#Same with mie sonozaki

[descendant-of-truth]

How is it that the regular and possessed Klugs sound recognizable as the same person despite the dramatic pitch shift, but neither of them sound remotely like Arle. What sorcery is Mie Sonozaki getting up to in that recording booth

[tinyreviews]

I wonder what the wild dog reference was about. It seemed Kazune did not make that bit up?

Even though this is the superior story of the two, I recommend first watching the companion movie, To Me, the One Who Loved You, to fully understand the whole story.

To Every You I've Loved Before is a 2022 Japanese animated film based on the novel of the same name by Yomoji Otono. It stars Hio Miyazawa, Ai Hashimoto, Aju Makita, Mutsumi Tamura, Kenji Hamada, Mie Sonozaki, Tomomichi Nishimura, Fumi Hirano, Miki Mizuno, Kimiko Yo, and Tokuma Nishioka.

[mlarayoukai]

I think it's great when voice actors voice characters that are the complete opposite of what they normally voice. Getting an girly idol actress to voice a depressed autistic scientist is great

[xbuster]

Arle saying “boku” is already good, but Doppelgänger Arle saying “boku” just hits different.

[phobetonei]

i have to say every time without fail people trying to apply IRL logic to only strange klug/aya/the demon in the tome of sealing to insist on age canon (or lack thereof), only just raises more confusion, both as a fantasy genre and compared to other in universe canon

"aya is an adult because it has a house"

i don't think residing in, what i am assuming, is some old musty ruins or castle or whatever arca ruins was at the time alone counts as "owning a house/real estate"

this also falls apart because as far as anyone knows, other primp students live alone. arle also lives alone (or, well, with carbuncle), as far back as madou era. in her own house.

and when applying this logic to other series, younger link in the start of ocarina of time is also an adult now because he has a tree house by himself.. ?? that's not right.

"aya is an adult because in the english dub it has a deeper voice"

so... ignoring that klug and aya share the same voice actress (mie sonozaki) in the original japanese dub, this also doesn't... really work... tbh i kinda wish aya and klug in english dub shared voice actors to this, but either way aya only just puts on a different voice inflection/tone in JP but you can tell it's still klug's body there too.

and if we're to take an english dub over the original voice work in a japanese media, this would be pharaoh atem from yu-gi-oh: duel monsters is suddenly an adult too now because he has a much deeper voice while possessing yugi muto... despite, in the original japanese, both yugi and atem share a voice actor. and atem is canonically listed as 16 despite the english dub's choices in voice direction anyways.

obviously, people are still free to headcanon aya's age however they wish, the text is open enough for that still!, it's just when people bring up some inconsistent or downright bizarre argument points that it just kinda... ?? i don't know anymore, man.

[misdre]

songs sung by beyblade VAs #2

a couple of people were interested in another post with songs by beyblade seiyuu... well alright, this comes with the fact that in addition to the main five, there's a small handful of big name seiyuu in bakuten shoot who have done a lot of everything and the rest have done pretty much nothing, so, this is a very mixed bag. and a bit too many of these are hetalia songs because i just actually really like hetalia music ok

# a link to the previous post if you missed it #

i put these in alpahbetical order according to character names so you can easily just check whoever you want. or whatever. do what you want with these

hiroshi kamiya (blood & garland):

lost in shinsekai (one piece)

dark side of the moon (shingeki no kyojin)

wasabi mizuta (boris):

yume wo kikasete (doraemon) -- i.... i couldn't find anything but doraemon songs by her.......... so this is how life is now

souichirou hoshi (brooklyn):

I can fly (saiyuuki) -- this was like my favourite song 13 years ago? i’m having such a throwback compiling this post

ima kono shunkan ga subete (gundam seed)

akira sasanuma (claude):

marukaite chikyuu: austria edition (axis powers hetalia) -- not very surprised this is the only thing i could find

yasuhiro takato (dunga):

pechka -kokoro tomoshite- (axis powers hetalia) -- also didn't expect to find anything but russia's songs. and i didn’t. russia it is

daisuke sakaguchi (giancarlo):

update go-issho ni (hyouka) -- with satomi satou

back to back (dynasty warriors)

shiho kikuchi (hiromi):

spring dream (tokimeki memorial)

imitation (memories off 2nd)

daisuke namikawa (hitoshi):

tales of hermit (K project)

oishii tomato no uta (axis powers hetalia) -- we are dying on this hill now guys

emi shinohara (judy on season 1): 

starlight ni kiss shite (sailor moon)

hitomi wo wasurenaide (lupin III)

yumi touma (judy on seasons 2 & 3):

kiss shite ii (angelique)

my heart iidasenai, your heart tashikametai (aa! megamisama) -- with kikuko inoue & aya hisakawa. i apparently love hisakawa too much and can’t make a list without her in there somewhere

kumiko watanabe (julia):

love drug (tekkaman blade II)

say yes! (digimon frontier)

junko shimakata (kiki):

kimi no ouen uta (sotsugyou -graduation-)

hirofumi nojima (king):

shitsuren samba (toradora!) -- this one is on soundcloud because i hunted for this specifically on youtube for ages and it was nowhere. the volume is ridiculously high for some reason

ki ta ko re (kuroko no basket)

hiromi konno (mathilda):

nade nade shite (gegege no kitarou)

hakase no same to inu (nichijou)

kappei yamaguchi (michael):

it's a show time (magic kaito 1412) -- with mamoru miyano

tenka muteki no yattarou (samurai pizza cats) -- some other familiar voice is in there in the beginning too. what a coincidence. misi what a coincidence of you again

hiro yuuki (mihael):

brain damage (weiß kreuz) -- i know this guy has sung a lot of stuff including lots for weiß kreuz and i love his voice but the title of this one describes my mood when i tried to find any GOOD songs

aya hirano (ming-ming):

god knows (the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya) 

cha-la head cha-la (dragon ball z featured in lucky star) -- it's just so beautiful.

kouki miyata (mystel):

akogare starting block (free!)

yuukyuu no tsuki (kyou kara maou!)

