, and ep3 17feb of next year. anim: Shaft. OVA, 1of3eps. forum. preview (via Moetron). thu17jul.School Rumble Sangakkiスクールランブル三学期Hirano Aya joins the established cast, which already includes Horie Yui, Noto Mamiko, Koshimizu Ami, and Takahashi Hiroki, among others. Since Ami and Aya are two of my favorite seiyuu, I look forard to hearing them together.Director Takamatsu Shinji has already demonstrated that he is more than a one-hit wonder, with Gintama and Ginban Kaleidoscope.anim: Studio Comet. OVA, 1of2eps. Second ep 17sept. forum. thu17jul.Ponyo on a Cliff崖の上のポニョThis time Miyazaki will tell a story drawn freely in watercolors and pastels about a 5 year old boy Sosuke and the princess goldfish Ponyo who wants to become human.... An extra interesting thing is that the Goro Miyazaki (Hayao's son) of when he was 5 years old has been chosen as the model for the main character Sosuke. This is interesting because in the summer of 2007 Goro Miyazaki made his director’s debut with Studio Ghibli’s Gedo Senki and Miyazaki senior was very critical of it. (from Ghibliworld via anidb)My favorite Ghibli, Whispers of the Heart, was not directed by Hayao Miyazaki. And the old man's most recent work, Howl, was just okay for me. So I'm not as excited about this movie as some people are. anim: Ghibli. movie. forum. sat19jul.Akiba-chanアキバちゃんCG/stop motion animation. Slice of life show following five otaku girls who live in the "Maison de Akiba" apartments. Shimizu Ai, Ishizuka Sayori (Sango in ToHeart2), Fujita Saki (whose voice samples are the basis of Hatsune Miku's voice), and Yuzuki Ryouka. Five ten-minute episodes. anim: Buildup Entertainment. 10x5min eps. preview. 24:00 thu24jul.Amuri in Star Ocean星の海のアムリWeird but enjoyable 3DCG science fiction involving genetically altered lolis in space and lots of beautiful explosions and effects.With Makino Yui, Saitou Momoko and Aizawa Michiru (Furoe in Simoun) in the lead roles, supported by Mamiko Noto, Kaneda Tomoko, and Hirano Aya (after ep1).anim: Studio Hibari. OVA, 2of3eps. ep3 26sept. forum. preview. fri25jul.Lupin III: Sweet Lost Night ~Mahō no Lamp wa Akumu no Yokan~ルパン三世 sweet lost night���魔法のランプは悪夢の予感���Few details are available so far about this new Lupin special. anim: Tokyo Movie. TV special. subs: Froth-Bite. fri25jul.The Sky Crawlersスカイ・クロラLove story with a military science fiction background. Director Oshii Mamoru did the Ghost in the Shell movies.He uses film actors as his stars: Kikuchi Rinko was nominated for an Oscar for her work in Babel. Kase Ryou was Mayama in the Honey & Clover movie.Music by Kenji Kawai (Windy Tales, Death Note, Higurashi). Animation/chara-des by Nishio Tetsuya. Written by dorama writer Itou Chihiro (e.g., Sekai no Chushin de, Ai wo Sakebu).Oshii is a friend and competitor of Miyazaki and did GITS: Innocence. anim: Production IG. movie. forum. preview. sat02aug.Naruto Shippuuden: Kizuna劇場版NARUTO-ナルト- 疾風伝 絆The next Naruto movie. "A mysterious group of ninjas makes a surprise attack on the Konohagakure, which takes great damage. The nightmare of another Shinobi World War could become a reality. Sasuke, who was still a missing nin from Konoha trying to kill his brother, Itachi, appears for the second time in front of Naruto at an unknown location to prevent it from happening." (ANN)Director Kamegaki Hajime did Fushigi Yuugi, Ayashi no Ceres, and Air Gear. Writer Takegami Junki did Gunslinger Girl and Hayate no Gotoku. anim: Pierrot. movie. sat02aug.Detroit Metal Cityデトロイト・メタル・シティSouichi Negishi is a shy young man who comes from the country to Tokyo for college, wanting to become a kindergarten teacher. However, for some reason he becomes the singer and songwriter of a metal band named 'Detroit Metal City.' When he puts on the heavy makeup, Negishi becomes a completely different person, shouting profanities. As the popularity of DMC increases, Negishi starts worrying that his double personality could have negative effects on his (romantic) life off stage. (from ANN)This one is flying a bit under the radar, but it comes from Studio 4°C, and the director did Mushishi, so there is some quality behind it. Character design and animation by Shimamura Hidekazu (Honey & Clover). anim: Studio 4°C. OVA. preview. fri08augKaitou Tenshi Twin Angel快盗天使ツインエンジェルThe twins live an exciting but normal