Seiyuu Radio no Uraomote

The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio - It's Shirobako, but more in-depth in the area of voice acting. Look, I'm not going to harp on the same crisis all over again, each and every time: the anime industry is a workplace that is not for the faint-hearted. From scheduling issues to behind-the-scenes circumstances and the like that always cause anime to falter within a very tight deadline, there're always certain expectations that the staff team involved has to do in order to make the products that they pump out, relative successes. It's the same for the VA industry, where talent is either quickly being raisedto new heights, or dropped to pure hiatuses, cherry-picking the best or the finest and drying out those who fail to adapt fast to the daily concurrent changes. And this season, more than the inspiration that is Shirobako, novelist Kou Nigatsu's Seiyuu Radio no Uraomote a.k.a The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio, is a somewhat in-depth look right into the VA side of Japan's entertainment industry showbiz, and how it's operated through various mediums like radio and TV. This is the story (plot?) of the tumultuous relationship of two girls: Yasumi Utatane and Yuhi Yugure, two unique public personalities who've racked up their own fans and audience enough to earn themselves a following. That is, once they meet up to co-host a high school-themed radio programme together, they may seem to get along on the surface, but nothing can be further from the truth that their private personalities just seem to clash very badly. And as if things couldn't get any worse, both girls, with their respective real names of the extroverted gal Yumiko Sato and the introverted Chika Watanabe, are classmates within the same school, thus putting them in the heated spotlight if circumstances happen that will jeopardize their safety and reputation. A growing journey in unforgiveness, teaching both girls what it means to be a true VA who only looks forward and never looks back in progression. The age-old saying "opposites attract" is always true, which can be said about both girls in general, especially in a rather cutthroat industry where it leaves no one behind if one falters too much and doesn't improve at a breakneck speed. The complications and complexities of being a VA, wherever he or she comes from, are one of the most demanding careers, and you really have to give credit to the real-life VAs who bring you some of the most iconic sounding moments in anime, and this show is a glimpse into that aspect of the industry (e.g. Bocchi the Rock!'s Kessoku Band VAs would be a great example of this). But back to Seiyuu Radio, the rocky affair between both Yumiko and Chika is only one of the few imitated real-life situations of an extreme case of a love-hate relationship, though it really is implied that both have a kind of pseudo-Yuri kind of connection (which I honestly don't understand why, but it seems like author Kou Nigatsu is REALLY pushing them as a "girls' love" couple) that IMO does kind of break the flow between the "budding" rapport of the two. And since we're talking about a part of the anime industry, the VA showbiz is extremely vulnerable if one frays off the "friendship circle," as we see both girls navigate the surrealism of what the industry entails in both its sunshine and darkness moments that isn't all forgiving to everyone involved, such as today's cancel culture and doxxing. Together with the supporting veterans, the likes of even more popular people like Otome Sakuranamiki and Mekuru Yubisaki, both Yumiko and Chika don't have the road ahead of them trying to learn and be skilled as quick as possible, being rookies in their own right, as compared to those who had more experience than them. Growth is essential, and rightfully so in an industry where you're chosen for potential talent and booted immediately if you are not on the same wavelength as everyone else. Alas, everything else about the show is just mediocrity here and there. Headed by Silver Link's subsidiary studio Connect and directed by DanMachi director Hideki Tachibana, Seiyuu Radio only has one thing going for it: making sure that the anime captures the soul of the LN to a degree, and that degree is rather passable at best. It's neither the most exciting nor the best-looking show, but it's certainly far from being the worst thing ever. The same goes to the music, for which I thought that Miku Itou and Moe Toyota (the VAs for both Yumiko and Chika, respectively) did a decent job helming the theme songs. But it's just plain forgettable at best. Let's be real: while Seiyuu Radio no Uraomote a.k.a The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio, may be no Shirobako, it's at least a decent look into what goes into not just anime productions, but also the other segments of which radio is interconnected by to give a better idea of what VAs do on a daily basis, more than just voicing anime characters for one. And as informative as this show is, it's a niche show for a certain audience, so much so that I'd advise for and/or against those who are interested in knowing about how voice acting is conducted. It's not a bad show, but more could be done better than just taking irrelevant (or rather, bait-worthy) tropes and throwing them in just for spicy melodrama.