omi minami (olivier):

in the stillness (kidou senkan nadesico)

born to be queen (code geass) -- with junko minagawa

yuki kaida (ozma):

ni hao chuugoku (axis powers hetalia)

koko de bokura wa deatte shimatta (prince of tennis) -- with ryoutarou okiayu

mie sonozaki (queen):

whiteout (bleach)

yakusoku (growlanser)

kouichi nagano (rai):

run to win (eyeshield 21) -- with aya hirano, miyu irino and kappei yamaguchi, technically nagano is the only one whose voice you can't hear worth shit tbh (i assume he can't really sing. he's just there to be like a B voice in the bg) but i've always liked this cute song plus it's like ming-ming and michael singing with rai pushed flat against the wall somewhere behind them so here it is anyway

akiko kimura (raul & yuuya):

yasashii mirai (inazuma eleven chrono stone) -- with aoi yuuki

hikaru ikeda (salima):

katakoi (yakin byoutou) -- apparently this song is from a porn that's regarded as the most brutally graphic hentai to ever exist? sounds good

tomokazu sugita (sergei):

SM hantei forum (inu x boku SS)

one jump ahead (aladdin)

kenichi suzumura (steve):

oreta tsubasa de -with broken wings- (digimon frontier) -- i was getting tired at this point and steve is a very minor character with a very major seiyuu for whatever reason and i didn't even feel like browsing suzumura's discography for this purpose so i just put my boy kouichi's amazing song here and called it a day. the best digimon character song to existtt

takehito koyasu (volkov):

dengon (fushigi yuugi)

hyakumankai no je t'aime (rosario + vampire) -- the difference in mood between these two songs was too much for me. good thing this is the end of the list

[tirorah]

’Minna’s Sky’ is Road to Berlin’s Crowning Achievement

A long time ago, in a universe far, far away, three young girls met each other during a war: Minna, the caring leader; Gertrud, the stalwart defender; and Erica, the lazy prodigy who kept them smiling.

As the fighting continued, a friendship began to form. And now, years later, that friendship lies at the heart of something truly exceptional.

Minna’s Sky is the culmination of twelve-and-a-half years of relationship development, and it gives this special trio the sendoff it deserves. I was overcome with conflicting emotions while I watched this episode; when it finished, I was left shaken and almost lost for words.

…Which is why I wrote an essay on it! And that entire essay is contained under the cut, so you’d best buckle up and hold onto something, because today we’re diving into what I believe to be the pièce de résistance of Strike Witches.

In a previous post speculating on what Minna’s Sky could hold—which, by the way, was thoroughly proven wrong—I took a moment to outline my love for Minna and my frustration with her neglect. Initially, this trend continued in Road to Berlin: in episodes 6 and 8, the characters were faced with circumstances that would’ve been greatly helped by a Witch with Space Understanding magic. Of course, I understand why the writers chose to exclude Minna from these events; having Minna there would’ve negated the drama of Trude thinking Erica was dead, and of Sanya and Eila clashing over conflicting sensory reports.

But Minna’s episode hit back hard. If RtB is Strike Witches’ magnum opus, then Minna’s Sky may well be RtB’s masterpiece among masterpieces. It combines the intensity and raw emotion of Hounds of Vengeance with a ticking time bomb that ratchets up the tension all the way through, finishing with a series of events that makes you feel like anything can happen.

Role Reversal

Minna’s Sky starts with a surprise right away. In episode 8, Minna and Trude expressed anxiety over losing their magic. At this point they’re just under three months removed from their 20th birthdays, where decay will certainly start to set in. But in this episode, we learn Minna’s already feelings the effects. At first this confused me, as their birthdays are only nine days apart, but I do recall seeing something about how Trude’s magical reserves are pretty large, second only to Yoshika’s. I can’t find my source for that, but this could be an explanation for Minna’s earlier decline.

Trude notices Minna’s flagging strength, and at that point, a switching of roles takes place.

Minna, who once held Mio at gunpoint for refusing to give up on flight, is now doing the same thing. She’s still herself, but she essentially slips into Mio’s previous role. She takes this burden upon herself and stops communicating with the others over it, even avoiding them during mealtime.

Last episode, we could see her mask starting to slip, and here, all her logic and serenity fades, replaced with a wholly emotional desire. She and her girls have worked so hard to get here, and she wants to uphold her vow of retaking Berlin, so she makes the decision to give this fight everything she has, despite the danger involved.

This puts her at odds with Trude, who slides into the calm and perceptive role Minna used to fill.

You know, Trude may be my favorite character of all time, but she hasn’t always been handled well. In Season 1, she was a great balance of the calm and quiet supporter, and the stern disciplinarian who thought yelling at Erica would make her get up earlier. In Season 2, this equilibrium was lost; it leaned much more into her anger, and there were precious few moments of Trude being the gentle and tender woman I know she can be. The movie had the same problem, as it had to reintroduce eleven characters in one sitting. Operation Victory Arrow worked hard to remedy this problem, focusing on smaller casts which gave them time to show different sides of themselves—like Minna and Trude having breakfast like a married couple. Ahem.

This is one reason why RtB has been so gratifying for me. It knows what it’s doing with Trude and while she’s certainly had some angry moments, RtB has built her up as a more mature, level-headed executive officer. Consequently, it feels natural for her to take up the position Minna would usually hold in this type of situation.

Even when she privately confronts Minna over her magic, there is no anger, only attempts to reason her friend out of her decision. But Minna doesn’t want Kiel to be lost, and at that moment, it’s made clear that she prioritizes Operation Southwind over her own well-being.

And this is entirely contradictory with what she usually tells her girls! Like I said before, the 501st is a circle of love, and while that love motivates them to fight for one another’s sakes, as Sanya did, it now leads Minna down a path of self-sacrifice that would’ve absolutely killed her if it was one of her girls doing it. Moreover, with Trude now filling Minna’s role, she’s the one pleading with Minna not to go, and like Minna once failed to stop Mio, Trude now fails to stop Minna.

This causes inner turmoil. Trude doesn’t want to lose Kiel, but if Minna perishes, she’d never forgive herself. Like she said in Hounds of Vengeance, when she thought Erica was dead, retaking Berlin would have no point if Minna wasn’t there to celebrate it with them.

