K-ON Second Live Concert Out Now!

To all the K-On! fans out there, the DVD and Blu-ray of their second live concert, "Come with Me", was officially released in Japan last Friday.

I've watched some parts of the video and one thing I can easily say is that Aki Toyosaki can definitely sing live and emcee!

I'm also glad that they san both opening songs (as I find them both to be both fun and hard to sing), as well as their goodbye song, Tenshi ni Fureta Yo!

I won't write a comprehensive review, not until I've watched the entire concert and understood it anyway. But after scanning some parts of it, it was evident that they followed the same format as the successful first concert, combining voice acting showcase with lots (more than the first concert) singing.

All songs were sung live (looks like) but only some where played live, which is okay considering the seiyuus aren't musicians to begin with.

I'll post more about this concert and maybe include the setlist as they become available to me.

But I'll leave it like this for now, if you're a K-On! or an Aki Toyosaki fan, missing this video would be a sin.

Ciao!

Anime Review #9: Fate/Stay Night

Here's another outdated review. :)

I watched this 2006 Anime about three years ago, so I had to watch it again just to make a review.

While it's not the best Anime in my opinion, it does present some unforgettable scenes, concept, and especially, characters.

This won't be a long review so please read more after the jump.

Anime Review #8: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

What if you were given one wish and with this single wish anything you desire can come true?

Would you wish for countless riches? A beautiful wife? Perhaps a car, a house, or nice job?

Or would you use this opportunity to make someone else happy?

(Photo credits: Wikipedia)

If I would have to beg you to read at least one article in its entirety, it’s this one. So, please,

Anime Review #7: Mayo Chiki! (ongoing)

I’ve decided to review at least two ongoing Anime per season. With Hana-Saku Iroha just recently releasing its 14th and 15th episode complete with a new but still loveable opening sequence, I’ve decided to start with a new one.

Since Hana-Saku Iroha was a little too… pure… I’ve also decided to go a little ecchi this time – Mayo Chiki!

Needless to say, I haven’t laughed this hard and this often after watching just two episodes.

Mayo Chiki is both HOT (as an ecchi, 9/10) and funny (as a comedy, 10/10)!

Read on!

(Photo Credits: AniDB)

Anime Review #6: Byousoku 5 Centimeter (movie)

The title is translated to “Five Centimeters per Second” in its English release.

Spoiler Alert: While spoilers are carefully avoided, some facts need to be revealed to make a point. Please read at your own risk.

(photo credits: Wikipedia)

Warning: This Anime may make you cry. Hard.

otaku dot ph is re-launching!

It has been a while since our last post (not including the Anime Review I just posted a few hours ago), and obviously this is due to uncontrollable instances. I had to transfer jobs, chokoreitou had a life-changing earthquake and tsunami to deal with. But now that we’re back, we’re going to be so much better.

With the help of our newest member, otaku dot ph will be re-launching soon!

Yes you’ll see new designs and probably a new logo to go with it, but that’s not all.

We’ll be covering more topics (yey!) coming from more writers (yey!).

I won’t give away everything right now, though, just to keep you guys thinking. But here’s a teaser:

Based on a personal survey I conducted (with a sample size of three people :P) I found out that people who like Anime also like, wait for it, Gaming! Boom! So yeah, we’ll be reviewing games and gadgets, and trust me, we’ll be as updated as we can with the latest gadgets and games out in the market.

In fact, I couldn’t wait to get started that I’ve written my first Game Review before I wrote this announcement. I won’t be posting it today, though, so please check back very soon. :)

The official re-launching is scheduled on August 1st, but you won’t have to wait that long to enjoy the new goodies we will have to offer.

In the next few days (that’s tomorrow or the next day), the new segments will start showing up.

By mid-July, the new site layout should be up. A couple of weeks after that the site should look completely refreshed and by August 1, otaku dot ph 2.0 will be up and running.

So tell your friends and keep coming back, cause, you know, WE’RE BAAACK!

(wow, that ‘rhyme’ sucks)

Karaoke Box #2: Valentine Kiss

Perhaps one of the cutest songs I've ever heard in an Anime is "Valentine Kiss" from Prince of Tennis.

During the closing segments of the Anime Lucky Star, where the characters were in a karaoke room singing hit Japanese songs, Tsukasa Hiiragi, voiced by Kaori Fukuhara, sung this song.

