Seiyuu Radio no Uraomote

Experienced voice actor Yasumi Utatane works hard to maintain her image as a pure and innocent idol to please her fans, even as she struggles to find more jobs in the industry. But Yasumi has a secret—she is actually Yumiko Satou, a high school girl who prefers loose clothes and flashy jewelry, a complete contradiction to her false professional persona.

As Yasumi, Yumiko is finally offered an exciting opportunity to do a radio program alongside another up-and-coming voice actor she admires: Yuuhi Yuugure. In Yumiko’s eyes, Yuuhi’s cute looks and talented acting embody what a voice actor should be. As soon as they are introduced at the recording studio, however, Yumiko realizes that Yuuhi is actually her gloomy classmate, Chika Watanabe. Together, the pair commit to their radio program and slowly begin to open up. In supporting each other, Yumikoi and Chika gradually learn to be true to themselves.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Satou, Yumiko Main

Itou, Miku Japanese

Watanabe, Chika Main

Toyota, Moe Japanese

Asaka, Mirei Supporting

Fukuen, Misato Japanese

Sakuranamiki, Otome Supporting

Hasegawa, Ikumi Japanese

Yubisaki, Mekuru Supporting

Touyama, Nao Japanese

Sugishita Supporting

Kawashima, Tokuyoshi Japanese

Kashima Supporting

Satou, Haruo Japanese

Hoshizora, Mikami Supporting

Iguchi, Yuka Japanese

Ono, Mari Supporting

Endou, Aya Japanese

Mori, Kaori Supporting

Kuwashima, Houko Japanese

Nishimae, Shuka Producer

Ozawa, Fumihiro Producer

Ogasawara, Yuki Producer

Anami, Hiroshi Producer

Reviews

Jun 26, 2024

Marinate1016

Recommended

In a season full of great Yuri anime, seiyuu radio went under the radar, but this was one of the best shows of the season and gives one of the most interesting looks into the Japanese entertainment industry. With two great leads, some cool cultural analysis and Yuri undertones, I was hooked from the first episode and my only regret is there’s only 12 episodes!

In the last couple of years we’ve had a few shows that take deep dives into Japan’s entertainment industry and how messed up it can be for talents, but we’ve never had one that focused on the seiyuu side of ... things. While they may not be as well known in the west as singers or idols, seiyuu are a big deal in Japan and often have cult like followings. The voices behind our favourite characters frequently end up becoming big parts of our lives, but what happens when people take that admiration too far? Stalking, doxxing, harassing, etc., all just some examples of the things Japanese celebs deal with due to the industry’s encouragement of Parasocial relationships. Seiyuu radio follows two young budding voice acting stars who seek to break free from the personas they’ve had to play for years as part of their jobs, and deal with abuse and pressure from fans. It’s a bit melodramatic at times, but overall I thought the story was very timely given the current state of the Japanese entertainment industry and the fact we just had Oshi no Ko last year and will have season 2 next season. A lot of people think of their idols as these larger than life figures, but they’re people just like you and me, and this show does a great job of showing how toxic this industry can be towards them.

Story wise, I really liked Seiyuu radio’s subject matter. Yasumi and Yuhi go from being enemies to friends and rivals who push each other to be better seiyuu and people. The show handles some dark, but sadly real concepts like fans accusing actors of sleeping with directors for roles, depression, stalking, doxxing, etc. It sucks to say, but the more successful you become, the more people will say horrible things about you to bring themselves up. When you’re a teenaged girl already going through the struggles of adolescence, that just compounds things. I think the way the obstacles the girls face are written really makes their growth and development by the end that much more satisfying. It really does feel like Yasumi and Yuhi have evolved as people and actors by the end. I also really enjoyed seeing the girls break free of the mould they’d established for themselves. A lot of your favourite Kpop idols or Japanese celebs are basically playing a character that’s been created by their agency. That gets EXHAUSTING to do day after day. Yea, you’re getting paid, but where’s the fun in that if you can’t be yourself. It’s better to fail staying true to who you are than to succeed being fake.

This show also opened my eyes to how difficult voice acting can be just as a profession. We hear the final result in our favourite series, but there’s so much work that goes on behind the scenes to bring characters to life. The energy that seiyuu bring to their roles can’t be overstated. The multiple takes, reshoots.. it’s a lot, and while I knew seiyuu go to specialty schools and stuff, I did not have this level of appreciation for the craft prior to the final arc of Seiyuu radio.

Of course we can’t talk about one of the best Yuri shows this season without mentioning the Yuri, so how is it? It’s definitely subtle, so if you expected Wataoshi or Watayuri levels of gay you’ll be disappointed. That said, it’s definitely there if you understand Japanese social context and cues, and what’s cool is that it’s not rushed like some Yuri *cough cough*.. sasakoi.. so it makes their eventual romantic development that much more satisfying. It’s clear they both care for each other deeply and respect one another. Seeing the other as their motivation for improving at their craft. Perfectly paced in my opinion.

Seiyuu Radio was a great watch for me, save one mini arc, it was nonstop great episodes and I enjoyed every moment of it. Yasumi is a waifu of the season candidate and one of my fave gyaru, and Yuhi is a proud and fierce competitor who brought the perfect amount of spice to the story. I’ll miss them. If you like cute girls trying to chase their dreams and overcoming adversity or just want some new Yuri, you won’t regret watching this one.

