Episode 81 – Otaku and voice actors

What usually comes to mind when one hears the word “Japanese culture”?

Samurai warriors with chomage. Various wooden temples and shrines.
It is not difficult to imagine that the majority of people imagine these things.

However, I know that certain people will certainly respond this way when asked this question.

[Manga and Anime]

They are what we call Otaku

Otaku cite manga and anime as the pride of Japanese culture.
They consider them to be the only form of entertainment like no other in the world, and they consider them to be more interesting content than anything else.

Otaku turn the economy around. Otaku do not hesitate to spend money on their favorite characters.
Of course, I don’t think about the auspicious thing of turning the economy around. They simply invest as much as they like in what they like. And then, they think about how they can use the money to do a second season of the show.

……Now, why am I able to talk about otaku so much?

-and that’s because I’m an otaku, of course.

“Oh, man. Yeah, it’s so good. This anime is too good, ah, Ginga tan is so cute.”

I was watching the third episode of the first season of an anime, relaxing in front of the TV at home and muttering something like this.
……No, I wasn’t muttering. I was [buhi]. What do I mean by “buhi”?

By the way, my favorite character is Ryuga chan, a silver-haired heroine.
I knew that a silver-haired heroine was righteous. I don’t really care, but I like boyish girls next. No, I really don’t care.

“Oh, man, it’s really great.”

“Your vocabulary is a real bummer, though” I calmly tutted, and then took a break as I entered the ending of the third episode.

I have seen this anime dozens of times and although I haven’t been able to spend any money on it, I can say that it is one of my favorite anime at one or two levels in my life.
Recently, I’ve been able to work and get paid, so when the money is transferred to me, I’ll contribute a little. Just a little bit, okay?

However, nothing I was looking at today was for fun, or like I wanted to look at it again.

In fact, I’m looking at it today for a good reason.

…… This reminds me of an earlier conversation between a producer and a director.

“Well, I was thinking of having Nagishiro sensei compose the theme song for [Meteor’s Ecstasy.]”
“Eh, that [Meteor’s ecstasy] ?”
“Yes, yes. I thought it would be a fitting title for Nagishiro sensei’s ani-song debut?”
“Nono, that’s…..[Meteor’s ecstasy] is a very big title that I’ve been playing since I was in middle school. I’m afraid….it’s my pleasure. ……”
“So, could you please take care of it? Nagishiro Sensei.”
“Of course !!”

At the time, I was jumping up and down with joy, as if to say, “I can’t believe the day will come when I can be involved in animation?!”.
I wondered if I would be able to meet the animators or the voice actors. It was like an otaku’s fantasy come true.

But after a few days, when I was able to calmly think about the facts, I felt tremendous pressure.

“No ……, this is something I can’t mess up, …….”

Of course I’ve never thought about failing, but I can see a future where what I make is called a failure.
I see a future where I get slammed on the message boards and slammed on Twitter …… yeah, that’s the future.

Well, that is why I have been studying the anime to improve my understanding of the anime and to continue the lineage of the theme songs.
In that sense, I am watching anime.

“…… yea, I knew it, Ginga tan is really cute, BuhiBuhi”

–I watched anime in order to study seriously.

“Excuse me!”

Her cheerful, pitchy voice brings me back to reality from the anime world.
She comes into my room, which was originally open, and puts some snacks on my desk from a plastic bag, probably from a nearby convenience store.

“You’ve bought a lot again, Shizuku san. ……”

Yes, Shizuku san was scheduled to come to my house today.

Shizuku san looks so embarrassed by my pointing this out to her.

“…… No, because I’m a little hungry? No choice, no choice.”

She is already a person who is making excuses completely, as she opens the bag of chips while chanting to herself.
By the way, even though it’s snack time, no matter how you think about it, it’s not the amount of sweets you eat for lunch.

“More importantly, Are you making any more progress?”
“Hmm?”

