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July 18th, 2017

Why I (Came To) Like: Yama no Susume

Anime Relations: Yama no Susume, Yama no Susume Second Season

Posted by Avelynn | Jul 18, 2017 12:19 AM | 0 comments

June 11th, 2017

I went to a Yama no Susume Fan Meet in Hanno City, Japan to see Yuka Iguchi!

Anime Relations: Yama no Susume Third Season

r/seiyuu Version: https://www.reddit.com/r/seiyuu/comments/6jzg8a/blog_i_went_to_a_yama_no_susume_fan_meet_in_hanno/

Unlike the r/seiyuu post, which detailed the events of the Yama no Susume Fan Meeting, this will instead just be a recap of the happenings of each day I spent in Japan that's (probably) a bit more anime-focused. For personal purposes, obviously!

Thursday, June 1
~ Armed with the new MP3 player that I had left unused till that day, that was loaded with all the lovely songs I had enjoyed from anime up till that point, I arrived at the airport for my flight. Mine was a transit flight: I'd arrive in Hong Kong at around midnight before embarking for Narita Airport in Japan.

On this flight, I managed to catch the live action movie, Death Note: Light Up the New World. I hadn't watched the Death Note anime before, but I had expected something a little more psychological, having read the synopsis before. Instead, it was more like a gore flick. Tragic. Still, I might catch the original at some point.

Friday, June 2
~ Following a gruelling trek that was going from one end of Hong Kong International Airport's Departure area to the other where the gate was (that I was almost late for, too), I boarded my next flight to Narita.

Thankfully, my movie pick then, the highly-acclaimed Kimi no Na wa., lived up to the glowing reviews it attained. While the plot might've been simple, and even a little cliched due to all the recent Steins;Gate-esque time paradoxical-isms in anime lately, it still managed to utilise those circumstances it created well. Its simplicity worked to its advantage, as their little romance story that was entwined with uncovering the mystery behind their situation was easy to follow, yet highly engaging. I was behind it the entire way. Easy to understand why it is so well-liked.

Upon arriving in Japan, the first thing I did was to rate Kimi no Na wa. on MAL as soon as I had internet reception (lol). After going through customs at Narita Airport, I boarded a coach that took me to Tokyo Station. A brief taxi ride got me to my hotel in Ochanomizu. Had to wander around nearby Akihabara for an hour or two, which gave me an opportunity to scout out the area. The first thing I saw though, as I rounded the corner into the main Akiba street, was the face of my archnemesis, Kirino Kousaka, glaring at me from across the street on some OreImo/Eromanga-sensei poster. Fortuitous. I then had my first meal in Japan at a Sukiya, a gyudon (beef bowl) place, before returning to the hotel still feeling exhausted from the flight.

Checked into my room as soon as it became available, and slept the rest of the day away in preparation for the journey to Hanno City the next day.

Saturday, June 3
~ I picked up a yakisoba-pan (yakisoba bread) for breakfast since I wanted to arrive in Hanno early for the event. Had to try one of them classic anime foods, I guess. Sadly, since it wasn't toast that was in my mouth, I did not run into anyone around some corner :(.

Since most of the happenings from the Yama no Susume Fan Meet were covered in my r/seiyuu post, I'll just cover it briefly: Arrived about 2 hours early, picked up my merchandise and attended the show in which the OVA and season 3 were announced, causing fans to go berserk. Not even bad.

Along the way back, I stopped by the conbini store that was apparently well-known in the area for being affiliated with Yama no Susume. While there, I took some photos of the displays and bought myself a 2016 calendar (lol). As it was getting late, I left fairly quickly.

Sunday, June 4
~ Still feeling rather tired after the journey to Hanno, I planned a short Ikebukuro trip to visit the Pokemon Center.

After getting lost trying to find it, it was evident why: the "Pokemon Center" was merely like a department store in a mall. That was a bit disappointing. I picked up a new phone case and some minor merchandise there. The highlight of my time there was going to a ramen place in the same mall and using the word "onaji" to confirm that the menu items were the same. Thanks Kiss x Sis OP lyrics!

Hung around Ikebukuro for the rest of the evening trying my hand at the UFO catchers and entering a new stores. Returned to the hotel via the Awajicho Station, so I didn't get to pass through Akihabara on the way back.

Monday, June 5
~ I planned to comb through the entirety of Akihabara on Monday. Returning to the street corner, I immediately noticed that they had taken down the Kirino poster I had seen on the first day. Get my nemesis out of my sight! The GAMERS store knew.

Had lunch at the GochiUsa Collaboration Cafe that I had passed by when I was there on the 2nd. The food was decent, and the GochiUsa-themed drinks came with matching coasters. By the time I was done there, "Kokoro pyon pyon" was stuck in my head. So much for that show I rated a 6 for being a bit boring! That aside, I did enjoy my time in the cafe. Might change my mind and try season two sometime, despite being sure that I wasn't going to before.

While being acquainted with the claustrophobia that they call Japanese shops, I picked up several seiyuu/anime music CDs, as well as Sakura Trick and Steins;Gate bonus CDs that had "Not for sale" printed on them. Gotta love that limited edition merch.

Entered one of the multitudes of animate shops in the area after, where I purchased the latest edition of a seiyuu magazine. Recognising Nao Touyama on an ad on the elevator doors, I awkwardly asked for permission to take a photo of it with a "Touyama Nao *points at the elevator*, shashin OK?". Success.

After engaging in a short errand of scouting out the Don Quixote in the area, I came face to face with the two Maria and Kobato cat costume Haganai figures I had many times before in online stores. They were larger than I had envisioned them to be. At around 6,000 yen each, I was super-tempted to take them both home, but was concerned about being able to preserve the condition of the boxes as well as the (lack of) display space in my room. I left them there, along with that neat large statue of the Elin Berserker from TERA I also saw, and bought a Nendoroid Erio Touwa from Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko instead.

As luck would have it, it started pouring rain heavily. I retreated back to my hotel.

Tuesday, June 6
~ The short time I spent in Hanno City on the 3rd left me a bit wanting. I love visiting out-of-the-way places when travelling, so I decided to head back to spend some more time there, as opposed to more popular tourist spots in Tokyo like Harajuku and Shibuya. Logic.

After enjoying another 2 hour train journey, I arrived at Hanno Station. The "far away" feeling definitely set in as I made my way up the road towards the conbini store again, thanks to the beautiful, ever-present backdrop of the mountains in the scenery around me accompanied by the cool, pleasant mountain breeze. There also weren't that many people around. Along the way, I noticed one of those self-service stands where people in more rural areas would leave their home-grown produce in and customers would deposit money before taking them in sort of a trust system, just like in Non Non Biyori.

The map I picked up the other day in Hanno proved useful in helping me find my destination. At the conbini, I made sure to take my time and get all the pictures I wanted, including a close up of the Kana Asumi-signed cloth scroll. I was also able to chat with the shopkeeper, who upon hearing that I came from all the way from Singapore and attended the fan meet the previous day, suggested that I write in the guestbook. Being me, it took me more than 30 minutes to decide on and be satisfied with the message I left behind. I also decided to try the 300 yen soft-serve ice cream, which the nice shopkeeper happily pointed out was the one Kokona enjoyed in the show, then bought a Yama no Susume shirt for good measure. That Japanese hospitality has a way of making me part with my money... Regardless, that soft-serve was the best ice cream I had during the entire trip and I left feeling extremely satisfied.

At the back of the conbini store was the entrance to Mount Tenranzan, an important setting from Yama no Susume's first season. I wandered around for a bit, taking more pictures, before heading back via the same route I had used. On the way down, I passed by the road that led to the river where Aoi and friends visited on several occasions throughout the show.

Upon returning to Hanno Station, I acquired more Yama no Susume-themed maps and bought some cookies in the image of the lovable Mu-ma from the Tourist Center. Stopping by a cafe there, I was again somehow pretty pleased with myself for making my order in broken Japanese (tamago, chahan, tonkotsu ramen, gyoza LOL).

It was only when I was back on the train did I discover that Hanno had also claimed my track shoes - the bottom rubber pads had come off. Took the opportunity to visit Shinjuku in the evening, as it was a stop on the Yamanote line en-route to Akiba. There, I replaced my footwear and had yakiniku (meat BBQ) for dinner. Survived a packed train back to Akihabara, had a glance at the nightlife and the Gundam/AKB48 cafes by the station, and returned to the hotel feeling like the day was the best I had so far in Japan.

Wednesday, June 7
~ Thanks to the rain on Monday, I had some unfinished business left in Akihabara - I still had the GAMERS store visit and a maid cafe experience on the agenda.

I won't sugarcoat what the goal was - I was going to spend the entire day combating the desire to preserve my dignity and mustering enough courage to walk into a maid cafe. Luckily, the GAMERS store was a great distraction! They had a floor dedicated to seiyuu products, and one of the things that caught my eye were seiyuu trading cards sold in booster boxes. I bought one, only to realise days later that they only involved Suzuko Mimori, who I'm not that familiar with yet lol. I basked in the presence of all of the merchandise from my favourite seiyuu for a good while, taking some pictures of the autographed balls that included Nao Touyama, Yuka Iguchi and Haruka Tomatsu's. The icing on the cake were the Yukachi and Asami Imai signed posters of their new releases that were nearly side by side. I considered that a lucky omen! At the checkout counter, I asked the store clerk "Puchiko doko?" (where Puchiko was, kinda), but unfortunately, it didn't seem like he was very versed in Di Gi Charat despite being the mascot show of GAMERS stores. I'm sorry I harassed the poor guy :(. There was also a guest appearance at the store at the time, that being Milky Holmes.

I was determined to have a "hitotsu ramen, taicho!" moment, so I insisted on having lunch at a ramen place where they would serve ramen over the counter. Suffice to say, mission accomplished. In the building next door, I discovered that the Tokyo Anime Center was a lot less glorious than its name suggested, being just a small exhibition of certain anime.

Clearly, all that walking around and the sight of the autographs of two of my top 3 favourite seiyuu earlier helped me supress enough of my embarrassment to finally accept the invitation to enter one of the many Maidreamin maid cafes nearby. Having replayed in my head what I was going to do when the time came for the last few hours, I ordered a curry rice set for that one photo opportunity and made specially sure that I also got the pancakes, especially since they were somehow out of omurice IN A MAID CAFE!

My meal was served shortly. Showtime, LOL. First off, the curry rice. The maid that was serving me (who was thankfully able to understand quite a bit of English too) offered to draw whatever animal I wanted on the tonkatsu "blanket". I opted for an usagi (rabbit, I blame Mayo Chiki!'s Usami - you might be able to see where this is going). Knowing what was coming next, I opened with an "Ahh, oishii-ku nare?", which I believe rewarded me with the "Oishii-ku nare, moe moe, kyun!" Japanese chants over the English "Delicious, delicious!" ones I heard at other tables later. I then admitted to the maid that it was my "hajimette maido kisso, chotto doki doki" (something like, it was my first time at a maid cafe and my heart was beating from nervousness), which she apparently found amusing and responded with a "daijoubu!". An amazing start.

While waiting for my pancakes, I anxiously revised what I was going to say in my head again. They were brought out at last, and I knew it was time - time to fulfil the very first fantasy I had from watching anime: to be served by Rika/Usami from Haganai/Mayo Chiki!. I had specifically ordered the pancakes for that opportunity when the maids would draw artwork on them, and as my maid prepared to ask me what I wanted, I did it: "Tsumimasen, Nyaa-chan (they wanted customers to call them that, lol), tooku requesto, chotto tsuntsun maido, onegai?, and repeated it in English, requesting for a tsundere routine! Being the massively fantastic sport that she was, she agreed, and with a "Tsukuru kowai neko?" and "Betsuni...?", she drew the angry cat (with some words I have yet to identify) I requested and finished it off with a "Betsuni oishii-something, pun pun!" chant. Needless to say, that was near stroke-inducing levels of happiness I experienced right there. Capturing the immaculate beauty that was the tsundere pancake was the easiest photo decision of my life!