Story: The story is about two girls who host a radio show and tried to take it in a yuri direction. The problem is that it didn't work. Despite feeling the chemistry between the two characters at times, they always manage to mess it up. There wasn't a single kiss throughout the entire anime, but we did get a bath scene which was not only tasteless but also pulled me out of the otherwise calm but boring scenes. This is not how you make a yuri anime, but if that wasn't the goal, then why include it? 4/10 Sounds: The opening and ending weren't bad. Theyhad this cute vibe. The voice acting wasn't totally bad either, but it was missing something for me. 6/10 Characters: Yes, the characters... The main characters weren't bad, but the rest we should just leave alone. Yuuhi was my favorite character and maybe the only tolerable one. 3/10 Animations: The animation was good. The whole thing was a bit of a color orgasm, but it was fine. I can't add much more to this. In summary: So this anime is boring and not a good yuri. In vain feeling the chemistry between the two, if they don't do anything with it and just include a bath scene as fan service, I don't recommend it!

Have you ever wanted to break into the voice acting industry and not sure where to start? Well, maybe you can relate to Yumiko Satou in The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio. Story & Characters: The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio tells us a story of how Yumiko Satou works as an idol, using a bit of a facade to please her fans. However, she wants to become more than an idol - she wants to be a voice actress in an industry that's highly competitive. As a way to try and get her name more out there, she agrees todo a radio show with, what she finds out to be, her classmate in Chika Watanabe. Together, they not only try to make this new radio show a hit, but also try to understand each other when they have very clashing personalities. Yumiko's idol persona is named Yasumi Utatane, and she gives it a really cute girl impression to her fans. This isn't really anything new with idols culture. It's implied that she was instructed to use a different persona whenever she's on stage, and that creates some really interesting plot points. What if she gets recognized in the general public? Would fans still think the same of her? I love the questions that this series poses because Yumiko has a lot of tough decisions to make as she seeks to get closer to her dream. Outside of work, Yasumi's a pretty ordinary school girl, who is decently popular. For how mediocre her grades are, she's shockingly down-to-earth when it comes to her personal relationships. She's very quick to recognize her situation, and know how much she screwed up. While the path to recovery isn't always smooth, her good intentions make for a very strong character. Chika Watanabe, whose online persona is Yuuhi Yuugure, is pretty withdrawn and introverted, but very dedicated to her craft. Unlike Yasumi, she's already been in a few gigs. Obviously, this catches the attention of Yumiko, her classmate, but I've found Chika to be very good at calming Yumiko. You can tell she really cares because she does take time out of her day to try and elevate Yumiko, without directly holding her hand to get there. It makes this series feel much more realistic because we're not getting to Yumiko's goal too quickly. While Chika can come off as being plain to some audiences, it's the little things she is or does that make her, for me. Significant side characters really aren't that present here, but there are a few noteworthy names. Mekuru is a fellow idol and is about a snotty as they come, but I really liked how they developed her character. She comes off as almost spoiled, and while she's clearly put in the work to get her where she is, she's still able to see reason as they integrate her into our main cast's story. Ringo is Yumiko's agent and while she's not really anything outside of her job, she does serve a small motherly figure to Yumiko, as her mother is single and works very hard. One of her decisions in the middle of the series makes you think that she doesn't overly see the big picture some times, but that might vary from person to person. Finally, Sugishita is the voice director that we see in the final arc, and I really, really didn't like his character. He means all the right things, but it feels like he really doesn't try to point his fellow voice actors in the right direction. VO directors play a very important part in voice recording, and see him constantly give arbitrary directions to a younger cast really didn't jive with me, especially because they imply that he's a pretty big name in the industry. I really like how the series starts off because it focuses on problems that occurs within Yumiko's school. That is, we start on a very micro level, before we start bringing more things about the bigger picture into the mix. I didn't love the way in which the resolution was handled, but that was a fairly minor oversight regardless. To me, this series is more of a drama series than a comedy one that MAL has it listed as. The real high points come when Yumiko needs to make hard decisions or if her career is in danger, and these were very well executed. The pacing always feels right on point, because we are introduced to a new problem, introduce what could get in the way, and then show how Yumiko has a problem in getting to that finish line. While it can get predictable at times, there was enough going on that I felt that I didn't mind it as much. This series also does a really good job at letting us know what motivates both our main girls. Why do they want to use their voice for animation, and how do they plan to get there? The difference between how much their respective families feel about them going into the voice acting business was pretty interesting. While Chika shouldn't be taken as the "all knowing" person on the industry, it does feel a little weird to me with how much she knows about the industry. She's been around it a while, apparently, but I would have liked to know more about her, as a person. As we get to the end of the series, you do feel like not everything has been resolved completely, but my guess is because the source material is still going on so I'd give them some slack there. I'd be a little surprised if this kept going, but there is clearly room for the story to go if it continued. (Story: 9/10, Characters: 9/10) Art: The art and animation weren't anything special. It was just kind of middle of the road for me. That's fine considering the studio isn't exactly a big name, but I would have liked to see more of the idol stuff happening. (7/10) Sound: Like the animation, sound was fine. The OP and ED were solid, both sung by Yumiko's voice actress, Miku Itou (and the ED sung by Chika's VA too). Voice work was solid, as per usual. (8/10) Overall: I personally really enjoyed The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio, but I could definitely see a case where it applies to a bit of a niche audience. I'm not entirely sure how many people want to understand about an up-and-comer voice actress with added drama. I was certainly drawn in, and I feel like the strength of the storytelling, with a strong main character, should pull in more people than usual. The tough thing is that I feel like the promotions of this series did it no favours - what we got was very different from what the trailers showed us. I wonder if it hinted at some of the dramatic storylines, that it might get more eyes on it. Still, I had a ton of fun with this one and would watch more if it found a way to continue. (9/10)