It's really... well, cute! I don't think there's any other words to describe such a wonderful melody, so just listen in or sing along. The lyrics here are from the original Prince of Tennis version, but the video is that of Tsukasa's, so they may differ a little. Luckily, Agotaku subbed his/her YouTube video with the appropriate lyrics, so please enjoy.

shalalala suteki ni KISS shalalala sugao ni KISS
shalalala suteki ni KISS shalalala sugao ni KISS

ashita wa tokubetsu SPECIAL DAY
ichinen ichido no CHANCE
OH DARLING (duwa duwa) OH DARLING I LOVE YOU!
(duwa duwa)
dare mo ga ukarete CARNIVAL
kareshi no HEART wo itomete
OH BABY (duwa duwa) OH BABY LOVE ME DO!
amai amai koi no CHOCOLATE
anata ni agete mite mo metachi wa shinai kara
watashi chotto saigo no shudan de kimechau
VALENTINE DAY KISS VALENTINE DAY KISS
VALENTINE DAY KISS RIBBON wo kakete
shalalala suteki ni KISS shalala suteki ni

WINE no iroshita SUNSET PARK
suteki na ROMANCE shitai
OH DARLING (duwa duwa) OH DARLING I LOVE YOU!
(duwa duwa)
anata wo yobidasu TELEPHONE CALL
kimochi wo wakatte hoshii
OH BABY (duwa duwa) OH BABY LOVE ME DO!
totte oki no shareta CHOCOLATE
sore wa watashi no kuchibiru anata no ude no naka
wazatorashiku hitomi wo tsumutte agechau
VALENTINE DAY KISS VALENTINE DAY KISS
VALENTINE DAY KISS otona no aji ne
shalalala suteki ni KISS shalala 

ano hi kara yo koi no CHOCOLATE
gingami sotto hiraite kimochi wo tashikamete
dare mo minna suteki na ROMANCE shichau no
VALENTINE DAY KISS VALENTINE DAY KISS
VALENTINE DAY KISS koi no kinenbi

shalalala suteki ni KISS shalalala sugao ni KISS
shalalala suteki ni KISS shalalala sugao ni KISS

Anime Review #4: Eve no Jikan

Warning: You are about to read a review of an unconventional anime.

Eve no Jikan is unique in many ways. For one, it’s “first season” only has six episodes. Second, the characters are drawn traditionally, in 2D, while the background is in 3D. More importantly, unlike regular anime which are shown on Japanese TV before being released to the rest of the world, Eve no Jikan was released worldwide via Yahoo! Japan (in Japanese, of course).

Image courtesy of anidb.net

What is this about? Who are the seiyuus in this show? Is this Anime worth watching?

More details, minimal (but maybe not zero) spoilers, after the break.

Anime Review #3: B Gata H Kei

Warning: The plot of this Anime may not be suitable to minors.

B Gata H Kei is a TV anime series based on a seinen manga by Sanri Youko. Because it is a seinen, the expected fans are young male adults, usually of age 18-30. However, B Gata H Kei is also classified as an Ecchi, so under-18 viewers are really discouraged.

To learn more about anime classifications (Ecchi, Seinen, etc), click here.

B Gata H Kei is also a comedy. In fact, it’s probably one of the funniest Anime I’ve seen in recent times.

As always, while spoilers are avoided, some information about the plot may necessarily be included in this review. However, it is always our goal to make readers want to watch whatever we’re reviewing, as opposed to just spoiling the fun.

More after the break.

Anime Terms

Minna-san konnichiwa!

This is going to be a one-time post, and not a series or a channel. The aim of this post is to introduce some terms commonly used in the Anime circles. In the future, we may choose to add to this post, continue with a "Part 2", or refer to this post to explain some things in other posts.

Following are the ten most misused or misunderstood Anime-related terms:

1. Otaku

The information contained in this section is taken from Wikipedia, and from talking to Japanese and Korean friends. Picture courtesy of http://media.giantbomb.com.

Seiyuu Watch #2: Toyosaki Aki (豊崎 愛生)

Disclaimer: Any information found in this post is in no way complete. The focus of this post is to give comments about a seiyuu, not to reveal all details about her.  Further information can be found in the source(s) listed at the end of the page. All information found in this post are either from stock knowledge, or from any of the websites listed below.

Don’t let that cute voice fool you, Aki Toyosaki is a fighter. She has a powerful, versatile, and quality speaking and singing voice that, coupled with the perfect character, can easily turn an anime series from a bust to an instant hit.
After the break, we’ll learn more about Aki’s career and growth from being a normal girl, to being a member of a singing group, and now one of the best active seiyuus in the business.

