Kuroba Akira turned on the living room TV with the remote. Glancing at the antique clock hanging above, he noted it was just turning 8:00 p.m.—right on time for the evening anime slot.
He switched the channel to Asahi TV. The ending credits of a live-action prank variety show were just rolling, and up next was a classic children's anime where elementary schoolers transform into justice-fighting magical heroes: Stellar Pretty Girls.
This world didn't have Sailor Moon or its iconic catchphrase "In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"—but it did have something very similar. Here, the line had been subtly tweaked to: "In the name of the stars, I'll punish you!"
Stellar Pretty Girls was a kind of spin-off series. By now, it was entirely original and had long since lost any connection to the source material.
In the original work, the protagonists were a group of high school girls (JKs). But in this more kid-oriented anime, they'd been reimagined as elementary schoolers, featuring the classic trio in red, yellow, and blue.
This… this is magical girl anime in its purest form!
At least for now, it still stuck to a straightforward formula—no dark twists or trauma bait. Looked like Urobuchi Gen hadn't unleashed his brand of despair in this world yet.
When Akira first stumbled across this anime, he'd felt an odd sense of déjà vu. The characters were unfamiliar, the story completely new, yet something about it rang familiar.
Even though it had only been airing for five years, Akira had this gut feeling it would run for another twenty…
Because this is clearly Precure!
One of Toei's legendary "Big Three" franchises—running for over two decades, spanning eighteen series, and featuring the largest magical girl cast in history!
(The other two in the Big Three, by the way, were Card Battle and Speed Sentai Warriors.)
"Shion, watch carefully. This is your 'textbook.'"
"Yes!"
The two of them sat down and quietly immersed themselves in the show.
After the retro-flavored opening theme finished, the episode proper began. As a self-contained episodic series, each episode had a clear plot, so even without knowing the characters, it was easy to follow.
This episode focused on the group's cool and aloof ojou-sama character—nicknamed Blue. She had never participated in any "commoner" activities, like summer festivals. But today, she was dragged along by the hot-blooded Pink and the intellectual Yellow.
They ran around the festival, gleefully enjoying various game stalls, only to be lured into a sinister ring toss game by a villain in disguise.
And here's the twist: The villain's magic made it so that every time they missed a toss, a piece of clothing was forfeit…
Holy hell—what kind of genius wrote this?! Absolutely brilliant!
…Though, seriously, is it really okay to air this kind of plot in a kids' show?
Maybe the production team had realized it too—most of the magical girl anime audience these days is adults, not kids.
Still, there was no actual nudity or anything explicit. Just some suggestive humor—like the girls losing their underwear. The visuals themselves were quite tame. You couldn't even call it fanservice.
The embarrassed reactions of the magical grade schoolers felt more cute than lewd. So it was… probably fine?
Honestly, this might be the kind of anime that triggers puberty in a generation of boys.
Eventually, the brains of the group—Yellow—found a loophole in the rules. And Pink, with her brute strength, smashed through the villain's ability.
Cue the classic formula: transformation sequence, battle, the power of friendship, justice prevails!
Then, as the grand finale, the three of them watched the summer fireworks together and made a heartfelt promise to come see them again next year.
By the time the ending theme rolled, neither of them had spoken a word.
Shiginomiya had been completely absorbed—eyes locked, mind entranced. She'd entered full flow state.
Akira gently tapped her on the shoulder to bring her back.
"So? What did you think?"
"…Mm. I always thought these kinds of anime were just for little kids. But it was surprisingly fun…"
She'd never really watched anime before. Never been interested in the "2D world". Mostly, she just never had the chance to get into it.
Back in junior high, the girls in her class often made fun of otaku. Shiginomiya had never looked down on guys who watched anime, but she did think of it as something childish. She didn't get why boys liked that stuff so much.
It wasn't so much "bias" as "ignorance"—that was how most outsiders viewed anime.
But now, after just one episode, her perspective had shifted completely.
If I had watched shows like this when I was little… maybe I wouldn't have spent every day so scared and miserable, like living in a prison…
Because maybe anime could have given her the emotional support she never had.
"I wasn't asking for your review of the anime. I meant the voice acting—what did you think of the three main characters' performances?"
Shiginomiya blinked, finally remembering she wasn't here to be entertained—she was here to learn.
She mentally replayed the voices in her head and offered her honest impression.
"…All three of them sounded a little off."
"Exactly. Sharp ear."
Akira looked pleased. For a total beginner to pick up on that meant she had real talent.
Then he dove into the breakdown.
"This week's episode focused on Blue. Her voice actor's super experienced—you can tell she really gets the character. Her delivery is great, her emotions are spot-on… but her voice is too mature. Doesn't sound like a grade-schooler."
"She's doing her best to pitch her voice younger, sure—but her natural vocal tone is just too otona. Probably a natural 'onee-san' voice. This is already the best she can do, and she's doing it really well."
"She's probably a veteran with ten-plus years of experience. If she could just make her voice sound two years younger, it'd be perfect."
Shiginomiya nodded, eyes widening as realization clicked.
"You're right… She does sound more like a middle schooler."
"Right? Now take Pink. Her issue is the opposite. Her voice suits the character perfectly—but her performance sucks. Way too stiff. She's basically just reading the lines. I'd bet she's a total newbie."
"But for a rookie to land a major role like this, it means her agency is pushing her hard. The anime director probably gave her the part as a favor to the agency."
"Still, that unpolished quality kinda works for Pink's clumsy, scatterbrained personality. Even if she flubs a few lines, fans of Stellar Pretty Girls are usually super chill. No one's gonna raise hell over minor performance flaws."
"Plus, this show runs for ages. If she's serious about improving, she'll get better over time. As long as her voice fits the character, she's got room to grow."
Akira spoke with total authority, and Shiginomiya listened intently.
"And what about Yellow?" he asked. "Did you notice what was off about her?"
"Mm… I'm not sure I can explain it, but… her voice sounded kind of… flat? Sorry, I know I'm an amateur. I shouldn't be criticizing a professional—"
"No, you're absolutely right."
Akira's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected her to catch that detail too.
Was it her [Soulful Performance S] Talent kicking in?
Genius. This is what genius looks like.
"Yellow's voice was technically fine. Great tone, solid delivery. To most people, there's nothing wrong with it. Ask a hundred viewers, and they'll all say it's fine. So why did it feel flat to you?"
Shiginomiya leaned in, captivated by his explanation—and encouraged by his praise. Her confidence bloomed.
He said I wasn't wrong…!
"The answer is: lack of passion."
"I'm guessing Yellow's VA is another veteran, very professional. But she probably has zero personal interest in the show. She hasn't really internalized the character. So while everything sounds 'correct,' it never connects—it doesn't reach the character's soul."
"If she were a genuine fan of the series, her performance would probably have that magical 'It's her!' quality. But unfortunately, this is just another job to her. Not necessarily a bad thing—but any director worth their salt would feel like it's a bit of a waste."
"Oftentimes, what gives a voice its soul is that tiny spark of enthusiasm. That's why getting to work on something you love is such a blessing in this industry."
Shiginomiya looked at Akira with stars in her eyes.
"Akira-kun… you're amazing…"
"Heh."
Girl, how many years do you think I've been watching anime?
I'm an OG otaku.
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T/N: lmaooo hes so lame