I thanked her profusely after the performance, but there was more to come. When my photo opportunity came up, and I thanked her some more, mentioning how I was returning home soon, how grateful I was that she was able to fulfil my request and how "sugoku kawaii" her act was, she even crossed her arms and posed tsuntsun for me in the Polaroid! Considering the circumstances (I think the actual tsundere cafe Nagomi closed down), I could not have asked for a better experience at a maid cafe. It was definitely THE highlight of my Japan trip.

As part of my undying gratitude, I completed my entry in their guestbook, thanked the maids at the counter including the one that had performed for me yet another time, and bought their 3,000 yen CD album since they apparently didn't accept tips. I couldn't stop grinning for a while afterward, as I felt like the most special snowflake right then. Perhaps there's magic in those chants after all...?

I had to catch my breath at a regular cafe before continuing on. Noticing the AmiAmi store across the road, known for being an online store for anime goods, I decided check that out as well. Unfortunately, in spite of the tax-free shopping they offered, I had already deemed figures to be not worth the risk of buying because of the possibility of damaging the box during my travels, so I knew I wasn't really going to be able to take advantage of that. What I did do though, was approach the staff at the counter asking for recommendations for card sleeves for my newly-purchased seiyuu cards. They seemed slightly amused when inspecting the booster pack I showed them, like "You bought this?". Cute. I bought two packs of S-size Broccoli sleeves and was also dead set on giving the 500 yen Ryou figure I saw on the display window a home(poor Koufuku Graffiti, no love).

After scouting around more duty-free shops as part of my errand, I settled on a curry place for dinner. 700 yen pork curry never tasted so good.

I didn't want to leave Japan after that day. Lol.

Thursday, June 8
~ Last day in Japan.

Had some amazing 500 yen katusdon (pork cutlet) set in an alley on the way to Akiba to buy the last of the things I needed for my errand. I took one last picture there, a picture of the GAMERS that I had forgotten to take the previous day. Two hours flew by quickly however, and I was forced to return to my hotel. On the way back though, a maid from Maidreamin greeted me. I wish I could've gone for another round :(. I responded by showing her the Polaroid from before, to which she kinda happily acknowledged. Found that mildly amusing.

The journey airport involved the same route: taxi back to Tokyo Station, then a coach back to Narita (where I talked to some Aussie guy about doggin' the boys for a week, ha). Had my MP3 on the entire time trying to soothe the sadness of leaving (more on that below :S).

Killed some more time by visiting the Pokemon store that was in the airport. Showed the lady the phone cover I bought from the Ikebukuro store. Could've just skipped the Ikebukuro trip if I had known that there'd be one in Narita - it essentially had the same stuff! For shame.

As it got closer to boarding time, it suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't had a sample of Japanese Yoshinoya fare yet. I remembered the one I saw when I first stepped into the arrival area, and literally 30 minutes before I was due to board, I finished the most deliciously succulent 1,000 yen beef rib rice bowl that I would probably taste in my entire life. I need that in Singapore, yo.

Drained more of the remaining balance on my Suica card on vending machines in the departure area, before boarding a freaking crowded BUS to get to my plane to Hong Kong (where the only anime-related thing I did was buy a seiyuu magazine that featured Marina Inoue, Yui Horie and Yukachi, hue).

[End of Trip]

~ Favourite Songs Throughout The Trip ~
(Because I love my animu musics so much~)

#1 "Over Sky" by Strike Witches cast (Strike Witches 2 ED)
~ Nice, energetic track with some mad bass that I believe I played the most during my trip. Notably, it helped me get through the travelling segments, especially in Hong Kong, when I was feeling a bit down after leaving Japan. I love the Miyafuji x Mio and Miyafuji x Lynette combos the most!

#2 "STRIKE WITCHES 2 ~Egao no Mahou~ by Yoko Ishida (Strike Witches 2 OP)
~ More travelling music, similar to Over Sky. Great on flights, for obvious reasons. "Itsuka, itsuka, yakusoku no sora, kimi to nara, mata toberu yo!" Gotta check out the Orchestra Version too.

#3 "Be Starters!" by Eri Kitamura (Mayo Chiki! OP)
~ My favourite song prior to the trip. Still is. Added bonus of knowing the lyrics by heart!

#4 "reunion" by ClariS (Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai. OP)
~ Fitting, being the song that I played as I was walking around Akihabara. Disliked the show, but hopefully this will be playing in my ears again in a reunion sometime soon! Next time, I'm definitely going dodgy eroge shopping at midnight near the station, lul.

#5 "My Tomorrow" by AiM (Digimon Tamers ED)
~ What's a Japan trip without a Digimon song? Always loved AiM's "Itsumo Itsudemo" and "I Wish", but "My Tomorrow" from Tamers, which I have yet to watch, is just as good. I'll have to catch it sometime.

#6 "Tinkling Smile" by Yui Ogura (Yama no Susume: Second Season ED)
~ Have to have a Yama no Susume song in there. I appreciated the "Let's little step! Ippo zutsu! Let's feel skip! Isshoni ne!". When walking in Hanno or otherwise.

#7 "Hiyoku no Hane" by eufonius (Yosuga no Sora OP)
~ I adored this song before, but hearing it in a more appropriate setting, such as during the train ride to Hanno whilst being flanked by the scenery of the rural areas outside of Tokyo, made it far more enjoyable. Gave me urges to watch Yosuga no Sora again.

#8 "Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Legendary Battle Remix" by GlitchxCity
~ This was playing as I tried to find my way through the quiet streets of Hanno looking for the conbini store again. As if the views that Hanno treated me to weren't enough! Made that 1.9 km trek all the more epic.

[Affected Anime Ratings/Comments]
(Because outside influences can make me rethink my opinion of a show. Classic me behaviour.)

Yama no Susume
Yama no Susume: Second Season +1 [8 -> 9]
~ I'm still new-ish to anime - I'm already a fan of certain shows, but I'd never experienced anything like this. Attending the event and witnessing first-hand the reaction to the announcement of the third season, I was definitely affected by the passion of the fans around me. So that's what it means to truly be a fan of a series, huh.

I was also touched by how much Hanno embraces Yama no Susume. I'll have to plan a proper visit next time, to visit all the sites thoroughly.

Being in the moment with Hanno and the fan meet, stuff that I had glossed over before somehow felt more significant, such as the second season's second OP. That, and the above factors, along with the voice casting which I had already found extremely formidable (Yukachi, Kana Asumi, Yui Ogura, Yoko Hikasa and Naobu - that's downright broken), pushed it from just failing to make the 9 cut right into Favourited territory. I'd say that's pretty reasonable.

This one's for you, Hanno. A "Why I Liked" entry should come shortly.

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai +1 [5 -> 6]
~ The dreaded Kirino saga. Maybe it was being around Akihabara listening to ClariS, or my increased appreciation for Ayachi, her seiyuu, over the last year, but my nemesis seems a bit less obnoxious now. Just. A. Tiny. Bit.

And on hindsight, I suppose the anime was a little entertaining, especially after experiencing being at the location myself.

Strike Witches 2 +0 [7 -> 7]
~ Seeing how Brave Witches rebooted the series in Japan, and constantly being accompanied by the songs from (the superior) Strike Witches 2, I'm somewhat keen to follow the 501st now. Not a difficult decision since I've liked Misato Fukuen for a while now too.

Digimon Tamers - [n/a]
~ I was heavily conflicted about wanting to watch this before because of the season length, but "My Tomorrow" convinced me. Surely Digimon enjoyed more greatness after Adventure. Added it to my Plan to Watch list.

[The End]

My return to Japan after 13 years was certainly a wild ride. While there was obviously some disappointment - especially regarding the fan meet - considering how well the rest of the trip went, in particular the last two days in Hanno and Akihabara, I'd be hard-pressed to say that I wouldn't want another opportunity to do all of this again. It was an upgrade from my previous trip, for sure.

Till then, here's to the success of Yama no Susume's third season!

(I also need to get back on track with the anime watching, WTF is wrong with me!)

Posted by Avelynn | Jun 11, 2017 2:10 PM | 0 comments

December 29th, 2016

Why I Liked: Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko

Anime Relations: Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko, Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko: Mayonaka no Taiyou

**"Why I Liked" is a series written by myself for my own benefit, possibly to be used as reference material in the future. To anyone that may read this, this post is not intended to be taken as a proper review.**

[BLANKET SPOILER WARNING]

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko (2011)

Persons of Interest:

Asuka Oogame - Erio Touwa (Kirin Morino @ Koufuku Graffiti)
Yuka Iguchi - Yashiro Hoshimiya (Maria Takayama @ Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai)
Emiri Katou - Ryuuko Mifune (Kate Takayama @ Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next)
Ai Nonaka - Meme Touwa (Akira Machiko @ Koufuku Graffiti)

As soon as I found out that Buriki, creator of Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai's characters, had more of his works featured in other anime out there, Denpa Onna to Seishun Okoto quickly fell onto my radar. Being such a big fan of the character design and artwork in Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next, I knew I couldn't pass up the tantalising prospect of seeing them in action again. Eyeing Asuka Oogame and Yuka Iguchi in the cast list and having read the synopsis that seemed promising, I was only even more convinced that the show indeed had massive potential to cater to a multitude of my preferences.

Turns out, my hunch was spot on. Immediately, I felt at home with that familiar, welcoming visual style, that was further complemented by the quality of Shaft's production that I had come to expect from them after Koufuku Graffiti and Rec. Simply put, everything looked gorgeous.

In tandem with its succulent visual display, that far exceeded my expectations, the sounds of Denpa Onna were just as potent. Along with its amazing soundtrack and its beautiful background music, was the casting of Asuka Oogame as Erio and Yuka Iguchi as Yashiro, which were perfect roles that mirrored the ones I had come to love them for. In other words, I got to witness my two favourite seiyuu of loli voices do what they do best! I couldn't be more pleased with the results.

In the wake of Denpa Onna to Seishun Okoto's assault on my senses, I was many a time left gawking at the screen, with an expression similar to Erio's from the opening sequence. The stage was set: one could even say that the stars were aligned for its entry into my list of favourites...

My Reasons For Liking This Anime:

Art
~ The level of quality of art in Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko is staggering. The beautiful aesthetics of its character designs cannot be praised enough, as expected from the hand that drew some of my favourite characters in Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai. That's not all there was to Denpa Onna though, as its enchanting scenery decorated with vibrant colours and supporting ambiance created many magical moments in the show. What stood out to me in particular was how great the views of the sky and stars always looked, befitting Denpa Onna's theme of space, aliens and discovery - it was clear that a serious effort was made to do so. As someone who has been interested in astronomy, the stunning shots of the night sky and the detail of the stars and other celestial objects never failed to mesmerise and draw me in - I could drink in those sights forever...

