#yano shougo

[yaoisex]

Given - Fuyu no Hanashi MV

Thank you, Yano, for being Mafuyu's voice! <3

[haveyouseenthisseries-poll]

Original title: ギヴン.

[chiisanahoshi]

【MV】風林火山韻雷 -Bring It Back- / 悪漢奴等

[bowcrazy]

Tsurune Character Songs Album Review

We had a lot of thoughts about these songs while working with the lyrics, so we decided to do a mini album review! Please enjoy listening to each songs as we reflect on the lyrics and composition~

Up Stairs

Mod Yumi: A very gentle, comforting song, as expected from a Minato/Seiya duet. The composers did an excellent job capturing the feeling of nostalgia; this somehow feels like a song I've known and loved for years. The lyrics are perfect--I love the references to the bridge scene from s1 ep10. The line "I had a place where my heart could relax" is so precious <3 Overall, I don't think it's the strongest song on the album, but it's definitely one of my top faves!

Mod Optimus Prime: A heartfelt way to start off the album! It's very sweet and mellow, which of course really fits the fact that, y'know, the song is about Minato and Seiya's relationship! It's more or less just a straight callback to all of season one, but it's really touching how (both literally and figuratively) they come together at the end there.

Crossover

Mod Yumi: This song is so excessively dramatic and I kinda love it?? It does NOT sound like a song that ties into a soothing, chill slice of life archery anime and I am here for it. But I'm also weak for synth horns; give me a cheesy overexuberant fake brass section and I'm sold. Bonus points for all of the archery references and unnecessarily homoerotic lyrics. (And special shoutout to Mod Optimus Prime, our resident FukuJun stan, for helping me with the color codes because I was completely lost lmao)

Mod Optimus Prime: Probably the character duo song with the most...attitude to it? And sass, which of course, fits these two incredibly troublesome boys. To me, it's almost like the two are having a back-and-forth with each other while also brazenly admitting to each other just how tangled up they are—admittedly a reoccurring theme for the duet songs, but that doesn't make it any less cute, I think!

Ari no Mama de

Mod Yumi: Very cute and wholesome, doesn't really do it for me in terms of composition though. I do think this is the most well-acted song on the album. Having heard both of these seiyuu sing as other characters (notably Suzuki Ryouta as Bisco from Sabikui Bisco and Yano Shougo as Mafuyu from Given), I was blown away by how different they both managed to sound! Changing your voice to that extent while singing is not an easy thing to do. I was also tickled by the fact that they both noticeably sang less well than I know they're both capable of singing, because it suited the characters better to do so. Listening to this song, you wouldn't think either of these singers are particularly talented, but that fact is proof in and of itself that they ARE talented. Mad respect for the skill displayed here!

Mod Optimus Prime: Unsurprisingly, sunshine boy Ryouhei and the other local cheery boy have an easygoing and slow duet! I can't really say too much aside from the fact that the lyrics are both just really cute and earnest—you can see Ryouhei's influence here, haha.

Growing Up

Mod Yumi: Very cute, very catchy! I enjoy this song a lot. As a side note, I find it interesting that besides Minato, Nanao is the only character to be featured in two songs. One of the things I like about Nanao is that he's characterized mainly through his relationships with other characters. Sometimes when we see this happening it's more to do with lazy character writing (and lbr, it usually happens with female characters). But in this case, it actually builds our understanding of the character, rather than just casting him into the side character role of 'only here to develop the MCs'. To me it's always felt like he's the most put-together of the team, watching over everyone else and giving them a nudge in the right direction, while blending in so effortlessly they don't suspect a thing, like the social chameleon he is. Oops, this just turned into me gushing about Tsurune character writing lol. The song's nice idk what else to tell ya

Mod Optimus Prime: Also yet another honest song—a rare thing for Kacchan! It's obviously about Kaito and Nanao's close friendship and the further development during season two, so it's fitting we also get to see more of Nanao's (somewhat hidden) stubborn side here. Not to meme here, but really shows how their relationship fits the, "the more things change, the more things stay the same," aka them supporting ("protecting") each other through thick and thin.

