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「WEBラジオ」 (Web Rajio)
“Web Radio”
So, it turns out that the producer was not planning to lure away budding seiyuu so that he can murder them and collect their fingernails in his grotesque basement trophy room, so it’s web radio time! Which is, I suppose, to be expected—what with the episode title and all—but some small part of me is still a bit disappointed that we weren’t going to have genre shift into horror.
…
I’m a horrible person.
Newfangled internet noises
I must confess, that even after this episode I’m still not sure what this whole whole web radio thing is about. Yes, they explain the sites and the production, but my questions are more general: do people really tune in to listen to three young ladies babble? They have a director an everything (something akin to Sisyphus being damned to herd cats, it seems), so they must have some kind of format for their show, but what kind of audience are they targetting? I’m sure the Japanese are quite familiar with these things, but I guess I’m out of touch. What do kids do for entertainment these days? Whatever it is, I disapprove.
…They probably watch anime. Er…
She’s 39 now. Does that make you feel old too?
Do up and coming seiyuu regularly attract a large listener base? I can’t imagine them comparing to big names like, say, this week’s cameo, the ever-sparkling Tamura Yukari (who also brought with her this week’s request corner song from C3 -C Cube-, RandomC’s favourite OP of 2011). I would assume that if you have enough star power you can just go on-air and do nothing but glow to satisfy your fanbase, but what are a bunch of unknowns going to sell their show on? Doesn’t seem to be content, at least, and they don’t seem to talk about their parody mecha show at all. What is this thing? How mysterious.
Marketing
I can see why producers and seiyuu alike would make this kind of web radio show, of course. It’s part of the multimedia promotion strategy for the anime, naturally, but also serves as a good opportunity for more novice seiyuu—the kind who have more free time for this kind of thing, I presume—to get some publicity. It seems especially useful for someone like Ichigo who needs to actively groom her, er, seiyuu persona (her room? Actually kinda terrifying). Ichigo actually plays a good contrast with Rin on this; Ichigo is trying way too hard, while Rin lands interviews (for some alternate universe version of Little Witch Academia, apparently) where she’s complimented for being just a normal girl. And, of course, Rin enjoys easy success (seemingly groomed for the business since childhood), while Ichigo’s theatrics crumbles easily. Social media is truly a double-edged sword. This is a great case for working under a pseudonym. You want people to know about you, not necessarily know you. The mask isn’t just for protecting your family; it protects you from your family.
One part inspiration, nine parts masochism
I think every successful artist of any kind is driven by some sense of self-loathing. That’s both personal experience and science fact. Nothing motivates quite so readily as a hatred for all your perceived failures. The successful artist is he or she who can convert that negativity into positive energy instead of wallowing in despondency.
I don’t know how the girls could stand listening to their own voice though. It would drive me mad.
The fact that Futaba is happy that she’s listed in the credits, as opposed to horrified that her performance will be an indelible black mark against her name forever, means that it’s not all bad, though. On some level she’s proud of what she’s done. She owns that performance now, and it will be the first of her hopefully ever expanding resume.
I say all this with optimism, because next week is titled ‘Unit’, which should means even more opportunities. I’ve seen some these seiyuu units listed in credits before, usually grouped together within a show or singing some OP/ED, but don’t really know what’s special about them. Well, more insights into the industry! I’m looking forward to it.
Preview
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https://randomc.net/image/Sore%20ga%20Seiyuu!/Sore%20ga%20Seiyuu!%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2014.jpg
Forever 17 sparkle! Yukarin moe-ified! With even Yukarin appearing, can we get some KanaHana here? Please~~~?
When Yukarin appeared, I felt excitement, admiration, and fear all at the same time. I think I have been conditioned to her voice. XD
I second the KanaHana notion! Given her history of fawning over new and cute seiyu like Ogura Yui, I can easily see her gushing over the main characters (and possibly feeling them up).
She’s probably too busy, as much as I’d like to see HanaKana
We need Horie Yui too!
next episode might deal with idols and idol units… so maybe their next guest seiyuu is an idol or a member of an idol unit.
I think that the guest seiyuu we really need is Koyasu.
I’m wondering if we might get references to seiyuu like Saori Hayami, Shimono Hiro, Taketatsu Ayana, Nakamura Yuichi, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Shinichiro Miki, since they seem to be in at least one show for every new anime season.
U thought Koyasu was making a guest appearance, but it was I, DIO!
I would die if he acts like that.
Their first live radio session and no one told them Tamura Yukari was coming? That’s just mean…
On promoting the show, I dunno, all I really expect to hear when I tune into talk radio is people babbling, so I think these three will be fine once they get a little more comfortable. And learn to interpret shorthand better.
What do you mean? Yukarin is only 17.