Sound
~ The wonderful ambiance was another contributing factor in how memorable Denpa Onna to Seishun Okoto was. To that end, this was achieved thanks to the amazing background music of its soundtrack, most notably its outstanding piano pieces. There were two tracks I especially liked: one being "Denpa Onna to Seishun Okoto", the theme that played during Makoto and Erio's bike ride over the rail and into the horizon beyond, filled with hopeful sounding music appropriate for flight that was so moving it brought tears to my eyes, as I felt myself being on the ride alongside them; the other, "Star Dust", a majestic sounding space-themed piece that was played in one scene as it cut to a breathtaking shot of the stars in the night sky, invoking a feeling of venturing into the unknown, while the characters involved discussed another profound topic. Both examples exemplified how adapt Denpa Onna was at using its music to immerse the viewer, especially with their habit of making themselves extremely noticeable during critical scenes to bring out the maximum "feels". As mentioned before, the presence of my favourite seiyuu (and others) cannot be discounted either - they voiced their roles perfectly, capturing the eccentricity their characters had, and even providing me with some "fanservice" in the process!

Plot - The First Three Episodes
~ The plot is probably the most difficult thing to discuss about Denpa Onna. It is definitely not linear and clear-cut, much like the themes discussed throughout the course of the show. However, its first three episodes did stand out and left me with a solid impression of the series. Already entertained by the quirky behaviour of its eccentric characters, the show threw me a promising premise: I could see that after their meeting, Makoto was eventually going to put it upon himself to figure out and break the illusion Erio had willingly imprisoned herself in. And what a start it was! The cuteness of Erio was laced with a darker outlook of subjecting oneself to a facade in order to escape from reality (there would come to be similar themes throughout the anime). Makoto's solution? To do the very thing I described in my earlier "Sound" section: their bike ride was hands-down the most memorable thing out of the entire main series - its sequence of scenes in conjunction its accompanying music foreshadowed Erio's coming change in perspectives and behaviour perfectly. It also signified the progression the pair had finally made. The event tugged at my heart, and all signs pointed to a deep and powerful story of a boy helping a girl gradually cope with the struggles in her life. However, Denpa Onna had other plans...

Plot (cont.) - Intermission
~ Afterwards, the plot shifted into a much slower pace, with an emphasis on cute, relaxing slice of life sessions. The characters' profound musings of the philosophies of life were never far away though, adding to the positive messages the show was intent on sharing. That light-hearted atmosphere was temporarily swept aside as episode 8 came around though, as it delved into sombering topics such as depression and mortality in Granny's position. The episode also served to showcase Denpa Onna's uncanny ability to make a spectacular event out of anything: to have a somewhat mundane activity like plastic bottle launching tie everything together, and in turn becoming a grand, emotional event was pretty brilliant touch on Denpa Onna's part. It was almost as good as the bike ride.

Plot (cont.) - Ending
~ With the appearance of Yashiro, Denpa Onna to Seishun Okoto finally showed its hand. Through its last few episodes, it finally dawned on me that Denpa Onna never intended to be an anime that drew its impact from a sensational and convoluted story; instead, it was compelling in its ability to translate the little occurences in Makoto's life into valuable, profound experiences that the viewer could draw inspiration and comfort from. It's the little things that matter in Denpa Onna, and nowhere else was this more prevalent than in the ending. Yashiro's speech during Ryuuko's basketball game sent chills down my spine, and her apparent interference on the trajectory of the baseball in the final episode confirmed her to be the very embodiment of the last message Denpa Onna left: that the tiniest progression, the smallest push can be meaningful. Denpa Onna to Seishun Okoto chose its own path, and closed it out admirably, on its own terms. I can't argue with that kind of dedication.

Erio Touwa
~ Maybe it was how adorable she looked, or the fact that it was Asuka Oogame playing her character (okay fine, those are totally huge reasons) in that familiar Mikazuki and Kirin loli voice, but Erio was too precious to ignore, and was ease itself to come to care about her. If only she was more prominent later on in the plot... Still, a fantastic job done by Ms. Oogame for one of the cutest looking poster characters of an anime ever. She even got her own OP!

Yashiro Hoshimiya
~ The second coming of Maria, or the genesis? Either way, it was scary how significant the self-proclaimed esper's presence turned out to be in the later plot - "Move by your own will, and move others. It's the most fundamental super power given to mankind." has got to be one of the most profound messages I have ever seen to come out of such a seemingly innocent show. Even scarier still was the fact that the above line was delivered in the all-too-familiar voice of my favourite imouto character, Yuka Iguchi's Maria. The show would also prove to blatantly know about my tastes, as she had all the Maria traits I was so fanatical about from Haganai: her white hair and hairclip, her eyes, her speech pattern, her playful behaviour, her laugh, and THAT profanity - Yashiro was clearly designed to specifically target my weaknesses, striking them with the force of a thousand kyuuketsukis. Oh, and she would come to play a huge role in the special episode too. Kuso! Yuka Iguchi had done it again...

Ryuuko Mifune
~ Denpa Onna sure has a way with lolis huh. And apparently she's voiced by Kate's seiyuu too? What are the odds... Anyway, after a few brief encounters with Emiri Katou performances in other anime, her role as Ryuuko finally put her on the map for me. A contender for the liveliest character out of the bunch with a sweet loli voice to boot, Ryuuko's appearance was always welcome in brightening up the show's outlook and contributed much to the light-heartedness of its comedy. Apparently many fans of Denpa Onna are quick to praise her voice. I don't disagree with their choice.

Meme Touwa
~ Speaking of light-hearted comedy, Makoto's 40-year-old aunt that had the look and personality of an excited schoolgirl was a spectacle to watch. Even more eccentric than Erio or Yashiro in her own way, her antics were the source of many a laugh throughout the series. Unfortunately, as with Erio, she also had a potentially intriguing backstory that was never fully explored. Still, she was pretty darn endearing - that's something I didn't think I ever would've been able to say about a lady in her forties! Much credit to her seiyuu for producing such a lovable voice. Even if I only remember her vaguely from Koufuku Graffiti, I'm sure that I'll be seeing her again real soon...

OP Theme "Os-Uchuujin"
~ Even if it did take a bit of getting used to, "Os-Uchuujin" was regardless a perfect representation of Erio's character. In line with its lyrics, it did manage to reach me with its signals as it became an essential part of the show for me. I mean, it is Asuka Oogame singing it, after all.

ED Theme "Ruru"
"Kaze hiku no, kaze hiku no". A tune I still can't get out of my head, "Ruru" was a simple but pleasant ED theme that featured several very adorable shots of Erio with colourful backgrounds, including a nice close-up one of her smiling face. What's not to like?

Special Episode
~ I usually don't mention special episodes in these posts, but Denpa Onna's was something special (no pun intended). In many ways, Yashiro's event epitomised Denpa Onna's approach to enacting its story: it landed with the literal impact of a meteorite, yet it was the subtle implications that it had that ultimately left the biggest impression on Makoto and in turn, myself. It also caused him to revisit his stance on Erio's previous obsession with aliens: while her method of using it to fuel her escape from reality was unhealthy, the importance of keeping an open mind should not be underestimated - nothing was truly black-and-white in Denpa Onna. With such themes, the astronomy enthusiast in me definitely appreciated every second of this episode. Easily its best episode, Denpa Onna's OVA was indeed a masterful conclusion to the events that transpired in the main series, and well-deserving of its 10 rating. Ryuuko was super cute in this too, heh.

[Story: 8 | Art: 10 | Sound: 9 | Character: 8 | Enjoyment: 9]
[Final Score: 9]

For all the praise I gave Denpa Onna to Seishun Okoto in this glowing recount, there were still a few flaws, chief of those naturally being the disappointment I felt as the middle episodes of the season failed to capture the same magic the first three had - and while I felt that they functioned well as competent slice of life episodes, I could not ignore the fact that the show had sidetracked from Erio's story despite the vibes it was giving off in its OP and ED, and was letting down its earlier premise. The show never ended up revealing the origins of her initial condition and thus was a missed opportunity, in my opinion, for a potentially tear-jerking backstory.

Additionally, it was also during that time that I started getting mixed signals from the show about how everyone's behaviour was being handled. It was as if it couldn't decide if it wanted to cross into emotional territory in explaining said behaviour (I still was expectant of something to happen after episode 3, and the apparent hints the show was dropping in its characters' philosophical musings only served to fuel that further), or if it was content to sit back and go with the flow. As such, the meaning behind some of their messages during that period was lost, as it felt like the show was unable to tie them properly to the plot at that point.

However, I could respect Denpa Onna's decision to stick to the direction it chose with its plot. And as mentioned previously, there was no denying that it did finish off strongly, both in its last main episode and its OVA - and that was only one of the many things it had going for it. At the end of the day, Dena Onna to Seishun no Otoko still held up as a great representation of an adolescent's perspective of a pivotal moment in his life that also doubled as a fine slice of life comedy, intent on sharing its subtle but profound philosophical messages with its viewers.

Coupled with the fact that its artwork, soundtrack and seiyuu presence all came together in an almost perfect storm to appeal to my current preferences, it's no wonder that Denpa Onna to Seishun Okoto couldn't manage to stay off my Favourites list!

Seriously - shared character design with Haganai? Yuka Iguchi and Asuka Oogame both voicing irresistibly kawaii lolis? That has to some kind of cheat code to unlock my brain...

Posted by Avelynn | Dec 29, 2016 12:27 AM | 0 comments

December 18th, 2016

Seiyuu Quest! Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Aftermath

Anime Relations: Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation

The point of this series? I guess I wanted to comment on the shows I had watched in these "side quests" of mine (yes, I'm likely to do more of them). Might even be fun to make observations on the seiyuu I selected too. I am that kind of fan after all.

** Since this will be the first post of its kind in my blog, being a reflection on the path I chose in my anime selection, I feel that it's only fitting that I preface this Seiyuu Quest post with also briefly mentioning the several unrelated, but still highly relevant titles that defined my anime experience that I encountered before embarking on said "quest". **

As such, [BLANKET SPOILER WARNING]! Random comments involving many different anime will be present here. Reading further may result in unexpected spoilers!

Significant Anime In My Current Timeline (Before This Quest):

Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation (around July 2016)
~ Naturally. After watching some videos of the game on YouTube, I decided to try the anime out to get my feet wet after over a year of not watching Naruto. It was alright, though it wasn't all that exciting. Ended up buying the games however as I liked the quirkiness of its characters.

Kiniro Mosaic (around August 2016)
~ The true start of my binge, session - whatever you wanna call it. My first encounter with moe blobs and Nou Touyama's Karen, leading me to come to associate cutesy things with this show. Caught it being aired on the local Animax channel recently. Good stuff.

Zero no Tsukaima
Zero no Tsukaima: Futatsuki no Kishi (around late August 2016)
~ "Hehe, that might appeal to my inner masochist", I said. Well, I got more than what I bargained for. My first harem series introduced me to Rie Kugimiya and her pink-haired menace, Louise. Still fresh off being acquainted with the tsundere archetype in Asami Imai's Noire, Louise's version was jarring; she was infuriatingly stubborn and unreasonably violent, yet she somehow maintained her main heroine status and thus reaped the rewards of her status despite the illogical circumstances behind them. I would come to see her as the first of the false, undeserving-of-the-title tsunderes I would encounter in anime. The second season, Futatsuki no Kishi, continued that trend of madness, demonstrating how to turn an entire cast of characters unlikeable nearly overnight. To date, it is still the only anime I have dropped mid-season. Oh, and I'm not lying when I say that "I SAY YES" by ICHIKO could have been the most beautiful love song to have ever been conceived in anime, fitting of being the OP theme to the greatest romance story of all time. Unfortunately it fell to Zero no Tsukaima: Futatsuki no Kishi, ha!

