SEIYUU LOUNGE

Music reviewing is not easy but, by the end of the day, its complexity is complemented by the fun you can have reviewing music itself. And this is why I love reviewing music (Also, I geek a lot about music itself so it was bound to happen 😂). I've been doing this for 14 years (since 2010) and almost since the start I've focused on showcasing the good and the "bad" in music from a constructive lens. In this episode - an offcut from the November 2023 episode of MONTHLY REVIEW, I talk more about how I approach music to review, what has helped me instantly notice things in the compositions, how stories will resonate with me when I've never listened to drama tracks or know about a project's lore, why active listening is essential (and how it can be trained) as well as how I deal with fanbase "gatekeepers"/people complaining me not having the same opinion as theirs. (Hint: opinions are subjective so...) I hope this behind-the-scenes look at how I review music is interesting. Feel free to leave any questions you may have about this! And remember, negative comments, personal attacks, and the sort earn you what? A ban. This is a place for positivity and constructive feedback. It's okay not to enjoy someone else's content/way of work. But it's not okay to be toxic.

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Kent Ito’s “Hanabi” arrived in 2023 to share with us all top-quality quality citypop music with awesome vibes.

Ito’s music feels cozy and warm at all times while being really serious about its quality and performances.

This EP has the perfect balance between a quality singer wanting to create music - that not only is unique and stylish but that also entertains his fans in unexpected ways.

There is nostalgia but also a happy, warm feeling coming off from his music, and that, I believe, makes him unique in the seiyuu artist’s landscape.

In this unscripted episode, you and I dive into Kent Ito's mesmerizing 1st EP "Hanabi".

Every year in December, I create videos for the REVIEW ADVENT CALENDAR. This is a full-on production that spans months of preparation and production.

It is a lot of fun to create these videos however it takes a whole lot of work.

And in this episode, to reply to regular commenter and viewer Milana161, I bring you an episode all about the behind-the-scenes at THTFHQ as to this specific feature.

Also, I share some productivity tips with you, especially if you want to become a content creator (without a team around you).

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An album that arrived as a parting gift for their fans, GENESIS' "Storm of Vengeance" is a hidden gem.

This album, featuring songs by all members of GENESIS - with vocals by Makoto Furukawa, Soma Saito, Daisuke Hirakawa, Kenichi Suzumura, and Daiki Yamashita - impresses from the very start with their incisive rock, pop and R&B music.

In this unscripted episode, you and I revisit this amazing album and reminisce on Yumeiro Cast and how awesome everything about it was.

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In January 2024, Shoya Chiba made his solo debut with the 1st EP "Blessing" and what followed was one of the most impressive solo debuts in the past 10 years.

Chiba set a new standard for male seiyuu solo debuts by releasing a 1st EP that sounds like a sophomore or even a 3rd or 4th album.

At the same time, his charisma and confidence show throughout the most complex of performances, making him sound like a veteran artist from the start.

This and more reflections in this non-scripted episode of SEIYUU LOUNGE.

Loulou*di didn't shy from showcasing their versatility, quality, and insanely talented lineup in "Univers".

This debut album arrived smoothly and left a trail of destruction in its wake.

It is intelligent, intense, addictive, all in the right measures.

The group has the perfect sound and vocals marriage, with Takeshi Hama exclusively in charge of the group's music + the outstanding lineup of Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Daiki Yamashita and Shunsuke Takeuchi.

This was a sleeper hit in 2020 but at the same time an album that set Loulou*di on a unique path of storytelling through nightmarish soundscapes that are as dark and solemn as you can get.

In this unscripted episode, you and I will revisit - or visit, if it is your first time - this outstanding album.

Full album review 👉 https://www.handthatfeedshq.com/louloudi-univers-review/

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What can we expect in 2024? Are we going to get comebacks from some of the biggest names among male seiyuu artists?

What are 2D music projects going to focus on after a 2023 focused on growth?

In this episode, a reply to a question made by SaVannaWritesPNG on MONTHLY REVIEW's December 2023 - January 2024 episode.