school life, then after school, they become the Thieving Angels.Stars Tamura Yukari and Noto Mamiko.DirectorNagai Tatsuyuki did Honey & Clover II and Idolmaster Xenoglossia. Writer Kurata Hideyuki did Now and Then, Here and There. Animation director Koga Makoto did ARIA and sola.anim: Nomad. OVA. 1of2eps. ep2of2 in sept. fri08augLucky Star OVAらき☆すた OVALucky Star is back for a one-shot OVA. Interesting to see what happens now that fired original director Yamamoto Yutaka is long gone and this is entirely Takemoto Yasuhiro's baby.The seiyuu cast is having a great year, with awards for Hirano Aya (best lead female) and Katou Emiri (best new female seiyuu), and good new roles for both them (Chiko and Kaoru for Aaya; Sakuya and Blair for Emirin) and Endou Aya (Angelique, Sheryl).The release date for this was recently changed from the end of August to the end of September. Speculation is rife that it had to do with changing the plot to remove scenes of violence in Akihabara, after the recent knife incident. Or that the script is late. But this kind of date shift is common, and it may be due to some commercial consideration or other.anim: Kyoto Animation. OVA. 1of1eps. forum. fri26sept.NOTES:-- "forum" is the AnimeSuki forum for each show-- English titles link to the Anime News Network encyclopedia page, when there is one-- Japanese titles link to the Japanese official site.-- "subs" means sub groups who plan to sub particular shows, based mainly on the current Who Subs What wiki that many sub groups post to before a season starts.-- other information is from ANN, AnimeSuki, anidb, Moonphase, and official sites.
(Read the rest of this entry) (Entry meta)

"Seiyuu Awards" is a new Japanese annual awards show that gave out its first set of awards last spring -- the awards for 2006. General voting for the 2007 awards starts now and runs into January, with the show itself scheduled for Japanese TV next March.The categories are fairly straightforward:leading man and leading woman (in an anime that started in 2007)supporting man and woman"new" man and woman (debut no more than 5years ago) singer"personality" (appearing on radio, TV, etc.)And there is a special top award for the seiyuu who has spread word of the seiyuu profession most in various media. That award, along with three other special awards, will be voted on only by industry members, but the main awards are open to public voting. I believe the public voting just creates the short list of nominees, and the final voting is by an industry panel, but I'm not sure.Last year, the winners were: Fukuyama Jun (Lerouche in Code Geass) and Paku Romi (Nana O. in NANA) in leading roles. Best supporting females were Koshimizu Ami, for Karen in Code Geass, and Gotou Yuuko, for Mikuru in Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu. Best supporting males were Ishida Akira, for Athrun Zala in Gundam Seed Destiny, and Miyata Kouki, for Yoshinaga Kazumi in The Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas. (mouseover photos for captions)Best new females were Hirano Aya, for Suzumiya Haruhi, and Kano Yui, for Momoko in Sumomo mo Momo mo. Best new males were Kakihara Tetsuya, for Mikoto in Princess Princess, and Morita Masakazu, for Ichigo in Bleach. Top seiyuu/singer was Mizuki Nana, for her CD Justice to Believe. Best personality was Asano Masumi, host of the A&G Super Radio Show ~Anisupa~ (from the broadcaster which is one of the sponsors of these awards...).From what I've seen in 2007, the male lead I've most appreciated is Kamiya Hiroshi as Zetsubou Sensei. The fact that just over a year ago he was almost dead in a motorcycle accident may have something to do with my preference, but I thought "zetsubou shita!" sensei was a brilliant comic portrayal. There are lots of other possibilities: Seki Tomokazu as Chiaki in Nodame Cantabile, for one. I'd also think of Ono Daisuke with his undramatic but effective portrayal of Kazuya in Kaze no Stigma. And I'd think of Kiuchi Hidenobu (Ren in NANA, Tenma in Monster) as Hei in Darker than Black.For the women, the leading role that bowled me over was Hirano Aya as Konata in Lucky Star. That slurping comic voice gave the whole show a special earthiness. I'd also think of Kuwashima Houko as Claire in Claymore, or as Shuurei in SaiunkokuII. Or Kawasumi Ayako as