Well, i am old Body Shell is over 40+ and Mind. But my Heart still turn back to be a Kid, when i begin to watch my Animes.
So Age is only for the Outside, but what counts is your Heart
(Well, Thats my Point)
and this Kid’s feeling is that charge my Old Body Shell batteries for the Daily Life
No, i am not in the H section. Because i am old, i am not automatically an Hentai
Right, right. Point is, she’s been 17 for a long time and it’s not making me feel younger.
i did not wrote “feel younger”, i said “being a Kid”. it remembers my, when i was aroun d8 Years old or such. Carefree of the World, seeing Animation Wonders for the first time, engulfed of the fantasy World the Anime showed me.
it was Future Boy Conan. So, i do not need to feel younger, when my memories being a Kid is enough for me
Forgetting for a second the World and with it, their problems.
I hope, you understand now more. My base of my over 34 Years of Anime. Yes, i am a Veteran fan
“do people really tune in to listen to three young ladies babble”
It’s jut a podcast. There are ton of those done by seiyuu of various level, and interest rate varies like podcast here.
I think one horror about cute girls this season is enough; glad Sore ga Seiyuu’s scary side is just in how much these girls disintegrate under pressure.
Of course, my favourite expanding food is souffle. 🙂
Since this is the same universe as Hayate, Tanaka Rie for guest seiyuu please! For some reason, I’m liking the trio’s chemistry despite their boring ramblings.
While it was hard to listen to parts of their chaos first webradio I enjoy real ones quite a lot every now and then. Part of it for the seiyuu being themself, part of it them playing their character. Also some are just very very funny – I am looking at you Joshiraku (ガールズ落語ラジオ) or this one with Ayana and Kana https://youtu.be/0lVCkky4yTI.
And then there are shows that are basically webradio like Tesagure! Bukatsumono.
Speaking of it: The official Sore ga Seiyuu webradio (イヤホンズのあなたのお耳にプラグイン！):
Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnIDuGuleeY
Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q78dGpJ0rZI
Could get fun but right now this one’s a bit too crazy and too much screaming for me.
As someone who actually goes through a fair number of these radio programs while gardening or puttering around the house, let me chime in on the topic. These shows can generally be grouped along two axes: project vs personal shows, and solo vs group shows. Project shows are tie-ins to some kind of project, usually an anime, game, or group. Personal shows are instead tied to the host(s) of the show. Solo or group is pretty self-explanatory.
Most project shows will have at least a brief segment concerning the tie-in project. The rest of the show is essentially a variety show in radio format.
Personal shows tend to have a more loose script, and although most contain some variety elements, the majority of these shows tend towards the host(s) simply talking or chatting.
Personal or project, these shows generally rely heavily on listener-submitted content – ideas for the variety segments, and personal letters for the hosts. This is probably one of the draws of these shows: the chance to have your ideas used, your letter read, or to ask a direct question to one the the seiyuu – something like a mini weekly AMA.
The other main draw of these shows is that, like podcasts, they feel genuine. A script exists, but within its bounds, the seiyuu are pretty free to talk about what they want. A lot go into recent personal events; things that happened, what they’re into lately, etc. And these shows are broadcast with most of the blemishes intact – awkward pauses, hysterical laughter, embarrassing outbursts and all. For listeners – especially with the newer seiyuu – it’s an opportunity to get a sense for the person behind the voice.
Part of this sense of genuineness is also the fact that listeners can witness the development of the seiyuu throughout the program’s run. Even if the hosts are not new to radio, they’re often not particularly familiar with each other, so it’s pretty enjoyable to listen in as they grow closer and become more comfortable together. And sometimes, you just get a really good combination – for example, Matsuoka Yoshitsugu and Kayano Ai’s show for No Game No Life is probably responsible for the recent uptick in Kayano x Matsuoka shipping lately. They’re great together.
Personal shows for powerhouse seiyuu can run for extended periods of time – Tamura Yukari’s show, for example, has been going for more than 12 years – but most project and personal shows for new seiyuu have 3 or 6 month runs. There are, in fact, a few shows that specifically bring in a new up-and-comer every 3 months and give him or her a platform to advertise themselves on the basis of their personalities. The show ‘Radio Dot I’, for example, has a storied history that has seen the beginnings of such seiyuu as Noto Mamiko, Kugimiya Rie, Hayami Saori, and Hidaka Rina, just to name a few. These shows also give listeners an indication of who the industry big-shots have their eyes on as the potential next big break.
This turned out to be pretty long, sorry, but it’s just a peek into the world of seiyuu radio shows.
As an aside, when I first started listening to these shows several years ago, I found it was a pretty enjoyable way to improve my vocabulary and listening comprehension while doing chores or other tasks. So to any Japanese learners (or hopefuls) out there, you might give that a try.
