SEIYUU LOUNGE

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, mak...

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 outstandi...

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. Did you enjoy this episode? Consider ranking this podcast or leaving a review on...

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...

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. Year in review features: 2023 in Review: New 2D Music Projects that Took the Spotlight 👉 https://www.handthatfeedshq.com/2023-in-review-new-2d-...

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 2...

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. Did you enjoy this episod...

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. Did you enjoy this episode? Consider ranking this podcast or leaving a review on your preferre...

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. Did you enjoy this episode? Consider ranking this podcast or leaving a...

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. 👉 The playlist is here: https://...

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...

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, other...

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

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 b...

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. Did you enjoy this episode? Consider ranking th...

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 ful...

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. For music reviews, check:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.handthatfee...

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. For music reviews, check:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.handthatfeedshq.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Did you enjoy...

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!?" For musi...

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...

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...

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". For music reviews, check:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.handthatfeedshq.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

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-...

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&#3...