It’s a bit late, since it was shown September last year, but I think too few people mention it and it should be known :). Last September 2007, the show Daitan Map aired a special about the top 50 most popular anime character voices from the very first anime to the recent. I think it is special in a way because it not only showcased the wonderful seiyuu who were behind the entertaining voices but it also gave previews of old anime that were forgotten and needed to be remembered by the present generation (Come on, don’t tell me you don’t remember any of those anime mentioned :P).
You can watch the clip (quite long) in Veoh or Crunchyroll (needs registration). Just search the terms in the title of this article and you should get there. In the meantime, here are the list mentioned in the clip (names romanized by me). The numbering is from 50 to 1 :). Please click the names if you want to know more about the seiyuu (e.g. other roles).
There are a lot of things to be happy about this spring - spring break, the warmer weather, spring cleaning (okay, maybe not that) and of course, the multitude of new anime series and OVAs that will fill the whole week!
I have compiled a list of most of the anime airing this April, most because some of them have inexistent summaries, websites and even cast list ;_;. I have included the site, link to a trailer, summary and at most, a seiyuu list to keep your curiosity piqued. The 33 anime titles are arranged by air date and then alphabetically :).
Title : Romeo x Juliet
Genre : drama, fantasy, romance
Production : Studio GONZO
Episodes : 24
Vintage : 2007
‘Romeo and Juliet’ is my favorite from all the Shakespearean stories. I was surprised to see that it was created into an anime and had my doubts whether it would be good or not. I must admit that I was amazed by the series, although everything happens in an alternative universe, everything is done extremely well, from graphics to music and voice characters.
Apologies for the amazingly late post for this…er… last week! I’ll be recommending a single that is technically coming out the 16th, but has already been leaked, so we get an early taste of this awesome single!
An odd coupling at first, these two powerhouse diva’s work amazingly well together. Their voices blend in this single for an inspiring song that might be a bit familiar to those fans who also own Celine’s most recent album. Rumor has it that after hearing Yuna’s rendition of My Heart Will Go On on the album Tribute To Celine Dion, she picked Yuna to do a duet with over all the other collaborators for the album.
When first hearing of this single, I was a bit afraid Celine would overpower Yuna and outclass her a bit. After seeing the PV, I’m happy to say that my fears were misplaced. Yuna holds her own; indeed, I’d say she is featured even more than Celine is! Of course it is her single afterall… but even in the parts they sing together, Yuna’s beautiful voice shines through.
The single consists of four versions of the same song: the original, a “U.S.A version”, a version with Yuna singing the entire thing herself, and an instrumental. Although the version with Yuna by herself is beautiful, I tend to prefer when Celine sings as well, as I enjoy hearing the blend of two voices I love! The U.S.A version I would have assumed would be completely in English, but the lyrics are the same. It is the background music that is different, using just the more acoustic-sounding guitars and less of the little electronic additions that are in the original. Honestly though, they don’t sound all that different. I’d have been interested in an all-English version as a duet, but perhaps that was deemed too much like Celine’s solo original.
Additional Links:
Single information from wiki.theppn
Youtube link to the PV
Buy!: CDJapan // Yesasia
Lyrics from JPopAsia
So, what did you guys think? (BTW, would you prefer this style of posting/reviewing, or that of a big list and brief reccs?)
The anime world had, as always, been busy with lots of releases for 2007. Some of them sold well, some of them flopped, but no one can really be the judge of that. After all, everything depends on each person’s taste, right? Here is my list of the memorable anime that debuted in 2007. These are series that I have watched and left me lingering thoughts about them. The series are arranged by show date in Japan. Click the titles to go to the each anime’s official site.
Title : D. Gray-man
Genre : drama, comedy, horror, shounen, supernatural
Production : TMS Entertainment
Episodes : 65+
Vintage : 2006 - ongoing
I first came across this series when I was in Japan last November. I saw only the sixth episode on TV Tokyo because I was visiting for a short time. I loved the series from that one episode, so when I returned home I looked for the whole series. I must say that it ranks as No. 2 on my favourite anime list. It’s a great series with a very profound story and unique characters. Throughout the whole series you experience different emotions; the storyline is serious and deep but there are some comical scenes that break the drama overload that makes most anime of this genre unbearable.
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Title : Gravitation
Genre : drama, comedy, romance, shounen-ai
Production : Studio DEEN
Episodes : 13
Vintage : 2000 - 2001
This was my first BL anime. At first, I didn’t know that it had a BL theme and when I saw the first episode, I was speechless. I found myself liking it so I decided to see the whole series. It’s a funny series, with a lot of fluff elements but at the same time you find there is a lot of drama and mystery. Well, the truth is I was completely drawn to this anime by the bishies, but the whole story was quite interesting too.
The story follows the young energetic singer, Shindou Shuichi, and his band, Bad Luck, on their journey to success as the best band in Japan. Along the way, Shindou falls in love with the famous romance novelist Yuki Eiri. Yuki is a very distant and mysterious person and Shindou finds himself attracted by his personality. Shindou fights to make his relationship with Yuki work but the blond has secrets from his past which continue to haunt him and is a person unwilling to open up.
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Title : Ghost Hunt
Genre : drama, comedy, horror, mystery, psychological
Production : J. C. Staff
Episodes : 25
Vintage : 2006 - 2007
Before I saw this anime, I had read the manga first. I liked watching it very much. I’ve noticed that Japanese creators love to make anime involving ghosts and haunting. In fact, there are more than four titles to make up for that. Either way, this anime is one of the very few that follows the manga accordingly. The graphics are also impressive. The anime is very enjoyable and not that scary, because there are a lot of humorous scenes, although in later episodes there are times when you get a little jumpy but that is all there is to it.
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Title : Fruits Basket
Genre : Romance, drama, comedy, fantasy, shoujo
Production : Studio Deen
Episodes : 26
Vintage : 2001
I love this series. It’s a fresh, funny and beautiful story. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see it because I don’t like romances that much, but I kept running over it and decided to do so. I was amazed by the series that I actually decided to read the manga. The illustration is amazing and the story is one of a kind. The only thing that might disappoint you in the anime is the ending. It ends very abruptly and makes you wonder what happens next. Fortunately, the manga continues on from the anime and your curiosity will be satisfied.
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Title : Wolf’s Rain
Genre : Adventure, drama, supernatural
Production : BONES
Episodes : 26 + 4 OAV
Vintage : 2003
When I first came across the title of ‘Wolf’s rain’, I was very skeptical if I wanted to see the anime or not. I decided to do so and I was very happy that I did. From my point of view, this anime is excellent; the story is beautiful and the graphics are terrific. The music is wonderful and there are some moments of humor, but the story is sad. It’s really sad and I remember crying towards the end.
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