spotlight: Kyoko-sama's dark magic... or just a favorite pasttime.

In keeping with the broadcast of Skip Beat!'s anime adaptation as well as my love for the almighty Kyoko-sama and her wild, extraordinary, wonderful, demonic personality, this month I would like to make mention of a particular item that I'm sure all Skip Beat! fans want a piece of.

In Volume 2, Act 15 of the manga, we are introduced to the infamous Ren and Sho voodoo dolls -- handmade by Kyoko and all accessories come separately.


As a part of her grudge at its best, Kyoko is extremely focused on doing whatever it is she can to take down the two men she finds that she scorns the most in her life. While Ren eventually becomes a respected senpai as an actor and as a person to her, there is no doubt that Kyoko had harbored no good will towards him in the beginning. As for Sho, there is no need to emphasize the hatred seething beneath Kyoko's determination to beat the man at what he does best.

Not only are posters tacked up in her room of the two men (size according to her level of hatred) but Kyoko has presented to the fans her very own handmade voodoo dolls. In essence, these are merely a form of hobby she does to relieve stress when she's caught in a corner.

In Volume 1, Act 3, page 16 of the manga -- yes, I am down to the detail -- we first see Kyoko sewing her first voodoo doll after witnessing the beauty of all the other auditioners for the talent section of LME. (Also see above for anime adaptation scene.) Because of stress, she pulls her borrowed sewing kit out and begins to make a voodoo doll, muttering something to the extent of needing someone's strand of hair for the thing to work. It is because of this that Kanae mistakens her for the "lost" Maria's mother and throws the child mercilessly at her. And it is because of this that Kyoko gets to make her first impression on the equally morbid and twisted young child.


In Volume 3, Act 16, as a ploy to "lure" Maria, the problem child and Takarada Lory's granddaughter out in order to help with a slight issue in the acting section of LME, the Kyoko handmade voodoo dolls are employed. It is here that we are introduced to the "Ren scared stiff of Kyoko" doll, the "Ren surrendering to Kyoko" doll, and the "Sho crying to Kyoko to admit his crimes" doll. There are many others, but either I've missed them or they have not made their debut.


Nonetheless, it is quite a wonder that Kyoko could do so much with just pictures and cheap fabrics and materials -- since she has no money. On top of that, the way in which she so carefully details each outfit on the dolls is extremely amazing to anyone who sees them. To Kyoko, this is just a way to relieve her stress and present her superiority versus Ren and Sho. She has absolutely no idea how strange or incredible it is that she could even get the fabric and the design of the dolls' clothes so exact.


As the story progresses, Kyoko rarely pulls out the voodoo dolls for anything other than to talk to them or pretend that they are talking to her. Especially with the Ren doll, as she grows to respect him more and more, she often pulls out a submissive Ren doll just for the purpose of imagining what he would say to her during certain situations. Sadly, Kyoko is a very good judge of character during the present story line, because she is really good at knowing what it is that Ren would say to her and usually she's right.

The dolls are an essential part of the storyline, not only because I think they're kind of cool, but they bring to Kyoko a very good ally in her plight.


Takarada Maria is the granddaughter of the president of LME and until she met Kyoko she felt that she could never trust adults at all. Kyoko straight forwardly treated Maria like she would treat anyone else, not mattering that Maria is just a child and definitely not mattering that Maria is the granddaughter of the company president.

Sharing a love for the "dark arts" in the doll's items, Maria easily showed herself upon seeing all the Ren dolls, praising them for their attention to detail. She then gets into a deep discussion with Kyoko about the different types of dolls that can be used and reveals that she's been trying to make Ren fall in love with her with various types of dolls.

Kyoko, of course, uses her dolls for the sake of cursing Ren and Sho. On a side note, it mentions in one scene of the manga that Kyoko will work on her dolls whenever she is feeling particularly stressed.