Another rather hidden Anime of the Spring 2024 season turned out to be a delightful surprise. Having only watched one or two trailers, I approached it with mixed expectations, anticipating something along the lines of "Oshi No Ko." To my delight, "Seiyuu Radio no Uraomote" does explore the show business industry as a central theme, but it stands out by focusing on voice acting, offering a fresh perspective on the subject. This anime ended up having many positive aspects, particularly its fascinating behind-the-scenes look at recording sessions, providing insight into how our favorite shows are brought to life. Additionally, the anime features a show-within-a-show, introduced inthe later episodes, with a surprisingly intriguing plot (based on what was shown). Voicing a character brings significant expectations from producers, fans, and colleagues, and this anime effectively portrays the challenges voice actors face. As someone interested in the voice acting industry, I found it particularly fascinating. The show reveals that the industry is not all rainbows; it's demanding, with high expectations and a stressful lifestyle. The two main characters, Utatane Yasumi and Yuugure Yuuhi, are likable despite their contrasting personalities. They mesh well and make a great team, frequently collaborating on the same projects. However, the show seems to force a narrative where they must always be rivals and cannot see each other as friends, which is odd because they clearly are just that: friends. At the beginning of the season, the show makes it quite clear that there is a potential romance between the two characters, but it shifts that idea to the background. Eventually, the sprinkles of romance get less and less, as the characters repeatedly express their dislike for certain qualities in each other. This shift felt strange and inconsistent with the initial setup but admittedly it always feels like it ultimately will lead to a romance down the line, even if the beginning of the relationship is bumpy at best. Their relationship is complex, blending love and hate, as they consistently rely on and help each other through their issues even though they might say they don't like each other. The side characters are quite forgettable, as they lack depth and seem to exist solely to advance the plot. All the characters and their motivations are inconsistent, making the story hard to follow at times. Some of the drama feels forced, unnecessary and like it was shoehorned in for the sake of drama, which is not a good thing. The animation is fine, and so was the music. All in all, I would say that this was decent for what it was. I enjoyed the insights into the voice acting industry and the look behind the scenes. The main characters were decent, but the side characters had nothing special about them. The plot is mediocre and doesn't offer much depth, but I still enjoyed it for the most part. "Seiyuu Radio no Uraomote" is a solid light-viewing anime as it provides an interesting look into the voice acting industry with hints of Yuri and it does that pretty well.

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