#fantastic to get a more in-depth look at haruka and to get to really know her by playing her and seeing how she interacts with people and

[designernishiki]

I feel like I liked yakuza 5 a lot more than most people for some reason

[drink-n-watch]

I’ve been promising this post for a while now. I did a voice actor version some time ago and it was one of my favourite lists to put together. I think you guys enjoyed it too.

As we all know, an actor’s performance can really drag down an anime. There’s something heartbreaking about a painfully wooden performance in the middle of a wonderful story that rips you right out of the fantasy. On the bright side, I’ve seen more than a few characters go from boring to endearing on the strength of an actor’s charisma. Voice actors don’t have as much to work with as conventional actors. They can’t rely on body movements or smouldering looks to get their message across. So it’s doubly impressive when they manage to convey subtle emotion and complex feelings though inflection and tone alone.

And for me, these ladies do just that.

Today let us celebrate the artistry that goes into bringing some of our favourite characters to life. In no real order we have!

5. Aoi Yuuki

I don’t care how petty it sounds, I’m just going to put this right here. This young woman is shorter than me!!! A musician and traditional actress, Aoi unique voice has made her quite successful in the field. Here are a few selected roles out of the tons she has had:

Hana – Ben-To

Tsuyu – My Hero Academia

Mina – Vampire Bund

The Energetic Ringo – Daily Lives of HighSchool Boys

Sosuke – Free!! (surprised? – I was)

Victorique – Gosick

Mihoshi – Gundam

Russia – Hetalia

Kino – Kino’s journey

Futaba – Persona 5

Iris – Pokemon

Mélie – Radiant

Shinra – Durarara!!

Sunako – Shiki

Borr – SSSS.Gridman

Tanya – Saga of Tanya the Evil

Oh yeah – she’s also Madoka in some magical girl show…

She’s set to play Touka and Boogiepop in the upcoming remake and I am psyched for this!

Not to mention roles in March Comes In Like a Lion, ACCA 13, Asobi Asobase, Welcome to the Ballroom, Gangsta, Gintama, Goblin Slayer, Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens, Hyakka, Hyouka, Your Name, last exile, One Punch Man, Seraph of the End, Sword Art Online II, Tanaka-kun, Tokyo Ghoul, Snafu, Yuru Yuri, and I seriously skipped over most of them. This lady works!

The surprisingly raspy quality of her vocals, and the counterintuitive depth of her tone makes her suitable for a wide range of diverse characters. A small actress with a big voice! Irresistible.

4. Chiwa Saito

Miss Saito has been acting for some time which means she’s had the chance to amass a pretty impressive portfolio. One of my favourite random facts out there, is that she is part of a voice acting groups called “MORE PEACH SUMMER SNOW”. That’s the best name ever. I’m going to rname Buddy that. (His actional name if Sir Buddy Livingston Master Chief Brown). Sadly, she is taller than me.

Yona – Yona of the Dawn

Aika – Aria

Hitagi – Monogatari series

Sigyn – Break Blade

Yuki – Vampire Bund

Chloe – Fate/Kaelid series

Natsumi – Keroro

the fantastic Riko – Kuroko’s Basketball

Louise- Gudam 00

Anita – R.O.D. TV

Kotori – rewrite

Meru – Zetsoubu Sensei

Nadeshiko – Yuru Yuri

She’s also Homura in some magical girl show…I swear I didn’t know this before researching for this post. I never realized how much I liked the Madoka casting before!

Of course there’s like a billion more titles but I’m going to name these ones because, reasons: Amanchu, Arakawa Under the Bridge, Boccano, Berserk, Dog & Scissors, D-Frag, Daily Lives of HighSchool Boys, Gintama, Girls Bravo, Kino’s journey, Last Exile, Log Horizon, Lyrica Nanoha, Murder Princess (I just like this title) One Piece, Sward Art Online, I’m just going to stop now.

You can actually hear her sing in some roles and she truly has a beautiful singing voice. It has a rich timber and she obviously has a great ear for melody. If ever she chose to switch career paths to the musical instead, I’m sure she’d have a great future. We would miss her as an actress though so let’s not encourage that!