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next (September 9, 2016 - September 11 2016)
~ The former was my first entry on MAL that was accompanied by an exact date of watching; the latter, the first anime I rated a 9 after creating my account, and my all-time favourite harem title. I've covered them enough in my other blog post, but once again: thanks Haganai for introducing me to Yuka Iguchi, Misato Fukuen, Kanae Itou and Marina Inoue! And yes, even Kana Hanazawa...

Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai
Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga Nai. (September 11, 2016 - September 15, 2016)
~ My fated encounter with the second addition to my Unholy Trinity of False Tsunderes, Kirino, aka Evil Incarnate. Just like Louise, her personality that was more befitting of a villain was rewarded by the show, vexing me to the point where I even started backing a Kana Hanazawa character (the audacity!). It also spawned that trainwreck failure of an incest ending - one that even her fans found to be done in poor taste (I found it strangely amusing though!). Kirino was definitely the black sheep among those who call themselves imouto. Thankfully, Kiss x Sis helped to rectify that later, when I discovered that her voice was used in character that was the complete opposite of her. Ayana Taketatsu is fine in my book, especially as Ako-nee!

Yosuga no Sora: In Solitude, Where We Are Least Alone. (September 15, 2016 - September 16, 2016)
~ In the wake of OreImo making light of its incest, Yosuga no Sora's was a refreshing take on the subject. Its approach was respectful and intriguing, even to the point of being almost philosophical and thought-provoking; I hadn't expected to be left with such a strong impression of incest - to be able to feel that much sympathy for Sora. Even the sex scenes were somewhat tasteful in the way that they were used (to signify the progression of the relationship in question and providing a fufilling closure to each arc), a rarity when present in an ecchi. It was also the first anime to give me a taste of the rural Japan countryside setting (which was also appropriate for the mood of the show and what was to come!). Additionally, I came to love its soundtrack and am interested in acquiring its visual novel. After all, the show did spur me to write the only (probably badly done) review I've ever done on MAL. That surely has to count for something, at least.

Rosario to Vampire (September 16, 2016 - September 17, 2016)
~ The precursor to my viewing of Kiss x Sis (that I sadly won't be covering since I had started on Rec by then) that allowed me to appreciate the latter's existence that much more. Shounen ecchi? LOL, that's cute. At least Misato Fukuen's character gave me a few laughs.

=> Seiyuu Quest! Hyperdimension Neptunia

Objective(s), as shown on profile page:

With the above out of the way, it's time to get to the crux of this post.

Determined to gauge how the seiyuu of my favourite character in the Neptunia franchise would hold up against the several then-new additions to my list of favourite seiyuu, I dived straight into Rec on the 17th of September, 2016. It was around the same time that I decided to expand my search for anime through a more unconventional means. And what better way to pay tribute to what caused my newfound renewed interest in Japanese media? I was excited to find out what other roles the Neptunia seiyuu had, along with how they would sound like in them - how similar to their Neptunia characters would they be? Thus, my seiyuu "side quest" idea was born.

Seiyuu Quest! Hyperdimension Neptunia officially started on 17th September, 2016 with Kanako Sakai's Rec, and ended on 13th December, 2016 with Mariko Honda's Seitokai no Ichizon, marking exactly three months to the day I had signed up on MAL. It includes the main cast from Re;Birth 1, CPU Sisters, Peashy and Pururut from Re;Birth 3 V-Century, as well as the new Goddess from Megadimension VII.

Kanako Sakai - Compa
Rec (September 17, 2016 - September 17, 2016)
As: Aka Onda

Anime/Character Comments: With its compelling, down-to-earth romance and a plot that also featured the workings of the seiyuu industry, Rec was an anime I deemed to have been created specifically for me. Aka's trials as an upcoming seiyuu allowed me to draw comparisons with Kanako Sakai's own career, invoking emotions that I could not have felt in any other anime. She was in a unique position in her role as Aka as well, as her character would have many opportunities to act in different settings due to her seiyuu status. To top it all off, Aka was a wonderful character; her quirky yet very human personality through the romance and her rise as a seiyuu - all delivered in Kanako Sakai's uniquely cute voice - appealed greatly to me. Loved her paraphrasing of Aurdey Hepburn's quotes. If there was ever a role in Kanako Sakai's painfully short MAL list that she deserved even more recognition for, it would definitely have to be her.

Being the first and only rated 10 anime in my list so far, Rec is the show I can reliably count on to reaffirm my faith in Kanako Sakai's voice acting ability, ensuring that her continued position at the very top of my favourite seiyuu list will always be more than justified.

Additional Comments: It was a pleasant feeling to realise that Compa sounded so similar to Aka after so many years. It made me appreciate that lovely, desu-firing nurse character of hers even more. Hopefully the Neptunia franchise will continue to prosper so that I can continue to get my dose of Kanako Sakai. I also need to watch her Kikuri role eventually, since she's apparently working on it again.

Best character, best anime, best seiyuu. Never change.

Kana Hanazawa - Pururut
Nisekoi (September 22, 2016 - September 24, 2016)
As: Kosaki Onodera

Anime/Character Comments: Nisekoi was an interesting experience. Watching #TeamChitoge duke it out with #TeamOnodera in the comments section was amusing! Personally, I felt that Nao Touyama's rendition of tsundere Karen was more entertaining than Kana Hanazawa's Onodera role. It didn't help that, while being somewhat cute in her shyness, Kosaki never stopped being frustratingly over-passive - couple that with the fact that my mileage with her voice had reached near-saturation at the point after Haganai and OreImo, and it became apparent that I couldn't enjoy her performance as much in Nisekoi, leading to Chitoge becoming the star of the show for me.

Too bad the sequel turned out to be pretty underwhelming.

Additional Comments: While distinct and easily recognisable, I can't just seem to be a fan of her voice. Perhaps it has something to do with the roles I've seen her play so far; most of those roles feature the same type of voice, which usually results in me feeling like I'm witnessing a repeat performance - and with her prominence in modern anime (she is seriously everywhere I look, being in Danball Senki W which I randomly picked up 4 years ago, as well as in the Pokemon ORAS trailer that I had repeatedly viewed in the past!), it's easy to see how I could've come to that conclusion.

That's not to say that I dislike her as a seiyuu though, as she has obviously worked hard to gain the recongition she has received. I have also liked some of her roles, namely Kureha and the "Unko Kyuuketuski!" herself, Kobato. Ku ku ku, I anticipate more of her appearances in my future anime picks regardless.

Yui Ogura - Rom
Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko. (September 28, 2016 - September 30, 2016)
As: Tsukiko Tsutsukakushi

Kaori Ishihara - Ram
Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko. (September 28, 2016 - September 30, 2016)
As: Azusa Azuki

Anime/Character Comments: I suppose that it's fitting to group YuiKaori like this, since they are seemingly inseparable. Either way, I'm more than happy to share my opinions on HenNeko. Despite its promising title, I was quickly turned off by the direction the writers decided to take the show in. HenNeko was an example of how not to make a transition from comedy to drama: they substituted the Perverted Prince gag presented to the viewers at the start with some half-arsed tension and conflict that was cheapened by the presence of the interfering Cat God statue. Not only did that fail to stir any sort of positive emotions from me, but it also ruined any comedic potential HenNeko had, becoming a stale moe anime that dragged me along for the ride.

The fact that Yui Ogura, whose Rom I found pretty adorable and is apparently the undisputed "Loli Queen", was made to voice a character whose kuudere act was so overused it that it made her voice acting boring to listen to speaks for itself. Her counterpart, Kaori Ishihara, was given a passable tsundere role, but was forgettable in the events that transpired in the show. What a way to utilise YuiKaori...

Additional Comments: Maybe that's why I haven't really managed to pursue any more of their roles? They did make an appearance in Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru!, which I had a slightly better impression of, but nonetheless still wasn't all that notable. The one thing I do appreciate from them though, was their performance of Kiss x Sis (TV)'s ED song "Our Steady Boy".

I'll probably revisit them in the future, but not while there are other shows involving the seiyuu in my Favourites list calling for my attention...

Eri Kitamura - Uni
Mayo Chiki! (September 30, 2016 - October 2, 2016)
As: Kanade Suzutsuki

Anime/Character Comments: As covered in my last blog post, Mayo Chiki! was an outstanding ecchi harem comedy that succeeded in getting countless laughs out of me. And a huge source of that had to be her character, Kanade. In what was my first experience with that voice, Eri Kitamura won me over with her performance of the mockingly seductive, conniving vixen that was responsible for conceiving so many of the outrageous, perverted situations the show had. Her OP theme, "Be Starters!" has also become one of my most loved songs in anime. Those two contributions easily qualified her and Kanade for highly ranked spots in my Favourites lists.

Along with Yuka Iguchi's Subaru and Mariya Ise's Masamune to complete that delicious package, Eri Kitamura and Mayo Chiki! became two names I knew I'd revisit often.

Additional Comments: I had the pleasure of also getting to hear her cute Uni loli voice, of which I was a big fan of in Neptunia, in Corpse Party, Busou Shinki and Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai!; the last of which being a show that touched me with its heartwarming tale of the struggles of an orphaned trio of girls and their would-be guardian and replacement parental figure. Eri Kitamura's character, Miu, grew on me with her display of maturity that was well beyond her years. As such, PapaKiki ended up being another worthy addition to my Favourite Anime list. Lastly, she also starred in Toradora! as Ami, but that's for a later section...

Rina Satou - Vert
Koufuku Graffiti (October 3, 2016 - October 5, 2016)
As: Ryou Machiko

Anime/Character Comments: Koufuku Graffiti was cast aside by MAL, apparently as another "cute girls doing cute things" show that had little else to offer. In my case, however, it triumphed over its counterparts of the same status such as Kiniro Mosaic and Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?, thanks to its light-hearted setting that intertwined food with friendship, as well as the refreshing "natural" flavour of moe it served up, which allowed for a smooth consumption of the story that was presented to me.

Rina Satou's Ryou was a brilliant character, whose journey of rediscovering her passion in cooking and food spurred a greater appreciation for her relationships with the friends around her. Backed up by her pleasant, soothing voice, and paired with the cuteness inherent in Asuka Oogame's Kirin, Koufuku Graffiti was able to deliver "feel-good" vibes in an abundance that no other show I've watched has been able to emulate, earning it and Rina Satou a place among my Favourites.

Its soundtrack, which contained my favourite OP theme of this "session", Maaya Sakamoto's "Shiawase ni Tsuite Watashi ga Shitteiru Itsutsu no Houhou", also featured the ED theme "Egao ni Naru" and "Shiawase Graffiti" performed by the two of them - songs so disgustingly sweet that they threatened to spike my blood sugar to dangerous levels!

Since then, I've been unable to suppress my enthusiasm upon hearing that voice of hers whenever Rina Satou makes an appearance.

Additional Comments: I hadn't really paid much attention to Vert up till that point, but as I gradually grew accustomed to listening to Rina Satou, I gained a whole new appreciation for her Neptunia character and that alluring voice of hers. I definitely prefer her style of voice in her many anime roles though - the shyness and elegance present in her Ryou and the mature, womanly tone of the heroine Rinko in Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san. that was also prone to sounding annoyed or sarcastic and not averse to spouting profanity (which was freaking hilarious!) are the ones that stand out.

With the best "Ara Ara" voice that's been also proven to have a knack for comedy, Rina Satou's top 5 placement among my list of favourite seiyuu is well-secured for the foreseeable future.