Gekkou

Mod Yumi: I'm not the biggest fan of the composition of this song. I can't put my finger on why, but the main melody isn't working for me (and doesn't work great for Asashin's voice either tbh). That said, the backing track lives rent free in my head, I'm OBSESSED. And I love the dreamy feel of the lyrics! Whereas the others feel more like a dialogue between the singers, this one feels like a poem. The ethereal quality of the music and the lyrics draws me back to Masa-san's introduction, when he was a cryptid/ghost (lmao) appearing in the dead of night to guide Minato back to archery

Mod Optimus Prime: I've only heard Asanuma Shintarou (Masaki's VA) sing in a higher register, so this was both surprising and pleasant—it's quite soothing to hear! It's also fitting that the only Real Adult™️ with bounds of experience compared to these young'uns gets a really poetic and dramatic song with, of course, lots of moon references.

Kyoumei

Mod Yumi: THIS IS THE BEST ONE. This song is a legit bop omg. Leave it to luck life to give us a character song that exceeds typical character songs! I also love the meaning of the lyrics; it almost feels like a new angle on the Shuu/Minato relationship in a way? Of course we know their history and their affectionate rivalry, but we don't really see either of them putting into words how they feel about each other (especially Shuu-- I had to laugh at the line "we didn't need mundane words"; like no dude we could actually use a few more words from you, given your track record of communicating approximately 7% of your thoughts smh). This song puts into words how much they mean to each other and how, despite their complicated history and rivalry, they still care about each other.

Mod Optimus Prime: Luck Life actually composed this song, which really shows in the style (that catchy guitar, anyone?)! I adore the constant references to "sounds"—while a bit cheesy and on those nose, of course, it fits these two to a T and calls back to that season one finale. Again, not that any of the songs are really subtle, but "We might be apart, but I believe we'll someday return / So we didn't need mundane words" really just sums up their unique friendship/rivalry. Also, love how the two only sing together at the end: really fits with the song's whole message/theme about the two being separated, but eventually reuniting! How sweet.

[mari24ani]

"Even if I can't sleep, the dawn will break as I am watching it"

Congratulations to everyone on the beginning of the calendar spring and a not quite typical song for this came to mind🤔... And again from Given!😆 Oh yeah! I'll often remember it, because in terms of music, only "Black Butler" and "Hiiro no kakers" amazed me, but I have never experienced such awe in any anime:"D Given has so many songs that it will take up several more posts😄 (Considering that the final OVA is coming out at the end of March - this means two more new compositions for sure). I came with Yoru ga akeru, which also sounded in the OVA and which I found in a live with the creator of this song - the band Centimilimental - and with Shougo Yano˶^▾^˶ (Mafuyu, happy birthday!^^... With the past)

And one wonderful cover of this song:*)

Part 1

Part 5

[ze-gnomo-das-novinha]

Okay, we already have the Kaiser's voice actor… but, what about this baby here?

I was thinking of Shougo Yano.

Kengo Kawanishi would also be a great choice.

But what do you guys think?

[ecargmura]

Same Voice Actor

All voiced by Shougo Yano

[thefinalanime]

Given Movie 02: Hiiragi Mix

Títulos: Given Movie 02: Hiiragi Mix, 映画 ギヴン 柊mixTipo: películaNúmero de episodios: 1Género: dramaDuración: 1 hr. 10 min. Fecha de estreno: 31/12/2025Estudio: Lerche Fuente: Sinopsis: Equipo: Obra original Dirección Guión Diseño de personajes Música Reparto: Seiyuu Personaje Yano Shougo Satou Mafuyu Uchida Yuuma Uenoyama Ritsuka Nakazawa Masatomo Nakayama Haruki Eguchi Takuya Kaji…

[doyoulikethisanimesong-poll]

Song: Marutsuke

Artist: Shougo Yano

Anime: Given

Type: Ending

Youtube:

Spotify:

[yaoisex]

I love all those Given photoshoots we're getting lately <3

[marginal4-translations]

「Golden Record」 Character Profiles

───Triangle Stars Glittering with Gold...