It says something, then, that Trude chooses to go along with Minna’s wishes, and even keeps her waning magic a secret from the others. Instead of declaring Minna unfit for battle—which I imagine she has every right to do—she instead becomes Minna’s most ardent protector, immediately volunteering for the high-risk operation. When Minna becomes anxious and nearly makes a mistake, Trude is there to rein her in and calm her down. Minna even comments on how this would usually be the other way around.

Fortunately, Minna is better at this self-sacrificing stuff than Mio is. While she initially uses her desire to protect Kiel to justify her actions, a heartfelt campfire scene shows us that she’s aware of the ramifications her death would have. As Erica complains about their fake coffee, Minna promises to make her a proper batch when they return; Trude tells her not to make such promises, but Minna reassures her she’ll come back safe, and even proposes they go to a café together once Berlin is retaken. On the surface, they’re making plans for the future; but underneath, it’s an implied message to Trude: I understand. I’m not going out to die. I’ll come back.

Isn’t that first pic just the cutest Trude shot ever, by the way?

And Trude is pacified. She places her trust in Minna and continues to support her as best she can.

Of course, things are never that simple. Minna succeeds at her objective, and just when the episode seems to be steering to a happy conclusion, the Hive screeches and loads up all its rockets at the same time. As Trude once again begs her to stop, she does the unthinkable: she cuts the line and dives into a suicide run, breaking one promise to keep another.

The facial expressions and body language have been god-tier in RtB.

I must commend Tanaka Rie here. I’ve often complimented Sonozaki Mie (who voices Trude) for her impeccable delivery, but Tanaka Rie is equally excellent, possibly better in some departments (like range, just hear her role in Mai Otome for example). Here, as Negai no Tomoshibi starts playing in the background, the gravity of the scene rests entirely on Tanaka’s voice work. And boy, does she nail it! The exhaustion, the desperation, the sheer will, it’s all there. Her desperate pants and cries at the end are especially powerful, and they make this scene even more dramatic when she faints right after.

Trude manages to catch her—and only Trude was there, because 1: we only saw Trude catching her; 2: the hand we see is Minna’s left, and in the next shot, Trude is carrying her right arm instead; and 3: we only saw one blue dot in the Hive, and the episode previously established one dot was one Witch.

Ahem! Trude catches her and brings her back, and she…breaks down.

Wow. Trude doesn’t cry easily, you know. We’ve seen her depressed, despondent, even heard her sob as she told Yoshika to leave her behind, but until Hounds of Vengeance, we’d never seen Trude cry. While that one ended in a victorious moment, here the emotion is allowed to run its course, and it’s heartbreaking. Trude doesn’t just cry, she weeps, and as she yells and screams at Minna that she could never follow an order that would involve leaving Minna behind, her facial expressions convey just how terrified she truly was.

I said earlier that Minna switched to Mio’s role, and while that’s true, there’s something even more poetic at work here: this episode mirrors Season 1’s Episode 4 in some places, to the point that I feel like it has to be on purpose. That’s one reason why I made this photoset. Just look at this:

Oh look, more apologizing! These two are so emotionally responsible to one another. It’s always good to see.

The roles are shown as reversed, with Trude crying and reprimanding Minna, and Minna apologizing for her actions and agreeing on a better path forward.

Sexy Gal

I also need to devote some space to Erica here. She wasn’t as prominent—Minna and Trude’s bond took center stage—but this episode is probably the best showcase of Erica’s qualities. We already saw her surviving in the woods and rationing her chocolate three episodes prior, but here, it’s clear more than ever what her role is in the Karlsland Trio’s support structure: the morale boost.

In the “Erica Hartmann 1941” manga, we’re shown how Erica becomes a ray of hope for everyone, and especially Minna and Trude, whom she begins to develop a friendship with at that time. It’s this aspect which is finally on full display here: while she’s not as overt with her support as Trude is, she helps in her own way, and her easy-going personality consistently puts a smile on her friends’ faces. That’s why it’s so important that it’s Erica who makes Minna laugh—not once, but twice. In a group where the other two members have their fair share of baggage, Erica is a breath of fresh air and equally important.

Rising Tension

Okay, with the character work out of the way, let’s look at the episode’s story. Because holy crap, I felt like I was watching a movie! At first, I was a little annoyed by some of the stiff animation (especially for RtB’s standards). I was afraid they were going to half-ass Minna’s episode. But as the episode proceeded and absolutely everything got better and better, I realized I was in for a very special ride.

I’ve always had the opinion that Strike Witches is at its best when it plays its war drama straight, but it’s not as simple as striking the serious tone and having the characters fight for their lives. Strike Witches isn’t a pure action show; the stakes in battle often revolve around the characters overcoming their flaws, struggling to protect the world and those they hold dear. Thus, Strike Witches relies on its lighter moments to develop the cast so that when danger comes to them, your emotional investment in the characters helps to create additional tension.

In general, RtB has been great at this, but for me personally, the most emotionally intense episode prior to Minna’s Sky was Episode 6: Hounds of Vengeance.

But that one was different. It started off with relatively low tension, then brought it up to full when Erica was left behind and Trude had a meltdown over it. But when it’s revealed that Trude isn’t just moping around, and that she’s working on a plan, the tension evens out. The central question goes from ‘Will Erica survive?’ to ‘How awesome will Trude be in this episode?’ The climactic action is triumphant, and although Trude’s reaction to Erica’s ‘body’ is heartbreakingly real, we as viewers know that Erica is fine; in fact, she hasn’t seemed that down at all, obviously having faith in her rescue.

Episode 9 doesn’t do that. It immediately confronts you with Minna’s magic issue and her hiding it from her friends, then pretends to be innocent for a while, with Patton being an idiot and Ursula introducing her helmet gun. (“It’s a helmet, with a gun on it.” NO, REALLY?) But as soon as the Komet is introduced, the pressure builds and it never lets up.

It all comes to a head when the trio (plus Ursula) reaches the launch point. Minna’s been dropping death flags all episode, and now things go haywire over and over. An hour left? Nope, the Neuroi spotted you and moved up the rocket’s launch. Barely enough time to intercept the rocket? Hey, there’s that Neuroi that beat the two top aces of the world in single combat, and it’s coming to stop you. Thirty seconds to go for the fuel? The Neuroi gets past Trude and Erica and nearly destroys the Komet, hurts Ursula and blows up one of their trucks. Trude and Erica get it away from there? Oh look, the Hive’s about to launch!