Seiyuu radio gets 9, out of 10

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Jun 26, 2024

KANLen09

Mixed Feelings

Well-written

The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio - It's Shirobako, but more in-depth in the area of voice acting.

Look, I'm not going to harp on the same crisis all over again, each and every time: the anime industry is a workplace that is not for the faint-hearted. From scheduling issues to behind-the-scenes circumstances and the like that always cause anime to falter within a very tight deadline, there're always certain expectations that the staff team involved has to do in order to make the products that they pump out, relative successes. It's the same for the VA industry, where talent is either quickly being raised ... to new heights, or dropped to pure hiatuses, cherry-picking the best or the finest and drying out those who fail to adapt fast to the daily concurrent changes. And this season, more than the inspiration that is Shirobako, novelist Kou Nigatsu's Seiyuu Radio no Uraomote a.k.a The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio, is a somewhat in-depth look right into the VA side of Japan's entertainment industry showbiz, and how it's operated through various mediums like radio and TV.

This is the story (plot?) of the tumultuous relationship of two girls: Yasumi Utatane and Yuhi Yugure, two unique public personalities who've racked up their own fans and audience enough to earn themselves a following. That is, once they meet up to co-host a high school-themed radio programme together, they may seem to get along on the surface, but nothing can be further from the truth that their private personalities just seem to clash very badly. And as if things couldn't get any worse, both girls, with their respective real names of the extroverted gal Yumiko Sato and the introverted Chika Watanabe, are classmates within the same school, thus putting them in the heated spotlight if circumstances happen that will jeopardize their safety and reputation. A growing journey in unforgiveness, teaching both girls what it means to be a true VA who only looks forward and never looks back in progression.

The age-old saying "opposites attract" is always true, which can be said about both girls in general, especially in a rather cutthroat industry where it leaves no one behind if one falters too much and doesn't improve at a breakneck speed. The complications and complexities of being a VA, wherever he or she comes from, are one of the most demanding careers, and you really have to give credit to the real-life VAs who bring you some of the most iconic sounding moments in anime, and this show is a glimpse into that aspect of the industry (e.g. Bocchi the Rock!'s Kessoku Band VAs would be a great example of this).

But back to Seiyuu Radio, the rocky affair between both Yumiko and Chika is only one of the few imitated real-life situations of an extreme case of a love-hate relationship, though it really is implied that both have a kind of pseudo-Yuri kind of connection (which I honestly don't understand why, but it seems like author Kou Nigatsu is REALLY pushing them as a "girls' love" couple) that IMO does kind of break the flow between the "budding" rapport of the two. And since we're talking about a part of the anime industry, the VA showbiz is extremely vulnerable if one frays off the "friendship circle," as we see both girls navigate the surrealism of what the industry entails in both its sunshine and darkness moments that isn't all forgiving to everyone involved, such as today's cancel culture and doxxing. Together with the supporting veterans, the likes of even more popular people like Otome Sakuranamiki and Mekuru Yubisaki, both Yumiko and Chika don't have the road ahead of them trying to learn and be skilled as quick as possible, being rookies in their own right, as compared to those who had more experience than them. Growth is essential, and rightfully so in an industry where you're chosen for potential talent and booted immediately if you are not on the same wavelength as everyone else.

Alas, everything else about the show is just mediocrity here and there. Headed by Silver Link's subsidiary studio Connect and directed by DanMachi director Hideki Tachibana, Seiyuu Radio only has one thing going for it: making sure that the anime captures the soul of the LN to a degree, and that degree is rather passable at best. It's neither the most exciting nor the best-looking show, but it's certainly far from being the worst thing ever.

The same goes to the music, for which I thought that Miku Itou and Moe Toyota (the VAs for both Yumiko and Chika, respectively) did a decent job helming the theme songs. But it's just plain forgettable at best.

Let's be real: while Seiyuu Radio no Uraomote a.k.a The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio, may be no Shirobako, it's at least a decent look into what goes into not just anime productions, but also the other segments of which radio is interconnected by to give a better idea of what VAs do on a daily basis, more than just voicing anime characters for one. And as informative as this show is, it's a niche show for a certain audience, so much so that I'd advise for and/or against those who are interested in knowing about how voice acting is conducted.

It's not a bad show, but more could be done better than just taking irrelevant (or rather, bait-worthy) tropes and throwing them in just for spicy melodrama.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jul 19, 2024

Akoshun

Not Recommended

Story: The story is about two girls who host a radio show and tried to take it in a yuri direction. The problem is that it didn't work. Despite feeling the chemistry between the two characters at times, they always manage to mess it up. There wasn't a single kiss throughout the entire anime, but we did get a bath scene which was not only tasteless but also pulled me out of the otherwise calm but boring scenes. This is not how you make a yuri anime, but if that wasn't the goal, then why include it? 4/10

Sounds: The opening and ending weren't bad. They ... had this cute vibe. The voice acting wasn't totally bad either, but it was missing something for me. 6/10

Characters: Yes, the characters... The main characters weren't bad, but the rest we should just leave alone. Yuuhi was my favorite character and maybe the only tolerable one. 3/10

Animations: The animation was good. The whole thing was a bit of a color orgasm, but it was fine. I can't add much more to this.

In summary: So this anime is boring and not a good yuri. In vain feeling the chemistry between the two, if they don't do anything with it and just include a bath scene as fan service, I don't recommend it!

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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