KAZENO RITSU (CV: Kajiwara Gakuto)

The triangle star who plays dreams. “I’ll definitely become a top idol… so keep your eyes on us.”

Age: 18 Height: 184cm Weight: 65kg Birthday: March 27 Blood Type: O

Puppy-like (actually an idiot)

A genius who can do anything

Grandma’s boy

Has exceptional style

Favourite food is TKG

Grew up with music and is skilled at the piano since childhood

3rd year student in senior high school along with his members

Lives together with his members in the agency’s dorm

Had plans to go to music college

ASANAMI NANASE (CV: Hirose Yuuya)

The triangle star who spells out love. “I’m not dreaming, right?! At long last, I can debut!”

Age: 18 Height: 177cm Weight: 58kg Birthday: August 20 Blood Type: A

Everyone’s big brother (mother?)

Leader

Lyricist

Favourite food is icecream

Has clear, fair, pale skin

Supernatural phenomenon

Bad with technology

Doesn’t own a smartphone

Has no tolerance for girls

Joined the agency the same day as Daiki, and is his childhood friend since elementary school

TACHIKAWA DAIKI (CV: Yano Shougo)

The triangle star who paints futures. “It’s gonna be okay. That said, the three of us are unrivalled when we’re together.”

Age: 18 Height: 179cm Weight: 62kg Birthday: September 5 Blood Type: B

Urban fashionista

Unorganised/untidy

Has a sensitive body

Glassy eyes

Favourite food is jelly drink

Nanase’s childhood friend

Proactive when it comes to artistic pursuits he’s interested in such as fashion and interior design, but slacks off when it comes to everything else because he finds them troublesome

Joined the agency before LAGRANGE POINT

[x0401x]

Screen+ Interview with Yano Shougo and Uchida Yuuma

“I was very, very happy to watch the continuation of ‘Given’ as a fan!”

Originally scheduled to come out in May, “Given the Movie” was finally released on August 22nd. Mafuyu, Ritsuka, Haruki and Akihiko can be seen on the big screen. The story of this work has its spotlight on Haruki and Akihiko, as well as on Akihiko and his roommate, Ugetsu. How will things go for Mafuyu and Ritsuka, who are in a band with Haruki and Akihiko? We have talked with the person in charge of Mafuyu’s voice, Yano Shougo, and the one in charge of Ritsuka’s, Uchida Yuuma, about the movie, which was a much awaited continuation of the TV series.

——“Given” was broadcasted back in 2019 as a TV anime. How were the reactions at the time?

Yano: I could feel that there were fans of the original work from all over the world. Fans from other countries said they liked my acting and my voice, which I was truly grateful for.

Uchida: When the casting was decided, I was told that the original work itself is very much loved, and when my participation was announced, many comments saying, “I’m looking forward to the broadcast” reached me. I keenly felt the high level of the expectations.

——During the time of the TV series, the fact that it was going to be “Noitamina’s first adaptation of a BL comic” became a hot topic. Did you have any particular feelings about this back when you were working on it?

Yano: I had next to no knowledge of Boys Love, so I tried reading the original work first of all, in order to see what kind of series it was. In doing so, I felt that the series really cherished a vibe that seemed to have been cut off from daily life. As I kept on reading, I found myself inserted into that world in a natural manner, as if I was actually there.

Uchida: I did not have much enthusiasm regarding the Boys Love part. If I had to say it, it was a series that depicted the machinations of people’s hearts in a sensible way, so I put an emphasis on pursuing this with care. What turns out to be the key point changes depending on each series, so I gave proper thought to what the most important part of this work was in that sense, and performed while hoping that I would be able to express it.

——What were your impressions when you heard that this work would be shown on the big screen?

Yano: I was overjoyed to be able to play Mafuyu again and very, very happy to watch the continuation of “Given” as a fan.

Uchida: During the phase of the TV anime series, I had heard that it would lead to a movie. That the things depicted in the original work were planned to be depicted in a movie too. For this part, I was always conscious on the inside that, on top of my performing for the TV anime, the story was going to be portrayed up to that far.