Handcrafted wonderfully, I'm sure everyone would love to have a submussive Ren or Sho doll. I'm almost tempted to google such items to see if any company has decided to manufacture these dolls. I'm sure a lot of fans would do the same.

So why are the voodoo dolls created by Kyoko-sama the spotlight for October? There are a plethora of reasons.

Kyoko has too many traits about her that I want to talk about from her personality to all her little crazy, quirky actions. If I wanted to do a spotlight on her, it would take a long time to accumulate all of her qualities on paper. And also, I want to leave all of that for a feature piece in the future. Make no mistake, I would probably do a spotlight on Kyoko and there is a possibility that I would do it next month or the month after. I love this girl a lot just because of how strong and innocent she can be.

But I ran out of time because the end of the month is drawing near and I really couldn't think of a good spotlight for this month. And then I decided on writing one over a particular item in a manga or anime and the first thing I thought of that stood out were the dolls.

A wonderful idea if I may say so myself. And along the way, it is October and Halloween is coming up soon. While voodoo dolls cannot be counted as items for the holiday, they are nonetheless something associated with the dark arts, which in turn can be associated with Halloween. Good twist, no?

Anyway, of all the quirky Kyoko habits, I found this one to be one of interest. Just the amount of work and detail that go into making her dolls is a wonderful feat. I often tell myself that Mogami Kyoko is not as simple as she always seems. There is just so much to this girl and Moko-san is right to fear her.

As an afterthough, I look forward to seeing the actual dolls in animation soon.

*All photo's credited to Skip Beat! and its creator Nakamura Yoshiki.
*Anime screenshot taken from Skip Beat!'s second episode.

thoughts: Skip Beat! (anime) -- the audition and the significant failure

Hehe, I like this picture of her.

Episode 2: Banquet of Shivering
Episode 3: Missing Feelings; An Emotion She Lacks

I'm not fond of blogging anime by episode just because I'm a lazy person. I like reading others blog about anime by episode, but only after I've already seen that particular episode because blogs always give away a basic summary of the episode's direction. That, and I like to be able to have my own first hand impressions from watching the anime itself rather than reading a rough summary about it and then being ready for possible surprises, sad scenes, comedic scenes, and stuff like that.

Here right now, however, I wanted to mention my thoughts on these two episodes of Skip Beat!, though more notably episode 3 because of how symbolic it is for the rest of the storyline. In truth, episode 2 was nothing special because it felt more like a transition stage where Kyoko goes from ordinary girl to "some girl doing what she can to get into showbiz for the sake of revenge."

SA-WA-RA-san... don't look directly into her eyes...
Episode 2 was really just a place for dear Kyoko-sama to display her demonic side to the fullest. Yea, this is the one where she literally haunts poor Sawara-san and his family until he gives her a chance in the entertainment industry. It's an episode full of lolz and one must give props to Sawara-san for enduring as long as he did and for caving in and letting Kyoko do as she pleased rather than calling the cops and having her arrested for disturbing the peace-- in which case the girl would probably still find a way to come back and haunt him.

Ready for action!
Probably not the best impression to be giving... or demonic aura.
Episode 3 begins with the infamous newcomer auditions wherein Kyoko will try to hit it off in the entertainment world and where Kyoko gains a good impression towards the president of LME. As many of us who read the Skip Beat! manga already know, Kyoko's talent presentation is out of the ordinary and her shortcomings earn her no spot in the further audition as she is booted out almost too quickly.

It is because of this audition, however, that Kyoko finally finds herself realizing that she is pathetic for revolving so much around Shotaro, and yet even then she cannot help it. Kyoko had spent her entire life living for the sake of Shotaro to the point where no matter what she did, it was always for Shotaro and no one else, not even herself or for others who might care.

To make a long point shorter, Kyoko realizes that because of her past with Shotaro as well as her history with her mother, she has lost the will and the ability to love-- period. It isn't a romantic love that she has lost because of Shotaro, but it is the ability to care for or let other care for her at all.