Biography, Filmography, and Discography
Aki was born October 28, 1986 in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. Her first acting job was as Amuro Ninagawa, the main character of the anime series Kenkou Zenrakei Suieibu Umishou. She continued her steady rise in the industry until she was asked to perform a song with another seiyuu, Eri Kitamura, as part of her character’s image song.
Her biggest, best, and most popular  singing and acting jobs, however, remains as Yui Hirasawa of K-On! During the show’s first season, she performed the lead vocals of the anime’s opening song, “Cagayake Girls,” while she sang as a backup in its closing song, the Best Song awardee “Don’t say Lazy.”
In 2009, she performed the opening song of “Future Steam” together with three other seiyuus – this group of four would later be collectively known as the singing group Sphere. They would later release an album entitled A.T.M.O.S.P.H.E.R.E.
As a Yui’s seiyuu, she also won the Best New Actress at the Seiyuu awards in 2010.
Aki’s Charm
Aki’s voice can be described by several words, not a few of which are cute, charming, and addictive. She fits perfectly the roles of clueless, careless, and easygoing characters, such as Yui of K-On! and Tomo Yamanobe of Seikon no Qwaser.
This, however, absolutely does not imply that Aki is one-dimensional. In fact, because her voice is naturally mellow and soft, it emphasizes her range whenever, for example, she portrays an angry character. The little emotion she adds goes a long way, and in effect, the viewer is treated to, for example, either the warm and fuzzy or cruel and comedic.
Her voice is also addictive. It is easy on the ears, and hearing her can definitely make you go “awwww”. It is stress-relieving, and hearing the same voice over and over brings new experiences and at the same time, keeps you wanting more.

Aki the Model?
Unlike a lot of seiyuus, Aki has no official and professional modeling jobs. It doesn’t say anything about her looks, as she is pretty in her own rights.
The thing about her beauty, though, and the reason why she got the rating she got below, is that it’s not very consistent. She could be very very pretty in one picture, but only pretty in another.
Aki’s seems to display her charm more in videos (or in person?) than in photos. She can be very cute when she, say, is ashamed to answer an interviewer’s question, or if she doesn’t know the answer at all! Couple that with her genuine and natural cute voice, and you have yourself a perfect combination.
Aki the Singer
As a singer, Aki has released one album, which has her carrier and debut single “Love your Life”. The album name was derived from her own name, A-Ki -  A means Love, while Ki means life.