——What were you careful of and what did you keep in mind when playing Mafuyu and Ritsuka?

Yano: I was conscious of being a high school boy. Mafuyu has a complicated past where he lost someone who was important to him, so a gaping hole opened in his heart and he was in the dark, unable to take even one step forward. But when you see him talking to his friends and playing basket with a smile in his daily life at school, you find that he is a normal high schooler. As he absorbed himself completely in music, I thought he was a high school student living youth itself. 

Uchida: Ritsuka is not very good at expressing himself with anything other than a guitar, so I made sure to properly feel the difference in sense of closeness from when he talks to his bandmates and when he talks to Mafuyu. And also the sensation that “he’s in there”, as part of the series, so to say. There are quite a lot of scenes where the conversations overlap naturally. I aimed to carefully pursue the sensible aspects of those parts, as well as the mood of the exchanges and such.

——In this movie, there is a close-up on the romance between Haruki and Akihiko. From your point of view, how is the nature of their relationship?

Yano: Haruki-san is like a lubricating oil within the band, so I think there is a side of him that ends up pushing down his own feelings. Akihiko-san lives the way he wants to, so they mesh, but they are not in gear at all when it comes to their love lives, and I guess this comes with “understanding each other’s feelings” as adults. From the perspective of the viewers, I belive Haruki-san is in the most emotionally easy-to-relate position, but I think Akihiko-san’s existence only establishes itself because Haruki-san can strongly impact him. I think Akihiko-san is the only one for Haruki-san, and all the more, Haruki-san is the only one for Akihiko-san.

Uchida: They can rely on one another and probably respect each other in some aspects, but they are people who have a kindness that they do not put into words, as well as an unfairness that they purposefully do not speak about, so I have the impression that they “can’t say things straight”. They are still at an age where they just barely graduated from college, but they are grown-ups when compared to Ritsuka and Mafuyu, so looking from where I am now, I think this sense of distance in which they are unable to frankly express that they long for each other is “well, something that would happen”. As expected, we start worrying about all sorts of things as we get older.

——Please tell us the highlights of “Given the Movie”.

Yano: The presence of the person named Murata Ugetsu, whom Akihiko used to date and continues living with despite breaking up, is pretty big. He is a prodigy like Mafuyu and adores both music and Akihiko-san to death, but his music will be ruined if he keeps up like that, so he chooses to throw away Akihiko-san. Regardless, he is unable to throw him away, so they are stagnated in the same spot all along. I think that Ugetsu, who wants someone to understand his feelings and pain, is very similar to Mafuyu. There is a song that the band Given plays during the movie, and it is obvious that they want to deliver the song to somebody, but there is a part of it that I sang while putting my feelings towards Ugetsu in particular into it, so I think people can enjoy the movie even more by linking up with the song as they watch it.

Uchida: From the TV series, it carefully portrays the sense of distance between one person and another, as well as relationship values. Even if there is not that big a meaning in every single thing, there is nothing in vain, and the accumulation of this moves the hearts of those two. I think “Given” is a series that literally embodies the fact that the accumulation of small things transform into colossal feelings. If you watch from the TV series all the way to the movie, won’t you be able to enjoy it while sensing the developments of their feelings even better?

——Please give a message to the fans who have been waiting for the release all this time!

Yano: Thank you very much to everyone who eagerly waited for “Given the Movie”! The TV series was about a high school duo, but this tone is centered around the adult group that consists of Haruki, Akihiko and Ugetsu. I think the parts where they react to love will be, from start to finish, a time where your chests will tighten. I think there are aspects of it that anyone can feel a connection with, so please watch over them warmly.

Uchida: It would be great if everyone could watch the members of Given as they embrace all sorts of feelings and try to change little by little, as well as the beauty of their changing. There are also scenes in this work that cleanse your heart. By all means, go enjoy it in the big screen!

[aosulan]

I watched the AKYR live free for 10 minutes in yt and here are some photos from twitter! I wasn't able to take much screenshots.