Nodame in Nodame Cantabile (as well as Sara in Soukou no Strain). There's also Andou Mabuki as Balsa in Seirei no Moribito. And since OVAs appear to count, I'd also consider Orikasa Fumiko as Miu in Ichigo Mashimaro OVA.Male supporting actor: I'm a bit at sea here. My knowledge and appreciation of male seiyuu is better than it was, but still rudimentary. I came up with Konishi Katsuyuki as Kamina in Tengen-Toppan Gurren-Lagann. He had a big effect in a few episodes. You could also go for Seki Tomokazu as the king in SaiunkokuII -- or with any of several other strong male supporting performances in that show. Or maybe Ikeda Masaru as Huang in Darker than Black. If he reappears in SaiunkokuII, I'd give it to Koyasu Takehito, whose performance as "Rin Senya" in the first series was dominating. I might even give it to him for Zhuge Liang in the bizarre Koutetsu Sangokushi.For supporting actress, Yukino Satsuki's Mirei in Hitohira stands out for me. Paku Romi's Teresa in Claymore was also riveting, but she won best lead female last year. I'd also think of Itou Miki for her over-the-top Yumiko in Touka Gettan. And personally, I thought Matsuoka Yuki was great as Setsuna in Kyoushirou to Towa no Sora. There's Kitamura Eri as Makoto in Touka Gettan. And there are any number of top women seiyuu in Nanoha Strikers and in Idolmaster Xenoglossia.For male newcomer, I am in a quandary. I had to scour the lists for actors who had been in the business five years or less. In the end, I came up with Ono Daisuke's Kazuya in Kaze no Stigma: Ono-san made his debut in 2002. There's also the younger Miyano Mamoru in Gundam00 and in Koutetsu Sangokushi. He should have won last year for Death Note.For female newcomer, I have my own unlikely choice: 16-year-old Hayami Saori -- Momoka in Touka Gettan. I thought she was outstanding, both as an actress and as a singer. Or I could go for Hanazawa Kana -- the newcomer who is in the running (with Sasaki Nozomi) for most moe voice in anime -- as Shiika in Mushiuta or Sora in Sketchbook ~Full Colors~, or even for Potemayo. Toyosaki Aki as Amuro in Umishou deserves consideration. And there are numerous top seiyuu who have not yet been in the business more than five years: Inoue Marina (Mina in Getsumen To Heiki Mina and Kanna in Minami-ke); Nonaka Ai (Mikan in Manabi Straight, Kafuka in Zetsubou Sensei, Fuuko in Clannad), and even Nabatame Hitomi (Nobue in Ichigo Mashimaro OVA, Rina in Mushiuta).For singer, Mizuki Nana won last year. I'm not familiar enough with all the CDs that have come out featuring seiyuus under their own or their characters' names, but of those that I do know, my own personal favorite by a long shot is Hayami Saori's ED for Touka Gettan. On that song, her voice is as skillful and beautiful as any of the non-seiyuu pro singers who do OPEDs. Second is all of the fascinating stuff that Hirano Aya has produced this year, from Motteke! Sailor Fuku and the karaoke EDs for Lucky Star through her three singles in a row this fall. She may not be as technically good a singer as Hayami Saori or Chihara Minori, but everything she does has something special about it.For top personality, there are numerous seiyuu with radio shows or who act as hosts on TV. Asano Masumi won last year, so perhaps it's time for another seiyuu with a long-running radio show: Takahashi Mikako. Or perhaps Yamamoto Maria or Nogawa Sakura for their TV work.In fact, the most active seiyuu personality this year has been Hirano Aya, appearing on radio and TV, in live shows, in her popular blog, and in numerous magazines. I personally would make her the top personality of the year. But I actually think she could be in line for the special top award to a seiyuu who does the most to publicize the seiyuu profession. She brought admiration for a seiyuu's verbal skills to mainstream TV shows.Just for the heck of it, I tried voting -- and the site said it accepted my vote. So maybe overseas voting is possible. I'm not sure it should be, but anyway the list of categories and criteria is here, and the voting page is here.The awards event is sponsored by the Tokyo Anime Centre, Kadokawa publishers, Shogakukan publishers, Bunka Housou broadcasting and others. General voting is open from 20 October to 15 January, and the awards ceremony will be on Saturday 8 March.