Because of her mother leaving her when she was young, Kyoko has placed all of her time and energy in Shotaro because she whole-heartedly believed that Sho would be her prince for life and lover her forever. And then not long ago (refer to episode one) Shotaro broke her heart without remorse. And to this day, even though he is not around her, he still manages to taunt her in her reveries.

It's a sad, sad situation to realize something so depressing and so pathetic about oneself.

Kyoko failed the auditions because she lacked the ability to love. And because she lacked the ability to love, she feels as if she's lost the ability to do anything else anymore. And thus she's given up on her pursuit of the entertainment industry, which would mean that she's given up on her revenge for Sho, no matter how much she still resents the bastard.


I'm happy to learn that I'm not the only person who was moved by Kyoko's scene in which she realizes how pathetic she is, how she had lost her important human feeling of love, and how she'd wasted her entire life being Shotaro's slave girl. While in the manga I hadn't been too moved as I was this time seeing the scene in animation and hearing the devestating sobs coming from Kyoko, I still recognized it as a significant turning point in Kyoko's journey.

This was an extremely effecting scene and while not moved to cry right alongside Kyoko, I could almost feel her sadness even by simply watching her cry like that.
Because now that she's realized what is wrong with her, Kyoko, with enough willpower and determination, which she has, will be able to pinpoint it over and over again and learn how to overcome this hurdle.

In following episodes, assuming they continue to follow closely to the manga as they have done so far, we get to see this new and revived Kyoko breaking down all those walls one after another. Each time a situation presents itself to brutally assault her and her emotions, she will fall, but she will also rise back to the occasion and take on the challenge once again without fail.

This is what makes Mogami Kyoko such an idealistic girl and such a counter heroine for all those weepy romance shoujo manga heroine who's lives depend on whether or not their designated hero will fall in love with them too. Don't get me wrong; I like a good cheesy romance oneshot as well as the next shoujo manga fangirl. I just also like to read or view some stories with depth and substance sometimes as well.

Skip Beat! is definitely a unique manga in the class of shoujo demographic. While I too feel like the romance in the manga is devloping rather slowly like others, I also feel like I wouldn't change the pacing and the storyline for any reason.

Getting back on topic, episode 3 was a rather significant plot device which will later on be emphasized due to Kyoko's undying determination for the things that she does. What makes Kyoko such a unique person is her ability to continue standing right back up everytime she happens to fall, and no matter how hard and how far she falls. That and her innocent, yet tainted nature-- a unlikely combination in one person, but not impossible as seen by Kyoko's existence in the fictional world.

Anyway, as per usual, I look forward to seeing more of the anime adaptation. I look forward to continuing to read the manga. These first three episodes have so far covered the entirety of Volume One of the manga and so at this rate I hope that my favorite parts of the manga will be able to reach the animation.

first impression: Skip Beat! (anime)

Oh, Kyoko-sama how I had yearned for thee...

I honestly thought that someone out there was horribly pissed at me and wanted to make me miserable. It took a good long while for me to find my beloved first episode of the Skip Beat anime adaptation of which I'd been looking forwad to since I first heard about there being an adaptation. When everyone else was blogging about the first and second episodes, I was still clinging to the edge of my seat in wait.

But, all of my waiting has come to a good result. I finally got my hands on the first episode and thoroughly enjoyed the heck out of watching Kyoko lose her sanity and unleash her silently brewing Kyoko-demons when Sho finally unveils his scheming, moronic, asshole of a personality of which could have only held Kyoko at his beck and call. Any other girl would have already dumped the jerk a long time ago rather than waiting for him to openly admit that he only really asked Kyoko to be with him so that she could do the cooking, cleaning, and worshipping and working her butt off to make sure he had a place to stay while he rose to stardom.

As any other person known to follow the Skip Beat manga religiously, I hate Shotaro's spoiled brat ass.