Hokusai and Zen♡

The three kids of AKYR (≧▽≦)

I really like Hatanaka san's expressions here. I love seeing the 5 of them together♥

AKYR performing the live performance of Bad Boyz

They also had a game corner and recitation of the Voice Drama!

[dennou-translations]

Tokushima Shinbun Interview with Yano Shougo

Interviewing Yano Shougo-san, who has starred for the first time in the topical anime “Given” and is originally from Tokushima. “I wanted to be an actor that would make people go, ‘I’m glad I entrusted the role to him’.”

Yano Shougo-san (30), who is from Tokushima and belongs to the troupe Super Eccentric Theater (SET), played a starring role for the first time as a voice actor in the anime “Given”, which aired from July to September on Fuji TV. “Given” is a heartrending story that centers itself around a romance between men from the same rock band. Having received high evaluations for his acting and singing voice, which portrayed with excellence the delicate emotions of the protagonist, Satou Mafuyu, Yano-san has told us about the feelings he put into the role and about his future goals.

Raw || Index || Ko-fi/PayPal ( ╹◡╹)っ’･*

——Good job on your first starring. Please tell us again about your impressions from when you were entrusted with the leading role.

Thank you very much. Playing a leading role in an anime series was my goal for 2019, so when my manager contacted me saying that I had passed the audition, I was happy to the point of shedding tears, but at the same time, I was also relieved. I could not sleep a wink the day before the recording of episode one, and at any rate, I was nervous. On the recording day, I was thinking as I headed to the studio, “It’d be great if the recording were tomorrow”, but I got over it a little by the moment that I thought, “If this anxiety would continue until tomorrow, then it’s actually better for it to be today!” and I remember relaxing straight away at it

——Yano-san, your fragile voice was a perfect fit for Mafuyu. What did you keep in mind when performing him? Were there any points that differed greatly in comparison to the roles you have been playing until now?

Mafuyu has an extremely painful past, unable to move a single step from where he was, as he bore a huge wound. Still, he has proper thoughts and feelings of his own, as well as a stubborn side, and though he has a mild and introverted personality, I figured that he was someone who had a strong core.

Other than that, when I saw him playing basketball with his friends, smiling and earnestly absorbing himself completely in music, I had the impression that he was a “high school boy that you can find anywhere”. This was something I always cherished when performing.

I have played uke roles before, but this was the first one where so many of my lines were “...” (laughs).

——What parts of Mafuyu do you think you have in common, Yano-san, and what parts are the total opposite of you?

I think we are just a little bit alike in that we are greedy about the things we like, and we are unable to concentrate on anything else when there is something that we need to do our best in order to achieve. What I feel to be the opposite is that Mafuyu gives off the impression that he is a big shot in some way, even without speaking much, while I am talkative and shy (laughs).

——You were also in charge of singing the insert song and ending theme song.

I knew ever since the audition phase just how essential Mafuyu’s song was for the series, so rather than my being happy about singing, the pressure was much more prominent. As a matter of course, the frequency of my voice training soon increased, and learned the basics and techniques of singing as much as time allowed me to. When I was first told about the composition, I thought, “This song was made for Mafuyu’s sake”. That is exactly why, rather than the technique, I reflected about why and how Mafuyu would be singing those lyrics, as well as the emotions that would be overflowing from him, and I thought I should sing it with care, without sugarcoating it.

——What did you keep in mind when singing as Mafuyu?

The song that Mafuyu sings bears his definite resolve to face his past and live in the present, thus I believed that I had to make it into something like a love confession, so to say - a song that could be sung because Mafuyu was the one doing it. For this, of course, technique was important, but I kept in mind that it would be okay even if it was rough-hewn or even if my voice faltered, as long as I sang in a way that would spit out everything Mafuyu had been shouldering.

——Although Noitamina has produced countless master piece animes, this has been their first Boys Love (BL), a series that depicts romance between males, so was there anything you were particularly conscious of when performing?

There was not. Just as I do when performing roles from other series, I performed while keeping in mind that I was going to live in the world of “Given” as Mafuyu with all my might.

