Mashle: Magic and Muscles Seiyuu Event
"After Party!" Live Broadcast
The archive of the seiyuu talk is now available to watch! Enjoy the shenanigans of the Japanese voice actors looking back at the series' two seasons, answering viewers' questions, and recapping the information about the upcoming seiyuu event next month! Including surprise (voice-only) appearance of Ueda Reina, Japanese voice actress of Lemon!
Remember this Chiaki gifset where I said that I was not going to make any Cherry joke? (that was not even related to Cherry Magic, that was from a VS AMBIVALENZ broadcast)
Well.
This is an official Cherry Magic art we got today:
"Your blood and flesh, all of it is mine." An ikigami and a healer, together their souls support each other, blooming into love...
In the distant future, ordinary teacher Yoshino learns that he is a "donor" for the strongest species, the "ikigami." These warriors are tasked with protecting the country. "The unique ability of a donor is to use their bodily fluids to heal ikigami." Yoshino learns this fact and is shocked. Thus, Yoshino is forced to live with Kidou... At first, he is like a beast, demanding Yoshino's bodily fluids, but slowly, the underlying loneliness begins to show...
"Someday, if I met a donor, could they come to love me? That thought is the only reason I survived..."
Review Proper
I can’t believe Yamanaka Hiko’s been terrorizing me for over twelve years now. OH MY GOD I’M SO OLD. And true to the Yamanaka Hiko brand, this turned out to be another fantasy masterpiece (read His 500 Years of Suffering Romance). This was definitely the type of thing that would do great even without the BL aspect of it. Now, I did have an issue with Kidou being an asshole (he's almost killed Yoshino more than once), so I’m not excusing it. But I do get how and why he turned out to be like that and I'm aware that it's important for his character development. The world-building was great, don't get me wrong, but it's definitely dubcon 2015. I would strongly advise you not to get into it if that's a deal breaker for you.
Anyway, onto the voice work.
Souma used a tone so close to Gucci's that I kept imagining Gucci being Yoshino. Yes, I didn't read the manga while listening to the BLCD. It was like after graduating Karasuno, Gucci went on to become a teacher, then a donor lmao. His Yoshino panics more like Honda-san, however, so my final verdict is that his Yoshino is half-Gucci, half-Honda-san.
This isn't Nakajiki and Souma's first rodeo, but I'm glad to say that their performance/dynamic here is different from Mikeneko and XL Size. I expected Kidou to be a mix of Amano and Anaconbayashi-kun 'cause the former was cocky and the latter was stoic, but Kidou was only 50% of that mix and 50% brooding, suffering, I'll-protect-you top. Am I even making any sense? Again, I listened to the BLCD first, but the sound direction they gave Nakajiki was very different from what I thought he'd sound like after I read the manga. It’s almost like what happened with OnoD’s expressive Hasebe-kun in the Kotonoha BLCD vs the more stoic Hasebe-kun in the manga.
The voice work of our two leads was 👌. This might just be my fave out of their pairings 'cause the sex isn't over-the-top like XL Size and Mikeneko. I will say that I wasn't completely sold on Yamashita Seiichirou as Shibata-san 'cause I feel like he speaks too slowly, but I'm sure it'll grow on me by the time I listen to their spin-off. KawaKen was fine. My heart broke for him every time Shibata-san rejected him, so it's safe to say he's got Taki-kun down already.
Oh. I did have a slight issue with the sfx too. Why was it so watery??? Lmao. Even r18 otome cds aren't that wet. But it's not so glaring that it'll turn you off.
The BLCD was almost perfectly accurate to the manga. I highly recommend this to those learning mid to higher levels of Japanese. Futekiya has licensed volumes 1 & 2, so please try to support the official release if you can. I'd be lying if I said that I agree with how they translated it so... literally?, but I think it's also important to see how things are translated that way if you're aiming to dip your toes into translation aside from studying the language. For example, they used "Living God" throughout the manga instead of "Ikigami." It's correctly translated, but I personally prefer retaining the original title. You know, like how Viz uses "Kaiju no. 8" instead of "Monster no. 8?"
God knows if I'll ever survive the spinoff that I wanted to work on. I avoided talking about it for a reason lmao. Anyway, if y'all liked this, then please give 500 Years (Ono Yuuki x Suzuki Tatsuhisa) and Shortcake no Ichigo Sawaranaide (Nojima Hirofumi x Takeuchi Ken). These two are android bls and Ikigami to Donor is more guide bl, but they both share a futuristic vibe.