Also, if anyone’s got any seiyuu whose shows they’re interested in, feel free to ask.
Thanks for the insight
I don’t listen to much radio, but I love the Ore no Imouto radios.
It was pretty entertaining to have it start with Hanazawa Kana and Taketatsu Ayana being awkward together, to the radio becoming a yuri-show with them going to sleep together…
You can listen to all of it at the official website, where they still have the older episodes available for listening: http://www.oreimo-anime.com/radio/index.html
I tried to find the No Game No Life radios, but I couldn’t find where I could listen to all of it from ep1? Would you know where I can find those?
Found ’em. Just search No Game No Life radios on youtube. Thankfully, some kind of soul decided to translate several of the radios for us gaijins. 😉
I always listen to the Oreimo radio on flights and while traveling. So far I’ve only listened to random ones but I guess should start at the beginning again. Seems really fun to experience their growth and dynamic.
I’m also kinda starved for more No Game No Life content so maybe I’ll take a look at that too, thanks @A4!
“Found ‘em. Just search No Game No Life radios on youtube.”
I don’t just want bits and pieces, I was looking for the entire thing, from ep1 to the very end.
“I always listen to the Oreimo radio on flights and while traveling.”
This is exactly what I do, it’s pretty great stuff to listen to while waiting at the airport.
After a bit of poking about, here’s the NGNL radio show on youtube (untranslated):
ep.01 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGs87A0_jnM
Links in the description will take you up to ep.13
ep.14 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl7rtcUxbZk
ep.15 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MkOPEkcjxc
ep.16 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmbSTJce74k
ep.17 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_gYc04czQw
Links in the description will take you to the final episode (26) + the special bonus episode.
As an aside, here are the main anime/game/seiyuu radio broadcast sites:
http://agqr.jp/timetable/streaming.php
http://hibiki-radio.jp/
http://www.animate.tv/radio/
http://www.onsen.ag/ (You’ll need to use a proxy to listen to Onsen if you’re outside Japan, though)
There are a few other shows that broadcast from their own websites, but the vast majority of currently airing shows can be found here.
Ah, more knowledge. I delight in it. Thanks for this write up.
Web radio is just a podcast. People listen to them while doing something else, such as cooking or working. Examples of podcasts include Welcome to Night Vale, SLinkFM, etc.
But they have a director and everything! I was expecting serious business.
Yukarin?! …Damn it, this show is trying to trip all my “must watch” flags, isn’t it?
IDK about it not being a horror show. Remember the comment about what you say live can never be erased, but the one saying it can? 😀
She doesn’t look like yukarin at all 🙁
In the anime world, Tamura Yukari can actually be 17. Don’t take that away from her.
This has got to be my most favorite seiyuu cameo to date, being a Nanoha fan. Not to mention Pleasure Treasure from Nanoha ViVid and Endless Story are two of my favorite Yukarin songs. I’m just not sure of there’s a seiyuu gag connected to how Tamura-san is always sparkling, or maybe the show is just exaggerating how dazzling she is.
The ending is so catchy and cute… I keep on repeating it but until now I dont get tired of it.
And anyway perhaps next episode they will explore why seiyuu becomes idols too.
If you like Sore ga Seiyuu, especially this episode about radio, then you ought to try O/A or Operation Aurora.
@Passerby : Well you can always tune into Ranpo Kitan Game of Laplace for your weekly fix of Lolis being lured into dark basements and errrr… being made trophies….. to each their own….. *looks away* 😛
waiting for the inevitable Itou Shizuka guest appearance since she’s gotten a cameo or at least a mention in all the animes about making animes lately
This show! The animation’s not really that fancy and the story’s just okay. The characters don’t blow you away, they’re even portrayed by moe-lolis which I’m not particularly a fan of. It’s very far from being the best show of the season. But… ugh, you just keep coming back to it week after week. I don’t know if it’s the episodic seiyuu cameo or learning about how voice acting works that keeps drawing me back in. Heck, it may even be the catchy ED with the weekly free talk and request, lol XD
Anyway, I don’t comment much and this might be off topic, but I’ve noticed it’s been a while since RandomC’s last podcast… so yeah… AND there’s a lot of screencaps here that could be banner potential for the podcast! Teehee ^^,
https://randomc.net/image/Sore%20ga%20Seiyuu!/Sore%20ga%20Seiyuu!%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2013.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Sore%20ga%20Seiyuu!/Sore%20ga%20Seiyuu!%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2016.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Sore%20ga%20Seiyuu!/Sore%20ga%20Seiyuu!%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Sore%20ga%20Seiyuu!/Sore%20ga%20Seiyuu!%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2030.jpg