——I believe there was such a huge response to “Given” due to its painful content, but did it get to your ears?

There are many fans of the original work not only in Japan but also overseas, so I became aware once again of the popularity of “Given”. That is just how high the expectations were for the anime adaptation, and I wanted people to like it even more when watching the anime, so I was truly happy when I actually did get evaluations like that on Twitter, etc.

——The airing of the anime “Given” is over, but a movie adaptation was green-lit. Please leave a message for the fans.

The story of “Given” will continue from now on too. I hope everyone can watch over what kind of sounds will come from Mafuyu’s song, Given’s (as in the band that Mafuyu and the others formed in the show) music and their romance from now onward.

——From here on out, Yano-san, I want to ask you about yourself. It seems you wanted to be an announcer at first.

I had the vague desire to move into the television business, and from yet another vague motive of wanting to become an announcer and engage with my favorite variety show, I started thinking in my third year of high school that I wanted to be an announcer.

——Why did you aim for voice actor from there?

After graduating from high school, I took a gap year in order to attend university, and during that time, I watched “Neon Genesis Evangelion” as per a friend’s recommendation, so with this as the trigger, I became interested in anime. I had almost never watched anime until then and was unfamiliar with voice actors, so I was shocked when I read in the end roll that Ogata Megumi-san was the one who played the role of Ikari Shinji, a boy, thus I became interested in them.

——Was there anything you put effort into in order to become a voice actor?

During my gap year, I watched many animes, looked up the voice actors that piqued my curiosity and imitated their acting, and performed lines from anime and manga with as much emotion as I could. I also bought a training book for becoming a voice actor and practiced enunciation while keeping it a secret from my family.

——What are the details of your joining SET?

I was was part of a the theater research association in university, but when I was in my fourth year, I once gave up the way of an actor and went job hunting. Even so, I wanted to have a job that was related to acting, so I took the recruitment test of a major production company hoping to become a manager, but during the individual interview, the person in charge told me, “Are you really all right with giving up on becoming an actor? If you want to be a voice actor, then go study theatre”.

And so, I began wanting to challenge myself one more time, so I stopped job hunting and after looking into audition magazines, I took an audition to become a research student of SET, where I could learn the essentials for musical, action and comedic theatre. I became a research student at 23, and after about a year of lessons and a graduation performance, I became an official member at the age of 24.

——Please tell us about the works and roles you did before your voice actor debut.

During my first year in becoming a troupe member, I played the role of Saburou, the protagonist of the TV anime “Nobunaga Kyousoukyoku”, as a motion actor - the kind of actor who does the gestures that are used as base for the characters’ movements.

I also participated in the troupe’s own public performance. It was a role where I had to drink coffee and say only one phrase, “It’s sweet”. It was a sentence that connected with a funny punchline, so I had been thinking all along about how I should act it out in order to induce laughter, and even during the performance, I did many attempts.

——After that, you debuted as a voice actor in the anime “Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V”.

When I was selected, I was really happy to be able to take the voice acting job that I had once given up on. I was brimming with confidence for some reason, even though I had no experience points. But when I went to the studio, I was no good at all; I would get nervous every week and had to stay overtime a lot, so I honestly hated going to the studio (laughs). Even so, thanks to the director and all the co-stars not throwing away someone like me, who did not know left and right, and instead nurturing me during the three years of “Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V”, I changed my thinking and posture in regards of acting.

——Afterward, you became capable of being entrusted with important roles, such as in “iDOLM@STER SideM” and “Tsurune —Kazemai Koukou Kyuudoubu—“, but were there any parts of them where you could feel your own growth?

In that I started thinking it was fun to perform. Even now, I still get nervous when going on-site, but as I would read the script, think about the role and create a foundation for my acting, I feel like I have become able to perform in front of the mic by responding to the acting of the person playing the other role, without thinking about unnecessary things, little by little. The moment I feel that the air has set to motion and it has turned into a drama is, if nothing else, enjoyable. I started having challenges, aspirations and goals for myself, such as, “I want to perform like this more” or, “I could bring this role into life more if I performed like that”.