We then get an epic scene where Minna takes off, uses her magic, and destroys the rocket. Speaking of which, I didn’t say anything about this when I talked about episode 8, but I’m so happy we finally get to see some of the Witches’ magic from their point of view! Seeing Eila’s future sight was haunting, and Minna’s is awesome to see as well. Erica and Trude manage to finish off their quarry, showing their skill and adaptability; it seems their prior experience means they’re better prepared to deal with its unique movements this time around.

Erica asks for chocolate and grumbles when Trude tells her she’ll get some later. Minna laughs, but there’s still that tension because Minna’s fuel is almost up, and she’s hanging around that damn Hive.

And then the Hive loads up all its rockets at once, and all hell breaks loose. Trude loses control of the situation as Minna goes on a suicide run, and then the insert song starts playing. It’s difficult to explain the impact of that song without simply showing you the episode. The moment that piano hits, it feels as though a veneer of tragedy descends upon the scene. The Komet nearly stops working, and Minna is on her last legs, and she’s reduced to nothing but cries and gasps. She faints moments after she destroys the last rocket.

And then the music gets louder as Minna plummets into the Hive, red slowly filling the screen. We’re treated to a long shot of Minna falling into the swirling, angry clouds, her tiny form fading into its mass. And at that point I freaked the fuck out.

It was somewhere around Season 2’s finale and watching the movie that I realized Strike Witches doesn’t kill off characters. Let’s just say killing a beloved character probably wouldn’t work too well for future sales. (“Hey, look at this awesome figure of the girl who died! Don’t you just love her? We’ll accept your tears as interest.”) If Mio of all people can have plot armor rivaling the size of the planet, then Minna sure as hell won’t perish here.

And yet, for a fleeting moment, I was absolutely terrified she would. All because of the masterful tension of this episode, and this entire fight scene in particular.

Fortunately, Trude manages to locate Minna in the clouds and brings her back, and the viewer can finally breathe easier as we head to the happy ending they deserve.

…Oh right, the ending.

Yuri alert

Let me start off by saying this ending is complete bullshit. It feels shoehorned in—no, I don’t care what historical event it’s referencing—and it doesn’t fit the tone of the episode at all.

Having said that, as much as this made me laugh (even more than Trude’s literal asspull in Hounds of Vengeance) it did get one thing completely right: yes, Ursula, it IS very beautiful. The love between these three is great. What kind of love that exactly is, I’m not entirely sure anymore.

Yes, you’re going to roll your eyes at this—oh no, she’s going to rant about Minna x Trude again—but…I was watching this ending, right, and I could almost hear the gears in my brain turn as I tried to process this image. Emotionally, I felt like this ending was communicating love of a different sort.

Look, for all I know they’re just best buds who’ve come to deeply rely on one another for emotional and psychological stability, but my god, this ending definitely felt like a ‘oh by the way, the three of them are married to each other’ signal to me. I’m not joking!

Does that make Minna x Trude canon, even as part of an OT3? No. In fact, for all the delightful Minna x Trude subtext this episode had…

Deflection by way of flirtation. Oh là là~!

…Trude did all but confess to Erica in episode 6, and later this week, Mio might finally return in a big way and might have screen time with Minna. But my point is, in that moment, my ship felt realer than ever. In that respect, this episode gave me more than I ever thought I’d receive.

Insert clever ending header here

Right, so that’s my ramble on Minna’s Sky. I hope I’ve managed to get across why I believe it’s the best episode of the entire series. The character writing was top-notch, the tension was through the roof, the music was evocative and the animation was beautiful. Barring an absolutely spectacular final three episodes (and I wouldn’t put it past RtB to deliver that), I think this is as good as it gets. It’s not easy to beat emotional stakes that were established twelve years ago, after all.

Minna’s Sky was absolutely the episode Minna deserved, and I was very happy to see the Karlsland Trio getting its spot in the limelight as we gradually draw closer to the ending. It’s their home they’re trying to take back, after all. And while I have no doubt Minna will continue to fly until the end of the season (she seems to be fine in the preview), Operation Southwind will most likely be the bookend to Minna and Trude’s careers.

I can only hope this won’t be the last we see of Minna and Trude. I’d love it if we got to see their lives after Karlsland’s liberation, either as supporting members of the Wing or trying to live normal lives after fighting a war for nearly a decade. (Shameless plug: I have a Minna x Trude fanfic which explores the latter.)

But most of all, I don’t want Road to Berlin to end.

[fizzingwizard]

DIGIMON ADVENTURE: Official Trailer 2 [English sub]

I like Taichi’s new voice!! Sort of wish it was Hanae Natsuki but I like that Japan often does young-soundng voices for young boy characters, so I’m not complaining. It’s so weird to hear him at this age but not Fujita Toshiko, but I’m glad I like his voice!

It looks the Digimon still have the same voice actors as always though, wow! (Except Tailmon) Such longevity!

Yagami Taichi - Sanpei Yuuko (I like her voice but she’s also Boruto! Crossover fever dream!)

Ishida Yamato: Namikawa Daisuke (WHAAAAT?! I AM NOT PREPARED)

Takenouchi Sora: Shiraishi Ryouko

Izumi Koushirou: Kobayashi Yumiko

Tachikawa Mimi: Kouno Marika

Kido Jou: Kusao Takeshi

Takaishi Takeru: Han Megumi

Yagami Hkari: Watada Misaki

Agumon: Sakamoto Chika

Gabumon: Yamaguchi Mayumi

Piyomon: Shigematsu Atori

Tentomon: Sakurai Takahiro

Palmon: Yamada Kinoko

Gomamon: Takeuchi Junko

Patamon: Matsumoto Miwa

Tailmon: Sonozaki Mie

I still don’t own a TV hahahaha

[officialotakudome]

New Post has been published on Otaku Dome | The Latest News In Anime, Manga, Gaming, And More

New Post has been published on https://otakudome.com/toei-animation-dates-world-trigger-season-2/

Toei Animation Dates World Trigger Season 2

Toei Animation has dated the English dub and sub for World Trigger season two:

LOS ANGELES – December 22, 2020. Christmas came early for anime fans with today’s announcement from Toei Animation Inc. that the eagerly awaited Season Two of “World Trigger” will stream on the leading streaming platforms Crunchyroll and Anime Digital Network in France. Leveraging their collective presence, “World Trigger” Season 2 will be accessible to anime fans around the globe. In addition, Toei Animation also revealed that Season 2 will launch as a simultaneous premiere with Japan on Saturday, January 9, 2021. “World Trigger” Season 2 will be on several streaming services with a shared simulcast window. All subtitled episodes will stream day and date with the TV broadcast in Japan. Adding to the anticipation for the upcoming premiere of “World Trigger” Season 2, this past weekend Toei Animations in Japan surprised fans with confirmation that it will be producing an exciting third season of the sci-fi action series.