3. Megumi Hayashibara

A more classical voice actress and one of the best known in Japan, Megumi almost became a nurse instead. There’s a certain personality that goes along with choosing a career in nursing. Caring but also resilient. You can see that peek through a bit in Megumi’s character and acting choice. Then again, there are so many to pick from I could probably make an argument for any character type.

Pai and IV – 3×3 eyes

Ai – Detective Conan

Haruko – FLCL Progressive

Haruka – Love Hina

Todomatsu – Osomatsu-kun

Paprika and Chiba – Paprika

Musashi – Pokemon

Ranma – Ranma 1/2

Lime – Saber Marionette J

Anna – Shaman King

Lina – Slayers

Ai – Video Girl Ai

Genkai – Yuu Yuu Hakusho

Hello Kitty…this woman is Hello Kitty

The incomparable Faye Valentine – Cowboy Bebop

Probably best known as Rei Ayanami – Evangelion

She can also be heard in Blue Exorcist, Bakuretsu Hunters, Sailor Moon, Blue Seed, Chihayafuru 2, Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, Macross Plus, Lupin III, Maison Ikkoku, One Piece, Project A-ko, Shadow Skill, the Doreamons, Tenchi Muyou, and obviously a million more shows.

This lady’s body of work speaks for itself. I have to say I was already pretty amazed that spunky, opinionated Faye, with her womanly register and quiet monotone Rei were played by the same person, add in Hell Kitty to the mix and my mind is a little broken…and then you have comedy queen Ranma. This is the type of career you look up to!

2. Romi Park

Did you know that Romi studied Korean in university. I just find that intriguing, obviously she’s always liked languages. Ok I’m beating about the bush so let me just say it, miss Park’s performance was one of the best parts of FMA: Brotherhood for me. I literally caught myself in the middle of scenes just going, OMG the acting is phenomenal. I’ve heard great things about the English language cast but you really are missing ouy if you didn’t catch this performance.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya –  Bleach

Teresa – Claymore

Akane – Danganronpa

Tanaka – Daily Lives of High School Boys

Igarashi – Deadman Wonderland

Kenichi – Cyber Coil

Ken – Digimon

Sena – Eyeshield 21

Natsume – Gakuen Alice

Walter – Hellsing Ultimate

Switzerland – Hetalia

Angelina – Black Butler

Taiga – Major

Falis – Murder Princess (love this title)

Temari – Naruto

My precious, precious Naoto – Persona 4

Jiro – Pokemon

Syrup – Precure

Alma – Radiant

Zoe Hange – Attack on Titan

Everyone’s favourite rocker Nana Osaki – Nana

And of course Edward Elric – Fullmetal Alchemist

And if that wasn’t enough, you can hear her in Air Master, Beelzebub, Blue Dragon , Clannad After story, Detective Conan, Devil May Cry, Garo, Granblue Fantasy, Hunter x Hunter, Kill la Kill, Lupin III, Gundam 00, One Piece (everyone is in this), RahXephon, Sengoku Basara, RDG, Samurai 7, Terra Formars (cause it’s terrible), Aquarion, White Album

Romi Parks has the most devastatingly emotional voice I know. She often plays calm, cool and collected genius type characters (a lot of boys as you can see) but when an emotional contrast is needed, she really knows how to deliver, making her characters feel so real and raw.  One of the greatest performers in my opinion, she tends to make me want to see a show just to hear what she can do with the character.

Honorable Mentions

Ami Koshimizu

C,mon, she Ryuko from Kill la Kill. Always loved that sexy alto voice! Apparently she was also both Hiro and Naomi in the recent Darling and the Franxx. I loved her as Ibuki in Danganronpa. She was Kallen in Code Geass, Holo in Spice and Wolf and Yuiko in Persona. Obviously I’m skipping over st of her work including some very big roles. I suggest you look her up! The only reason she isn’t on the list proper is that I simply haven’t seen that many of her shows even though a lot are very popular.

1. Megumi Ogata

OK fine so this is a subjective choice. Well they all are really, it’s my top 5 list. Fact is, I’ve been a fan of Megumi Ogata for a long long time and I’m just always going to be. She’s the first voice talent I ever learned about and I absolutely love her work. Sure, she might have voiced a few of my anime crushes but surely that did not influence my choice in any way…. She’s much taller than me.

