UlasanAnime.com – The year 2016 marked a significant period for seiyuu debuts, with many voice actors venturing into solo music careers. Notably, artists like Nunu and Naobou’s decisions to sign with labels in 2016, rather than earlier, suggested a deeper artistic alignment or behind-the-scenes developments. This period contrasted with earlier instances, such as Pikasha’s transition from her K-ON! role, which took several years to manifest into a solo career, leaving fans wondering about the reasons. The article posits that these new debuts are distinct from the seemingly predetermined solo paths of artists like Mocho and Nansu under Muray Records. The hope is that newer talents like the “Nunus” will follow a more sustainable and artistically fulfilling trajectory, akin to the established careers of artists like Ueshamas.
The landscape of anison, or anime songs, also saw considerable shifts. The article raises questions about the evolving preferences of listeners in this genre and acknowledges the author’s personal biases in their selections. The years 2015 and 2016 are identified as pivotal turning points for seiyuu music. The author expresses a personal anticipation for the potential release of Pirami’s first album.
This review focuses on seiyuu full-length album debuts from 2017, including those from seiyuu groups, that are deemed worthy of attention. The selection criteria were somewhat arbitrary, limited to debuted albums to manage the scope of the review. The author draws information from the blog anisonsinger.blogspot.com, specifically from the solo female seiyuu and group female seiyuu pages. The author intends to highlight personal favorites, mention strong contenders, and categorize other noteworthy releases.
Machico – Ambitious: This album is highlighted as a personal favorite for its enjoyable, albeit generic, anison sound. Machico’s vocals are noted to fit the songs exceptionally well. Her signature high-pitched vocal style is acknowledged as an acquired taste. Despite its modest initial sales upon its June release, the album is recommended for listeners to explore.
Trysail – Sail Canvas: As the debut offering from Muray’s second generation of artists, this album is described as artistically middle-of-the-road. However, it effectively incorporates elements that resonate with fans of Muray’s established sound. The collection features fun and diverse tracks that play to the strengths of the trio, making it suitable for repeated listening, even during drives.
Ohashi Ayaka – Kidou ~START UP~: This album is recommended for those who appreciate inoffensive, sweet seiyuu vocals and anison. While potentially more generic than Machico’s offering, it shares similarities in production. The strength of its tie-ins is a notable factor. It is not relegated to a “runner-up” status due to its soothing quality, which offers a relaxed listening experience without being overly energetic, providing a calming effect.
Ueda Reina – RefRain: The author includes Ueda Reina’s “art project” in this list, acknowledging its sophomoric nature but emphasizing the significance of her artistic freedom and the studio’s support. The sustainability of such artistic endeavors, both in terms of sales and production timelines for full albums, remains uncertain. Nevertheless, the mini-album is considered a worthwhile listen, especially for its experimental qualities.
Runner Ups:
Amamiya Sora – Various BLUES: The author expresses a liking for only one track from this album, the B-side to “Velvet Rays.” The rest of the album is criticized for repetitively featuring her vocals without significant progression, failing to elevate the overall listening experience. The author speculates that a broader musical palette beyond “blue” themes might have been more advantageous.
Hayami Saori – Live Life Laugh: This release is identified as the author’s most disappointing pick of 2016. Despite Hayami Saori’s beautiful vocals, the songs themselves are deemed weak. This situation is likened to her Anisama performance with Takagaki Ayahi, where the concept was strong but the execution, particularly regarding “Komm süsser Tod,” could have been improved. It is placed in the “runner-up” category because a single listen is still considered valuable.
Bonus notes:
Uchida Maaya: Although “PENKI” was released in December 2015, the author’s experience with it falls within 2016. The album is largely disliked, with the exception of possibly one song, “Gimme Revolution?”. In contrast, her January 2017 mini-album, “Drive-In Theater,” is considered significantly better and noteworthy. While the author still prefers Uchida Maaya to focus on acting, gravure, and live-action roles, her music career shows potential with the right production.
This also brings to mind Tadokoro Azusa’s 2016 album, which is seen as a substantial improvement over her debut, which the author describes as generic seiyuu nonsense. “It’s My CUE” is singled out as the author’s favorite seiyuu music release of 2016, suggesting that a shift to a rock sound was the key to her improved performance.
The author listened to Pyxis’s “First Love,” which evoked a sense of nostalgia for the group SylipS. While not a bad album, it is considered less impactful than SylipS. It is also noted as being superior to Watanabe Yui’s Tokuma debut, which the author found particularly unappealing.
Additionally, the article references another release from 2016, with the author expressing a general disinterest, stating they are not one to judge based on their preference for more straightforward musical styles. This leads to a reminder about the “Everying” album, which the author intends to revisit at a later time.
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Year-in-review 2016:
- Introduction
- Eventing
- Seiyuu music
- N-listing