Asami Imai - Noire
Steins;Gate (October 9, 2016 - October 12, 2016)
As: Kurisu Makise

Anime/Character Comments: Steins;Gate deserves all the praise it gets. It's grandiose, rollercoaster ride of a thriller plot was a unique experience for me, being somewhat akin to a Dan Brown novel published in anime form. What left the biggest impression on me though, was how the show masterfully "checkmated" the viewer into a position to receive the maximum impact of the emotionally-charged moments they had skillfully set up, very reminiscent of what I felt in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. I could easily empathise with the protagonist Rintarou as he was constantly forced into difficult decisions without reprieve. And of course, I surrendered myself to my tears during Kurisu's poetic confession as I understood the tragic intricacies in her decision to sacrifice herself for the person she fell in love with. Tack on the fact that Kurisu was the perfect tsundere in my eyes in how adorable her tsuntsun side was while also having such a powerful heroine presence in the plot, and it's not hard to see why she's so popular on MAL.

All credit to Asami Imai here - she proved in Steins;Gate exactly why she is my personal pick for undisputed "Tsundere Queen", and deserving of Kurisu's role. Definitely one of the highlights of my "quest".

Additional Comments: Noire is my second favourite character in Neptunia, and for good reason. Asami Imai's voice acting in her overreacting to situations is of "god-tier" status and simply unmatched. I was further reminded of that in Kiss x Sis: her Kiryuu-sensei had me giggling uncontrollably with her fujoshi-ness and wild imaginations. Naturally, her position as a teacher also allowed me to indulge in my weakness to the brand of scolding I had enjoyed from her Noire. She also showcased her singing ability in Nyan Koi! in its ED theme, "Strawberry ~Amaku Setsunai Namida~" and the hilarious enka "Beni Jinkyou Michi".

However, I was able witness an example of how not to use her talents in Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate - casting her as a kuudere loli with few lines was clearly a great idea!

Regardless, Asami Imai effortlessly retained her status as my favourite tsundere seiyuu of all time, and her voice is always something I look forward to listening to.

Chiaki Takahashi - Magiquone
Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru (October 14, 2016 - October 14, 2016)
As: Takako Itsukushima

Anime/Character Comments: Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru was my fascinating encounter with 2006 moe, featuring simple chibi art that looked similar to what I saw in some of the older series I watched such as Akazukin Chacha and later on, Sister Princess. Like with Sister Princess, it seemed like such shows at the time were required to impart viewers with a positive message, even with the moe and harem elements present. It managed to fulfill that admirably though, with Yui Horie's gender-bended main character emphasising the importance of helping others throughout the course of the episodes, as well as the backstory of the ghost girl that was so unexpectedly touching, it made me tear up despite the silliness of her personality. Chiaki Takahashi's Takako herself was a pretty standard tsundere, who even made an appearance as "Tsunderella" in that amusing OVA.

This show also led me to appreciate Yui Sakakibara's works, which I had somehow ignored previously in Steins;Gate's ED and the Nekopara Vol.2 visual novel. "Beautiful Day" was a noteworthy ED theme that I enjoyed listening to at the end of each episode, subsequently allowing me to acknowledge her presence in Nyan Koi!'s songs when I came around to it.

Additional Comments: Unfortunately, her Takako laugh, while good, was nowhere near as over-the-top as Magiquone's, which was a little disappointing for me. Oh well, there's always more roles of hers to investigate in the future!

Rie Tanaka - Neptune
Rozen Maiden (October 15, 2016 - October 16, 2016)
As: Suigintou

Anime/Character Comments: My affair with Rozen Maiden is an odd one - even though I'm not quite the biggest fan of the series, I've somehow managed to complete every single season of it, including its 2013 installment. The earlier sentiment can attributed to how Rozen Maiden conducted the execution of its plot. For example, in the first season opened with a promising premise: Jun, a troubled teenager, was shown to have a strained relationship with his sister, who struggled to cope with the difficulties that stemmed from his selfish behaviour. With the advent of the Rozen Maidens' appearances, one would expect him to redeem himself through their coming influence on his life. This however, was done haphazardly - the pacing was off, lacking certain potentially impactful events in its build-up towards the conclusion. The last few episodes were just filled with shounen-esque battles between the anatagonist Suigintou and the other Rozen Maidens, ending in neither Jun openly regretting his earlier actions towards his sister, nor him or Shinku having learned anything of worthwhile significance from Suigintou's downfall.

The sequel, Traumend, and its Suigintou-fan-pandering OVA, Overture, suffered the same fate: Rozen Maiden tended to falter near the end of each season by failing to pay enough attention to the details - the tension and conflict it tried to create was never polished enough to leave an opportunity for a lasting impression of the messages the writers were trying to get across.

However, the series did allow me to witness some decently humorous 2004 slapstick between Hina Ichigo and desu-meme girl Suiseiseki, as well as featuring Miyuki Sawashiro, who I had known as Puchiko from Di Gi Charat, voicing the haughty Shinku. I'll also admit to enjoying Rie Tanaka's rendition of evil Purple Heart, which was entertaining to me in its own way.

Additional Comments: The origins of Neptune's inexplicably squeaky voice in her human form remain elusive. Other than Suigintou, I also came across Rie Tanaka in the cast of Toradora! as the main characters' homeroom teacher. It too, used her Purple Heart voice as she humorously fantasised about attaining a relationship at her age. Regardless, through these experiences, I can at least imagine where the inspiration of the version of Purple Heart in the Neptunia drama CDs could've come from - that seductive Suigintou voice of hers is no doubt effective at what it does.

Yui Horie - Nepgear
Toradora! (October 21, 2016 - October 24, 2016)
As: Minori Kushieda

Anime/Character Comments: Ahh, Toradora!, or as I like to call it, the convoluted soap opera version of Zero no Tsukaima (that Yui Horie and Rie Kugimiya were also cast in, as love rivals no less), albeit in a real world setting - a term I would use rather loosely, as the interactions between characters and their resulting consequences were anything but realistic. The heroine and the last of my trio of False Tsunderes, Taiga, was essentially a carbon copy of Rie Kugimiya's Louise, down to the fact that despite her near-villainous traits and a downright despicable personality that involved (again) being violent for absolutely no good reason whatsoever, she was repeatedly blessed with good fortune and received assistance at every turn - she was a parasite, constantly treading on the kindness of Ryuuji and the others. The other love interest that was also Taiga's best friend, Yui Horie's Minori, always felt out of reach of Ryuuji, as she seemed to be on a different wavelength from him. I could never see them ever getting together. So what does the show do with such a promising love triangle? Have it drag on for the majority of its 26 episodes, obviously!

Even though it had some interesting moments, such as Minori's profound speech about UFOs and romance to Ryuuji under the stars, the twisted plot had Minori forever eluding Ryuuji's grasp as he and Taiga continued to engage in their hairbrained, fruitless schemes to get their initial love angles to work, all while treating me to more senseless Taiga violence on the side. And even after Ryuuji had realised the Stockholm Syndrome condition known as his feelings for Taiga and a conclusion was in sight during that ridiculous lead-up to the confession scene on their ski trip, the show decided to throw in additional melodrama by having the two avoid the issue for a few more episodes, then suddenly declaring the need to run away and elope, ending in Taiga's hasty school transfer to separate her from Ryuuji for a whole... half episode? Yeah, though Toradora! is apparently classed as a romance comedy, with my relationship with Taiga's character as it was, I found their silly acts to neither be cute nor endearing, only serving to add to my annoyance at what the show was doing - even if Taiga did soften up her demeanour near the end.

Thankfully, there was one silver lining out of the entire Toradora! cast: the last main character, Eri Kitamura's Ami came to my rescue as the voice of reason in the series, helping me maintain my sanity through my grueling endeavour.

To finally be able comment on my gripes with Toradora!... never have I felt so vindicated!

Additional Comments: Toradora! aside, despite not being on my Favourite Seiyuu list, just like with Kana Hanazawa, I definitely acknowledge Yui Horie's presence in the anime industry and the accomplishments that her reputation is based on. She appeared many times during the course of my "quest": in the aforementioned Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru, Sister Princess, B-gata H-kei, Busou Shinki, Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl, and Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai! - that easily distinguishable "nice girl" voice of Nepgear's was never truly far away.

I also particularly enjoyed her performance of "Coloring", the ED theme of PapaKiki. It is a nice, upbeat, bass-intensive, dance-worthy song that helps preserve my memory of the great anime that PapaKiki was. One of my favourites out of this "session".

Mika Kanai - Histoire
Avenger (October 24, 2016 - October 25, 2016)
As: Nei

Anime/Character Comments: Avenger was an odd anomaly in my Seiyuu Quest list. Taking me by surprise with its throwback to the 90s era style of cartoons that was apparently a trademark of Bee Train's works (and ALI PROJECT in the OP, yikes!), it featured lengthy still shots of facial expressions for emphasis, dated-looking action scenes, and little dialogue between characters compared to modern standards. Unfortunately, that affected Mika Kanai's character too. Though Nei did sound like Histoire, she didn't have that many lines in the anime for me to fully appreciate her voice acting.

However, in spite of all that, I still enjoyed its setting, as the haunting backdrop of the red moon amongst the barren landscape of future Mars had a surreal effect on me. Its plot had potential as well, as it delved into the apocalyptic scenario of two celestial bodies colliding and the rulers' attempts at quelling the situation. It was also somewhat comical that an earlier work of Megumi Toyoguchi, whose role as Aka's manager in Rec involved giving her countless valuable advice about the seiyuu industry, had utilised that same voice to utter Laura Ashley's "Volk..." one-liner throughout the entirety of Avenger. The irony of it was not lost on me, lol.

Additional Comments: It was a bit of a chore to find a suitable candidate to watch out of all the anime Mika Kanai had starred in, in that most of them were long-running shows from the earlier half of the last decade. To that note though, it's crazy that the person behind the emote-spamming Histoire's voice would be that old - and that's not trying to be disrespectful to her - as it shows that talent can transcend age, giving me hope that I'll be able to enjoy works from my favourite seiyuu for many more years to come.

Kana Asumi - Blanc
Non Non Biyori (October 30, 2016 - November 2, 2016)
As: Komari Koshigaya

Anime/Character Comments: A moe slice of life anime, similar to the likes of Kiniro Mosaic but also standing out in its emphasis on enveloping the viewer in the pleasant ambiance of its rural countryside setting, Non Non Biyori was one of the better shows of the "cute girls doing cute things" variety that I have seen in this "session".

I especially enjoyed its first season compared to the second. It not only had that signature slow paced feel to it that allowed me to appreciate the beautiful detail in the show's artwork and sounds, but also had the girls' shenanigans in abundance, ranging from Renge's popular antics to the hilarity that was Hotaru's almost yuri-seque fascination with Komari - the latter was made even funnier by Kana Asumi's voice adding that much more to her reactions. Credit to Hotaru's seiyuu too; she played the part very well, as Hotaru's acts of ditsiness in her new environment were the cutest thing out of Non Non Biyori for me.

Additional Comments: Blanc's voice was nowhere to be found in any of Kana Asumi's roles that I watched, but as I became accustomed to listening to her voice in Nisekoi, Mayo Chiki!, Non Non Biyori - and particularly in her Ann in Busou Shinki and the infamous imouto Miya Tachibana in Amagami SS that I'm watching even now, in between bouts of writing this post - I noticed that the voice she used in her anime roles was growing on me much more than Blanc's.

It's curious that Neptunia cast her as a kuudere in Blanc, instead of the type of characters I was used to seeing from her in the span of this Seiyuu Quest. The search for an explanation continues, I suppose.