“We’re excited to partner with Crunchyroll and Anime Digital Network to bring ‘World Trigger’ Season 2 to fans on their streaming services,” said Masayuki Endo, president and CEO Toei Animation Inc. “We’re thrilled the new season is accessible to fans around the world and look forward to the simultaneous premiere of Season 2 together with Japan on January 9.”

“World Trigger” is based on the sci-fi action manga series of the same name launched in 2013 and written by Daisuke Ashihara. With now 21 volumes in print, “World Trigger” was initially serialized by Shueisha in Weekly Shōnen Jump before moving to Jump Square in late 2018, where it continues to be published today. Toei Animation produced the original 73-episode series, which aired from 2014 to 2016 in Japan. For this new production, Toei Animation brought together a new series director, Morio Hatano (“Dragon Ball Super” – Future Trunks saga), with key members of the original staff as well as the original voice cast. Original staff members include Hiroyuki Yoshino (series composition writer for Eps 1-48), Kenji Kawai (music composer) and Toshihisa Kaiya (character designer). A list of cast members reprising their roles follows below.

In addition to the premiere, Toei Animation is planning a special livestream event for fans which will be announced in detail at a later date. Fans are encouraged to catch up on the complete first season of “World Trigger” which is available on Crunchyroll now at crunchyroll.com/world-trigger in Japanese with English sub and English dub.

  Japanese Voice Cast

Actor Character Tomo Muranaka Yūma Kuga Yuki Kaji Osamu Mikumo Nao Tamura Chika Amatori Yūichi Nakamura Yūichi Jin Nobunaga Shimazaki Hyuse Hisao Egawa Gatlin Toshiyuki Toyonaga Ratarikov Mie Sonozaki Wen Sō Kenjiro Tsuda Koskero Ayumu Murase Reghindetz Ryoko Shiraishi Yomi

Season 2  Synopsis

Border Defence Agency was established to counter the attacks from the “Neighbors,” beings from the other world possessing unknown forces. A low rank Border agent, Osamu Mikumo (voiced by Yuki Kaji), teams up with a Neighbor, Yuma Kuga (voiced by Tomo Muranaka), and a childhood friend, Chika Amatori (voiced by Nao Tamura). They strive to win through the Rank Wars within the Border to be selected for the away squads to the “Neighborhood,” the other world. Meanwhile, another attack from the Neighborhood was detected. Mikado City is still damaged from the second large-scale invasion by the largest military nation, Aftokrator. To prevent panic among the city and citizens, Border arranges a confidential interception based on the foresight of Yuichi Jin (voiced by Yuichi Nakamura) by mainly deploying selected A-Rank elite squads. But when a Gate appears, and Attacker rank #1 Kei Tachikawa (voiced by Daisuke Namikawa) set to take action, Jin sees an ominous future.

About Toei Animation Inc.

Based in Los Angeles, Toei Animation Inc. manages the film distribution of Toei Animation’s top properties, including all the Dragon Ball series, Sailor Moon, One Piece, Digimon series, Saint Seiya, and many others to North America, Latin America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.  Toei Animation’s Los Angeles office further handles all categories of consumer product licensing based on its film and television brands within these territories. For more information, please visit toei-animation-usa.com.

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[serene-faerie]

Top 15 Bleach Voices (in my opinion)

These are ranked by Japanese voices, btw.

15) Ulquiorra Cifer (voiced by Namikawa Daisuke)

As much as I don’t like Ulquiorra, I have to admit, Namikawa Daisuke did a great job in performing this character. He gave Ulquiorra a smooth, clear voice that was both cold and cruel at the same time. Also, I must admit that it’s easy on the ears and fairly pleasing to listen to. The way he says ‘Murcielago’ and ‘Lanza del Relampago’ is also very appealing, honestly.

14) Tier Halibel (voiced by Ogata Megumi)

Halibel is my favourite Espada and I love her voice a lot. Her voice is cool, confident, and commanding in a subdued manner that really suits her character. Ogata Megumi did such a good job in voicing her, and I love the way she says ‘Tiburon’ with a quiet and subtle power, instead of yelling it. She truly has the voice of a Shark Empress.

13) Szayelaporro Granz (voiced by Toriumi Kosuke)

Yes, this guy terrifies me. But his voice is just so pleasant to listen to, really... though it doesn’t change the fact that he speaks so pleasantly while gruesomely torturing Renji and Ishida. Toriumi Kosuke managed to give him a cool and calm kind of voice, but laced it with just the right amount of creepy sadism to send chills down my spine, especially when he releases his Resurrección. 

12) Urahara Kisuke (Voiced by Miki Shinichirou)

The guy has an amazing range of voice, really. I like how he can flawlessly switch from ‘humble, silly shopkeeper’ to ‘badass former Gotei captain’ within moments. It’s almost hard to believe that Miki Shinichirou is the same guy who did Roy Mustang in FMA after hearing him as Urahara! But yeah, I love Urahara’s silly voice and his cool, badass voice as well.

11) Soi Fon/Sui-Feng (voiced by Kawakami Tomoko/Kuwashima Houko)

Soi Fon has such a pretty voice, I must say. She can go from cold Ice Queen to Yoruichi’s Number One Fan quite flawlessly, and I love how she sounds so effortlessly harsh and cold, but shy and sweet in the same breath. The late Kawakami Tomoko gave Soi Fon a ruthless, hard-hearted voice that perfectly established her as the Second Division captain and Onmitsukido leader. Kuwashima Houko gave Soi Fon a slight softness in her voice, but was still cool and harsh in that pretty way. Both her voice actresses did a great job in portraying her.