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The seiyuu industry churns out so much new talent each year that it's hard to keep up. Shake a tree and a new seiyuu falls out. Every new anime season turns up some unfamiliar names and I'm always scratching my head and thinking 'Who on earth is that?'When I first started watching anime people like Noto Mamiko, Ueda Kana and Shimizu Ai were still relative unknowns ; and it's been quite a ride watching them progress from voicing support characters to regularly headlining anime series. Likewise it's been cool to see some like Nazuka Kaori, Shimizu Kaori, Koshimizu Ami, Hirano Aya & Irino Miyu grow up from awkward-looking teenagers to 'proper seiyuu' ^_^It doesn't always turn out that way though - there've been some seiyuu I thought might go on to bigger things but never really did; Yoshida Sayuri, Asano Ruri, Katou Nanae, Tasaka Hideki & Hoshino Takanori have sort of fallen in between the cracks and haven't quite had the sort of impact I initially thought they would.Anyway, here's a list of 10 seiyuu I think (or blindly hope) that in five years' time will have achieved success of Noto Mamiko proportions ^_^ The brick wall I faced doing this post was finding half-decent pictures of the seiyuu since most of them haven't been around for too long. And the list appears to heavily favour the girls... where have all the talented young guys gone? ^^;; Note: I deliberately left out Kitamura Eri & Inoue Marina, cos I don't want to sound like a broken record talking about them all the time...1. Yonaga TsubasaOne of Ken Production's biggest young hopes - Yonaga is one of the most recent graduates from their seiyuu academy School Duo (also attended by other KenPro heavyweights like Nabatame Hitomi & Itou Shizuka). Already he's landed two lead roles (Ren in Ookiku Furikabutte & Shingo in Gigantic Formula), something many of his seniors (Kakehashi Atsushi, Mogami Tsuguo etc) haven't quite managed to do. It probably helps that Yonaga's voice is pitched pretty high (to me, he sounds a lot like Sakaguchi Daisuke) & hence he's able to voice young male characters. Actually if you listen to the voice sample on his agency profile you'll find he's got reasonable range. Looking forward to hearing more of him in the future.2. Tomatsu HarukaHer debut performance as Corti in Polyphonica left a good impression on me even if the show itself didn't. A mere 17-years old and still in school, Tomatsu commutes to Tokyo from her Nagoya home every week for seiyuu work. Haruka-chan is............SUPER HYPER GENKI. Just listen to Polytalk (Kari), the mini shows she hosts on the Polyphonica website - she's like an Energizer bunny ^^; Tomatsu may be young but she manages to hold her own against all her experienced costars, her chats with Konishi Katsuyuki and Satou Rina were pretty fun. She also had a small role in Bokurano as Daichi's sister Futaba, and do look out for her next major role in Moetan as Ink's classmate Sumi (she also sings the opening theme with Nazuka Kaori & Tamura Yukari). I have high hopes for Haruka ^_^3. Hasegawa ShizukaTechnically not a newcomer; like Hirano Aya (they're both signed to the same agency Space Craft, which also has Chiba Saeko & Nanri Yuuka on its books) the 18-year old Hasegawa made her anime debut in Tenshi no Shippo back in 2001 when she was just 13, but she's been a child model since.... she was born ^^; Since she was 2 months old in fact (she mentioned this on Takahashi Mikako's radio show, who called her Dai-senpai) though she only signed up to Space Craft when she was three. Mainly voices young girls - Ruru in the Futakoi series, Tomohane in Inukami!, and currently Yukino in Airantou & soon to be in Lucky Star as Konata's cousin Yutaka. Shizuka likes eating bananas with mayonnaise on top, she's said that a few times on various