Kurozuka Characters/Seiyuus -- pics and info

In addition to its mind-bending plot, action, and imagery, Kurozuka has a cast full of top seiyuus. Here is a character/seiyuu page showing little pics of each character, with a pic of their seiyuu and info about his or her past roles.

Paku Romi -- Loran Cehack (Turn A Gundam), Edward Elric (FMA), Osaki Nana (NANA), Teresa (Claymore)
Miyano Mamoru -- Kiba (Wolf's Rain), Tamaki (Ouran HS), Light (Death Note), Setsuna F. Seiei (Gundam00), Zero (Vampire Knight)
Nakata Jouji -- Alucard (Hellsing), The Count of Monte Cristo, Van Grants (Tales of the Abyss)
Kuwashima Houko -- Sango (InuYasha), Shuurei (Saiunkoku), Clare (Claymore)
Fujiwara Keiji -- Nohara Hiroshi (Crayon Shin-chan), Holland (Eureka 7), Shuu-chan (Honey & Clover)
Irino Miyu -- Sena (Eyeshield 21), Syaoran (Tsubasa Chronicle), Saji Crossroad (Gundam00)
Inoue Kazuhiko -- Dusty Attenborough (LoGH), Nefee/Nereis (Banner of Stars), Gorou (Moonlight Mile)
...with more to come.

For a long time the top three in the list were the only ones named on the show's official site. It appears they cobbled together the rest of the cast near the last minute. Maybe that was when some top seiyuu knew for sure they had time.

Click on the image to go to the character/seiyuu page:

ef melodies -- the most beautiful anime ever?

Well, that's a bit over the top. But it is very beautiful and extremely visually inventive. Many images in episode four were just entrancing.

The plot, characters, music, and visual and dramatic rhythms are pretty special, too. In my opinion, director OONUMA Shin continues to outdo his master, SHINBO Akiyuki.

This post is just about the images. There are dozens of great ones. Here are five (click to enlarge):








For a complete summary and more images, see the Subculture Anime Blog.

For another beautiful fall anime -- of a completely different kind -- check out Kurozuka.

Hirano Aya Riot Tour -- more photos

Here are some photos from Hirano Aya's blog today. Aya calls the first Riot Tour concert a "big success," and thanks everyone for coming out and supporting her for this landmark event in her life.

And she expresses her pride at having done it: having put on a successful two-hour one-woman show. But she talks about having "a mountain" of things to do better next time, and says they had a meeting to go over the concert afterward. They had all been fearful, but it had come off.

Then they all went out to continue the discussion and to celebrate, and ended up seeing dawn in Shibuya. "This is what it's like after a concert in Tokyo."



Aya says that the biggest effect is to increase her self-confidence. I think she really always has been an underdog, in her own mind. She started as a seiyuu at a very young age. Then she was the youngest member of Springs, and only gradually did more lead singing in it. Then she started this new singing career to widespread criticism from her otaku fans and from music fans. But she works hard, takes advantage of her looks, and gradually makes her way. How far she can go, I don't know. But she is still climbing.

Here she is just stepping out on stage, and then a photo of the crowd, out-of-focus to protect the innocent. Some people who posted on 2channel had seats in the balcony.



Here she is with tambourine, doing Aimai Scream:



She says that the high-heeled boots she wore with the long dress were hard to balance in, and made her seem as if she was standing on tiptoe all the time. The T-shirt and jeans she wore for the encore.



Here she is happy after the show, and with the band, bowing at the very end of the performance:



Apologies to anyone who thinks there is too much Hirano Aya in this blog. This post is for the people who can't get enough.