Other than this, she has released numerous albums in the form of insert songs and character image songs for the anime she dubbed, most especially K-On! As a seiyuu-singer, Aki tends to stick to her character, which is perfect since the style of the son, and the lyrics, are usually tailor-cut for Aki’s voice. This makes her songs also cute, pleasing to the ears, and quite addictive. Sometimes you get distracted by the mere cuteness of her voice, you forget that she’s singing a wonderful song.
Aki Toyosaki also has a lot of videos in YouTube, where she sings live, hosts music programs, and even says the popular K-On! catchphrase, Moe… Moe… Kyun! You would need to use her Kanji name in searching, though.
Scores:
Voice Acting: 5
Singing: 5
Physical: 4

~~~~~
Credits:
Information: Wikipedia
Photo Credits:

• MyAnimeList.Net
• AniDB.NET
• www.dimazdizon.com

Anime Review #2: Evangelion 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone

Please note that this is not a summary, rather, a commentary on an anime movie – reading this and watching the film are two completely different experiences.

Spoilers (and in fact, storytelling) are definitely avoided, but some details may still be disclosed. Please continue at your own risk.

Evangelion 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone is the latest, Blu-Ray and DVD version of the movie initially entitled “Evangelion 1.00 You Are (Not) Alone”.

In a nutshell, this movie is a re-imagining of the first half of the popular anime series, Neon Genesis Evangelion. The second part is featured in the next movie, Evangelion 2.22.

The movie starts the same way as the anime series, but immediately, the much-improved graphics and fight-sequences are noticeable. For the familiar readers, the original anime series was popular because of two things: its weird and philosophical storyline, and its cool graphics. The decade-later movie was also ten times better in terms of graphics.

Although the artwork of most characters were retained and kept original, some artistic improvements were made. For instance, Unit 01’s green paint is now glow-in-the-dark, and its overall appearance is more eerie.

Unit 00’s color has also been improved, from the bright orange to the new, yellowish orange, that even matches Rei’s jumpsuit.

Another sequence that was almost always implied, skipped, or briefly shown in the series was the way the entire Tokyo-3 was “retracted”, that is, it moved to an underground location for the safety of its inhabitants.

In the movie, the sequence was shown for a good couple of minutes, and it was absolutely awesome! The buildings slide down seamlessly as the defensive turrets rise up. While some platforms or buildings can be forced down by releasing the holding clamps, most are slowly and safely lowered at a rate that would be, I would imagine, not nauseating.

The nostalgic movie ranges from the day Shinji Ikari was called by NERV, until the first battle he and Rei Ayanami participated in as a team. Unfortunately for Asuka fans, she won’t appear until the next movie.

Overall, the movie was edited superbly. The cuts implemented were just enough to tell the whole story, but not too few as to make the movie dragging. One of my favorite scenes was when Shinji and Rei were given their instructions: Shinji will be the sniper and Rei will be on defense. While dressing, Shinji notes, “You know, we might die this time.” Rei’s answer, done right as she was tightening her jumpsuit, was one of the coolest anime movie moments I’ve seen in a long time:

“No.

You won’t die.

I will protect you.”

And then she leaves the room, without letting Shinji react.

Of course, another “improvement” comes with the fact that this is a movie, with its own different ratings than a TV series. Fans familiar with the show will definitely recognize the scene when Shinji visited Rei to deliver her security card. There, Shinji stumbles into a naked Rei. In the TV show, Rei’s private parts were brilliantly blocked from view by random objects. In the movie version, such “restrictions” weren’t needed, so what’s naked is naked.

Finally, I’ll leave you with a treat. Because of the additional freedom, scenes such as Rei putting on her jumpsuit become possible. It’s probably not good enough to be GP, especially here in the Philippines, so I took the liberty of censoring some parts of the following snapshot. The actual film has absolutely no pixelated scenes.

You can purchase this movie from the following Amazon.com links:

• Blu-Ray
• DVD

All photos are snapshots taken from the movie and are considered fair use, because it does not reduce the willingness of potential customers to purchase the movie, and may event urge them to do so.

Karaoke Box #1: Go! Go! Maniac

Go! Go! Maniac by singer-seiyuu Aki Toyosaki is the opening song of the second season of the anime series K-On! (the second season is entitled K-On!! with two exclamation marks). It is a fast-paced, hard-to-sing-along song, but very entertaining, rhythmic, and if you ever do get to sing along with it, is a lot of fun.

The lyrics and complete version of the song (including a VERY impressive live drum performance) from YouTube, after the break.

Character in Focus #1: Yui Hirasawa

The series of posts in this channel (Character in Focus) will focus on Japanese TV and Movie characters, not just Anime. For example, soon, you might see Shaider, or Takeshi from Takeshi’s Castle, here. But for the first post, I want to start with one of my two favorite Anime characters, Yui Hirasawa from K-On!