Ayato – Angel Beats

Haruka (Sailor Uranus) – Sailor Moon*

Jun – Captain Tsubasa

Yukito and Yue – Cardcaptor Sakura*

Makoto – Danganronpa

Nagito – Danganronpa***

Shinji – Evangelion*

Izumi Rio – Searching for the Full Moon*

the terrifying Fairies – Humanity has Declined

Cranberry – Raising Project*

Ichigou Fujimoto – Magical girl Ore

Ken – Persona 3

Yukimura – Samurai Deeper Kyo*

Akagi – Slam Dunk

Valkyrie – UFO Princess Valkyrie

Yuugi – Yu Gi Oh!*

Karuma – Yuu Yuu Hakusho*

And just o drive the point home, here are a few more at random. If you want to full list, you’ll have to look it up. I just can’t type that much! Bleach, Detective Conan, et Backers, Great Teacher Onizuka, Kino’s Journey, Magic Knight Rayearth, Tamayura, Tokyo Mew Mew,

Megumi Ogata is a revered veteran in the field. Comparing Nagito to Makoto (purposefully similar characters with a lot of very similar lines) will reveal her mastery on inflection and subtle vocalisation to embody a character way beyond their dialogue. Anyone still under the illusion that voice acting is simply reading your lines, please see master Ogata’s work!

Good list isn’t it!?! I discover new voice talent all the time mind you. I’ll be watching a show and suddenly realize that the actor is doing fantastic work. And I’m always so happy when I discover a new favourite. So please, share yours with me!

that was a lot of pics to find….

  Top Five Voice Actresses in My Harem I've been promising this post for a while now. I did a voice actor version some time ago…

[hourzmanga]

JULY manga rec

hello all. i’m back and a little late.

Hanaoni Tobira no Sakaimeya-san: This series contains episodic stories of yokai and demons who visit a border shop in order to become acclimatized to the human world and meet the goal that they are seeking. Beautiful art and character design and i love my main characters ..

Haruka 17: A soon to be college graduate is desperately trying to find a job. Her search seems to be in vain until she has an interview at a small dingy office where she gets asked many probing questions and is even filmed. Confused, but going along with it, she is called back to be a talent at the agency rather than a manager like she wanted. However, despite her doubts, these circumstances drive her to improve and learn more as a model and actress, chasing her newfound dream. The art is sweet, the main girl is endearing and u just want the best for her, plus each character receives a lot of depth. I couldn’t stop reading!!

Kageno datte Seishun Shitai: Literally perfect manga it hits all my preferences PERFECTLY. After entering high school, the main character has found herself without friends. However, this changes when the handsome boy who sits next to her asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend so he can avoid the unwanted attention he keeps receiving from his female classmates. They begin their unlikely relationship as friends but as they become closer it becomes more.

Love, Hate, Love.: a former ballet dancer and current ballet teacher decides to depart from her current life. Never having had a serious relationship in her life, she pursues her older neighbor, a professor and patron at the bar where she works after her ballet classes. Sweet depictions of interesting characters who, though quite awkward, make up for it with honesty and earnestness. Same author as Butter! (another manga with dance involved—but ballroom instead) but this one definitely has a more mature angle (its Josei).

Mairimashita! Iruma-kun: A disadvantaged boy is sold by his parents to a demon for a pact. However, the demon wants to treat him as his grandson and send him to demon school. There, he makes new friends and succeeds with his unique human qualities. LOVE this, i immediately adored the concept and it’s loads of fun to read.

Majo to Neko no Hanashi: The stories of young witches who, upon turning thirteen, receive a cat and life companion who will help them find their way as witches. Delightful and SWEET.

Melancholia: Named for the asteroid that is coming ever closer to the earth and will decimate all humans living on it, this series of one shots examines the people (and non-people) living on Earth and what they choose to do in their final days. Lot of sweet stories and some strange and unsettling ones, with an unconventional view on impending doom. WARNING for pedophilia in second chapter.

Munakata Kyouju Ikouroku: Episodic chronicles of a professor who specializes in the history of iron, in Japan. Each chapter theorizes about the tangential connections between ancient stories and historical events, ultimately creating a whole new way of viewing not only history but also the modern day. Deals heavily with history so might be confusing if you don’t have any prior knowledge about like, Buddhism or Japanese history. Definitely would recommend having Wikipedia open. The main character also has the best look going on lol, definitely my type of character. But overall love the art and stories and how good it feels to know that you’re learning as you read.