But anyway, it seems that the first episode of Skip Beat does well to cover the first act of the manga. We get to see how Kyoko slaves away to make her Sho-chan happy and be able to live royally. We get to see how anything and everything she does is for Shotaro (that bastard) and as much as I hate to admit it, the manga shows this aspect a little better than the anime does. We get to see everything that had to do with the old Kyoko and how she was such a kind, sweet, and caring person.


And then Pandora's box -- as the first episode title implies -- is opened and all hell is unleashed in the fury that is Kyoko's grudge demons. When Kyoko finds Sho telling his manager how he isn't the least bit happy with Kyoko's praises, how he only asked her to come with him to Tokyo to support as a live-in maid and not as a girlfriend, and how he was more interested in women such as his manager Shoko-san, Kyoko snaps.


For those who have digest the manga again and again, we all know that Kyoko doesn't cry and plead with Sho like a weak little girl. Instead, she rages with anger and declares that she wants revenge for everything that Sho has said and done to her. She's through with being a little underappreciated slave girl and she vows to make Shotaro grovel at her feet for forgiveness by beating him down at his own game. And when Sho invites her to join the industry so that she can do such a thing, as far as the manga goes, Kyoko takes up his offer with open arms.

But up to now we are only shown Kyoko's spirit and determination. After all, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," and Kyoko has had a horribly hard life even as a child -- all of this revealed in the manga and hopefully soon to be revealed in coming episodes. For those of you who haven't even glanced at the Skip Beat manga, Kyoko-sama has a long road ahead of her to travel if she wants to reach a height much further than that ass of a man Shotaro.

Kyoko-sama has probably always been quite creepy... she's just a lot cooler when she realizes her "demonic" potential.

As far as the anime goes, it is very fast paced and very accurate compared to the manga. I have a feeling that the anime will continue to follow exactly as the manga, but hopefully it won't loiter around privy details so that we can make it up to the filming of Dark Moon (or maybe that will be part of a sequel to Skip Beat's anime which would be fine by me as well).

I can't seem to grasp the voice that is Tsuruga Ren. Konishi Katsuyuki is a good strong male voice. But somehow, it doesn't seem to give off that same vibe that Ren has always given me. But due to the very few scenes that Ren appears in for this first episode, I may be jumping the gun by commenting on him.

As for Miyano Mamoru, he is doing exemplary excellent as Sho. I like it. He can pull off the moody, coolness that is Sho as well as the moronic secretive character that only Kyoko has ever seen. He sounds good as an asshole and I praise him well. Knowing that he can sing is a good thing too as Sho is supposedly a rising star in the singing industry and extremely popular and talented as well.

Inoue Marina is doing fine as Kyoko. Although I think I'll appreciate her more when she retains her "evil Kyoko" tone which she will have to have for a good few episodes to appease Kyoko's anger until her innocent and naive side comes back out.


All in all, the anime adaptation was not what I had been expecting. The animation isn't all that great and the character designs are carbon copies of the manga. The music is passably good, and as the anime is sticking with the original storyline, there is little to question about it.


I look forward to seeing the rest of the cast soon. As far as spoilers go, the next episode will be the infamous casting auditions and Kyoko meets Kotonami Kanae for the first time. I can't wait to see the interaction between Kyoko and her good friend Moko-san, and I definitely can't wait until Kyoko meets with Maria.

As a fan of shoujo manga, romances, and fun anime such as Skip Beat, even if the results are not what I expected, I know I will sure continue to watch it. After all, I followed Special A all the way to the end, there is no reason to pass up Skip Beat at all -- ugh... bad comparison, but you get the point.

news: Skip Beat! anticipation overload!!!

As per The Scrumptious Anime Blog the first episode of Skip Beat! has broadcasted. I will not be the first or only blogger of Skip Beat! as I know that there are a multitude of fans out there just clawing at their desks waiting (not so) patiently for the first available release of this manga turned anime online.

