SEIYUU LOUNGE

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....

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...

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 ti...

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 bud...

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 so...

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

In this episode let's talk about fans' love for seiyuu and the boundaries that should be respected. Loving seiyuu is okay. Trying to meddle in their personal lives, wishing them hell when they announce their marriage, or when they are going to become parents is not okay. From stalking to spreading rumors, asking seiyuu to apologize for being happy, wishing them to divorce their significant...

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 listenin...

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...

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? For music reviews, check:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.handthatfeedshq.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Did you enjoy this episode? Consider ranking this podc...

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 firs...

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. For music reviews, check: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.handthatfeedshq.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Did you enjoy this episode? Consider ranking this podcast or leaving a review on your p...

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. For music reviews, chec...

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...

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...

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...

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 t...

Time for a feature in which you and I revisit the music that was released in the 1st quarter of 2023. This is an unscripted episode that feels more like a regular conversation - more so than usual - in which I cover the 4 CDs that impressed me, why I do not take into account 2D music projects that are always active, why those 2D music projects should make strategic pauses to regroup and be more we...

After talking about what is acapella music, how technical it is, and why seiyuu performing this music genre are among the most technical out there, it’s time for me to talk about the male seiyuu who I wish were performing acapella music more frequently regardless if it is solo or as part of a 2D group. This is an episode based loosely on several comments here on the YouTube channel as well as on t...

In this episode, you and I will be talking about Japanese mobile game development, especially 2D music games, and the costs associated with creating games like Uta no Prince Sama Shining Live, IDOLiSH7, and Hypnosis Mic Alternative Rap Battle. You and I will explore the reasons why some 2D music games can be expensive to make, including factors such as high production values, voice acting costs, a...

In the previous episode you and I talked about acapella music, its origins, how unique it is in comparison with popular music, and which techniques acapella singers must master, to turn them into powerhouse singers. Now it’s time to talk about the 2D music project that is betting a whole lot on acapella music, and is yet to have a rival project stealing away its thunder, aoppella!? Did you enjoy t...

We’ve got all types of music, from more intense to minimalistic, overly produced or natural performances, and all types of singing voices from male seiyuu. There are so many awesome voices out there and every day, more and more seiyuu join the industry flaunting beautiful or powerful voices and awesome techniques to boot. But have you stopped for a bit to notice that we seldom have opportunities t...

April Fools'. The day in which male seiyuu tend to go a bit crazy or insanely creative for their own amusement. There are male seiyuu that love to spread chaos and announce important things on this day, there are others that embrace an elaborate persona they created just for this day and then…there are those that are easily caught in their April Fools' pranks. With April Fools just around...

Seeing as this year has kicked off rather slowly for fans of male seiyuu artists, you'd be mistaken to think the rest of the year will be as uneventful. Truth is, 2023 has the potential to become a year to remember given how many high-profile male seiyuu artists and bands have yet to release a full-length album or it has been a while since they last released a full-length album. In this episod...

And the time has come to complete this series of episodes dedicated to composers working with 2D music projects. To wrap up I bring you the eclectic compositions by: Yuuki Honda (Beit, S.E.M, Café Parade, Legenders, Eden, Akatsuki, Ra*Bits, Valkyrie, Makoto Furukawa, Shunichi Toki),  Kyohei Yamamoto (Makoto Furukawa, TRIGGER, fine, Akatsuki),  Atsushi Harada (TRIGGER, Makoto Furukawa, Legenders),...