Kana Ueda - IF
Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl (November 9, 2016 - November 16, 2016)
As: Hazumu Osaragi

Anime/Character Comments: Another anime from 2006, Kashimashi was another yuri title like Sakura Trick but completely different in the direction it took. Instead of the moe kissing antics I *cough* appreciated from Sakura Trick, Kashimashi was a full fledged romance story not unlike that of Toradora! (with better characters, of course), complete with decent drama that even featured a "people eventually end up hurting each other despite having the best intentions" angle that was done better, in the love triangle between Hazumu, his crush, Yui Horie's Yasuna, and his childhood friend, Yukari Tamura's Tomari. There was also a darker side to its plot, as Yasuna was portrayed to have a possible mental illness in her mind's inability to distinguish between males in her life.

Even though Kashimashi couldn't finish as strongly as it should've thanks to a weaker second half of its season, it was still a more serious take on yuri romance that I found quite refreshing. In addition to that, it also gave me one more opportunity to experience a role of the late Yuuko Mitzutani, something I hadn't done despite being a big fan of Digimon Adventure and her Sora. I'll be sure to correct that.

Additional Comments: Apparently, before her Neptunia role as IF, Kana Ueda had a knack for starring in titles that sound similar to Kashimashi on paper - the most popular one being Maria-sama ga Miteru, another shoujo ai. She also had a part in the Saki franchise as the title character Saki. Perhaps I'll pursue one of these shows at a later date.

Aoi Yuuki - Peashy
Kure-nai (November 16, 2016 - November 19, 2016)
As: Murasaki Kuhouin

Anime/Character Comments: Kure-nai. What started out feeling like Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai! in the relationship between Miyuki Sawashiro's Shinkurou and Aoi Yuuki's Murasaki turned out to be a huge disappointment, as it was plagued by poor fight scenes, unexplained angles, terrible pacing, and a lack of any meaningful character development, culminating in a build-up of an ending that had no finesse whatsoever.

The scenes speak for themselves. Shinkurou, guardian and would-be saviour of Murasaki, was shown to be a weak and pathetic main character as the show allowed him to get consistently beat up by mere thugs sent by her family in spite of his apparent martial arts background. Following Murasaki's laughable kidnapping incident, the people most responsible for her protection were seen discussing oysters. The anime also failed to properly convey the significance of Murasaki's escape from the Inner Sanctuary, making sympathising with her plight a lot more difficult. A rushed and haphazardly executed ending sealed the deal.

On top of that, Kure-nai had a really weird art style, epitomised by its OP, that took some getting used to. Whether or not it is synonymous with Brain's Base's productions remains to be seen, but with the existence of so many other problems, that surely didn't do the show any favours either.

Additional Comments: Wish I had chosen Gosick or Mahou Shoujo Madoka★Magica for this Seiyuu Quest instead, especially for such a well-known seiyuu like herself. Maybe next time, Aoi Yuuki. I have yet to play Re;Birth 3 either, heh.

Mariko Honda - Uzume
Seitokai no Ichizon (December 8, 2016 - December 13, 2016)
As: Kurimu Sakurano

Anime/Character Comments: A last minute entry due to Mariko Honda's Goddess role in the new Megadimension Neptunia that was released this year, Seitokai no Ichizon closed out my Seiyuu Quest as a different kind of Seitokai Yakuindomo. Instead of the sexual humour and switching up of skits its counterpart had, Seitokai no Ichizon relied on the jokes stemming from the main cast's personalities, as well as references to anime that I had heard of but not watched personally which flew over my head. This made the show's comedy a little hit-and-miss for me, and my enjoyment varied per episode as a result. The male lead's ramblings about his harem fantasies eventually grew tiresome too.

Not all was doom and gloom for Seitokai no Ichizon though; I found the Shiina sisters to be quite likeable, and Student Council President Kurimu's tendancy to behave childishly around Chizuru in order to receive her petting and affection always brought a grin to my face. Mariko Honda did a great job with her - her adorable whining and excited exclamations were definitely on point. The cute sequence of different ED themes that played throughout the first season was neat too.

One thing I learned from both the Seitokai series though: never try and watch seasons of joke-heavy anime back-to-back - it's easy to burn out and have the comedy become repetitive. A lesson I have taken to heart!

Additional Comments: I wonder if her Kurimu is what she sounds like as Orange Heart? Only one way to find out! Trying to one-up Asami Imai and Rina Satou is a tall order in my case though...

[The End]

And that concludes my recount of this Seiyuu Quest. In my long and arduous journey towards its completion, I was able to come across many enjoyable anime, as well as acknowledge the work of seiyuu behind them. These experiences not only allowed me to venture out of my comfort zone in some of my selections, but also helped confirm my adoration for the Neptunia seiyuu that have made it onto my Favourites list. Seiyuu Quest! Hyperdimension Neptunia was definitely an idea I do not regret going ahead with.

Looking forward to the next installment in 2017 for sure!

Posted by Avelynn | Dec 18, 2016 9:05 PM | 0 comments

December 13th, 2016

Why I Liked: Mayo Chiki!

Anime Relations: Mayo Chiki!

**"Why I Liked" is a series written by myself for my own benefit, possibly to be used as reference material in the future. To anyone that may read this, this post is not intended to be taken as a proper review.**

[BLANKET SPOILER WARNING]

Mayo Chiki! (2011)

Persons of Interest:

Eri Kitamura - Kanade Suzutsuki (Uni @ Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation)
Yuka Iguchi - Subaru Konoe (Maria Takayama @ Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai)
Mariya Ise - Masamune Usami (Aoi Yusa @ Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next)
Satoshi Hino - Kinjirou Sakamachi (Saito Hiraga @ Zero no Tsukaima)
Kana Hanazawa - Kureha Sakamachi (Pururut @ Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation)

"Yeah, the hottest girl butler right now has to be Mebarun from ChikiMayo!" - Rika, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next Episode 5

So good that it's referenced in my current top harem rom-com anime, and itself also dedicating two episodes to referencing the other highly-rated harem ecchi comedy in my list and another personal favourite, Kiss x Sis, Mayo Chiki! rounded off September 2016 strongly as the last harem title (as of writing this) to have received a 9 from me.

What made Mayo Chiki! stand out, especially in my first month on MAL, which involved me binging on harem and romance titles featuring the likes of OreImo, Nisekoi, Rosario to Vampire and HenNeko? At first, during my preparation to write this post, I wasn't so sure. Months had passed since my initial viewing of the show, so certain details were sketchy. I had gotten by through remembering the appeal of Yuka Iguchi and Eri Kitamura's characters, and also regularly listened to the OP theme, "Be Starters!", but a refresher was sorely needed.

And it couldn't have been better timed. Fresh off reviewing Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next and Kiss x Sis in my blog posts, and concidentally watching Nyan Koi! just a few weeks prior, which also shared the same directior in Keiichirou Kawaguchi, I was able to fully grasp why I had that initial impression of the show in the first place - Mayo Chiki! was a near-perfect meshing of my favourite anime genres: harem, romance, ecchi and comedy, and the first anime that I encountered to do so successfully.

My Reasons For Liking This Anime:

OP Theme "Be Starters!"
~ If I had to rank my favourite OP theme of this "session" based on what was shown in the anime alone, aka the "TV size" version, this would be it (Koufuku Graffiti's OP, as mentioned in its respective blog post, is my favourite based on the entire song). The aesthetics were fantastic - I loved Musamune's scene with its accompanying verse, the camera panning with the little bits of action animation that's in line with the show, and most certainly, the image of Subaru running in the rain to the chorus. Eri Kitamura's wonderful performance was the glue that held everything together, as her beautiful vocals served to accentuate the meaningful lyrics behind the song. The fluidity of the verses, the music and the accompanying visuals cannot be overlooked; every note hit home, invoking pleasant emotions within me every time it played. Truly memorable.

Character Design
~ I feel that character design is imperative in harem/ecchi shows, and Mayo Chiki! passed with flying colours. The shounen style of art that has appealed to me in other such shows such as Kiss x Sis definitely makes an appearance here. The artwork of the characters in Mayo Chiki! caught my eye immediately from the very first scene with Kureha and Jirou; the "smoothness" of the outlines and textures were very soothing to look at. And again, as with Haganai, their eyes were the most distinguishable feature about them. The colours that matched their personality was a nice touch, and were drawn in such a way that their radiance contributed much to making each character seem that more lively, befitting of a show filled with action, cute moments and plenty of comedy on display.

Plot
~ Mayo Chiki!'s two subplots of dealing with Subaru's butler job and Jirou's gynophobia supplemented the romantic developments very well - this was not your typical harem where girls were throwing themselves at the MC's feet. The support Subaru received to retain her job was genuinely heartwarming at times, especially in that episode where everyone in the school banded together for her cause. Jirou's battle against his gynophobia was interesting as well, as it allowed him to form all those wonderful relationships with the girls. The two subplots also helped paint Jirou in a positive light as the male lead; he fought through his nosebleeds for the sake of others, and his concern for Subaru was firmly established in the beginning. Which sets it up for...

Execution - The Romance
~ I've come across a few comments about the romance in Mayo Chiki! being lacking. My experiences suggest otherwise. Compared to many a harem, Mayo Chiki!'s was very fulfilling from the build-up right down to its conclusion (I had already been burned by OreImo and HenNeko by this point). This can be attributed to the situations the show placed Subaru and Kinjirou in; though they were somewhat... unorthodox, they did serve their purpose: in line with the subplots mentioned above, there was no shortage of instances of them supporting each other throughout their ordeals, such as the staged kidnapping incident, Kanade's accident or the scene at the grave during the summer festival, to name a few. That's not to say that these weren't entertaining either; watching Subaru get caught up all those embarrassing yet adorably precious moments was extremely gratifying. The combination of various heartfelt, touching scenes and the little cute couples acts they would engage in allowed me to easily see how Suburu progressively grew attached to Jirou - I could feel the geniune attraction building between them. And with the ending they received, this was one of the few harems with some kind of actual relationship progression.

Execution - Ecchi Comedy
~ Speaking of entertainment, the show also took every opportunity to subject Subaru and Jirou to the most hilariously embarrassing, awkward situations possible, and used them to their maximum effect - feel. once again demonstrated their mastery of the ecchi comedy genre with their ingenious setups. For example, they fully abused Subaru's dual gender status: in one scene she decided to take a bath with Jirou (already an awkward moment in itself, and one I can fully get behind, heh), but left her very feminine underwear behind for Kureha to stumble upon. The manner in which she chose to react to that realisation, by being so frantically apologetic was simply fantastic - I'm a sucker for ecchi situations like that and couldn't resist laughing. Other events such as the medical examination along with the numerous wild, overblown thoughts and fantasies that surfaced ensured that the ecchi slapstick train would continue to run its course unimpeded throughout the episodes. Subaru and Kanade's characters benefited heavily from this; the former proved herself to be way too adorable to handle and became even more endearing, while the latter easily became my favourite character in Mayo Chiki! thanks to her "contributions" (more on that below).

Execution - Ecchi Comedy (cont.)
~ In Kiss x Sis, feel. unleashed the full brunt of their physical-based ecchi shenanigans to great effect. Mayo Chiki!, perhaps influenced by Nyan Koi!'s director, served up an impressive selection of humour in the form of what I would describe as suggestive ecchi jokes and setups. Their delivery was on point and well-timed, always leaving me expectant of what was about to unfold, with the result catching me off-guard at times. This was prevalent in many of the episode preview segments - the erotic-sounding skit between Subaru and Jirou that ended up being a blood donation had me grinning and shaking my head in disbelief at how well they had played me. And of course, Kanade, the tease master herself, has much to answer for regarding her involvement in such antics - that she's going to require a full section devoted to her and her... methods.