Nekomata: A police officer who can also see nekomata, the spirits who observe the daily lives of the people that live in the houses they watch over.

Psychometrer/Psychometrer Eiji: The first is a rewrite of the second series. I found psychometrer eiji through the rewrite and was really really intrigued. The series are about a delinquent high schooler with the ability to touch objects and people and see select memories of where they have been. His power is discovered by a police officer who has him use his powers to assist her in her cases. I love the premise and the characters, although it often veers very typical shounen with like... boobies and panties and damsels in distress. I also like that the mysteries span several chapters and aren’t wrapped up in two or three chapters. Good amount of violence and blood, but not gratuitous imo. And pro tip: skip the chapters with the weird cop fetishist. not funny.

Seirei no Moribito: HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS. Like really, BIG recommend. This series centers on a woman working as a bodyguard who, by chance, saves the prince of the country she is traveling through. The prince has been possessed by the spirit of a water demon and the emperor and his associates have been attempting to assassinate the boy; however, this female bodyguard is hired by the empress to guard him and escape from the palace. When she does, she begins a journey fighting against palace hunters, supernatural beings, and more, all to protect the prince who carries something of great importance. The world building is super interesting and comes together piece by piece—from the two moons in the sky and the two worlds that exist side by side, everything is well thought out and executed beautifully. Also well written woman!!!! i’m in love w her..

Shounenshoujo Ryouryuuki: The stories of troubled teens that rely on fantastical and strange elements. The episodic stories join at the end and cleanly complete the series in a very satisfying and thought provoking way.

[docholligay]

princessofapples replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

The little saying, "blood is thicker than water"- people get that wrong. "Blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." In a way, Rei already has her children. Her bar. Haruka and Mako. She may not have blood children, her water of the womb, but she certainly has her blood, her covenant, and her love for them is apparent, and she's no less motherly, queenly for it. And there's no doubt she can win.

EXACTLY. She had the things she needs to nurture and grow already with her bar and her idiot staff, which she will turn into adults whether they like it or not.

More replies below the cut--I could hot have predicted this would be one people would love but I’m so pleased!!

princessofapples replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

Of course, I also loved the past present and future line. But there was something that jumped out at me- Rei is drawn up as a queen, and we certainly always do tend to see Rei presented, perhaps, a little royally. She's commanding, haughty, intense, beautiful, elegant (?), in control. But in a way, Rei seems to me in this, more like a mother. Which is an interesting thought, given what Senator Hino says to her- "you, with a child."

A queen not only rules her kindgom but guides it and helps it grow, when a queen is good, and Rei, for all her faults, I would say is a good queen

yamadara87 replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

Your gift with character voices is never more evident then when you write these AUs. No matter what the setting, how you have each character speak is so well defined. This was fun and not only a great showcase for Rei, but also for Mako. Look forward to more of this AU.

Thank you! Jet requested this literally two years after I wrote it the first time aahah

skylineofspace replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

This was great, I'd absolutely love to see more from this setting. It's amazing how well you've built the foundation for this AU, it feels like a place that could really exist somewhere.

Thank you!! 

sailorsunspot replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

Rei cares in such a practical way. “Shut up and better yourself I DONT CARE”

“YOU ARE AN IDIOT ALSO I PACKED YOU A HEALTHY LUNCH” 

sailorsunspot replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

ALSO AGHHHHH MINA’s last call isso perfect i am SUCH A SLUT for a good AU my god

Mina’s sassy hot takes are literally my favorite part of writing her--she’s a character I can border on overclever dialogue with because she is so intelligent and quick. 

sailorsunspot replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

My fave line was about how “some knew the past, they all knew the present, but nobody knew the future”. Out was such a nice bit of description that flavoured the piece

Thank you!!

sailorsunspot replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

THIS WAS SO GOOD. Not to have feelings, butive been having a lot of weird dad things recently, and i felt a sort ofrighteous vindication in this. I loved how this was portrayed, i love how this was presented, i love it!

THANKS YOU a lot of people gave me a version of this comment, some off the fic itself, so I’m super glad it resonated with so many people! 

dancinginredshoes replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

Oh my perfect Mina <3 never ever ever change

She’s so beautiful and terrible

skylineofspace replied to your post “So a bunch of you asked for the Bar AU, which is officially I guess...”