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Trignal's Ironna Katachi arrived late in 2023 after a 5 year hiatus by the group to focus on Tsubasa Yonaga's recovery from Dysphonia.

And what this talented trio - with vocals by Ryohei Kimura, Tsubasa Yonaga and Takuya Eguchi - pulled off in this mini-album is unreal.

"Ironna Katachi" is a highlight reel that finally nailed something that was missing in Trignal's repertoire: music tailored to the singing skills of its members.

Listen and watch this episode - featuring an off-the-cuff video recording not used fully in the November episode of MONTHLY REVIEW - and check my opinions about this mini-album just one day after I had reviewed it.

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Awesome nominees, amazing music that kept on pushing the boundaries of quality and technicality for seiyuu artists and 2D groups. Memorable performances and outstanding CD releases.

It’s time to check the winners - as voted by you - at THTFHQ AWARDS 2023.

What will 2024 have in store for male seiyuu artists and 2D group fans? What can or may we have happening throughout the year?

Do you have any expectations? Anyone you’d love to make a solo debut or just release new music because it’s been a while since they last did?

Well, this is the episode in which you and I dive into a couple of expectations for male seiyuu artists and 2D music projects for 2024 and check if any of my predictions for 2023 actually came true or not.

Previous predictions:

They continue to improve as time passes. Their singing. Their rapping. Their creativity. Their storytelling.

And in 2023 they weren’t strangers to delivering the best of the best to their fans be it in their solo careers, bands, seiyuu units, or even in the 2D music projects they are a part of.

This is an episode to talk about the 12 male seiyuu that impressed me in 2023.

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2023 is already behind us but it is still far from being talked about.

After talking about the best songs and albums by male seiyuu and 2D music projects released last year, it’s time to cover the albums that I feel were completely overlooked yet, they are awesome and deserve all your love and attention.

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Iconic experiences, epic comebacks, important celebrations and uniquely crafted music in a wide variety of music genres and with a quality that left us all wanting more.

It’s the time to celebrate the best albums by 2D groups and seiyuu artists released in 2023 and decide which is the album of the year, at least, in my opinion.

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Exciting, heartwrenching, alluring or solemn. Songs that connect with listeners from the moment they press play. Songs that left a mark in 2023. 

In this episode, let's celebrate some of the best songs released by 2D groups and male seiyuu artists in 2023 according to me after reviewing 120 CDs by male seiyuu artists, bands, units, and 2D groups and rap crews.

When it comes to the live shows, male seiyuu artists and 2D music projects were quite active in 2023, concept series and CDs were starting to become a trend, and there were plenty of veteran seiyuu making a comeback after years away from the spotlight.

In this episode, you and I are going to revisit some of those things and notice how this year was, despite what it may seem like, quite an awesome year if you’re a fan of seiyuu artists and 2D groups.

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2023 may have been a quiet year, one in which there was neither a focus on innovation nor a focus on enhancing the quality of the already ongoing 2D music projects out there. Still, there were a couple of warriors that made their way through in a year to forget.

At the same time, there were, indeed, some 2D music projects that started to fade away from the spotlight. Some announced hiatuses, others ended activities whereas others didn’t have any activity but also no official announcement of an end in sight.

In this episode, let’s cover both the highs and lows in 2D music projects in 2023, with a big focus on the newly launched 2D music projects.

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The end-year features kick off with this episode of SEIYUU LOUNGE! In this episode, you and I are going to cover the solo artist and 2D group debuts of 2023 and explore a bit why there was barely any activity this year when it came to, especially, 2D group and seiyuu units debuts.

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2023 was the very first year since 2014 in which less than five 2D music projects were launched. 

Given how we all got used to many 2D music projects launching per year, it sounds crazy to have so few launching in 2023.

It seems that after getting dozens of new projects per year since 2015 - to the point of oversaturation - things have started to slow down.

But why is that happening? 

What could be behind that? 

Do we have fewer seiyuu available to voice characters? 

Are projects getting more expensive? Are seiyuu actually charging more? 