Note: My other favorite character is Konata Izumi, which I’ll talk about very soon.

Yui is the main character of the Anime series K-On!, and its second season, K-On!! (yes, the second one has two exclamation marks while the first one has only one). She appears on all episodes of both seasons, including all OVAs. Her seiyuu, also another favorite, is Aki Toyosaki. (You’ll hear more about her in the channel Seiyuu Watch in the coming weeks)

Yui the Musician

During the first few episodes, we get to know Yui as a first-year high school girl who is extremely carefree and easygoing. She couldn’t care less about her future, her studies, and even as simple a task as picking a club. Her childhood friend, Nodoka, always warned her of her future as a NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training).

Soon, she discovers the “keionbu”, or Light Music Club, and, thinking that “light music” is as simple as playing the castanets, she immediately signs up. At that time, the Light Music Club was about to be dissolved if they could not get four members. They already had three - bassist Mio Akiyama, drummer Ritsu Tainaka, and keyboardist Tsumugi Kotobuki. All they needed was a lead guitarist, and Yui was there to save the day.

Yes, that last phrase is full of sarcasm. Yui was as good in playing the guitar as she was in remembering errands (read: she sucked). Plus, she didn’t have a guitar! Her new clubmates help her raise money for her instrument, and with a little practice and a lot of sidetrips, the band, later named Ho-kago Tea Time (After School Tea Time) was able to play at the school’s festival.

Yui the Lead Singer

Because Mio was extremely shy, Yui volunteered hard to be given the chance to do the vocals. After her “special training” with their Teacher and Adviser, Sawako, Yui lost her voice and Mio had to take the role of lead singer. During the festival, Mio sang while Yui, hoarse voice and all, did the backup vocals.

In the next episodes and until the next season, Yui would be the lead singer while Mio would be the backup.

Yui the Senpai

Soon, the Light Music Club was able to recruit a freshman, Azusa Nakano, an awesome guitarist who would play the backup role behind her senpai, Yui, despite her being so much better and more experienced.

Yui the Schoolgirl

Yui has several characteristics that endear her, not only to her friends in the anime series, but to the viewers and fans of the show as well.

Yui is goofy. Thanks to Aki Toyosaki’s signature “clueless, yet cute” voice, Yui’s clumsy-but-adorable, easygoing nature is brought to life. Yui trips over nothing, gets distracted by anything, and can only focus on one task at a time (such as playing tge guitar only, and not studying). Of course, later she learns how to play and sing at the same time.

Yui is a genius. She is talented. She learned the guitar by listening, and thus, she can play some songs by ear. She can tune her guitar without the use of tuning instrument (something even Azusa cannot do). She normally gets average to failing grades, but when she puts effort into studying, she gets very high marks (she even got a perfect score on an exam).

Yui is cute, but weird. She names things (then again, I name things, but I’m not cute, ha ha). She named her guitar Giita, her gloves Gurabu-chan, and even Mio’s guitar, Elisabeth. In fact, she talks to each one endearingly, even apologizing to her gloves for raising her voice.

Yui is Yui. She is sweet. She is cuddly, and she loves to hug just about everyone. She is also lazy, and on summer or winter breaks, she stays home doing nothing. She spaces out in the middle of conversations, forgets the lyrics mid-performance or misunderstand some things completely.

Finally, Yui is a great, great performer.

Songs

The one thing I love as much as Anime are Anime songs, which shows in my choices thus far. My top two anime are filled with songs (K-On! and Lucky Star), while my top two anime characters are great singers (Yui and Konata).

Probably the number one reason I like Yui and Konata are their rich repertoire of character and insert songs.

FYI, character songs are songs a ‘character’ would have sung, which normally describes his/her, and either the way he/she thinks or the way he/she would say things. These songs are usually released as a separate album, in addition to the official soundtrack. Each main character usually gets one album.

On the other hand, Insert songs are songs played within the Anime. For example, a song being played in the radio during one sequence, or a song being sung or hummed by a character. Sometimes, the characters themselves create versions of popular songs, and these, too, are released.

Yui’s character songs are the best character songs I have ever heard. (On the other hand, Konata’s insert songs are as good as Yui’s character songs). Here are my top 10 Yui songs, which you can try hunting at, say, a certain popular video sharing site:

1. Genius..?
2. Sunday Siesta
3. Fudepen ~ballpen~ (Yui Version)
4. Watashi no Koi wa Hotchi Kiss (Yui Version)
5. Guitar no Kubittake
6. Go Go Maniac
7. Happy!? Sorry!!
8. Let’s Go
9. Fuwa Fuwa Time (Yui Version)
10. Cagayake Girls

Which reminds me, I’ll also be writing about Anime songs in another channel, so watch out for that one.

I guess that’s it for Yui, even though there’s really much more to tell. Why don’t I close with a quote from one of the songs mentioned above:

“Mattete Fudepen, Gomen ne boorupen wa.
Oyasumi shitete!”

“Wait a second, Calligraphy Pen; Sorry Ballpen.
Have a good night!”

No much sense, eh? What the heck. Oyasumi Nasai!

Credits
All information used in this post were obtained by watching the Anime series K-On! multiple times.
All pictures used are screenshots from the Anime series and are properties of the releasing studio, Kyoto Animation.
Screenshots are used to promote the Anime series, and not profit from it. Please use or re-use responsibly.

Anime Review #1: Kanon (2006)

  
One cool December, a boy learned to love.

And I’m not even talking about any anime series yet.

I was with my brothers (I have four, all younger than me) one Christmas eve when they told me about this anime series entitled Kanon. Apparently, they all fell in love with its rollercoaster storyline, despite it being a romance anime and them being young men, and they urged me to watch it as soon as possible. It didn’t disappoint.

Kanon was, at that time, one of the best anime series I have seen in a long time. It was the first (and so far only) anime to have me so much involved at what was happening, that when the story turned sad, I felt sad, and when the main character was happy, I, too, was ecstatic.

Okay, maybe it got me teary-eyed on more than a few occasions. Alright, alright, I might have cried, too. But all 24 episodes of Kanon are all worth it, and soon after watching the entire series, I found myself watching everything all over again.

Kanon has two versions, one released in 2002, and another in 2006. I personally have only watched the 2006 version, since according to my brother, it was the better of the two. Afterwards, I did a little bit of research on the differences of the two versions, and indeed, the 2006 Kanon is what I would recommend myself. This is because apparently, the 2006 version is less straightforward and spoonfeeding as the 2002 version, it leaves you with missing gaps of information to keep you thinking, but in the end answers all your questins.

In fact, let me give you a bit of a teaser. The following is the first of many monologues of one of the main characters, Ayu, right after the opening theme song of the very first episode:

“A dream… I’m seeing a dream. The same dream I see every day. The endless dream. The red snow. The world stained in red. The small, crying child was blocking the red sky. I wanted to wipe away his tears, at least. But the hands wouldn’t move, and the tears trailing down the cheeks soaked into the snow, and…. all I could do was watch. It was so painful… and so sad.”

Watching for the first time, these words would mean nothing. But right after watching episode 24, go back to this scene and you will understand what I mean when I say that Kanon’s storyline is simply… elegant.

Kanon is a story about a young boy, Yuuichi Aizawa, who returns to a city he frequently visits as a child. As a high school transferee, he was to stay with his aunt, Akiko Minase, and her daughter and Yuuichi’s first cousin, Nayuki. Upon his return, we learn that Yuuichi has almost no memory of the city he grew up in, only remembering bits and pieces, minimal details of events that occurred in the past (in particular, an event that is always mentioned happened “seven years ago'”).

Nayuki tries to remind Yuuichi of what he should be remembering, but to no avail. During the course of the series, Yuuichi meets four other girls: Ayu Tsukimiya, Makoto Sawatari, Shiori Misaka, and Mai Kawasumi, who all have had important relationships with Yuuichi in the past.

As the plot progresses, the bits and pieces are put together and the entire events of “seven years ago” is revealed in what I still believe is the best climax and best anime series finale I have ever seen.

While Kanon is based on an adult game by the company Key, the anime version sticks to a general patronage audience, making the series purely romantic with a lot of mysteries and twists.

I won’t say anything more about the storyline as it might ruin your viewing experience. I recommend that you don’t read summaries because they will take away the surprises (and there are a LOT). Watch it, and watch it again. Enjoy!

Seiyuus in this Anime that you might know:

• Sugita Tomokazu (Yuuichi Aizawa), the show’s biggest star, also voiced Kyon (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya), Renkotsu (Inuyasha), Hideki Motosuwa (Chobits), and several minor characters in Bleach.
• Yukari Tamura (Mai Kawasumi) is a very popular seiyuu who has voiced numerous characters, including Tenten (Naruto), Ranpha Franboise (Galaxy Angel), Misha (Pita-Ten), Mei Sunohara (Clannad) and Rino Randou and Pucchan (Gokujou Seitokai).
• Yui Horie (Ayu Tsukimiya) also voiced Naru Narusegawa (Love Hina), Eri Sawachika (School Rumble) and Tsubasa Hanekawa (Bakemonogatari).
• Mayumi Iizuka (Makoto Sawatari) also voiced Kasumi or Misty in the Pokemon series.

Ratings:

• Graphics: 4/5 (nice art, much better than 2002 version, can still improve)
• Story: 5/5 (perfect)
• Voice:4/5 (main cast is great, supporting, not so much)
• Music: 3/5 (opening theme is good and very suitable, but that about it)
• Entertainment value: 3/5 (some parts can be dragging)

 

You can buy Kanon DVDs at Amazon via the following packages:

• Kanon: The Complete Series regular packaging.
• Kanon: Complete Series Box Set S.A.V.E. (2010)

Credits:

• Wikipedia and AniDB for some information.
• Google for the first photo.
