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If you're like me and if you've been following The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio then you probably, at least in one, enjoy an adversarial relationship. It's my not-so-guilty pleasure to watch the bickering and sniping of a few characters who clearly can't stand each other but also can't get out of each other's heads. Maybe they'll finally realize that these heated arguments were just flying sparks and turn that chemistry into a real, passionate romantic relationship. Until then, their harmony with each other consisted of many aspects. In this case, there are many aspects to a radio show with voice actors. Hence the title.
The working relationship between Yasumi and Yuhi (I'll call them by their working names, for the sake of simplicity) is not only a central feature of this series, but also a defining one. The duo's effective animosity manifests both on and off the mic, enhanced by many of the aspects promised in the title. When waiting for filming or just socializing at school, Yasumi and Yuhi talk briefly and sharply to each other. When it's time to go professional, they do so, but with a layered tone to their voice performances, delivering their lines through gritted teeth.
That's all, shouldn't put too many points on it, my extreme bad. Of the two main characters, Yasumi is the lead—the point where viewers follow everything. She's a super cool gyaru, so go ahead and guess why I immediately liked her. Yasumi's straightforward personality contrasts as she gets to know Yuhi, those interactions peeling back the layers of their personalities and relationship. Those are some pretty straightforward subversive changes to the characters: Yasumi has a kind, noble personality that you might not expect from a boisterous gyaru, while Yuhi comes across as the demure type. elegant and sophisticated but can be quite blunt and harsh when interacting with characters. others. But Yuhi's directness also manifests itself in her compulsive honesty, which contradicts her need to “act” as an actress and performer, and forces her to praise her skills. against her archenemy even when she really, really might not want to.
The voice actor station is certainly aware of the cunning of the Japanese entertainment industry. It still doesn't quite get into Oshi no Ko territory—hell, it doesn't even include the grinding of the main performers like in Girlish Number (which is a shame, I would have loved to see Yasumi and Yuhi with their toxicity increasing even further). However, it's not sugarcoating either. That's evidenced by things like Yasumi's admission about the ticking clock on her career, or the girls' senpai Otome's unexpected stumble in the second episode. The latter ends with the main characters grappling with aspects of imposter syndrome, ending with them resolving to strive for greater things to make up for their disappointing idol performances. hope. This is disappointing because the anime can't sell that kind of dramatic feeling properly.
As interesting as the premise and the main characters that power it are, the reality is that Voice Actor Radio's production has so far been disappointing. The character models look cheap and crude, and the energy is very weak regardless of whether it's trying to convey optimism or melancholy. A better show would have been able to clearly convey the disappointing sense of dissonance in the idol's performance in the second episode, but this wasn't that show. Instead, the anime has to use narration and dialogue from the characters to tell you that everything feels this way and this isn't the only time. Just stating the premise of the series becomes one of those frustrating instances where you can't ignore it once you notice it. Characters will frequently describe what their current character is, just in case viewers forget. That's all the more aggravating because it takes away from the sharp nuances required to create a work of character like this, while also drawing attention to the visual and directorial shortcomings needed there is that.
There are achievements to enjoy here. The voice acting of Yasumi and Yuhi, provided by Miku Itō and Moe Toyota respectively, shines as it should in a show like this. They reflect the class of performers in the universe, especially impressive when they go into “voice” mode in the series. Their dissonant facial expressions during the broadcast are a joke that I hope will never get old. And it's not like the anime doesn't have some exposition. The opening of the second episode in which Yasumi's mother prepares breakfast while listening to the radio program is cleverly structured, especially the sound arrangement. The anime even puts a lot of effort into animating the idol's performance at the end of the second episode, which is ironic considering it was intended to be filler.
If Voice Actor Radio can find an aspect of itself that works within its limitations while also taking advantage of its strengths, this could be as exciting a time as I expected from the promising premise its. The second episode threw the characters and the audience into the deep end, and if the OP is any indication, there's more to this story. I hope to like it, as long as the characters can focus on talking about themselves and their extremely toxic relationship with each other, and not focus on clearly portraying their point of view. movie.
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The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Chris' many sides include rewatching anime, playing rhythm games, and treating himself to way too many Transformers toys. You can find him posting about all of this and more above Twitter or occasionally dig deeper on the blog.
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.