Or are fans’ expectations higher than ever before?

Well, this episode is all about what was once a trend and is now declining quickly.

And I got answers for you in this episode!

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Extremely underrated yet surprising debut mini-album, Koutaro Nishiyama's “CITY” counts with a beautiful, loungy set of tunes that are made to bring a smile to your face. This mini-album channels the summer regardless of the season you are in. You can feel that late afternoon warmth, staring at the sea/beach while enjoying tasteful lounge music.

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Digital singles have become the latest trend for male seiyuu artists and 2D groups. However, most of the times, these songs make their way into the full CD releases down the road.

When a seiyuu artist or 2D group releases multiple digital singles leading up to an album and that album includes all those songs and barely any new, aren’t digital singles ruining the fun that should be reserved for full-length albums?

In this episode, let’s talk about what digital singles are, how important are they for an artist’s career, and how this trend both keeps seiyuu artists’ music alive but also removes all the novelty of their full-length albums.

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👉 Want to go the extra mile in supporting my work so that I can continue bringing you more about 2D music projects and male seiyuu artists?

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Nowadays, everywhere you look, a male seiyuu artist or 2D group is releasing digital singles. These are a small taste of what a seiyuu artist or 2D group has been doing, an intermission between big CDs. 

In this unscripted episode, let’s talk about digital singles and how some examples in 2023 may end up setting a weird trend down the line.

Shoya Chiba finally announced his solo debut with King Amusement Creative, set for the release of his 1st EP in January 2024.

This was long overdue but why am I saying this? Why do I consider Shoya Chiba to be the next big thing among male seiyuu artists? Time to analyze - and finally celebrate - this solo debut.

Get ready to dive deep into the art of voice acting auditions with an insight that might just turn your perceptions upside down! 

Join me as I uncover the secrets shared by Takaaki Saiki, a Manager at Amuleto, one of the voice acting talent agencies in Japan, in a seminar held in April 2023 in Japan titled "The Key to Passing a Voice Actor Audition: Trying Not to Act Too Well!?"

Although it easily goes under the radar for many fans of male seiyuu music, Shouta Aoi's "ECLIPSE" is a genuinely solid single. But in this episode, more than talking into deep detail about "ECLIPSE", I ended up going into a bit of detail into what is Shouta Aoi's best song to date, the 7-minute long, post-rock ballad, "I am".

This is an unscripted episode and trigger warning, "I am" is a song that tackles themes of mental health in there. If you feel emotionally fragile, I do not recommend you to listen to that song.

Shredding rock tunes, exciting pop anthems, groovy and funky music aplenty to light up the summer, emotional performances and some surprises.

The 3rd quarter was eventful so if you are thinking that there is no way you can keep up with everything, I am here to help you with a selection of must-listen CDs in various music genres by your favorite male seiyuu artists, units, bands and 2D groups.

Did you enjoy this episode? Consider ranking this podcast or leaving a review on your preferred podcast streaming platform!

👉 Want to go the extra mile in supporting my work so that I can continue bringing you more about 2D music projects and male seiyuu artists?

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Yuma Uchida's 2nd full-length album “Equal” is filled with highlights, plenty of jaw-dropping performances, and a lot of quality. This is the perfect sophomore album for him and one that raised the bar yet again for the talented R&B pop artist.

This is an unscripted episode all about Yuma Uchida's "equal".

2020 arrived and with it came Kashicomi's best mini-album to date, "Dusk". Overflowing with rock tunes, boasting technical, harmonious vocals (while showcasing the versatility of Shoya Chiba and Sho Nogami as singers) and delivering a set of emotional performances, "Dusk" set a really high bar for what is expected of a seiyuu unit.

While not particularly popular, this mini-album turned Kashicomi into one of the best seiyuu units ever.

This is an unscripted episode all about Kashicomi's "Dusk".

You and I are back to delve into the essence of the voice acting industry, guided by none other than Daisuke Namikawa. In this episode, we uncover the invaluable insights he shared during a special lecture held early in 2023 titled "Three Tips for Surviving in the Voice Acting Industry".