10) Hisagi Shuuhei (voiced by Konishi Katsuyuki)

Konishi Katsuyuki is one of my favourite male voice actors, and his voice for Hisagi is no exception. He makes him sound confident, cool, and calm all in one, but at the same time, he can be kinda dorky and cute as well. His voice is nice and smooth, and it makes me smile whenever I hear it because it just suits him so much! So yeah, Hisagi’s voice is definitely a great voice!

9) Shiba Kukaku (voiced by Hiramatsu Akiko)

I like Kukaku’s voice. She sounds almost like Yoruichi: cool, confident, and so casually badass, and I really like how she speaks like a hot-headed man. It’s almost like how Yoruichi speaks like an old man! Hiramatsu Akiko gives her a nice, fiery spirit that contrasts Yoruichi’s coolness and chill attitude. Also, her yelling is actually pretty nice to listen to, oddly enough.

8) Ayasegawa Yumichika (voiced by Fukuyama Jun)

Yumichika’s voice is really charming, I must admit. Hell, it was one of the first voices that helped me get into Bleach. Fukuyama Jun really sounds awesome as Yumichika, especially the way he speaks in such a cool, diva-like voice most of the time. Like, he knows he’s a diva and he’s proud of it. Also, I just love the way he says his zanpakuto’s name, both ‘Fuji Kujaku’ and ‘Ruri’iro Kujaku’, it rolls perfectly and sounds pleasing to the ears.

7) Sode no Shirayuki (voiced by Sonozaki Mie)

I love Sode no Shirayuki’s voice. It’s as clear as crystal and as beautiful as a swan. She sounds refined and elegant when she speaks, and it’s laced with a gentle sweetness and slight power at the same time. Sonozaki Mie does a great job with her voice, and I love the way she says ‘Some no Mai: Tsukishiro’ and ‘Tsugi no Mai: Hakuren’ as well, to be honest. It sounds cool, ethereal, and beautiful to listen to. Yeah, out of all the embodied zanpakuto voices, Sode no Shirayuki’s voice is my most favourite.

6) Inoue Orihime (voiced by Matsuoka Yuki)

Orihime is my baby and my queen and I truly love her voice, to be honest. Her voice is so sweet and cute, which truly suits such a precious cinnamon roll like Orihime! Matsuoka Yuki sounds adorable as Orihime, and she skilfully portrays Orihime’s kindness, compassion, determination, and slight silliness in her voice. And her voice is a nice complement to Rukia’s voice; sounding like a sweet younger sister while Rukia is the cool older sister. Overall, Orihime has the sweetest, cutest voice, and she’s not just a princess, she’s a damn queen.

5) Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (voiced by Suwabe Junichi)

Okay, now we’re beginning to cross into the ‘sexiest voices’ territory. And yes, Grimmjow indeed has a very sexy voice. He sounds cocky and confident, with a little hint of bloodlust and ferocity that remains true to his character. At the same time, Grimmjow speaks with that attitude that totally says ‘I’m hot and I know it’, which is honestly very, very sexy. Suwabe Junichi really does a good job as Grimmjow, with his heart-melting voice. I especially love the way he says ‘Pantera’ and ‘Desgarron’, sounds really awesome and hot.

4) Shihouin Yoruichi (voiced by Yukino Satsuki)

Yoruichi has that cool-older-sister kind of voice that is so comforting to listen to when you’ve had an awful day. Her voice is fun and confident, being able to go from teasing and playful to serious and battle-ready within seconds. Really, just listening to Yoruichi talk is almost like getting a pep talk from your best friend/older sister/mentor and makes you more confident to get stuff done. I gotta hand it to Yukino Satsuki, she really does a good job as Yoruichi. It’s almost hard to believe that she also voices Kagome in Inuyasha as well!

3) Kurosaki Ichigo (voiced by Morita Masakazu)

When you think about it, Ichigo kinda has a pretty hot voice. I love the way it progresses through the series, starting off as a confused teenager who’s just become a Shinigami, gradually becoming more confident and sure of himself as he battles his enemies, cool and calm when fighting against Aizen, and then finally becoming more mature and protective. I love how he goes from fierce in some moments, such as his fights, to gentle and kind in other moments. Morita Masakazu has the perfect voice for Ichigo, and I really can’t imagine anyone else voicing him now.

2) Abarai Renji (voiced by Itou Kentarou)

I love Renji’s voice. He has it all. He sounds sexy, confident, badass, and determined, and at the same time, he can sound vulnerable, hurt, sad, and even fearful. Then again, Renji is one of my most favourite characters so naturally I love his voice a lot. Hearing him speak makes my heart melt, especially when he sounds angry and badass at the same time, like when he’s about to kick his enemy’s ass. Itou Kentarou is also one of my favourite Japanese voice actors, and he really has a unique voice that works perfectly for Renji and makes him sound hot and sexy. And just imagine Renji’s rough voice whispering in your ear... yeah, he has one sexy voice and I love it so much.

1) Kuchiki Byakuya (voiced by Okiayu Ryoutarou)

But of course, Byakuya has the most sexiest voice in all of Bleach. I can never grow tired of hearing him speak, since he sounds perfect. His voice is deep, despite his pretty bishounen features, and he can go from harsh and aloof to angry and pissed off. And a pissed-off Byakuya sounds quite hot, to be honest. I love how he can also convey so much emotion in one tone of voice, and he provides the perfect contrast to Renji’s hot-tempered voice. Okiayu Ryoutarou sounds amazing, and he really does a good job in capturing all facets of such a beautiful character. And let’s be honest, Byakuya sounds absolutely sexy most of the time. So yeah, Byakuya has the hottest, sexiest voice in all of Bleach.

[furederiko]

After a brief detour through Shanghai, London, and Berlin, it's time to land on Dai Teikoku Gekijou once again. The stage is set for our main cast to take the spotlight! Furthermore, these 5 songs (Track 7 to 11), are representative of each character's personality, traits, or even backstory (so... SPOILER alert?). Basically, the meat of this album. You'll likely hear these tunes in full once you've successfully secured their solo endings, right? And throughout, the BGM version usually accompanies them during the playthrough. Let the song show begins!