I for one am about to jump into cyberspace to find out why the subbing is taking so long. BUT... I keep reminding myself to remain patient and kind and try not to pester the lovely subbers out there for they are doing their best after all. If I could understand Japanese and translate it, there is no doubt I would be on that first episode like a leech.

I cannot wait as Skip Beat! had aired yesterday in Japan and subbing will take at least a good amount of days to do.

Up to this point, I refuse to read anything that has to do with the first episode via blogs and summaries and whatnot so as not to ruin my firsthand experience of watching the anime for myself.

Be patient, ani... you can do it.

Oh how I crave my Kyoko-sama and her crazy evil antics...

Eagerly awaiting and waiting and waiting. *sigh*

news: Skip Beat! an interview with the cast

- from The Scrumptious Anime Blog In Lieu of the Fall Preview #3: Skip Beat Seiyuu Cast (and Director) Interview
With Skip Beat! coming close to it's broadcast in less than a week, here's a nice little interview of the cast and director that I found off of The Scrumptious Anime Blog (who's website link can be found about as well as in my blogroll). This particular interview can also be found in it's Japanese transliterated glory --> here <-- because the title of the site is in Japanese and I don't know what it means anyway. Basically, as far as I've read, thanks to usagijen from the Scrumptious Anime Blog's post is that this interview takes place after the second voice recording. Two episodes have come to pass and the seiyuu are talking about their experiences and how they like Skip Beat! thus far.

Much of the work is already done by usagijen so I won't repeat the translated interview and will simply direct anyone to visit the link above. Then again, no one really comes to my blog anyway, so...

In reading the interview, I found that I must agree with the seiyuu themselves on what parts they are looking forward to seeing. Especially Konishi-san who points out that he would love to watch the part where Kyoko and Moko-san are doing the commercial auditions. That will be so much fun to see in action (or rather in animation)!

After having read through the manga itself to a certain point, there is so much about the anime I am looking forward to. And after today, there will be five days left until the official broadcast date.

As I have been specifically using The Scrumptious Anime Blog as my source for Skip Beat! news, I would like to take this time to thank the bloggers of the site for having all this information available. It's nice to be able to know so backstage info about a specific anime as well as get to see a cute little interview of seiyuu where they kid around in the beginning. lol

news: Skip Beat! October 5!! and counting!!

So it has come to my attention that the oh-so-wonderful anime adaptation of Skip Beat! shall be airing soon. According to my own sources a la certain download websites, it is noted that the broadcast day for Skip Beat! is set for October 6 October 5.

While finding this out, I had very dearly wanted to include a countdown clock in my sidebar to document this event. Unfortunately, my other sources are a little limited and so sadly I could not include one. Maybe I'll just create my own little piece of artwork with the broadcast date day in bold letters.

That'll be fine.

But anyway, until then... or if the date changes, because my sources are limited and not always reliable... I will be looking forward to the airing of Skip Beat!'s anime adaptation next month.

***

This post has been edited, because unfortunately, Ani got it wrong once again. Of course, it might just be that I got it right and wiki got it wrong. But I guess we'll see.

news: Skip Beat! enter Katsuyuki Konishi

In keeping up with the anime news of Skip Beat!, the news of Tsuruga Ren's seiyu has been announced. Of course, I know that I'm probably a week or two late with this information, but either way, I like to mention these things.

Katsuyuki Konishi... When I look at this name, it does not ring a bell at all even though I've probably seen it ten or twenty times in various anime. After all, this voice did significant roles in three of the few anime I've actually seen. In Bamboo Blade, he was the bum-out-of-luck high school teacher and kendo instructor, Toraji Ishida-sensei. In Blood+ he did the voice of romantic chevalier Hagi. And now in D.Gray-man, he is the chaotically insane doting big brother and notable Dark Order supervisor, Komui Lee.