This is a great piece, both hilarious and building a fantastic sense of depth to the world; it's always fascinating to watch you take these characters and rebuild them in different circumstances, so that we can see what really makes them tick

Thank you, it’s REALLY HARD. Any Au that sufficiently far from canon is basically an original story using stock characters we know, so it’s important to me to TRY and pull “what would they all be like if they were never senshi? what else might they do?” and pull it through whatever I have them do. 

tymp3st replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

Rei being the unquestioned queen of her realm is glorious, I fully support future senator Hino. Even more so the character interactions are, as always, super enjoyable.

Thank you!!

pouncequick replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

I love this. I love the way you write Rei and her father, I love Mako working to make sense of everything (or deciding it's not worth it), I love Rei stabbing Mina with a cocktail fork, I love Rei organizing everyone's lives for them in just her own way, and I am here for seeing Rei run against her father someday.

THANK YOU

madegeeky replied to your post “Happy Father’s Day, Senator Hino!”

This was beautiful and amazing and I love it.

Thank you so much!!

[clickbliss]

Yakuza 6 makes Kamurocho feel like a new playground once again

by Amr (@siegarettes)

Yakuza 6

Developer- SEGA

Publisher- SEGA

PS4

Becoming familiar with the Yakuza series means becoming familiar with Kamurocho, the bustling entertainment district that the series calls home. And like Kiryu Kazuma I’ve come to accept that Kamurocho is a place I can’t escape, but also a home of sorts. The are others cities, each with their own character and charm, but the heart of Yakuza has always been Kamurocho. So I’m pleased to see that Yakuza 6 has once again brought new life to this city. 

Yakuza 6 feels firmly modern. Not only in its facsimile of its Tokyo tourist town, but in the basic feeling of moment to moment play. There’s still plenty of the old spirit of PS2 RPGs around, but the world is much less segmented, and full of small touches that make it feel more alive. After playing so many of Yakuza games it feels deeply bizarre to walk up to a door and walk right through it rather than see a loading screen. Despite that it still feels philosophically aligned with the approach of the old games, with its architecture still firmly rooted in communicating a sense of city above all else. 

In other open world games the world often feels like a delivery vehicle for endless activities. No space exists without providing some gameplay benefit. And while there’s plenty of side quests, collectibles, and mini-games in Yakuza 6, there’s also spaces that just exist. Rooftops gardens, offices, interconnected buildings, cafes and establishments that people clearly hang out it, but can’t be interacted with because Kiryu clearly doesn’t feel like he has business there. This extends to new details like the working vending machines. They technically provide some benefit, but they feel more like they’re there because wouldn’t it be cool if you could not only see every individual drink but buy them too? And you know, it definitely is.

On top of that it’s finally possible to explore in first person. It feels fantastic, both because it let me get a much better look at the people and places of the game, and because the narrow streets can often feel cramped when walking around in Kiryu’s absurdly wide frame. Kiryu still has the same stumbling movement that often had me unintentionally walking into scenery, but the addition of physics to environmental objects makes it both easier to navigate and in a roundabout way kind of ends up adding to Kiryu’s characterization. Seeing signs, bikes, and furniture be launched out of the way, or straight up disintegrate in some cases, upon coming into contact with Kiryu, really solidifies him as a foolish brick wall of a man in an endearing way. 

The seamless world also benefits the combat, allowing fights to spill from the streets into the interiors of convenience stores and cafes, and allowing you take on a lot more enemies at a time. To adjust for this Kiryu gains a few new moves. Most important are his ability to swing an enemy into the crowd around him, and a parry that’ll redirect enemy attacks. There’s also an Extreme Heat move that gives you access to new attacks and heat moves, and allows you to instantly pick up items in the world to bash people with, similar to the Beast style in Yakuza 0 and Kiwami. 

Like previous games, Kiryu isn’t exactly a graceful man, so fights often get messy and I was never able to have a clean fight. I’ve made peace with the fact that Kiryu is someone who’ll get through a brawl on sheer toughness and by chugging down health drinks. The new additions unfortunately exasperate some of the messier aspects of the combat, and make Heat moves and other techniques feel even more situational, meaning I saw a lot less of them. The Extreme Heat mode in particular ended up with me picking up items or burning my Heat meter when I didn’t want to, or on the wrong targets. 