Otome Nandesu yo (I'm a Maiden) by. Sakura Amamiya (Ayane Sakura)

First on the lineup, is the leading lady herself, Sakura. And, I'm not sure how to put it, but from a purely subjective viewpoint, it's my LEAST favorite of this set. Elise left a big shoe to fill following her one-woman Opera. And Sakura just couldn't keep it together, that we had to step down into an idol-mode or some sort. Sorry, no offense to idol fans out there! Different people, different tastes, and my idol phase had gone over the rainbow. If I have to be honest, I only heard the short MV I posted above (first one released) only a few times, before forgetting about it completely. I can't really understand why. Perhaps, it sounded generic? Sakura Shinguuji's image songs weren't a stand out in "Sakura Taisen" and "Sakura Taisen 2" either. Nevertheless, I enjoyed both "Sakura" and "Haru ga Kuru". I have even recorded my own covers for those two songs! They told the tale of naivety and sincerity, of a country girl who went to the big city and burdened with the fate to be a hero. Comparing those to New Sakura's solo is unnecessarily unfair, but it also can't be helped. What is the message of this song? It's about a girl who reunites with her childhood friend (Captain Seijuurou, who else). But she's no longer fond of the idea of him seeing her as a younger sister figure. But she couldn't say it, because *drumrolls*, she's now a maiden. My memory is fuzzy, but I believe Kouhei Tanaka-sensei had already confirmed that this is, in fact, an "Imouto" song. Hence the reason why my interest is not that high. Fortunately, the song took a delightful tone the moment that harmonica came along (which was after the first chorus, on the 1:30 mark). I actually DID enjoy it more because of it. I also liked the bridge part, and how the final result sounded less like a pop song. But that final line? Why did it feel needy and/or desperate? *sigh* Oh well, at least Sakura already did wonders with "Shin GEKITEI". I admit Part 3 doesn't really start off on the right foot. But worry not! It definitely gets better...

Onna!! Matsuri no Kokoro Iki (Woman!! The Spirit of the Festival) by. Hatsuho Shinonome (Maaya Uchida)

Time to get fired up again! And seriously, I dare you not to shake your body or smile as soon as this song begins. Because you certainly would! On a glance, this sounded and showed the traces of being the Kanna Kirishima's style of the new generation. But with one obvious twist: It's... AWESOME!!! Kanna is a good character, but her solo numbers rarely appealed to my taste. Suffice to say, this song took the best parts of her numbers and blended it into one spot. I've always loved this song ever since the MV came out. And this full, almost-5-minutes, version with extra arrangements just sounded... MINDBLOWING. One would argue that a bulk of this song was instrumental, with Maaya Uchida as the Matsuri's (Festival) Miko shouting her commanding cues. That is undeniably true. But listen closely, and you'll get why I or anyone would dig this. If you have been keeping up with me, you'll know that traditional tunes from various countries fascinate me. So it should come natural that I'm a sucker to festival songs like this. Especially with that mix of heavy metal rock guitar building up towards the dynamic duo of the energizing Taiko beat and an iconic whistling of Shakuhachi that added the authenticity of things. Wagakki Band, anyone? Aaaaaahhhhh... and Kouhei-sensei just HAD to slip in that speedy CRAZY-sounding piano bit! *applause* Just like Lancelot's song, this made me feel like I was being transported to Tokyo or Kyoto, attending and witnessing an actual Summer celebration. Uchida, a good singer, didn't perform this in her smooth vocal style. But she shouldn't! This is something you sing at ease while plainly having fun. Being all out and letting loose is basically the key! For the first time in Sakura Taisen's music history, I've bumped into a song that I simply don't want to sing along. Instead, I would DIE for the chance to participate in that Taiko play. Oh my, I need to see this in a live performance. You TOTALLY need to hear this! And dance along if you will... PS: If there's any gripe about this, it's when Hatsuho and the background voices are yelling "Oisa!" (literally means "Hey!"?). It tends to sound "Oisa, Osa, Usa, USO, USO, USO!". "Uso" means "Lies", and ends up giving it a misogynist feel by accident. The message of this song is that a woman is the spirit of the festival. Girl power! Feminism! But then there's these choir of ALL MALE that seemingly shouts "Lies, Lies, Lies!". That's pretty contradictory, eh? I know I'm totally making too much of a big deal out of this, but it honestly bugs me out...

Ninja Azami (Azami the Ninja) by. Azami Mochizuki (Hibiku Yamamura)

We haven't left Japan, as indicated by another tune of Shakuhachi and Koto, preparing us for the next performer. It's a familiar tune that many have heard in "Naruto", "Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger", or other feudal Japan-themed series. And the title had already said it all. This is the biographical description of Azami, as Shin Hanagumi's resident ninja-in-training. But as soon as it entered the verse (as you could hear in the MV), the sensation changed pretty significantly. No longer a serious Shinobi song, it morphed into the franchise's usual playful little girl song. Yes, even though Azami is technically older than Iris Chateaubriand, Coquelicot or Rikaritta Aries! She mentioned her hobby on practicing the various ninja scrolls, and even her love to eat snacks like Manjuu during breaks. Yare yare... With just 3:28 minutes, this is the second shortest song after "Shin GEKITEI". Obviously, the tempo does play a role in that. Hibiku Yamamura is a Sakura Taisen fan, yet she had the shortest solo number in the album. Somewhat ironic, isn't it? Nonetheless, she did a fantastic job. In fact, her unique voice remains consistent throughout the album, and that's worthy to be praised. I liked the traditional Japanese feel in this, but it also had too many speaking lines for my taste. Still, I'll gladly take this bouncy and head-bopping fun tune over Sakura's anytime. PS: Both Yamamura and Ana's VA made guests appearances more than once during the monthly Teigeki Report, which apparently will still going next year (probably until the TV series airs?). So you can hear them sharing personal experiences and stories on those videos. It's insightful, that's for sure!