Katsuyuki-san has done a plethora of varied roles, even including many I haven't seen yet, but am a bit familiar with. This also includes a few not so significant roles as hyperactive high school boys, calm and cool authority figures, and the like. I assume he is known for other roles I have yet to be exposed to.

No matter how many roles he has, however, it doesn't change the fact that the three of the ones I know of are kind of... different from the Tsuruga Ren I had in mind. But then again, to be fully honest, he could pull it off, I think. He has the ability to range from serious to dark to playful. I've yet to hear a sarcastic, almost terrifyingly scary temper of his, but I wonder what it would sound like.

Anyway, so the three main protagonists of Skip Beat! have officially been announce.

More news can be found here at The Scrumptious Anime Blog with a cute little magazine scan and everything.

I personally am looking forward to this anime a lot. I'm also secretly wanting to see how the animated version of the LoveMe Section's uniform will look. hehe

news: Skip Beat! official with proof

from The Scrumptious Anime Blog

So this isn't a new post on who the newest seiyu cast for Skip Beat!'s upcoming anime are, but it's an official post on those who have already been confirmed. I trust this source, also because there is a magazine scan with seiyu pictures corresponding to the character roles. I never doubted this source in the first place, but that was because I have no other sources to rely on. Even ANN got it wrong the first time around...

But anyway, visit the site listed above for this newest news information. The cast of Skip Beat! mentioned before is still true. And sadly, I can only say that I'm not very familiar with this cast aside from Mamoru Miyano -- which means that I need to crunch anime a little more before I can pass proper opinions.

I'm still a little iffy on Mamoru Miyano cast as Shou, but then again, as I've said before, what do I know. I've only heard his voice on two separate occasions and both were the care-free, loud, and over-exuberant type of roles. He might have a surprisingly "cool" and "asshole" side to him that can be conveyed through the "asshole" Shou. Yea... as opposed to Mamoru Miyano -- whom I like -- I don't really like Shou very much.

Anyway, still looking forward to the official announcement of who will be cast as Ren. I can't honestly say that I can even think of anyone who would fit the role. Tsuruga Ren is good-looking, can be cold and aloof, can be playful and caring, and has an extremely scary anger as well as Kyoko's favorite "pretend to be saintly but in reality I'm vibrating of sarcastic anger and disappointment and hatred" attitude. I have a love and a hate for this guy, but I'm not quite sure what percentage is more... hehe

news: Skip Beat! -- eating my words

I have to apologize in advance about my previous Skip Beat! news post, because apparently I've been had. Well... it was the truth that those were the names I had seen earlier when I first posted about Skip Beat!'s transition to anime. The transition will still take place and is scheduled for broadcast in October of this year, but the anime characters are playing a game of musical seiyu on me.

With a curiosity on whether or not more voice actors had been confirmed for the anime, I went back to Skip Beat! (TV) @ ANN as well as Skip Beat @ wiki to check out the details. Names have changed and names have been tossed out. Both voice actors for Kyoko and Fuwa Shoutaro have changed and the voice actor for Tsuruga Ren has mysteriously disappeared.

New names are available on both of those sites, but I won't go through the trouble of blogging about them until there has been an actual confirmation of which voice will do which character. My previous outlook on having Sakurai Takahiro do Fuwa Sho was all my personal opinion and I'm now kind of conflicted on whether or not I would have preferred him over someone else. I almost had my heart set on hearing one of my favorite seiyu in one of my favorite shoujo manga turned anime.

But alas, I think I'll only continue to blog news about Skip Beat!'s anime transition with what little resources I have. This will also give me a reason to post on this site as well as upload various cool pictures for Skip Beat!

Until then, I'll keep looking forward to watching the anime release.

One thing, however, I must admit that the new name listed as Fuwa Sho's seiyu is a bit surprising... and a little odd of a selection. Mamoru Miyano doesn't really strike me as the type to have a "cool" voice, but I can definitely see the secretive, louder personality that only Kyoko has seen of Fuwa Sho. Of course, I've only watched two anime in which this seiyu too part. I may eat my words again so I'm not taking these opinions too seriously.

