When filling out the preview for the summer season, this show had caught my attention because it’s about voice acting (in Japan). There have been shows as of late giving us a sneak preview of the anime industry, such as Shirobako (which I absolutely loved). At first I wasn’t too interested in checking it out because I feel like it wouldn’t take its subject seriously, or it wouldn’t showcase it completely and instead just be a bunch of comedy gags that doesn’t have to do with anything. But I still wanted to check it out, and I found myself to be pleasantly surprised.
The first episode introduces us to one of the main girls, Futaba Ichinose. She’s a new voice actress and she makes her way over to her recording session where she’s the voice actress of the most shonen mecha anime I’ve ever seen. She has a tiny role as the mascot of the series, a robot named Pipo. And she only has to say one thing, “Pipo!” It’s not the best of roles, but it’s something. Once she has to record, her nerves get the best of her and she overthinks her role and messes up a few times. She also had the opportunity to record a one-liner for a child, but she messed that up. And unfortunately for her, Futaba really needed this role of Pipo but was devastated to learn that Pipo blew up and died in the recent episode they recorded. In Futaba’s agency, she has to make herself known just so she can stay. Her agency sounded the best when compared with Rin and Ichigo’s, but I think that policy is just awful. Hopefully with that audition, she’ll get the role to that new anime.
We also have two more main girls of different ages. We have Ichigo who has this princess persona, and she we have middle schooler Rin. They’re still pretty new, but Rin seems to have the most experience in the voice acting industry. And with that, they complete what I call the “Pastel-Colored Hair Trio”. These girls became fast friends after their recording sessions at the Buddha Fighter whatever anime. In the recent episode, they were approached by a man wanting them to be part of a web radio show, probably because of their banter and we’ll see what happens with that.
I don’t know if people don’t like this format, but I love the slow step-by-step explanations. Just like Shirobako, the explanations were given to us through the main character’s stuffed animal. People may find it boring….but I just find it so fascinating and informative. But that’s just me, because I’m the boring ass nerd that loves watching documentaries about all kinds of things. But I love this so much. It gives us a detailed look at the industry and also at the culture. Things such as what the recording studios look like and where they are, the fact that new voice actors have to greet everyone individually (the formalities and all that), the way that recording is actually done. I don’t know the specifics of how American voice actors record, but I know that for western cartoons the actors are recording together in the same room, but they have their own mic and don’t have to move around just to record one part. For English anime dubbing, actors usually record alone if I’m correct. Well, it’s just nice seeing the differences! And again, this is extremely fascinating to me.
I really like the Pastel Trio right now (so far Ichigo’s my fave). We have more focus with Futaba and how she gets ready to go to work and how she buys the source material to the anime she auditions for, and hearing from Ichigo, the show brings to reality just how difficult it is to land a role. To get auditions, buy the source material to familiarize yourself with the story and character, just to learn that you didn’t even get the role. And to see just a bunch of manga in your shelf that you really don’t even need. That’s tough. And I’m glad they brought that up. Of course these girls are young so they have time, except for Futaba as she only has a year left to make an impression on her agency. But with this chance at a radio show, then this could be her big break, and I can’t wait to see what else happens with these girls in the future.
Also, I think it’s hilarious that they sing different anime songs in the ending, the first one being Evangelion and the other Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei (which I’m not familiar with). And so far with these first two episodes, we’ve gotten A-list voice actors making appearances!
Masako Nozawa. Notable roles?
- Goku
- GOKU
- GOKU
- SON GOKU
- MOTHERFUCKING GOKU
- GOOFY WHO LOVES TO EAT AND FIGHT, YEAH…THAT GOKU
- oh yeah and Gohan and Goten and some other roles I can’t think at the top of my head
- of course she plays herself here too
Kamiya Hiroshi. Notable roles?
- Yato from Noragami
- Levi from Attack on Titan
- Izaya Orihara from Durarara
- basically if you’re watching anime right now there’s a 80% chance he’s in that show
- also himself here
I wonder what other popular voice actors we’ll be seeing later on.
A bit late but nice review! I think you better start watching Evangelion since it’s celebrating the 20th anniversary this year, and actually its OP theme that is “Zankoku no Tenshi no Thesis” by Yoko Takahashi, has a rendition by Shizuka Ito and used in an episode of the Hayate no Gotoku! second season. Speaking of Hayate, I’m actually a big fan of it and I’ve already managed to watch all 4 seasons, a movie and 2 OVAs! My faves there were the debt-ridden yet cool butt-kicking butler Hayate Ayasaki and his spoiled otaku-loving mistress Nagi Sanzenin plus Maria the maid, as well as I do like some other characters such as Hinagiku Katsura, Chiharu Harukaze and Ruka Suirenji. And just in case you didn’t noticed that both Hayate and Sore ga were set in the same universe, meaning they’re both side stories created by the same creator – Kenjiro Hata-sensei.
I’ve been enjoyed watching the first two episodes and… I LIKE THAT GROUP NAME, “PASTEL TRIO!” Sounds like the Hakuo Three Amiga/Student Council Trio to me though. Technically, I like the 3 main gals but my personal favorite is Futaba because she’s so funny and I do love her expressions so much. Yet from what I’ve seen and heard that she actually has a part-time job in Lawson, which reminds me that even popular seiyuus need side jobs for extra income. Take Nana Mizuki for instance, she’s not just a hot seiyuu but also a singer; Masumi Asano is a producer and the one who provided the writings for this series and among others. Nozawa’s and Kamiya’s appearance are just… ugh damn cool that I already affected by Futaba’s fangirling!!! >_<
Other than the funny side of the show, I like the idea when Korori (the purple plush doll) gives us some info about the seiyuu industry and nonetheless for the people who still know how hard it was for the likes of the aforementioned peeps in this industry itself. The source material thingy is also important too, since a lot of anime shows that we've watched were basically based on manga, game and/or any form of literature such as novels. At the same time, damn that Atsumari-san! I've never realize the fact she's also Futaba and Shindome's agency manager apart from handling an aspiring manga artist who's also a sensational idol like Ruka (Ami Koshimizu strikes again!).
You've mentioned Shirobako, nice. Well I have and need to take a chance to watch that although it's more about animation this time, and from what I've researched that it includes Haruka Yoshimura, the seiyuu of Go! Princess Pretty Cure's Yui Nanase, as an assistant general animation supervisor. I've seen Ai Kayano (Kirika Akatsuki and Hana Mutou), Takehito Koyasu (Oresky), Rie Takahashi (Futaba), Ito, Hisako Kanemoto (Cure Peace and Sailor Mercury) and Mai Nakahara (Katie Minami) are in that show's cast lineup.
Aha I’ve already seen Evangelion but I didn’t really like it much and I don’t really want to watch the rest. That’s just me.
Yes, I loved that they showed Futaba having a part-time job, the same with Ichigo at that sushi packaging place. When starting off as a newbie seiyuu, you gotta make money another way. Not until you’re as big as Nozawa or Kamiya you can just make money off your seiyuu job. I really like that they did that.
Yes go watch Shirobako! I really enjoyed it and it’s pretty similar to this show and I’m sure you’d like it.
I’d definitely love Yoshimura even more when I get the time to watch Shirobako. Anyways back in Sore ga, it’s pretty funny that Futaba calls Ichigo “Ringo” and “Evil Ichigo,” then that manga series that they (with Kohana) had auditioned for an anime version sounds familiar to me… A combination reference between Shingeki no Kyojin and Nanatsu no Taizai into one (well that’s Hata-sensei for all of us).