Sexy Voice and Robo
Here's another J-Drama I found out about through Wikipedia whilst reading about one of my favourite actors: Ken'ichi Matsuyama who plays one of the main characters in this show:
The Synopsis:
Niko Hayashi is a 14-year-old schoolgirl with a bizarre talent - she can manipulate her voice to change it into many different pitches, be they masculine or feminine. As a past-time she manipulates men over the phone to participate in Enjo Kosai (look it up). One day she witnesses a fight between two men in an alleyway - scared of this scene she phones up a dating line to talk to someone about it to ease her conscience, mimicking her elder sister’s voice. The one who picks up on the line is the somewhat hapless 24-year-old mecha-obsessed-otaku named Iichiro Sudo. She tells him that he must help her find clues related to this ‘case’. The two soon have to work closely together in order to solve the investigation - and are later hired by the aging gangster-owner of a local antique shop who, after proving their skills in their first case, are recruited by her to be ‘spies’ - solving odd mysteries that range from assassins in trouble, escaping thieves, and even urban legends, all the while learning more and more about the strange world they live in. Soon the pair gains the nicknames Sexy Voice (Niko) and Robo (Iichiro) and many strange, bittersweet and hilarious adventures ensue.
Like Gokusen this was a manga but of the seinen (manga aimed at men) genre; the manga, as a side note for you, is currently unfinished (only one volume out of the two has been released in the US and so far none, that I know of, have reached British shores). Fans of J-drama, or newcomers, welcome to one of the best programmes EVER! *Dramatic, ne?*
Similarly like Gokusen it has great humour and an excellent (if not baffling (in some episodes at least)) storyline with plenty to keep varied- taste fans awake. But what I really want to point out is the characterization in this series. Sometimes, some series progress on and on and very few ever really get off the ground in terms of interactions. This series has characters that pull the storyline along wonderfully and the exchanges between personas are incredible - the dialogue plays off well and is guaranteed to make you feel some sort of emotion.
We have the courageous and cute Niko who is your classic and brave schoolgirl heroine. But unlike a lot of similar heroines, this one uses her talent sparingly and is not constantly full of pep - most of the time she is solemn, and quiet, and is never full of that hyper-girlish-charm that so many series like to inject. Niko is realistic as a young female character. She’s mature beyond her years, has a likeable cynicism and is the kind of girl who can keep it together in the worst or heart rendering situations. Simply put - you gotta love Sexy Voice.
Then there is the adorably immature otaku, Robo, whose obsession with mecha-action figures is uniquely bizarre. Imagine a hyper-active-child who is actually 24 (0.o) and you have Robo. With a variety of anime inspired catchphrases (lovingly taken from his favourite show: Max Robo) Robo has a calling for any sort of activity be it running: MAX-DASH!! Or fighting: MAX-PUNCH!!/MAX-BEAM!! Robo lives a strange life - he longs for a girlfriend (and is quickly besotted with Kasumi, Niko’s elder sister) and adores justice, yet he is stuck in this pre-adult world, a tiny apartment crammed with Max Robo accessories and mecha-action-figures from varying series. He may seem strange and is probably the definition of an extreme otaku but his friendship with Niko, and trust, is so amazing to watch that whether or not you like otaku, mecha, or whatever else related, you WILL love Robo!
This series is only 11 episodes long - so expect the end to be a little abrupt (and sad...). Many of the episodes are humorous - this series is a definite comedy - and are all about 30-40 minutes long. It is a good series to watch when you need cheering up - or when you want something to heighten your day. It certainly heightened my week so far!!
Each episode is practically stand-alone so it’s not a heavily plotted storyline, making it easy viewing to be honest. However, episode 7 is nigh-on impossible to find due to it being omitted from TV in Japan as the storyline involved a hostage situation (or so I have read at least) that was too close to a situation in reality that occurred a few weeks after the filming of that episode, a few weeks before broadcast. It’s a shame it wasn’t shown but it’s understandable; it may be on the DVD but I am not sure. Either way, I have not seen it; I have only seen a preview.
Unlike Gokusen it has no special season finale and so far no other series have been proclaimed (it was made in 2007 and the end of the series seems to remove all hints at another season) but who knows...
As said earlier, the season is full of humour, action, and occasional horror (!) The stories per episode all have their highlights (be it Robo’s cosplay-disguise, or the exploding curry!) each episode will have you kept watching till the end. And as always you will finish the episode hungry for the next!
Additional Information:
Robo is played by Ken’ichi Matsuyama (L from the Death Note Live-Actions, etc) so fans be ready to see him dressed in slacks and his adorably bad long john-pyjamas.
Niko is played by Suzuka Ohgo (child-version of Nitta Sayuri from Memoirs of a Geisha, she was also in Gokusen too) whose acting skills, at such a young age, do not fail to amaze.
Overall:
Another great series worthy of your viewing. It’s more of an oddball comedy than Gokusen (and is quite different in terms of character and story) but it’s definitely one of my favourite series and I heartily recommend it. But as I say, that’s my view - it’s best to check it out for yourselves! Until the next time! SAYONARA!
Rating? 10/10 :D
Once again - another great series!!
*”Sexy Voice and Robo” belong to NTV and Iou Kuroda (mangaka) - this is a fan review for fans!*