Execution - Additional Comments
~ The attention to detail present in Mayo Chiki! also deserves a special mention. The anime provided some decent action for a harem series; the impact of blows that were animated helped to visualise the level of Jirou's endurance and Subaru's fighting prowess. The injection of cute sound effects to various things such as the "meah" in Yuka Iguchi's voice in the sheep doll and butler ticket helped add to the light-hearted atmosphere of the show. Scenes flowed nicely, and as such - to quote myself on one comment: "When I'm not laughing at their hilarious, entertaining awkward situations, I'm also pulled in by their little couples moments. Very engaging rom-com." I was hooked.

Kanade Suzutsuki
~ Only having encountered her Uni role at the time, I had no idea what Eri Kitamura had in store for me in Mayo Chiki! (her appearance in the cast list was one of the reasons why I had decided to commit to watching this). Fortunately, Kanade did not disappoint. By far the prettiest thing out of Mayo Chiki!, the bishoujo with a taste for lolita fashion and devilish red eyes to match her incredible twisted sadist personality was the notorious presence that kept me glued to my screen. Responsible for the majority of the unexpected perverted jokes/situations that occurred, Kanade's ludicrous schemes were instrumental in both driving the romance between Subaru and Jirou, as well as the subplot involving Subaru's butler status (since she was her mistress, after all). Additionally, her approaches to curing Jirou of his gynophobia were pure brilliance. To top it all off, her interference also often led to something being done at Subaru's expense: the butler-maid showdown with the apples had me in tears! Kanade's influence on the show ensures that Mayo Chiki! will never be an ordinary harem; hilarity is bound to be just around the corner whenever she's around.

Kanade Suzutsuki (cont.)
~ Needless to say, Eri Kitamura had a huge impact on Kanade's character. One could say that she essentially breathed life into the lovely sadist; I could almost feel her breath behind every word that was dripping with that mocking, seductive voice of hers. It made her teasing that much more irresistible, and her amusing lines that much more suggestive. I'll even admit to being *slightly* aroused by that scene where she got Jirou to apply sunscreen on her bare back. I was not surprised to later learn that one of her more known roles was Juri from Street Fighter - she clearly has that style of voice down. Between that and her equally amazing loli voice as seen in Uni and Miu, Eri Kitamura is definitely a veteran of the seiyuu business I will be following for some time to come.

Subaru Konoe
~ Another Yuka Iguchi character? Say it isn't so! Though at the time, my current obsession with her hadn't been realised yet. She obviously showcased her versatility with Subaru's character in Mayo Chiki!, going from that deeper male tone to that slightly more feminine one when she was allowed to dress naturally, and even shrieking in the familiar Maria voice I had (only then) known her for. However, the true icing on that delicious butler cake: she also got subjected to saying the most insane lines that had me roaring with laughter thanks to both the context and her voice! If there's one thing I learned about Subaru, it would be that her dere mode is a force to be reckoned with. Never again did I underestimate the power that was Yuka Iguchi's hold on my anime soul.

Masamune Usami
~ The surprise package of the cast, Masamune was a refreshing example of a tsundere done right: for starters, she was shown to have a fair bit of character depth compared to your regular mindless tsundere archetype. And thanks to the show's portrayal of her in her backstory and her actions in her debuting episodes, any misgivings I had with her personality were alleviated - I readily let myself feel sympathy for her as it warranted her behaving that way. As a result, as she started to come to terms with her own flaws (helped by Jirou's persistence) and finally opened up to him, I found myself taking a liking to her character. It was a little heartwarming watching her cheer up when she realised that she had been offered the friendship of Jirou and Subaru, the latter being someone she looked up to. Her tsuntsun appeal was nothing to scoff at either, with her characteristic lovable pink twintails and cute voice that produced such great reactions to being embarrassed (that "Mou, Bakachiki!") already meeting my expectations. The real potency of her act though, lay in that signature dirty glare of hers - the mistrust apparent in her emerald-green eyes as she scowled at me was too precious to ignore - that I couldn't stop myself from bursting into giggles under the intensity of her gaze! There's no denying her charm; Usagi "Evil Rabbit"-chan is a formidable tsundere indeed. And let's not forget her role in the two maid cafe episodes... her tsundere maid is one fantasy I'll be carrying with me to a potential Japan visit. Step aside Rie Kugimiya, there's a new seiyuu master of pinkies in town, and her name's Mariya Ise!

Kinjirou Sakamachi
~ While on the subject of "pinkies", it is worth mentioning that Saito, lapdog of That-which-must-not-be-named, has his seiyuu make an appearance here. Thankfully, Kinjirou was a far cry from the weakling that Saito was. As the male protagonist, he would go out of his way to look out for Subaru, even standing up to Kanade for her sake. He also showed a lot of "fortitude", willing to suffer body blows at his own expense. Whether it was maintaining his promise to never let Subaru cry, or his insistence on pressing the issue with Musamune in her episodes, the conviction he displayed in upholding his ideals was very commendable. A solid harem MC, especially for one ironically named "Chicken".

Kureha Sakamachi
~ Who else would show up but "Kobato-chwan" Kana Hanazawa herself to deliver another delicious imouto performance? Kureha was another one of her roles I came to enjoy - she's cute in her ditsy-ness, becoming flustered when she got confused about Subaru's relationship with her older brother. She also did the most outrageous things (like fight a bear) and would be a nuisance to Jirou at times with her crazy imagination and her tendency to overreact to anything. Just what the show needed for additional comic relief.

ED Theme ""Kimi ni Gohoushi"
~ Performed by Yuka Iguchi, Eri Kitamura and Mariya Ise, it was a decent song with a positive vibe and pretty catchy lyrics. Despite being not as outstanding as the other EDs I've listened to over the course of these past few months, it nonetheless helped end each episode on a good note - and one would also have to account for my seiyuu bias here too, heh.

[Story: 7 | Art: 9 | Sound: 8 | Character: 9 | Enjoyment: 10]
[Final Score: 9]

If Kiss x Sis was my gold standard for ecchi titles, and Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next the epitome of all things fun sprinkled with a dash of engaging drama, Mayo Chiki! would be that middle ground between the two, with it's tantalising brand of amusing ecchi humour that was so integral in my enjoyment of the show, topped off with a satisfying ending to finish. It also became irreplaceable in its relevance to my anime timeline by not only ensuring that Yuki Iguchi's value would continue to increase, but also confirming Eri Kitamura's place among my favourite seiyuu through her amazing work as Kanade and her song "Be Starters!".

Yeah, I could talk about how certain episodes (the ones dedicated to Kureha and Nakuru) might've been a little underwhelming, or how Subaru's butler dilemma was kinda resolved too quickly near the end; ultimately though, there's no getting around the fact - Mayo Chiki! is still one of the most entertaining harem shows I've had the pleasure of coming across, and one I am proud to call a member of the trio of my favourite harem anime from my early days on MAL alongside the aforementioned Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next and Kiss x Sis.

"Suki na koto zenryoku de oikake you yo"

"Let's chase after what we like with all our strength"

Words to live by, and a great verse to sing at a karaoke session. I should know, having done so twice in a recent visit myself. Praise Mayo Chiki!!

Posted by Avelynn | Dec 13, 2016 2:37 AM | 0 comments

November 23rd, 2016

Why I Liked: Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next

Anime Relations: Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next

**"Why I Liked" is a series written by myself for my own benefit, possibly to be used as reference material in the future. To anyone that may read this, this post is not intended to be taken as a proper review.**

[BLANKET SPOILER WARNING]

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Next (2013)

Persons of Interest:

Marina Inoue - Yozora Mikazuki
Kanae Itou - Sena Kashiwazaki
Ryouhei Kimura - Kodaka Hasegawa
Misato Fukuen - Rika Shiguma
Yuka Iguchi - Maria Takayama
Kana Hanazawa - Kobato Hasegawa (Pururut @ Choujigen Game Neptune The Animation)

Harem anime. A touchy genre for many fans, some of which find their usual style overused and formulaic to the point of being stale; others simply dislike the notion of having girls throwing themselves onto a male lead.

In my case, thanks to my being accquinted with visual novels this year, one of the first tasks I assigned myself when beginning my venture into anime was to watch a harem show. Since then, they have become a staple in my anime selections; I have grown fond of the light-hearted nature of the rom-com elements found in many of them - it helps me relax (which is my main reason of delving into anime, presently).

How do you mess up a harem anime? Humourously, my first foray into the genre was met with failure. Zero no Tsukaima was the perfect case study to answer that question. It is still my go-to example of how to turn an entire cast of characters unlikeable virtually overnight, thanks to its trainwreck of a second season. With my archnemesis found (oh lawd, that pink-haired menace), and the anime promptly dropped, what was left to pick up the pieces?

Enter Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (also known as Haganai), the second entry in the list of recommendations I had received. As soon as the OP "Zannenkei Rinjinbu (Hoshi Futatsu Han)" hit, I knew I was dealing with a whole different beast. Haganai is everything Zero no Tsukaima is not. With its stunning art quality, delightfully welcoming atmosphere, and colourful cast of characters, season one quickly established Haganai in my mind as a harem series I knew I wanted to invest in.

So why is Haganai Next in the title, instead of its prequel? While the first season was indeed a much needed breath of fresh air, with its catchy OP/ED songs (I love "Watashi no Kimochi" too!) and exceptional initial episodes that served well in introducing me to all the characters I've come to adore, its second half lost some its previous luster - some episodes left me a little wanting.

Haganai Next felt like an example of a show that recognised its own faults, and subsequently endeavoured to give fans more of what they wanted. Such efforts led Haganai's second season to cement itself as my favourite harem series of all time.

My Reasons For Liking This Anime:

Production Quality
~ Haganai is a showcase of AIC's mastery of production at work. The sheer quality of their art and animation is the thing that immediately stands out when viewing the show. In Next, it even seemed to get an upgrade. The art looks touched up - the bold outlines from the first season were lessened; the colours look softer, bringing out the natural prettiness of each scene. Everything just looks magnificent, and no detail is missed; Sena's butterfly pin is as vibrant as ever, Kodaka's pudding-y hair looks more edible, Kobato's contacts continue to mesmerise... It's a feast for the eyes.

Presentation
~ Speaking of which, it doesn't just stop there. Their efforts at getting the viewer to notice the qualities of each girl don't go unnoticed. Sena is obviously the main beneficiary here, with constant shots of her looking great even down to her poses. Yozora won't be outdone, however; she vyes for that same attention as the show intentionally places her in embarrassing situations, such as the scene of her looking distressed as she realised her mistake of wearing 'boyish' clothing. The same ones Yukimura inherit later on, despite desiring to be more manly, but usually achieving the opposite effect. Rika gets a full makeover, with a wardrobe of new outfits to match her cuteness. Kobato and Maria, in true imouto fashion, are always looking adorable on screen, and oh man, all that pouting threatening to spike my blood sugar to dangerous levels...

Presentation (cont.)
~ On the subject of eye candy - the one aspect of their characters that always impressed me the most was their eyes. Their breathtaking detail drew me in from season one. They returned in Next, revitalised with that added sheen. Whether it be Kobato's heterochome contacts, or the natural teal colour she shares with Maria and Sena, Rika's sparkling hazel eyes that are further brought out by the loss of her glasses, or the enchanting violet of Yozora's as she glares back - the fact that they're all such memorable characters can be attributed to their eyes adding that much depth to their design (obviously, there's their personalities as well, but more on that later).

