Anime Episode Review: ToraDora Ep. 1

SUMMARY:

Ryuuji Takasu is entering his second year of high school. Having inherited the sharp look of a delinquent from his father, his hungover mother (Yasuko) praises him, but he despises being compared to him. After finding out he is in the same class with his friend, Kitamura, and manages through a staggered conversation with his crush, Minori Kushieda, he encounters a chibi-sized girl with a ferocious attitude known to all at school as the “Palmtop Tiger.” Taiga Aisaka violently makes her way into Ryuuji’s life, getting him caught up in her own klutziness in a way he could never imagine. However, in the midst of his own family issues, Ryuuji acknowledges Taiga’s own shortcomings, though one would hardly call his new situation fortunate.

INPUT:

I found this intro episode to be not only hilarious, but catered nicely to my otaku side. The one thing I like about this series already is that it didn’t try to hook you in with some over-the-top scenario. The character interaction is just right to do that all on its own. Exactly how I like my anime.

JC STAFF is handling the animation for this one, so I can definitely tell the animators had plenty of fun with Taiga’s Shana-like personality. For crying out loud, Taiga even attacks Ryuuji the same way Shana attacked Sakai! On top of it all, they even got Rie Kugimiya (Taiga/Shana’s VA) to do Shana’s famous “Urusai (x3)” [Taiga only does it x2] and Yui Horie (Minori/Kanon [2006]’s Ayu) in on this!

Now for an equation of pure mindblowing fanlove:

(Minami Ke’s Chiaki + 5 years) + Shana’s soul = Taiga Aisaka! I seriously fan-gushed so hard!

Amazing casting once again for a series that is really shaping up to be worthwhile series to keep an eye on. Not to mention we all know JC STAFF won’t freaking slack on the key animation, which makes me happy. As a side note, I heard the manga for this was pretty good.

FSS’s EPISODE RATING: 8/10

EPISODE 1 GALLERY

New Slayers Season: Should We Care?

ANN reported on this a while back, but seeing as how I’m trying to get back into the groove of talking more intelligently about the anime I know and fawn over, I decided to bring it up here at Atama Ga Warui.

In case you didn’t know, J.C.Staff, the animation studio that handled the three original Slayers television series is back on board. Not to mention, they are also grabbing Takashi Watanabe, the director of those same three seasons, to make sure this title soars like it did in the past. However, one has to ask the question: after around 10 years without Slayers — a series that lived in an age where the process of fandubbing onto a video tape was a long and arduous task — will the new school anime fans care as much as old school fans might?

A user from Toonzone.net graciously posted a valuable link to a translated snippet of Dragon Magazine’s April 2008 issue, the original source that generated all the commotion. As is typical with the Japanese way, there is a lot of forced hype in the loosely translated dialogue presented to help generate some support for this new “anime-exclusive” rendition that came out of nowhere. Regardless of how legitimate the hype may be, I want to particularly draw attention to the seiyuu choice, which, to my relief, was a key factor in all of this:

“(I think it’s okay to reveal this information) They are now working hard to make the five voice actors and actresses to do the voice of the same main five characters, namely, I as Lina Inverse, Yasunori Matsumoto as Gourry, Masami Suzuki as Amelia, Hikaru Midorikawa as Zelgadiss, and Akira Ishida as Xelloss.” — from Megumi Hayashibara

So let’s review. We have:

1) The entire original staff and main seiyuu cast from the original series and the historical success of Slayers as a secure foundation for quality among “old school” fans.
2) The “new school” anime fans who probably know very little about Slayers, but know all there is to know about characters like Shana, and write it off as “something they’ve seen done better.”
3) The concern of Slayers not measuring up in this day and age of anime saturation and digital fansubs, though based solely on key archetypes that worked back in the day (e.g. hot-headed, yet self-conscious red-headed sorceress [Lina]; goofy, yet capable, good-looking swordsman [Gourry]; irritating, cute supporting character that gets in the way [Amelia]; antagonist who can’t quite measure up [Zelgadis]).

Well, who is to say that this new season of Slayers won’t be as fun as it was when anime was still young among Westerners? Only the fans can come to a conclusion, but I predict a clear-cut divide between of visual culture otaku who will care, and those who won’t. One fact is certain: the existence of this 4th season will not go under the radar, and will, without a doubt, be licensed before it concludes in Japan.

Do you care? Tell us why or why not!

Image taken from Slayers wiki

2nd Annual Seiyuu Awards Thoughts

***Layout sucks for pics. Sorry.***

With so many seiyuu (voice actors/actresses) up and about for both anime and Japanese dubbing, it’s about time someone started recognizing the great talent that has emerged. Not everyone can make it as a seiyuu, and, obviously, not all seiyuu can go above and beyond simply being a “fitting character voice”. As an aspiring seiyuu myself, I could not let this news pass by without sharing my thoughts.