radio shows now ^^; Plus she has the most infectious/irritating laugh, depending on how you look at it.4. Kakihara TetsuyaHe's maybe less of a newcomer now after all the publicity he got on the back of his surprise win in the inaugural Seiyuu Awards, but Kakihara only made his debut in 2005 as Bright in Futagohime. Born in Germany, the 24-year old is a graduate of Amusement Media's seiyuu training school (classmates include Kadowaki Mai & Hatano Wataru) and is now signed to 81 Produce, one of the bigger seiyuu agencies around. His voice is like Yonaga's, a bit higher than most male seiyuu but he can do serious characters like Mercutio in Romeo X Juliet in addition to the screaming shonen types (Simon in Gurren Lagann), plus the 5 inanimate objects he voices in Nanoha StrikerS (some in German). Kakihara's stock has certainly risen since the Best Newcomer award, and he's got a role in GONZO's autumn anime Dragonaut a.k.a. The S.O.S-dan reunion ^^;; And he appeals to the female fans too ^_^5. Fujita SakiTo me she really is a carbon copy of Tamura Yukari both in looks and sound. But I do like Sakki, her blog's part of my daily to-read list and I listen to her weekly radio show/podcast (when I remember). Mentioned in the KitaEri profile that she got a special prize in the V&S AUDITION; after which she enrolled in Nichinare (ARTSVISION's seiyuu training school), graduating in March this year. Sakki had a small role in Yoshinaga-san'chi no Gargoyle as Momo and then got her first major role in Tsuyokiss as Kanisawa Kinu, followed by the imouto-type Yayoi Mina in Tokimeki Memorial and the complete weirdo Momo-chan in Manabi Straight. She hasn't got anything on at the moment apart from that radio show... though she did go to Disneyland with Inoue Marina earlier this month ^^;6. Goto MaiI'm not sure of how versatile Goto is - the sample on her agency profile doesn't really show much range but her voice has got that sweet and soothing feel to it; reminds me a lot of Satou Rina (someone whose voice I could listen to all day long). She could find her niche playing moe characters in visual novel to anime conversions ^^; Her current credits list reads: Asagiri Mai (Tatsuya's sister) in Yoake Mae etc etc and Kohinata Sumomo in Happiness! And up next are roles in Nanatsuiro Drops and ef - a tale of memories which are both anime adaptations of games as well.... guess she's already being stereotyped.7. Fujimura AyumiClockwise from Top Left: Suara, Yuumao, Ito Shizuka & Fujimura AyumiAnother one of Ken Production's bright young stars. Ayu first got in the spotlight with her role as the mighty morphing Iokawa Karada in Asatte no Houkou, though she did have a supporting part in Nishi no Yoki Majo prior to that. Being a first-timer on Asatte, Fujimura mentioned on the radio show how she constantly fluffed her lines (up to 50 retakes once) & was generally a nervous wreck ^^; As Karada she did get to show off her ability to voice both little girls and teenagers and I thought she did a good job on the radio show and singing the character songs as well. Since then Ayu's had a lead role in Bartender, and is now in Touka Gettan as the maid Nene and in Kaze no Stigma as the tsundere joshikosei (with flaming pink hair) Kannagi Ayano.8. Okamoto NobuhikoOkamoto (front, centre) with the rest of the cast of solaFunnily enough, the three guys on my list possess similar sort of voices, squeaky high. Maybe there's a shortage of such male seiyuu, which is probably why the young male characters often end up being voiced by females. Okamoto's debut was in the rather underrated Ghost Hunt as John Brown, the gaijin priest with a funny Kansai accent but he's probably gained a bit more attention as the lead character Yorito in sola. Okamoto will be in Potemayo this summer voicing Natsu Yasumi (which translates to Summer