Shizuku san asks as she licks her fingers, which are smeared with chips.
It’s a little erotic.

“Eh, umm, well it’s so so”
“Ah about that! I had to ask you something important first!”

Like a storm, Shizuku san was unconventional, or rather, her stories changed so often that it took a lot of energy just to keep up with her.

She asked me seriously as she sat upright on the sofa with a pout.

I thought it must be important, so I cleared my throat and waited quietly, too.

“Nagishiro kun….”
“…..Yes”
“…..Who is your Oshi?”
“..yes?”

Hmmm, my brain pauses for a while.
It took me a while to figure out what was being asked, or rather, I couldn’t figure it out.

Seeing me like that, Shizuku san added a few words.

“S-O ! I’m asking who your Oshi in [Ryu Eku] !” ( Ryu eku is the alias for Meteor’s ecstasy )
“Aah……so it’s that kind of thing….”

“I’ve been saying that from the beginning.”

No, you didn’t say that, Shizuku san.

“Of course it’s ginga, right? Of course ginga is the cutest, right?”

Shizuku san asked me with her heart pounding in her chest. There was no doubt there.

This is because the voice actor who plays the voice of Ginga is Shizuku san.

In addition, it is also Shizuku san’s career-making work.
Many fans may still associate the name “Mizuno Shizuku” with Ginga.

She is a quiet person who speaks in a whisper. She is cool and expressionless, but sometimes shy and embarrassed, with a hint of cuteness.
As a rookie voice actor, Shizuku san did a great job of portraying such a character and rose to the top.
Since then, she has been playing more and more major characters such as the hero and heroine.

I didn’t disappoint her, and I had named the character she was guessing.

“Of course, it’s ginga”

Being the first heroine, Shizuku san probably has more attachment to Ginga than other characters.
When I said this, her expression softened as I looked at her.

“I-Is that so? W-Well, of course! Ginga is the number one heroine, you know!”
“There’s no doubt about it. I mean, if you ask me what my favorite character is in all of anime, I would probably mention Ginga tan, excuse me, Ginga chan. Seriously, she is the best. Ginga chan is my wife.”
“Ah, Umm…..Yeah, yes….!……W-Wife….”

Despite her words, Shizuku san is very shy.
Where did her confident attitude go? Her face is flushed and her voice is slurred.

She is like a little child, with a tiny body and attitude, curled up on the sofa, hiding her face.
She was curled up on the sofa with her face hidden in the hollow space she had created by sitting on the floor.
The most important thing to remember is that you can always find a way to make a child look like a little animal.

“…What is it, smiling like that?”

“N-No!? I wonder if Shizuku san can even look like that, ……?”
“…… bad?”

I guess such feelings were showing on her face, because Shizuku san pointed out to me in a slightly angry tone.
It was cute that she seemed to be sulking, but I knew that if I let it out, I might make her even angrier, so I held my ground.
Or maybe it was just in my face.

“Then, Let’s get back to the animation then! Let’s hear all the behind-the-scenes stories, if any!”

I changed the subject, meaning to put her in a good mood, and turned to the TV, and at that moment, Shizuku san put her face to my ear.

And then, as if in a whisper, a word.

“[I love you……]”

It is a line from the second season of Meteor Ecstasy, episode 11, when Ginga first expresses her fondness for the protagonist.

As if to resemble that time – no, the same tone of that time was whispered in my ear.

“——-!?!?!”

My head boils with agitation.
I got confessed from Gingatan!? Eeeehh!??!

“Fufufufu!’

Then I came back to myself when I saw Shizuku san’s face with a look of triumph on it.
Yes, the voice actor who plays the voice of Gingatan is right next to me.

“Wait, Shizuku san !?”
“Daahahaha!! Evil will perish!”
“I don’t think I did anything wrong.”
“No questions asked!”

Then she took the liberty of bringing a sports drink from my refrigerator at my house and drank it with amusement.

–But her ears were bright red, so I decided not to say anything more.