The brawling still ends up being fun, and I spent a lot of nights looking for trouble and seeing what situations I could get into, but there was less for me to look forward to in terms of mastering combat. Instead it was the suite of new activities and side stories that picked up the slack, once again providing the drama and humor the series is known for. Once again, Yakuza managed to provide a satisfying playground with an endless momentum that no other series has quite matched. 

And it’s good that this playground feels so fresh because Yakuza 6′s core melodrama feels much weaker this time around. It’s concerned with the legacy of Kiryu, bringing in factions from his past and detailing the reverberations of his time with the Tojo Clan. These reverberations hit everyone from national crime organizations to his would be daughter, Haruka. And Yakuza 6 is keen to explore this range in attempts to answer questions about what a man’s legacy should be, and where Kiryu, a representative of the past, stands in a world run by fresh blood without concern for the old ways. 

Yakuza 6 never reaches the sprawling absurdity that gave Yakuza 5 its momentum, nor does it feel as tightly woven as the intrigue of Yakuza 0. It keeps its focus contained to a small number of locations, but spreads itself too thin by introducing too many factions and doing little with them in an attempt to reckon with the impact of Kiryu’s life, and in some ways, the history of the series itself. The core cast is still a joy to hang out with, but the plot relies too much on stringing Kiryu along and forcing him into reluctant situations, even more than the series usually does. 

The series’ conservative streak once again drags it down as well. While it never reaches the pitiable depths that other entries do, Yakuza 6 once again sidelines all its women in its reckoning with its ideas of masculine responsibility, and dips back into the well of xenophobia for its depictions of the Koreans and Chinese. While entries like Yakuza 0 feel far more egregious in terms of their most exploitative scenes, they also manage to create strong characterization and sympathy in ways that Yakuza 6 doesn’t. Again, it’s not ruinous, but it is hollow in a way that stands in contrast to how vibrant other parts of the game feel. 

Even with these problems, Yakuza 6 still manages to feel perpetually compelling. There’s something about the way the game threads together substories, side activities and absurd story revelations that keeps the pacing from dragging down. Every time I played it I found myself swept away, managing to play longer than I thought I would so I could see the next story beat or fit in a few more brawls or substories. Yakuza 6′s world and characters remain charming, and there are few pleasures like being able to see them again one last time. 

[dizzydennis]

Cheer Dan: An In-Depth Review

Cheer Dan is based on the true story of the cheerleading club from Fukui Commercial High School. The question that still stands is whether or not the audience will cheer for Cheer Dan.

From the opening moment of the film, a kinetic and fun energy is on display. It hit with a sense of reassurance that, if nothing else, this film was going to be lively. Initially, I didn’t know that the director was Hayato Kawai. He recently directed the live action Ore Monogatari!! and Hello! Project’s television drama, Suugaku Joshi Gakuen. After realizing this fact, it’s obvious why Cheer Dan was just so cheeky and fun. The film has style and personality and it isn’t afraid to show it!

The plot is rather simple in concept. A Japanese cheer dance high school team aim to participate in a big dance competition in America. However, the club is a shambles and they have to start from square one. One extremely optimistic girl works to keep the team together through the many obstacles they face as well as their strict coach.

The main star of this film is Hirose Suzu as Tomonaga Hikari. Being fresh off the heels of continuous successes like Chihayafuru and Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso; it isn’t a surprise as to why she was chosen. I first became a fan of Hirose when I went to see Chihayafuru in March of 2016. There is a reason she is one of the most popular actresses in Japan today. She brings her all to every performance and Cheer Dan is no different. She plays a bubbly, positive girl, but it never is blown up into ridiculous proportions. She’s still human and in a very likeable way, she often gets angry at being told what to do and how to act. When the drama gets heavy, Hirose also taps into emotion extremely well. Hikari is a well rounded character and one I think that anybody can latch onto. She’s different from Hirose’s previous characters, but still contains that fun air that made her previous roles so attractive. She continues to wow me with her presence and talent. Undoubtedly, she has earned her spot as Japan’s current biggest star.