——What are the fun and difficult parts of voice acting? Please tell us about your future goals too.

I believe the fun in being a voice actor is that we can perform roles that would be difficult in filming or on a stage.

There are many things that you can only learn in a recording site. When I go to them, I find a whole lot of people who are better at acting than I am, so I have to earn a role for myself. I fail most of my auditions and get depressed each time. Even so, I want to keep showing up in those series and play a role that moves the story. I always strongly think that I want to become an actor who can make people go, “I want to use Yano for this” and, “I’m glad I entrusted this role to Yano”.

——From now on, between actor and voice actor, which one to you plan to put more strength into?

Voice actor. That being said, in order to broaden my ranges as an actor too, I think I have to take on all kinds of jobs that require technique for different facial expressions on-stage. For us voice actors, charming people are mostly those who are also charismatic on the stage, so I think I also want to become a charming actor.

——Are you able to return to Tokushima regularly even now?

I make sure to go back as often as I can during summer vacation and New Years.

——Are there any parts of your life in Tokushima that have been put to good use in your acting jobs?

I seldom have any chance to come in contact with anything related to acting in Tokushima. Even if I had interest in voice actors and acting, wanted to attend a training school or thought about going to watch a play, they were all things that could not come true if I stayed in Tokushima. That is why I created many opportunities to come in contact with acting after moving to Tokyo, such as joining my university’s theatre research association and attending a school where I could study voice acting. I think I could cultivate something like a hungry spirit exactly because I used to live in Tokushima.

——If there is anything or any place in Tokushima that you like, please tell us.

Awa Dance, I guess. I did not like it that much when I was little, but after I became an adult, the group dance I watched from a box seat was stunning, and it made me so emotional that I started crying.

Also, the park that my grandfather often took me to when I was a child, though I don’t know if it still exists. I would put rice balls and pickled horseradish in a big plastic container and go there. I have memories of eating them with cold tea from a polyethylene teapot with my grandfather, after playing badminton. I want to do the same with my children and grandchildren when I become a parent and a grandpa.

——Yano-san, since you have made your dream come true, please leave a message to the young people who are chasing their dreams in Tokushima.

Time passes in a flash. For now, please do what you can with all your might. It can be anything, like classes, club activities, cultural festivals, sports festivals or romance.

If there is anything you can work your hardest in over there, please try facing it with all you have. It will certainly become a sustenance for your life from this point onward. I believe that it is better to do something and regret it than to regret not having done it.

Should there be anyone aiming to become an actor, please take action while constantly thinking about how you can get closer to the future that you have as your goal. I think there are surely many things you can do even if you are in Tokushima.

If you do not know what you should do after doing a research and reflecting on it, have courage and go consult someone who can give advice. Nothing is in vain, but rather than spending time not thinking about anything, I believe that spending time thinking about whatever is more worthwhile.

Please do your best. I will do my best too.

——Please leave a message for the fans who are cheering for you from Tokushima.

Thank you so very much for supporting me. The other day, when I took part in a recital play being held in Tokushima, I was able to show my acting to my family for the first time. They were very pleased.

Most events are held in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, so I believe that people cannot go watch them even if they want to. My wish for more and more people to experience an event in Tokushima and see me working has become even stronger.

I will be doing my best from now on too in order to be able to take part in more series, play all kinds of roles, get to do an event in Tokushima again someday and have people come talk to me. I will be counting with your continued support from this point onward too.

[ecargmura]

Honey Lemon Soda Episode 1 Review - Soaked In Lemon Soda

A lot of shoujo fans have been hyping the anime adaptation of Honey Lemon Soda. It’s actually quite a best-seller in recent times as it sold 12 million copies and even had a live-action movie adaptation a few years ago. However, shoujo manga fans have one fear when it comes to anime adaptations: the animation. It’s actually Russian roulette for shoujo fans when a popular shoujo manga gets an anime adaptation as the anime quality can be really good or really bad, depending on the studio. Last year, I watched A Sign of Affection where the animation was pretty despite it not being from a well-known studio and then there’s A Condition Called Love with its very subpar animation created from East Fish Studio. The fact that Honey Lemon Soda got an anime adaptation by JC Staff, a rather well-known animation studio, does make fans happy as it means that it would be getting good animation quality and for someone who likes art, I think it’s visually appealing!