Vacation), who earns my vote for second stupidest character name of the season (after Osana Najimi a.k.a. Childhood Friend from Doujin Work).9. Asumi KanaThe cute-as-a-button 24-year old Fukuokan wormed her way into many hearts with her performance as the similarly cute Yuno in Hidamari Sketch. Signed to Voice & Heart, the same agency as Inoue Marina; Asumi can currently be heard in Gainax's Gurren Lagann as Kiyal (one of Kittan's 3 sisters) and in Bokurano as Kana, the obnoxious Jun's little sister. At the moment, she's also co-hosting Busou Shinki RADIO RONDO with Kitamura Eri (she voices the MMS Angel Type Arnval in the game) and the Hidamari Sketch radio show just finished not long ago. Her blog is updated pretty regularly too.10. Endo AyaI guess her voicing meganekko Takara Miyuki in Lucky Star has gained her a few more fans, but Endo has been under the radar for a while now. First heard her in Okusama wa Joshikousei (for some reason, I quite liked the manga but the anime was a bit of a turn-off) as one of Asami's best friends, then forgot about her until she popped up in Inukami! as Imari (one of the twins). Endo was also on the 'infamous' Oshikari and Kokuhaku CDs and actually formed a unit called Plume with two of the other seiyuus on it, Kawaragi Shiho and Mizuno Manabi - they have a radio show and a blog. She's currently voicing major roles in two spring anime, Noa in the it's-so-bad-it's-good KissDum & of course, Lucky Star. Hopefully she'll get more roles after this....There are a few others worth keeping an eye on; the bubbly Katou Emiri (Kagami in Lucky Star), Hashimoto Mai who sounds really cute, and Nakao Eri (Escartin in Getsumen to heiki Mina) who is bizarre but fun, plus she possesses a deep, scratchy voice rarely heard amongst female seiyuu. Also Kano Yui, Takagaki Ayahi, Sasaki Nozomi, Hatano Wataru, Terashima Takuo, Akesaka Satomi, & some others who in my mind have been around for a long while but are actually pretty new (Yahagi Sayuri, Mizusawa Fumie, Tsuji Ayumi, Kawamoto Naru etc).
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As the last episode of Le Chevalier D’Eon had Lia shed red tears at the end of the episode, this episode starts off with Terrigory mainly taking care of the gargoyled men, while Lia recites many psalm verses. While Lia was reciting many verses due to the relisation of Maximilien Robespierre is dead, I found [...]
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It’s not unusual to have a stone ornament in the front garden, but in the case of the Yoshinaga family, theirs is a little different- it can actually come alive! Known as Gargoyle, this intelligent gatekeeper was created by alchemy, and his duty is to keep the Yoshinaga family safe from all the other weird [...]
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It’s a week of episodes not quite living up to their predecessors in this Round-Up- is it just the after-effect of trying to watch some Gundam Seed Destiny, or a sign that the viewing schedule needs an injection of fresh blood from the spring season? Either way, I’ve decided to drop Les Miserables and La [...]
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Le Chevalier D’Eon takes the story of a famous spy and tips the glass sideways to spill magic and gargoyles onto pre-revolutionary France. It is a France where power grabbing aristocrats play deadly games with each other at the expense of the citizenry, and on occaision, turns them into puppets to attack. The intrigue, [...]
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I need to take a moment to discuss this figure of Eri. It’s not a figure I like, and I wouldn’t have given it a second thought had ANN not written a surprisingly positive review about it. Am I the only one who dislikes this figure? It doesn’t capture the essence of Eri for me [...]