A special artwork to celebrate Mashle collaborating with Monteur, featuring all main characters in aprons and special cream puff products with them as the cover!
In addition, a new special program commemorating this collaboration titled “Aiming to be a Patissier!? Kobayashi Chiaki (Japanese VA of Mash Burnedead) tries to make cream puffs!” has been released!
BBBB Dance LIVE at AnimeJapan 2024 (Mash Radio LIVE)
danced by (from left to right): Kobayashi Chiaki (Mash Burnedead), Ishikawa Kaito (Lance Crown), Kawashima Reiji (Finn Ames), Hanae Natsuki (Cell War),
and everyone who watched the event!
Note: Ishikawa Kaito wasn't supposed to be one of the guests in this event, which was why his appearance surprised everyone, including all the seiyuus!
AHHHH!!! Sorry, it took a while for me to respond to this!! This is so cute! He's wearing the same outfit and hairstyle plus the giant cream puff!! So perfect!! I miss Mash already!! ♡(。- ω -)
It's too bad that there was no confirmation of season 3 yet but I am still hoping and quite positive that they will continue the anime series. That's okay. I can wait! (◕‿◕)♡
was feling feelings about not having much to look forward to when it comes to cherry magic until the summer release of volume 11, and im ignoring the movie excitement because of trust issues with anime movies as an international fan. it has become my comfort series, and this drought is more difficult than I thought it'll be lol
but then spring 2024 started, and one of the shows that looked interesting was "a condition called love." I turn on the first episode a few days late, as usual, and then I hear something, something so familiar
episode ends, I go check the va of the male lead and it's kobayashi chiaki, the voice of adachi in the anime adaptation
the show seems to be amazing on its own, don't get me wrong, but feelings are being felt
bruh kobayashi chiaki just came out of nowhere?? one minute i know nothing about him now he’s literally in every single anime im watching currently?! dude is killing it and im kinda obsessed?
In 2021 both Deuce’s VA Kobayashi Chiaki and Epel’s VA Tsuchiya were selected for “Rookie of the Year” awards. In 2022, the radio show he hosts with VA Kobayashi Yusuke (no relation, Kobayashi is a very common surname) won the “Best Creative Radio” award by popular vote.
He worked with Ruggie’s VA Ichikawa on both Sonny Boy and Boogiepop Phantom. Here is a 2021 interview the two had together.
Kobayashi is real-life friends with Ruggie’s Ichikawa, and the two host a regular web show on Nico Nico. Their most recent video is available here:
His first lead role in an anime was in 2018’s “Butlers: Chitose Momotose Monogatari” as Kyoichi Sano. He has since voiced lead characters in 16 anime including Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE, Y School Heroes, GREAT PRETENDER, Moriarty the Patriot, SK8 the Infinity, Fanfare of Adolescence, Shoot! Goal to the Future (with Epel’s VA Tsuchiya) and Arknights: Prelude to Dawn.
He has voiced lead characters in 8 video games including DANKIRA!!! – Boys, be DANCING! and For Whom the Alchemist Exists.
He has had roles on over 30 drama CDs, including the lead role of Sayama Masaki alongside Ace’s VA Yamashita as Date Yuusei in “Hizamazuite Ai o Tou” (NSFW).
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Kobayashi has hosted three different episodes of Twisted Radio Station, all three available with English subtitles.
Episode 2 (with Ruggie’s Ichikawa)
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Episode 3 (with Sebek’s Ishiya)
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Episode 6 (with Ace’s Yamashita)
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He also hosts a regular YouTube show, “Kobayashi Chiaki’s Blue Monologue”, where he spends half an hour talking about pretty much whatever he likes.
The most recent episode (as of this tweet) is number 64, viewable here:
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He also voices Sora Yakumo in Mayonaka Danshi Meshi alongside Idia’s VA Uchiyama and Crewel’s VA Ito.
All three twst voice actors appear in this installment:
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Kobayashi seems to prefer radio-style shows over being on camera, but he does appear in this brief promotion of the 2021 animated movie “Summer Ghost”, where he voiced main protagonist Suzusaki Tomoya alongside Silver’s VA Shimazaki.
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(Silver's Shimazaki on the far right, Deuce's Kobayashi center)