Anime Radio Shows…. Sono 2.
Summer is drawing to a close, a lot of anime are finishing their runs; and everybody’s now looking ahead to the traditionally packed autumn season (partly cos most stuff that’s airing now sucks). Anime radio shows however, appear to operate on a schedule of their own. They’re usually used to drum up some interest for the anime before it starts airing but a few have bucked the trend lately - it’s nearing the end of a cour and some radio shows just started… here’s a look at a few that have already begun, or will start airing pretty soon.
01. Sayonara Zetsubou Housou (updates every Tuesday)
Personalities: Kamiya Hiroshi, Shintani Ryoko
I had given up on there ever being a Sayonara Zetsubo-sensei radio show but here we go, better late than never I suppose. Gotta love a show that starts off with Minna-san, Sayonara ^_^ The first episode was this week, and it made me smile to hear Kamiya & Shintani discussing why they were chosen to host the radio show:
Kamiya: Wouldn’t they usually choose the girls to do this? Why is it me instead?
Shintani: If you say that, then why did they choose me?? I mean, Aipon (Nonaka Ai) and Marinan (Inoue Marina) would be the obvious ones. And you… you’re the star of the show after all! Nothing strange about you doing this,
Kamiya: ….I think you’re right.
Shintani voices Hito Nami, the one nobody remembers. The ordinary one…. no sorry, I can’t really remember her either >_> Though listener sent in mails to cheer her up ‘Ordinary is Wonderful!’ etc…. Kamiya did keep making jokes about her character’s ordinariness though.
The corners are all based on the character’s traits:
1. Zetsubou shita! OO ni zetsubou shita! (Depressed! XXX Makes Me Depressed!) - Listeners send in mails about how some things in life make them depressed i.e. this episode had Zetsubou shita! Nankai yatte mo, nankai yatte mo Air nanka taosenai koto ni zetsubou shita! (Depressed! No matter how many times I try, the fact that I can’t beat Air Man Makes me Depressed!). Maybe Rockman fans will find this familiar….
2. Positive desu yo ne~! (Isn’t it positive~!) - Listeners send in their problems, Kamiya & Shintani have to try to solve them in a positive manner.
3. Kicchiri shinasai! (Do it precisely!) - Listeners send in tales about how they are/aren’t obsessive about random things.
4. Fuutsu de iu na! (Don’t call me ordinary!) - Listeners send in episodes about times they felt completely ordinary.
5. Fujiyoshi Harumi no Yuutsu (The Melancholy of Fujiyoshi Harumi) - Listeners send in tales about how they felt like otaku failures, or when they felt proud to be otaku. One dude was talking about how he carefully hid his stash of doujinshi so his mother wouldn’t discover it. But she eventually did, and now she enthusiastically watches all the late night anime with him ^_^ He called her a 60+ year old otaku going around saying “Yappa, AbeMiha!!” (It’s all about AbeMiha!!) and that it was pretty embarassing…. (AbeMiha refers to the characters Abe Takaya & Mihashi Ren from Ookiku Furikabutte)
6. Ai ga Omoi! (Love is Heavy!) - Listeners send in stories of love life failures etc
Maria, Meru, Kaere and Kiri don’t have their own corners yet - they’re open for suggestions though. It was funny how the show ended - the pair were reading Zetsubou-related merchandising news and announcements and then when Shintani said ‘The next show will be on the 4th September’ and a surprised Kamiya said ‘Are we doing this show every week? You’re joking!’ I really enjoyed the first episode so I’ll probably be following this - they hope to get in some guests in the future (Goto Yuko please ^_^)
Starchild’s Sayonara Zetsubo-sensei Website
Sayonara Zetsubo-sensei @ ANN
02. DRAGONAUT STATION ISDA Jouhoukyoku (airs every Wed starting 5th September)
Personalities: Fukui Yukari, Kobayashi Yu, Nakamura Chise
Right. So which idiot is putting these things together? You’ve got Seiyuu Airhead #1, Seiyuu Airhead #2 and a gravure idol. Hooboy. Regrettably, none of the Haruhi quintet are involved………. come to think of it, given the fantastic cast they have, some who are experienced with radio shows - Chiba Saeko, Suwabe Junichi, Goto Yuko, Mizuki Nana, Chihara Minori, Kakki, Ono Daisuke etc they have to pick the 3 most useless ones. Joy.
The thing is, Dragonaut is supposed to be a pretty serious show….right? Oh wait it’s Gonzo. Fanservice, shoddy animation and nonsense plot here we come! But I quite enjoyed Pumpkin Scissors and Red Garden so I’ll shut up and reserve my comments for when I’ve actually seen the show. In the meantime…. watch Nakamura Chise running around with fluffy bunny ears and tail.The radio show itself appears to feature word games and plenty of improvisation. But hey, anything with Fukui Yukari involved in it is likely to descend into chaos within the first 15 minutes ^^;
DRAGONAUT Official Homepage
DRAGONAUT @ ANN
3. Kiichatte Airantou Kairyujinja Hosokyoku (updates every Fri, starting 7th September)
Personalities: Takahashi Mikako, Chiba Saeko
Most people will be more interested in the fact that Chiba Saeko got married, but anyhooow Nagasarete Airantou is getting a radio show for whatever reason. The anime is nearing its end anyway, so it’s probably the usual ‘to promote the DVDs’ lark…. Takahashi Mikako & Chiba Saeko are pretty good friends so it shouldn’t be too boring even if the corners sound dull as sin.
Starchild’s Nagasarete Airantou Website
Nagasarete Airantou @ ANN
4. Mocchi.Norinori no Champion REDio (updates every Friday)
Personalities: Mochizuki Hisayo, Shitaya Noriko
No, that’s not a typo or bad Engrish. This is a radio show for Akita Shoten’s monthly manga Champion Red (+ Ichigo), which has serialised Mai-Otome Zwei, Shigurui, Witchblade and BLUE DROP (amongst others_. Admittedly I don’t really care for manga but I like Shitaya Noriko (Himeko in Kannazuki no Miko) >_> I don’t mind Mochizuki either, as she tends to play cute characters (small Valkyrie in UFO Princess Valkyrie) with less annoying voices than most other seiyuu.
Shitaya and Mochizuki were regulars together in Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora but never really spoke to each other. Actually, now that I think of it they’re both in Bleach too - Nori is Ururu, the rather quiet, surprisingly dangerous kid in Urahara’s shop and Mochi is Yachiru, the cute, pink chibi lieutenant that sits on Kenpachi’s shoulder. But anyhow, the duo were thrown together to host this show with the main purpose of promoting the magazine. A bit of a yawn-fest unless you’re a hardcore Champion RED reader.
5. Prism Night Princess (updates every Fri, starting 7th September)
Personalities: Sakakibara Yui, Koyama Kimiko
A little off-topic, but Sakakibara Yui is gonna have a new album! Clap, clap, clap…. it’s called Princess, what a coincidence. Anyhow, this isn’t the first time Yui-tan is doing a radio show (used to host the one for Happiness!) for an anime. Though I’m not really getting my hopes up for the show itself as I tend not to like most eroge-to-anime conversions. There was a live radio broadcast for this at the recent Comic Market but the actual show doesn’t start til next month.
Official Prism Ark website
Prism Ark @ ANN
I’m pretty sure in the next few weeks more radio shows for the autumn anime will be announced - hopefully stuff like Kodomo no Jikan, Bamboo Blade and Sketchbook do, cos I like the seiyuu cast ^^; though I’m sure it’ll be all those game-turned-anime that get them instead….