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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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The First Annual Seiyuu Awards ceremony was held in Tokyo Saturday night. Paku Romi won for best female lead, and Fukuyama Jun for best male lead. Hirano Aya, Koshimizu Ami, Morita Masakazu, Gotou Yuuko, and Kano Yui were among the other winners. (mouseover photos for captions; click to enlarge)The ceremony was held at the theatre of the Tokyo Anime Center in Akihabara. It was no accident that it was scheduled for the week after the Academy Awards. Awards were for performances in 2006.Paku Romi won the best female lead award, for her portrayal of rocker Nana in the smash hit NANA. Best male lead was Fukuyama Jun, for his role of Lelouch in Code Geass.Because of the difficulty of deciding, according to promoters of the event, two names were chosen in each category apart from these two top categories.Best supporting females were Koshimizu Ami, for Karen in Code Geass; and Gotou Yuuko, for Mikuru in Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu. Best supporting males were Ishida Akira, for Athrun Zala in Gundam Seed Destiny; and Miyata Kouki, for Yoshinaga Kazumi in The Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas.Best new females were Hirano Aya, for Suzumiya Haruhi; and Kano Yui, for Momoko in Sumomo mo Momo mo. Best new males were Kakihara Tetsuya, for Mikoto in Princess Princess; and Morita Masakazu, for Ichigo in Bleach. "New" seiyuu means anyone who debuted within the past five years. Aaya just made it, being 19 and having debuted at the age of 14.<http: com="" 2007="" 01="" html="">Top seiyuu/singer was Mizuki Nana, for her CD Justice to Believe. Best personality was Asano Masumi, host of the A&G Super Radio Show ~Anisupa~.<http: com="" 2007="" 01="" html=""><http: com="" 2007="" 01="" html="">There were also some special lifetime awards to veteran seiyuus. Tomiyama Kei, who died in 1995, played many roles, including Koudai in Space Battleship Yamato, and was in the first series of Chibi Maruko-chan.<http: com="" 2007="" 01="" html="">Oohira Tooru has done a lot of dubbing, and was the voice of Superman on TV and in film, and of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films. Ohara Noriko is Nobito in Doraemon, and has dubbed Brigitte Bardot, Shirley MacRae and Jane Fonda in films.<http: com="" 2007="" 01="" html="">Ikeda Masako was Maetel in Galaxy Express 999, and has dubbed the voice of Audrey Hepburn. This will be particularly significant to people who have seen the anime REC. Mukai Mariko was the voice of Marilyn Monroe, and has also been in many anime.<http: com="" 2007="" 01="" html="">Reaction on 2channel has been predictably mixed. One poster summed up a segment of opinion with the following:<http: com="" 2007="" 01="" html="">Of course: Fukuyama, Hirano, Koshimizu. (i.e., skill plus looks = shoo-in)Solid: Ishida, Mizuki, Paku.Dubious: Morita, Asano, Gotou.The fix is in: Miyata, Kakihara, Kano.Too bad: Sugita, Miyano, Sawashiro. (i.e., should have won)Too old: Horie, Tamura, Matsuoka.Paku Romi is older than any of those last three, so that's wrong. But I would have given the award to Sugita Tomokazu rather than Fukuyama Jun; I find Lelouch wooden, and the only thing amazing about the performance is that it is such an unusual role for Fukuyama-san. And Kano Yui is a strange choice, when she has only really done two shows and the wonderful Sawashiro Miyuki was another nominee. As a 2channel poster said: "I'm a fan of Yui's, but she didn't deserve to win." The others all at least make sense to me, although I haven't seen all the performances.Paku Romi, Kuwashima Houko, and Tanaka Rie would all have been worthy winners of the lead female award. I think the jury (with some public voting involved) generally made good choices that give the event some credibility going forward.I hope it is significant that Paku Romi, who is of Korean ancestry, was selected over other equally worthy competitors. Romi's grandparents and great-grandparents emigrated from Korea. She was born in Tokyo and attended college in Japan, but did language study in Korea and is fluent in Korean.Here are some reports from the event in Japanese, with more photos: Anime! Anime!, Akiba Kakaku, and AV Watch.Here is a list of the nominees.I can't identify everyone in the group shot above. Please e-mail me with corrections or more identifications if you know them. The fact that the new seiyuu are in the front row is interesting. 2channel and I both suspect that their looks had something to do with that. I would add that Hirano Aya's short skirt might have been a further factor.Group photo: (front row, l-r) Morita Masakazu, Hirano Aya, Fukuyama Jun, official, Paku Romi, Kano Yui, Kakihara Tetsuya. (back row) Mizuki Nana, Ishida Akira, Koshimizu Ami, ?, Oohira Tooru, ?, ?, ?, ?, Gotou Yuuko, Miyata Kouki, Asano Masumi.
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