So, buckle up and get ready to unravel the secrets that lie within the heart of the seiyuu industry!

One of the most iconic CDs ever released by a 2D music group, TRIGGER's "REGALITY" arrived with a solid, heartwrenching, and relatable story that ended up propelling itself to #1 on Oricon's Weekly Albums chart.

With Soma Saito, Wataru Hatano and Takuya Sato leading the way in a set of outstanding performances, the CD marked the very first time a 2D group ever got #1 on Oricon's Weekly Albums chart, the most competitive chart in Japan.

This would also be the album to put TRIGGER on its throne as the best 2D music group.

This is an unscripted episode.

Superstar seiyuu, narrator, apparel designer, author, actor, YouTuber and former solo artist Yuki Kaji has shared in his book “Yuki Kaji Dialogues -en-” how is the seiyuu industry behind-the-scenes, lessons he learned, mistakes he made, how to get into voice acting, how much the voice acting industry has changed as well as special talk-style interviews with fellow seiyuu about those same changes.

So, in this episode, let’s check what Yuki Kaji feels about the changes that seiyuu have experienced and what fans now expect of them.

Easily regarded as one of the best albums to be released in the past 20 years by a male seiyuu artist, Soma Saito's "in bloom" is no stranger to accolades, positive reviews, and a whole lot of respect by fans, casual listeners and even the Japanese press.

In many ways, "in bloom", Saito's 2nd full-length album released in 2020, is dark, intense and deeply emotional. It feels like going on a journey and what a journey that is!

In this unscripted episode, I talk about this behemoth of an album and get into detail about some of the underlying feelings in it.

In 2020, Makoto Furukawa released his 1st full-length album and fans were not expecting just how amazing this two-act, cinematic album would be.

With most of the lyrics written by Furukawa and an interesting yet thought-provoking world created for you, the sound of classic, bebop, and swing jazz echoes, as Makoto Furukawa takes the stage to charismatically lead the way as its storyteller.

It is time to talk about what is one of the best CDs ever released by a male seiyuu artist: Makoto Furukawa's "from fairytale".

This is an unscripted episode.

Big dreams and ambitious concepts can make a 2D music project popular but quite frequently, the money invested in each project ends up determining which projects stay up and remain active and which disappear from the public eye.

But there is much more to it.

Let's dive into detail, creating 2 fictitious 2D music projects - one with 100.000€/$ and another with 1.000.000€/$ and see how those budgets impact the quality of a project and where we have to make concessions in order for it to be launched without debt. We will be saving money on one of them and overspending on the other.

Thank you, Grecia for inspiring this episode!

THTFHQ has been sharing news, reviews, and list articles in English about music performed by male seiyuu artists and 2D groups since 2010, catering to international fans.

SEIYUU LOUNGE covers the seiyuu industry with behind-the-scenes insights and historical facts since 2020. Perfect for male seiyuu fans.

To celebrate both milestones, I, your host, Vanessa, created a viewable episode:

• answering some of your questions,
• talking about dream matchups for rock performances (hear me out, Shoya Chiba and Arthur Lounsbery would be crazy, Makoto Furukawa and Yoshiki Nakajima as well!);
• why we all need more acapella-centric 2D music projects (or an R&B project),
• how joining Patreon or sending me a Ko-fi can help THTFHQ continue to create content,
• how I organize my day-to-day work - doing everything there is out there that says THTFHQ -
• as well as learn that, as a matter of fact, THTFHQ is unique even in Japan when it comes to...?

More on this in this almost 1 hour episode!

The single that opened the doors for 2D music projects to be taken seriously. The very 1st CD to chart at #1 on Oricon's Weekly Singles Chart.

An iconic CD with one of the most addictive pop tunes by a 2D idol group.

In this unscripted episode, I talk about QUARTET NIGHT's iconic CD "GOD's S.T.A.R".

Now considered a "classic" CD, "BREAK" was the start of an amazing journey filled with accolades and superstar status for Mamoru Miyano.