Here are some of the chosen winners that have personally struck me in my own anime viewing experience.

Best Lead Actor

Seiyuu: Mamoru Miyano
Series: Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Character: Setsuna F. Seiei

Miyano-san absolutely struck me as a passionate, memorable voice for Setsuna. His line delivery and ability to make such a tense character so prolific has caused me to pine after the English dubbing voice for Setsuna. Honestly, it has been a few years since I have wanted a role as much as I desire Setsuna’s and simply because I want to be the one to give Miyano-san’s performance proper justice. I know it won’t be me though.

Best Lead Actress

Seiyuu: Aya Hirano
Series: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya / Death Note / Lucky Star
Characters: Haruhi Suzumiya / Misa Amane / Konata Izumi

There is no longer a soul in the anime atmosphere who does not know the talent of Hirano-san that came onto the scene just a year or so ago. A voice that has the ability to be pensive, demanding, and quirky — all within a range that doesn’t overstep or undermine the character — is only a few things that make her a voice worthy of an award. Her unimaginable energy for those characters and her songs has etched in characters that should be remembered in Japanese visual culture history.

Best Supporting Actor #1

Seiyuu: Daisuke Ono
Series: Minami-Ke (Okawari)
Character: Hosaka

Ono-sama…! I love this guy almost as much as I loved Seki Tomokazu as Fushigi Yuugi’s Chichiri, and about as much as I loved Hikaru Midorikawa, also in Fushigi Yuugi, as Tamahome. The latter is probably because Midorikawa-sama somehow took Ono-sama’s role as Yukito Kunisaki in AIR the Movie. But yeah…the voice on this guy just screams “I’m 100% bishie lovin’! Take me home!” His performance as the overtly passionate and sweaty Hosaka was amazing and hilarious! Minami-Ke would not have been the same without him supporting Hosaka’s character.

Best Supporting Actor #2

Seiyuu: Hiroshi Kamiya
Series: Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Characters: Tieria Erde

Though I’m not familiar with this seiyuu as much as I am with others, Kamiya-san has been doing an awesome job carrying the turbulent emotions that Tieria carries and portrays among the entire crew of Celestial Being. Tieria’s character is very fragile, and so the need to properly give emotion or cut off emotion is crucial to making Tieria the kind of pilot he is. Kamiya-san deserves this award for being able to juggle all those emotions together to make Tieria a character worth watching…(and putting in as many yaoi doujins as possible, given how he could be uke or seme no problem XD — yes, I’m horrible.)

Best Supporting Actress

Seiyuu: Rie Kugimiya
Series: Shakugan No Shana (Second)
Characters: Shana

There is much love for Shana, the chibi swordie of Crimson Flame, but probably not enough love for Kugimiya-san who has given Shana life for nearly 50 episodes. Though Shana is not a very complex character, she does struggle with learning about emotions, and accepting Yuji Sakai over a period of time. Kugimiya-san’s ability to convey those aspects of Shana while still retaining such a high-alto tonality is what makes Shana so lovable. Truly is deserving of that award, even though Shana is more of a lead character in my opinion in the first season and a supporting character in Second.

Best New Actress

Seiyuu: Emiri Katou
Series: Lucky*Star
Characters: Kagami Hiiragi

Personally, I’m a Kagami fan. She deserves someone who will really treat her right and bring out more of that softer side of her, while still getting a kick out of her being an off-the-wall tsundere. Call me biased, but I’m happy Katou-san could be recognized for this role and may this be a boost to her confidence to give life to other characters as memorable as Kagami, while setting them apart from her role as Kagami. For any new seiyuu, I think that is half the battle.

Best Singing Award

Seiyuu: Aya Hirano / Emiri Katou / Kaori Fukuhara / Aya Endo
Series: Lucky*Star
Song: “Motteke! Sailor Fuku” (Lucky Star opening theme)

Quite possibly one of the most pleasantly energetic and (overly?)remixed opening themes ever to burst onto the anime scene, “Motteke! Sailor Fuku” takes this award with much dignity supporting it. Putting these four seiyuu together was possibly very scary for the producers at first, but a winning idea in the end. Though it could be argued that this song wasn’t much about singing, a majority of fans responded positively to the soprano harmonies of these four seiyuu. Even after nearly half a year since Lucky*Star’s final episode, I still hear that opening in my head from time to time, and enjoy the #002 Remixed CD of this song the most. Motteke Sailor Fuku FTW!

For more award winners, visit ANN’s article.

Are there any seiyuu that you think should have won? Leave a comment and let us know!