The side cast members are no slouches either. Much to my chagrin, the entire team is actually pretty well characterized. Notable is Nakajo Ayami who plays the team captain, Tamaki Ayano. She balances the struggles of a leader with the pressures to do well and appease her friends. Yamazaki Hirona has a great screen presence as well. Her foreboding, loner attitude makes her interesting and distinct. Tomiya Miu and Fukuhara Haruka also do a good job playing the more comedic members of the team. Most importantly, when the film needs to slow down for an emotional blow, these many actresses are able to completely and appropriately adapt to whatever the scene is asking for them.

A team is only as good as their coach and the popular veteran actress Amami Yuki commands the role of Saotome Kaoruko. I had not previously seen anything that Amami was in, but I must admit that I wish I was more well versed in her previous roles. She does an outstanding job as the cold-blooded coach. At first, she may seem overly strict, but the film does a wonderful job fleshing many aspects of her character. Amami is older than most of the other actors here, but she channels that sort of dynamic and uses it to be a very intriguing mentor.

To finish up on the cast, there is Mackenyu as Yamashita Kosuke. A first, he comes across as the pretty boy that Hikari is swooning over. However, he actually has layers to himself. His character, while definitely serving as a teenage heartthrob, actually has his own side plot to the main film. He’s fleshed out, but only just. Nevertheless, from what we do see of him, he acts as a great supporting character. There could be more to him, but it’s not his story. I must add that this is one very attractive man! Upon seeing this movie, you’d be hard-pressed to not understand why he’s been rising in popularity.

               As mentioned earlier, the plot is rather simplistic. However, the characters and emotion within the story really raise this movie to a higher level. Director Kawai did a great job balancing humor and drama. There are some laugh-out-loud moments; whether it be Hikari’s rash comments, Amami’s hilarious delivery, or just how pitifully terrible some of the cheer dancers are. The film has a lot to laugh at. On the flip-side, there is a lot to get emotional about too. The story, at its core, is about people believing in themselves and their friends to accomplish their dreams. Yet again, it’s simplistic. However, within that simplicity are layers of genius. The characters and their obstacles are so well realized that relating to their struggles can be easy for anybody. When characters succeed or even when they fail, you feel invested in their struggle. I am happy to say that this film had me in tears from being overjoyed with the triumphs of our heroes.

               No film is perfect, of course. Cheer Dan is no different. I would like to start this by saying that despite the negatives that appear in this film, it doesn’t ruin your experience of it. That being said, part of this film takes place in America. It’s fantastic that they actually filmed in California, but even so you don’t get a huge sense that they are outside of Japan. This is because most of the scenes in the USA take place at a beachfront hotel or in the arena for the dance competition. Still, it is nice that these are the actual locations where the real events took place.

               Also, being in America means you’re going to have American characters as well. Cheer Dan can add itself to the list of Japanese productions where the American actors are just plain awful! There aren’t many Americans featured in the film, but of the three main ones, they are all cringe worthy. The first is a dance rival who can’t seem to stop making her face look like a cartoon character who is so overly gleeful that it’s disturbing. There are also two American commentators who sound like something out of an English textbook rather than real announcers. Their delivery is so bad and forced that it sounds completely unnatural. I don’t know if Japanese audiences will pick up on this, but it was extremely bad and noticeable for me. The biggest crime is that these three characters are prominently featured in the films climax.

               Another problem that is a bit minor was the pacing. Overall, it’s actually very good. The film is just over two hours long, but it doesn’t feel too short or that it overstays its welcome. However, there are a few key moments, obstacles, and even entire dance routines that the girls go through that seem to happen at an extremely fast pace. I say this is a minor gripe because as I was watching the film, I felt these moments finished too quickly, but I also couldn’t think of any way that the film could improve on this. This movie will make you wait a little bit to see a full dance routine, but the payoff is absolutely worth it.

               Overall, Cheer Dan was a huge delight for me. The film was full of interesting and dynamic characters, an emotional plot, and great bits of humor. Moreover, the dance routines were fantastic as the actresses really went through training to do them in camera. I watched because I was a huge Hirose Suzu fan and the trailers just seemed very charming and touching. I am extremely happy to say that Cheer Dan took all of my expectations and blew them away. This is one of the most positive and touching films I have seen in a long time! I left feeling overwhelmingly happy and I can’t wait to see it again.