• The image with Yuuichi and the five girls were created by fudepen using screenshots from the anime series.

Seiyuu Watch #1: Hirano Aya (平野 綾)

 

Of course, I had to start with my favorite seiyuu – Aya Hirano (平野 綾 Hirano Aya).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aya Hirano is a seiyuu, a singer, and a model. She was born in October 8, 1987 (She’s only 22 years old as of today). She began her voice acting career as Momo in the popular Anime Tenshi no Shippo, but got her biggest break as the voice of Haruhi Suzumiya in the Anime series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

I won’t go too much into the details of her life, her work, and her career, as you can easily find these information at Wikipedia, or in her official website.

Aya as a Seiyuu

Her best voice acting performance was as Konata Izumi of Lucky Star. In this Anime, not only did she bring to life the character of Konata (who is by the way tied for first among my favorite Anime characters), but she created an identity using her voice.

Go ahead and search youtube for a song, say, “Voltes V theme song”, then add the phrase “Konata version” to your search string. You will find fans who sing the song the way Konata would. The person singing is no Aya Hirano, and you don’t see Konata singing on your screens, but once you hear that kind of voice, you know it’s her. Genius!

While Konata’s voice is extremely laidback and relaxed, Aya’s other roles display her very wide (possible the widest in the industry) voice range.

As Haruhi Suzumiya, Aya built an image of a fun-loving, “I’ll do it my way, I don’t care about anyone else” type of person who always gets what she wants, in the most literal sense of these words. Her portrayal of Haruhi, using her mature voice, and rapid but clear speech, has won her the Best Newcomer award back in 2006.

Unfortunately, in the Philippines, Lucky Star and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya never clicked with the Filipino audience (I don’t know why, since Lucky Star is still tied for first in my own list of favorite Anime). Another Aya Hirano-voice anime, however, was a smashing hit – Death Note.

Misa Amane, or Misa Misa, the carefree girl who is head-over-heels in love with the protagonist (or antagonist?), was voiced by Aya. Here, she used her mature voice once again to portray an independent and smart (not to mention extremely pretty) woman who was capable of thinking and making decisions on her own. Although the hype was relatively short lived due to the relatively shorter length of the anime itself (compared to other hits such as Yu Yu Hakusho, Slam Dunk, and Dragonball Z).

From childish and immature, to strong and independent, Aya’s voice captures them all, and it doesn’t even stop there. She’s also done action or fighting voices (Galaxy Angel-Rune, Kiddy Grade, Fairy Tale, etc), romantic voices (Death Note, White Album, etc) and even sexy voices (Seikon no Qwaser, and many others you can search by yourself :P)

As a Seiyuu, I give Aya Hirano a 5 out of 5.

Aya as a Singer

Aya Hirano sang the opening theme song of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, entitled “Bouken Deshou Deshou”, or literally, “It’s an Adventure, right? Right?”. It was one of the best anime and opening songs I’ve heard at the time and it really stuck. In that same anime series, she also sang two insert songs, “God Knows” and “Lost my Music”, which both became popular in Japan.

Everything crumbled, however, when I heard her sing live at the Haruhi live concert. Clearly, she wasn’t used to singing in front of a mammoth crowd yet, much less sing while playing the guitar.

Later, she released her first album, Riot Girl, and as usual, her recorded voice was awesome. Her true acid test though would be her then-upcoming live concert.

I watched the entire live concert through its DVD release and was in awe at the transformation - the growth! She is now a genuine performer! She now knows how to entertain and keep the crowd involved, but most importantly, she sang the songs as well as she did during the recording sessions.

And I thought that was it, that was the best of Aya Hirano. Well, wrong again.

Her second album, Speed Star, showed her true potential, not just as a singer, but as a voice “maker”. The different songs showed her different talents and characters. For instance, “Super Driver” showed her Haruhi character, while “Oh my Honey” showed her sexy, charming, and even seductive side.

And when I got to watch the Lucky Star live concert DVD, that’s when I realized she definitely deserved another “5”. Unlike the other seiyuus in the concert, she stuck with her character and sung all songs as Konata. She even spoke as Konata. And as a pure fan of the anime, it meant a lot, and because it was so satisfying, I finished the DVD ready to watch it all over again.

Yes, as a singer, I give Aya Hirano a 5 out of 5.

Aya as a Model

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and each person has his/her own type.

My type? Aya Hirano. From head to toe, every single cell (or pixel?) is exactly the way I want it to be. Okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit. But she’s definitely the prettiest girl I’ve seen in my life, and my own girlfriend even agrees with this statement.

Definitely a 5 out of 5.

Scores:

Voice Acting: 5
Singing: 5
Physical: 5

Credits and References:

Information, Biography, Discography, etc – Wikipedia and Aya Hirano’s official website.

Pictures - Google