Honey Lemon Soda is a story about first-year high school student Uka Ishimori who was bullied back in middle school for being stone-faced and having slow reactions to everything; she was nicknamed “Stone” because of that. The bullying has caused her to become very withdrawn and timid. While contemplating on the high school of her choice, she stumbles upon Kai Miura on the streets who suggests she go to Hachimitsu High School because he’d also be going there. Moved by the first instance of kindness from someone in her life, she makes the decision to forego her first choice school and go to Hachimitsu in hopes of overcoming her past and change for the better.

Yes, it does have the typical shoujo story cliches with a very introverted protagonist meeting a knight in shining armor who is her total opposite and becomes enamored with him. However, it is a very human story too with Uka very low self-esteem due to her parents’ overprotectiveness and the results of being bullied. Sometimes, these things can be very vital in a child’s development. If parents are overprotective, it gives a child a sense that they can’t do anything by themselves and grow to becoming overly dependent on them even as an adult even to the point that they can’t even make their own decisions without their parents’ permission. Bullying can also affect a child’s psyche in that it makes them feel very depressed and anxious. I actually can relate to Uka in the sense that I grew up with a very overprotective mom (though I can still make my own decisions as an adult) and that I have been bullied not in school but at church. I can totally get why Uka acts the way she does because of that—she believes she has no sense of self, but meeting Kai helps her believe that she does.

Regarding her love interest Kai, he’s actually not a red flag at all. I like that he doesn’t coddle Uka at all and is very blunt with her. He’s straightforward and speaks his mind, things Uka lacks, but they’re handled positively. Because he’s straightforward, he’s not hesitant on calling Uka’s passiveness out. He’s a good guy because he wants her to speak up and express herself. It makes me wonder if he had experienced similar things in the past or if he feels empathy for her in a way. I am curious to know more about him.

The other characters got me curious too. Ayumi feels like the girl who’d become her closest friend. I do wonder what Takamine and Seto’s roles will be in the story. I just hope there won't be a love triangle—the last thing I need in a romance anime is a love triangle. The bullies feel textbook—they better not get redemption arcs and just be NPCs.

The voice cast for the main characters are all ones that are decently popular. Kana Ichinose is definitely a rising star as she won Best Actress Award in the 18th Seiyuu Awards and she was in popular shows like Gundam and Frieren. I like her voice, though. Shougo Yano, on the other hand, is actually going against typecast for his role as Kai. Like when I saw his name on the cast list, I was actually surprised. He’s usually typecasted as soft and cute characters like Mafuyu from Given or cheeky cuties like Reo from Paradox Live—in a sense, he usually voices cuties, so for him to voice an ikemen using a more masculine tone compared to his more known high tone feels a little jarring, but I’m all for voice actors showing off different voices! For the other three, I’m the least familiar with Miyari Nemoto. I’ve heard Taku Yashiro and Shunichi Toki in many different animes, so I’m familiar with those two—it’s nice to hear Reo and Hokusai be in another anime together—I like their dynamic in Pararai. Okay, to be honest, out of the voice cast, the most well-known are actually Uka’s parents who are voiced by Ai Kayano and Kazuyuki Okitsu.

The animation and music are good. I think it’s been a while since I last saw a shoujo anime where the heroine’s eyes are humongous, but I like how they’re colored. Her eyes are yellow like Kai’s hair to showcase the theme color, which is lemon yellow. I really like how the opening and ending are animated though. The opening is beautiful while the ending has a lot of characters and movement that it feels like a school environment.

I do think this could be a good shoujo romance story as the first episode doesn’t tell you everything at once—the beauty of these types of shows is learning more about the characters the more you read/watch. If I am allowed to say one more thing before I end things here, it’s that I really like Uka’s room—all those plants make it very cozy and gives the room personality! Let me know what your thoughts are about the premiere of this anime!