I'm not at all familiar with any of the other voice actors listed, so this may be a completely new experience for me if these are the ones who are final for the characters.


Same Day Edit:

As per my earlier screw up, I had suddenly had the inkling to go and google Skip Beat! to see if other fans out there have been keeping tabs on the anime news of this shoujo series. Fortunately -- or maybe unfortunately -- for me, I've come across two anime blog sites where both confirm that the first set of voice cast were completely wrong.

According to The Scrumptious Anime Blog, actual fans with official copies of the Hana to Yume magazine in which Skip Beat! is published have confirmed that indeed the now listed seiyu at ANN are correct. Tsuruga Ren's seiyu will also be announced soon as well and I will keep an eye on this new news to post.

news: Skip Beat! anime transition

On a completely unscheduled post, I wanted to share some exciting news that I've just found. Apparently, as per Skip Beat! @ wiki and Skip Beat! (TV) @ ANN three seiyu for the anime have been revealed. Now I'm not sure how late I am with this news, but I've been scouting wiki and ANN for awhile to figure out more information on the Skip Beat! anime that is to air in October of this year.

According to these two sources the following characters are going to be voiced by the following voice actors:

Mogami Kyouko -- Satou Rina
Tsuruga Ren -- Koyasu Takehito
Fuwa Shoutaro -- Sakurai Takahiro

Of the three seiyu listed/known for Skip Beat!, the only one I'm even familiar with is Sakurai Takahiro as he voiced my beloved Cloud Strife from the Final Fantasy VII franchise. The other two I am not too familiar with, but according to Koyasu-san's wiki page, he's had over 300 voice roles up to date and when I google-ed his name, I found sites where fanlistings were present. I assume that even though I don't know him, he's quite a popular seiyu. The same, I'm guessing, may be said for Satou Rina though her number of voice roles are far less than Koyasu Takehito's, but she has her share of significant and popular main character roles.

When I read that Takahiro would be voicing Fuwa Shoutaro, I was a little shocked. To be honest, I'm really only familiar with the cool and reluctant hero types that Takahiro has voiced a la Cloud Strife. Even though his main roles aren't much to write home about, it does seem like he's had his fair share of variety in character types. According to his wiki page, he mainly voices good-looking men, occasionally voices the "Cloud Strife-types" and sometimes does villains. Takahiro may also be known for his antagonistic role in Code Geass as Kururugi Suzaku who may or may not be a villain.

Honestly, I like this seiyu probobably because I'm in love with Cloud Strife. To be cast as Fuwa Shoutaro wasn't what I wanted to see because I don't like Fuwa Shoutaro with a passion. But the more that I actually think about it, I think Takahiro could really pull it off well since Fuwa gives me that calm, cool, aloof type personality (at least publicly) and Takahiro's voice gives off just that image.

As for the other two mentioned seiyu, after browsing their wiki and ANN pages, I've found Satou Rina to be in connection with only one voice role I am familiar with: Azuma Satori from Bamboo Blade. In that anime, I thought that her voice was rather mature and cute. I wonder what kind of a Kyoko she'll come up with since most female voice actors can change their voices at weill.

As for Koyasu Takehito-san, I found that I've heard his voice in Ouran High School Host Club as Haruhi's transvestite father, "Ranka-san" and also as Keiki from Twelve Kingdoms. These are two extremely different voice roles in which I would have never made the connection. I've been exposed to none of Koyasu-san's other voice roles and so now I'm kind of looking forward to seeing how he fairs with Tsuruga Ren as a loner, professional actor who is both desired and handsome.

The countdown to Skip Beat!'s broadcast is coming up and I'm very much looking forward to it. I'm wondering who will be voicing Moko-san and little Maria, two of my favorite, yet little seen characters in Skip Beat!.