Here's a brief video featuring three of the biggest new stars of the past year: Toyosaki Aki, Yuuki Aoi, and Hikasa Youko. Get used to their faces, voices, and names. All three of them will be around for a long time. Toyosaki Aki, 23, is now such a star that it's hard to realize that she only really hit the big-time in 2009, as Yui in K-On, after starting her career in 2007 with the role of Amuro in Umisho. Now she is the moe voice of the moment.There's a saying going the rounds on 2channel about four of the stars of K-On: "Taketatsu (Ayana) is cute, Hikasa is funny, Satou (Satomi) is healing, Toyosaki combines them all." She is only in two shows right now, but will be in four come the fall. Hikasa Youko, 25, also began her career in 2007, but was even less well-known until she got the role of Mio in K-On last year. Now she has roles in four anime at the same time, as the main star of Seitokai Yakuindomo and Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin, and a co-star in K-On. The more roles she gets, the more I realize she is a terrific comedienne.Yuuki Aoi is only 18, but has been in anime since she had a role in Kino no Tabi at the age of eleven. But her starring roles in the 2009 (but still continuing) anime Anyamaru Tantei Kiruminzuu and Yumeiro Patissiere have made her a hot commodity with producers. She has had major roles in Dance in the Vampire Bund, Sora no Woto, and Dai Maou, as well as her current role in Shiki, and will be in four new shows this fall. What Ao-chan has, besides good acting ability, is the most powerful and flexible soprano voice around.Here is the video clip: <object height="360" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xehni3_toyosaki-aki-yuuki-aoi-hikasa-youko_shortfilms?additionalInfos=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video/xehni3_toyosaki-aki-yuuki-aoi-hikasa-youko_shortfilms?additionalInfos=0" width="480" height="360" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object>In the clip, each introduces herself (Toyosaki-Yuuki-Hikasa) and her character in Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Maou. Toward the end of the clip, they mention that Sphere, of which Aki-san is a member, does the OP for the show. Ao-chan's screams of support probably knocked the sound levels off the meter.The three seiyuus did the show's bi-weekly radio program together, and it was highly enjoyable.If we go by popularity on 2channel, there is another seiyuu I want to mention who is in the same stratosphere of new-found popularity: Taketatsu Ayana, who plays Azu-nyan with Hikasa and Toyosaki in K-On, and Vanilla with Ao-chan in YumePati. Aya-nyan will also be in four new shows this fall, and is in four right now.On 2channel right now, Aya-nyan is receiving seven posts an hour, Hyocchi six an hour, and Aki-san four an hour. Ao-chan is down at 20 a day, but rising. Other newish seiyuu with high popularity include Satou Satomi (Ritsu in K-On, 56 posts a day) and Kotobuki Minako (Mugi-chan in K-On, 43 posts a day). Ao-chan hasn't reached the same level of public acclaim as they, but her amazing level of professional skill makes her popularity with producers very high, and her future uniquely bright.
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