Neighbours Club
~ From my experience, many harem/rom-com type shows need to have a supplement of some kind while developing their romance. For Haganai, what undoubtedly sets it apart from other shows of its genre is the Neighbours Club. Running with its silly premise (they're really struggling to make friends, even amongst themselves?), the club cranks up the intensity of its zany antics in Haganai Next. What's the next skit? When's the next confrontation? Yozora vs Sena? Kobato vs Maria? Who is next to suggest something awkward? The potential for the next wacky situation to spring itself onto whatever oddball idea/activity the club would come up with was too great, leaving me craving for each next episode. Haganai Next delivers the laughs in spades, and the Neighbours Club is highly responsible for the majority of those.

Characters
~ With drop-dead gorgeous character artwork and that monstrous line-up of seiyuu talent backing them up, I am hard-pressed to find a more enticing harem cast than that of Haganai's. And Next essentially exploits their traits to a maximum, ensuring their hilarious personalities were always on full display, with the aforementioned Yozora vs Sena and Koboato vs Maria rivalries, along with Rika being well, Rika, Yukimara somehow managing to maintain her composure despite everything happening around her, in her quest to devote herself to Aniki as a man, Kodaka acting dense around the girls (that Rika maid scene!) and being oblivious to getting teased about his delinquent image - there's just so much going on in each episode. Very little opportunities were wasted when it came to them constantly poking fun at each other, and it all added up to the overall fun and welcoming atmosphere the show gave off. In the end, I couldn't find it in my heart to dislike anyone.

ED Theme "Bokura no Tsubasa"
~ Another thing Haganai offers is its tantalising array of cast-performed songs. Season one already proved so with its OP/ED songs and its accompanying soundtrack which included several of the insert songs I had enjoyed listening to - and more. Next continues this trend by delivering a wonderful melody performed by the main harem cast in its ED. Their voices seemed to come together so perfectly, as they do in most of Haganai's songs, but this song in particular was especially pleasant to listen to, as I found myself humming to the instrumental/background music whenever the ED was played. After over three months of watching other anime, this track still stands as my favourite ED of my current "session". They even released individualised versions of this song that's sung by each girl!

OP Theme "Be My Friend"
~ With a change in OP style that seemed to signify the shift in direction from season one - excessive fanservice was replaced in favour of better skits, more meaningful character interactions and a focus on their friendship/romance angle towards the end - "Be My Friend" is another catchy tune that's an excellent opener to complement the "fun" theme of the entire series. Furthermore, its lyrics eventually came to be of great significance in the show's plot as the story progressed.

Plot (Second Half)
~ Speaking of which, Haganai Next was also intent on finally addressing the issues I had with the lack of plot development in most of the first season. Next spiced up the tension between the girls as their growing relationships with Kodaka (naturally) caused more complications. As more about Kodaka was revealed, the series unexpectedly took on a subtle approach contrary to what the tone of the first half of the season would've suggested. Rika and Kodaka were shown to have an astonishing amount of character depth, something not normally seen in a harem anime. On top of that, most of their character interactions were spot on; they made sense to me, painting a geniune romance story in process - in light of my then-recent encounter with Zero no Tsukaima, witnessing Haganai's story play out pleased me to no end.

Yozora Mikazuki
~ Yozora is quite the interesting character. She was portrayed to have a positive influence on Kodaka as his childhood friend, but has grown up to be bitter, often being mean-spirited and somewhat of a manipulative bully (especially towards Sena). Her usual cool and confident demeanor gave off an aura of having everything under control. Unfortunately, this season was not kind to her. In what was a total 180 from the treatment given to Louise in Zero no Tsukaima (let's throw in Taiga from Toradora! in there for good measure too), instead of being blantantly showered in good fortune as per being one of the two original main heroines, she was constantly brought down a notch in Next, not always getting her way as a sort of comeuppance from picking on people, a huge constrast from the first season. But that worked strongly in her favour - it made her character bearable, to the point where I started feeling pity for her as her vulnerable side emerged when things started falling apart. However, the one thing I've always liked her for the most was her singing voice - her seiyuu Marina Inoue had no small bearing on how great Haganai's songs always turned out.

Sena Kashiwazaki
~ Behold, what could very well be the most beautiful specimen ever conceived in anime. Blessed by Kanae Itou's exotic, cute voice, Sena is the complete package when comes to attractiveness. By virtue of her wealthy background, she also carries herself with the utmost confidence much like Yozora, often being unable to prevent herself from butting heads with her. But that's where the similarities end. She has come a long way since season one. While prone to reverting back to her previous personality of acting haughty and full of herself at times, in this season, it was her contagious happy-go-lucky attitude towards everything that added so much charm to the show (her unhealthy obsession with Kobato would always be one of the highlights of the episodes she appeared in). She even exhibited a kind side, having tried to initiate some sort of friendship with Yozora on several occasions despite being the victim of her pranks, even at one point ignoring the fact that Yozora had told her she hoped she didn't exist. To top it all off, as she began to realise her feelings for Kodaka, the awkwardness of her embarrassment as she tried to hide the fact was way too adorable - Sena also had a vulnerable side that was to die for! It's no wonder that she's the fan favourite. In many ways, she's the perfect counterpart to Yozora, and an invaluable asset to the show.

Kodaka Hasegawa
~ Often seen as your standard, run-of-the-mill, dense-as-a-brick harem protagonist male lead with a delinquent gimmick, Kodaka drew the ire of many a viewer with his notorious "Huh, what was that?" line. Unveiling that he was in reality, a conflicted person who did in fact recognise what was going on around him, but maintained a facade in order to preserve the tenuous relationship he shared with the girls in the Neighbours Club that he had come to care for, was a touch of genius on the writer's part. It allowed him to break the mould of his character archetype, making him very relatable. Ryouhei Kimura's voice lent itself well to the straight man role - I could sense the hint of nonchalance in yet another blunt response as he shrugged off one more jest from Rika or Kate, or the resignation in his voice as he dutifully surrendered himself to another one of the girls' shenanigans. According to MAL, he won the Best Supporting Actor award for this very role. Well-deserved.

Rika Shiguma
~ Out of all the cast from season one, Rika clearly benefited the most from Haganai Next's plot. Initially portrayed as a comic relief character, whose outrageously hilarious no-holds-barred pervertedness and obsession with all things BL sent me into numerous laughing fits throughout the course of the first season, Rika left a strong impression right from the get-go; her newfound relevance to the entire outlook of Next was apparent to me almost immediately. She was shown to be the most empathetic out of the entire cast; naturally, she would come to play a pivotal role in the closing episodes as the one at the forefront of the unfolding romantic tension and subtly making sense of it all, ultimately being responsible for uncovering Kodaka's ruse. In the last episode where she decided to take his hand, emulating the scene from the OP (which was another curveball the show threw, since it was implied that the choice would be between Yozora and Sena) and accepting his friendship, I felt waves of satisfaction as I realised that I had just been treated to a lesson in how to effectively build up and utilise such a likeable character like her.

Rika Shiguma (cont.)
~ However, the tremendous character growth she received wasn't the only thing Rika had going for her; her terrifying, wild fujoshi side returned in Next as well. With such quotable lines such as "Western porn!", "Phucking potato!" and "Kono tohen boku pudding yarou!", Misato Fukuen seems to be particularly adapt at voicing her role - she sounded so convincingly disappointed in one skit when Kodaka hadn't peeked at her undressing! Not to mention that tsundere maid scene that caused me to nearly have a heart attack - she really is something else. Did I mention how cute she looked without her glasses on in the various new outfits the show had her in? All those qualities easily made her my favourite character in my first viewing of the show. At least, that was until...

Maria Takayama
~ My favourite evil minion of the church with a potty mouth, that would surely convert me had she existed in real life, Maria is the epitome of the bratty-to-the-point-of-being-irresistibly-kawaii (and I don't throw that word around lightly!) imouto that grew on me the more I watched, and even long after I had finished with Next. With her infectious laughter, extremely crude speech for a girl of her age, fervent attempts to "exorcise" the "shitty vampire", her seemingly permanent state of excitedness, and even down to her weird obsession with relating things to poop - Maria threatened to steal the show at every appearance. She's disgustingly, heart-meltingly cute, and she knows it. All her antics seemed specially designed to target all my weak points! I felt myself being whittled down with every "Ah! Onii-chan!", "Urusai! Unko kyuuketsuki!" and "Kuso baba!" - it's no secret that I'm a big fan of Yuka Iguchi, and her role as Poopy Nun aka the bane of Kobato's existence is a huge contributing factor to that. If I ever become a lolicon, it'd definitely be Maria's fault!

Kobato Hasegawa
~ Admittedly, Maria wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without a formidable adversary. Though I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Kana Hanazawa, her performance as Kobato was one of her more memorable ones for me. From her fiery exchanges with Maria, to her hysterical reactions to being targeted by Sena, Ms. Hanazawa nailed the role perfectly, as Kobato's near-limitless energy could be felt through her seiyuu's splendid voicework. To the Haganai's credit as well, Kobato's signature chuunibyou tactics could not have been better-timed throughout the show, with that dreaded "Ku ku ku" possibly being the most grin-inducing anime phrase of all time. I could easily see why she is the more popular of the two imoutos, almost matching Maria's intensity (and vulgarity!) in her own form of misbehaviour. Yozora and Sena had better watch out, for the poopy vampire's cries of "Aho!" will always herald the end of their time in the spotlight; no one can deny the spectacle that is Kobato vs Maria!

[Story: 8 | Art: 9 | Sound: 10 | Character: 9 | Enjoyment: 10]
[Final Score: 9]

Of course, I shared the same disappointment with many fans regarding how the series ended. Haganai was an anime that ended too abruptly; a good portion of the last two episodes was spent introducing new side characters that ended up not making much of an impression at all, followed by a cliffhanger essentially right after, which was only salvaged somewhat by Rika's emotional scene with Kodaka on the rooftop of the school. Being the last official Haganai episode (for the forseeable future, at least), that was the final impression the show left viewers with - a bitter, unsatisfying conclusion to what could've been promising story. It didn't feel like they gave such memorable characters the send-off they deserved. And from what I hear, the light novel didn't fare too well either. Shame.

Fortunately, as evidenced by my brutally long walls of text in this post (seriously, this one was significantly longer than the rest), the amount of good Haganai Next did for me far outweighed the negatives. It still holds up as an exceptional harem title; even though it can be seen to have fallen back on certain tropes used by other harem shows at times, it is hardly plain - the excellence of the art, characters and voicework of the seiyuu that cannot be praised enough ensures this.

To me, not only was Haganai Next extremely entertaining, it was also a show that defined my anime timeline. By restoring my interest in the harem genre after Zero no Tsukaima, it is partially responsible for my continued pursuit of such shows. Along with Hyperdimension Neptunia, Haganai's characters also greatly influenced my growing fascination with seiyuu early on, with Yozora, Sena, Rika, and Maria's leading me to find more anime that I came to enjoy (and Kobato's never fails to find me instead).

As the OP goes, "mou ikkai!". Just one more laugh, one more skit, one more confrontation - that's how much I loved the sights and sounds of Boku wa Tomodachi Sukunai Next. Like many people, I will be cautiously anticipating a third season, no matter how unlikely that might be. Till then, the amazing selection of soundtracks that the series has so graciously produced (yep, I own all of those now too) will have suffice to tide me over.

And among those, "VS!! Rival!!" exists as a persistent reminder that the imouto battle to end all imouto battles has yet to reach its conclusion. Shesh, the vocabulary Maria and Kobato are capable of. Little girls shouldn't be uttering words like that! Yet that's what makes it so good LOL! Pure brilliance.

Ahh, nothing warms my heart more than hearing such unrelenting profanity from such inappropriate sources. Time to load up that song for the umpteenth time...

Posted by Avelynn | Nov 23, 2016 4:48 AM | 0 comments

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