Overflowing with R&B tunes with an easy listening and groovy sound and already high-quality performances on the vocal end, this was the album that introduced me to male seiyuu music and, ultimately, without it, you wouldn't be listening to this podcast episode today.

In what is another entry of the corner "Let's talk about this CD", you and I talk about Mamoru Miyano's "BREAK".

This is an unscripted episode.

2023 may not have started as well as I expected but hey, it seems the 2nd quarter of the year brought some interesting CDs to the table.

Citypop, funk, and disco have had a big presence and as such, most of the music released in the 2nd quarter is incredibly groovy and danceable, in a way creating the perfect bridge to the summer season we are now in.

Let's talk about some of the highlights in this 2nd quarter of 2023.

How many times have you seen your favorite 2D music projects stopping activities, going on hiatuses or announcing their end?

I can safely say that I've seen that too many times with some of my favorite 2D music projects.

But why don't 2D music projects last longer?

An underrated gem, MEDICODE's self-titled debut CD "MEDICODE" continues to be one of the best showcases of what versatility as a singer or even what being a vocal chameleon means for male seiyuu.

With a young, still unknown, Soma Saito on vocals, the visual-kei band, part of the FlyME Project, was doing unique things in the music industry. From the faux baritone technique to the first time a seiyuu did screamo in a 2D music project and even Saito sounding nothing like himself, this CD is filled with highlights.

In this episode, you and I revisit it and I talk extensively about my passion for it and visual-kei rock music.

If you ever wondered why a seiyuu sings so well for a 2D group but struggles to deliver equally awesome performances as a solo artist, this is the episode for you.

Time to talk about the difficult transition from 2D singing to a solo career.

If you could experience an album you love for the very first time again, would you do it?

Are there times in which you just want to talk about what an album makes you feel or all the stories you've uncovered in there?

In this episode let's cover what is considered as one of the all-time best albums by male seiyuu: Toshiyuki Toyonaga's MUSIC OF THE ENTERTAINMENT.

Up until 2019, there was a unique unspoken rule that dictated who were the male seiyuu that could have an opportunity to make a solo debut.

For years, only seiyuu with at least 7 years of career as a voice actor could get that golden chance that now can be obtained almost right after making a debut in the voice acting industry.

So why was that happening? Did it make any sense? Who were the seiyuu making debuts following such rule? These and more questions will be answered in this episode.

Do you know that moment when you are listening to a song and an acapella part catches you by surprise? That is a feeling I love a whole lot and over the years, I’ve had my fair share of encounters with such performances, be it on record or in live performances.

With acapella music slowly gaining popularity among fans of 2D music and seiyuu, I feel it is time to share with you some of those moments or performances that made my jaw drop in awe.

Songs mentioned in this episode:

• Tetsuya Kakihara “Hikari-Winter ver."
• TRIGGER “Negai wa shine on the sea” (live performance from IDOLiSH7 2nd Live REUNION)
• Yuma Uchida "HARMONY OF WAVES"
• Showtaro Morikubo “NEVER∞EVER”
• Shoya Chiba (as Ange) "GUILTY CROSS" (in the VISUAL PRISON anime only)
• Soma Saito (as Tenn) "Dis One" (acapella cover)
• FYA’M “Voice, heart, body & soul”

If you thought you and I were over talking about acapella music and especially male seiyuu that can become acapella singers, you will be surprised that there’s more to talk about.

As I went through my favorite songs, groups and 2D music projects… I couldn’t stop regretting not having mentioned more male seiyuu that are truly amazing and have everything to impress as acapella singers.

So, you and I are back for an encore, covering 6 male seiyuu that could also shine a lot if they got a chance to perform acapella music.

In the previous episode about seiyuu and acapella music, you and I talked about Shouta Aoi, Shunichi Toki, Yoshiki Nakajima, Daiki Yamashita, and Soma Saito.

They are all obvious choices within the tenor and faux baritone vocal range that have more than enough talent to truly shine as acapella singers.

In this one, let’s add 5 more names that I believe would make your jaw drop in awe if they got the chance to perform acapella music.