Kaereru Basho (A Place to Return to) by. Anastasia Palma (Ayaka Fukuhara)

Goodness! I've been itching to arrive to this song. A good song is one that tells a story. Just like the previous songs, this one does the same, but with a deeper meaning and values. Ana is most definitely the "sexy Onee-san" archetype of this game, complete with having a curvaceous figure (reminds me of Rangiku in "BLEACH", wait a sec...). But personality-wise, the Greek lady gave off this mysterious, unpredictable vibe. She's like a mix of mature Maria Tachibana, with a vibe of Glycine Bleumer and Soletta Orihime's European presence, but with a cloudy past of Hanabi Kitaouji, and the hidden sides of Reni Milchstrasse or Subaru Kujou. If I had to describe it in one word, she's puzzling. However, there's one trait that she's been constantly identified with: she's an actress. It thoroughly commanded the message of the lyrics. But I digress. Was the whole song really all about Ana's passion for acting? There seemed to be more than meet the eye. From what I gather, there's an underlying hint of a journey of sadness, past events or eras that had emerged and faded, beloved people that had come and gone. In short, she basically acted her way through the ups and downs of her life. A coping mechanism, perhaps? Laughing away loneliness, a facade of her true emotions. And what did she mean by "A Place to Return to"? Was it the stage, or acting, or just like many of previous Sakura Taisen's heroine: someone to go home to? Or someone who can finally discover and understand her real self? I need to either play the game or watch the TV series to confirm that. Now that I'm older (and wiser? Naaaah), this is my idea of a good song. It asks you to listen, pay attention, and also feel challenged to try to figure it out. This was the longest Shin Hanagumi and solo song of the album. You'll understand why it needed to be that long to be good. The moment that alluring piano intro kicked in, and the violin started to seep in, it's classy and elegant as hell. Ayaka Fukuhara stated that this was a challenge to sing, and indeed it is. It should be. Even though the vocal range wasn't as demanding as Elise's opera, the pitch work was exceptional! She gradually went from a lower tone to higher and higher. It sounded like the aura of the room changed every time another verse began (due to the modulation, as well as the flow of passion and emotions), seemingly depicting Ana's many masks. And those sharp notes? Oh my, oh my, OH MY!!! No wonder Subaru's VA, Mie Sonozaki (who is a prolific singer herself) congratulated Fukuhara on doing such a fine job. This is another highlight of the album for me and my favorite Shin Hanagumi character song by far. Now, where can I get the off-vocal version? Because I totally want to try singing this song... PS: Similar to Elise, voice-wise, Ana is one of my favorites due to her range and distinct pronunciation style. She can go mezzo-soprano and heavy, but also high and soprano. I strongly enjoyed that versatility is utilized wonderfully in this song.

Rondo (Round Dance) by. Clarissa Snowflake (Saori Hayami)

You're watching a European-based fairy tale romance. What happens at the end, when the one true love has been found and all evil that stands in the way has perished? They hold a gala, where everyone waltzes into a happily ever after... That is the core of this whole song, a composition that Kouhei-sensei described it as feeling "like a movie". As a character, Claris fancies herself reading books (nerd alert! Hahaha), and I think many of her scenes in the game takes place in the library. But she also writes stories and loves to fantasize about a paradise filled with mermaids and magical elements. Perhaps because she alone wields a magic book. And her dream is to dance with someone while surrounded by those things. Those are the essence of the simple but poetic lyrics. I admit, when I first heard it, I was taken aback by the decision to putting this track as the final Hanagumi song. But now it makes perfect sense. It easily serves as a calm and astonishingly perfect capper to a series of solo songs, a grand celebration to conclude a colorful parade. My knowledge of reed or woodwind instruments is poor, so I couldn't tell if it was an Ocarina or another type that played in the intro. I'm not sure if that's native to Luxembourg too. One thing for sure, the medieval melody would naturally pierce through your soul, until that graceful combo of Lute or acoustic guitar (again, sorry if I'm bad at names) and harp soothed you into a more familiar space. Then suddenly, the song changed tone halfway through and turned into full folk song mode. Yes, the Kouhei-sensei style I told you before. Someone on Youtube mentioned that this reminded him/her of Disney's "Tangled". Well, I can attest that the catchy interlude was very true to that notion. To think that this song arrived while "Frozen 2" is still playing. Such a great coincidence! Saori Hayami is a great singer, known for her gorgeous legato siren-like vocals. Just like Ana (oh hey, fellow non-Japanese Shin Hanagumi), I'm beyond happy that this song fully made use of her unique charm. Especially once it got into that royal ballroom dance chorus, reminiscent of Orihime's image song. It didn't take long for me to imagine Claris as the protagonist, dancing with her prince (or princess, if that's her thing. Right, Hallmark?) in a grand finale of her fictional story. Speaking of which, I'm still confused as to why Hayami's name is always placed at the end. Even though the promotions clearly showed that Claris is one of the first members of the team. Could it be that she's a "special cast member" type, like in Hollywood movies? That would make sense... Another highlight of the album, another personal favorite (that I've been humming and singing unconsciously on repeat), this clocked as the second-longest solo of the album. But just like the previous number, I doubt anyone would complain. You only need to close your eyes and just start swaying left to right, back, and front. Take your beloved person's hand, embrace him/her tightly, and just follow the musical flow. Dance the day or night away, with much joy and passion! PS: The official MV wrote the title as "RONDE". I still go with "RONDO" because pretty sure that's a typo, considering even the French (one of Luxembourg's official language) equivalent is "RONDEAU". Rondo itself is a musical form that refers to a theme that keeps coming back around. But in Japanese, the kanji can also be read as "RINBU" which means "Round Dance".

Next: the final part of the review, featuring voices old and new, and my overall impression...

Video is available on SEGA Official Youtube Channel. "Shin Sakura Taisen" is produced by SEGA, and RED Entertainment. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[tinyreviews]

I really like the companion piece, To Every You I've Loved Before, but you have to watch this one first to fully understand that story.

To Me, the One Who Loved You is a 2022 Japanese animated film based on the novel of the same name by Yomoji Otono. It stars Hio Miyazawa, Aju Makita, Ai Hashimoto, Mutsumi Tamura, Kenji Hamada, Mie Sonozaki, Tomomichi Nishimura, Miki Mizuno, Kimiko Yo, and Tokuma Nishioka.