Anime Vice News

Aya Hirano Throws KyoAni Under a Bus

Haruhi's seiyuu speaks out on Endless Eight.


"I&squot;m glad to have escaped," says Hirano
"I'm glad to have escaped," says Hirano
Generally speaking, in both Japan and the US, you don't talk smack about your employers, and that's multiply true when your business is entertainment. When a movie project goes really bad, later on the actors may sheepishly make a few comments, but usually they're few and far between.

Hirano
Hirano
But Aya Hirano, the popular seiyuu/would-be singer/would-be model behind the voice of Haruhi in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, has few such qualms. Sankaku Complex links to an appearance Hirano made-- though I don't think the quote in the headline is a potentially misleading translatin. What she actually says is "yatteru hou yori miteru hou ga taihen da na to omoinagara..." which is roughly that she thinks that watching it was worse (tougher, harsher, or if you prefer, more awful) than making it.

She goes on to talk about the pressure of having to record the same episode eight times. (Remember, they re-animated each episode, so it would need to be re-recorded every time, not just the few changes.) 
 
Hirano also notes that all of the cast was mystified when they heard they'd be doing the same episode, and that it was especially tough for Tomokazu Sugita, who plays Kyon, because he had some ad-lib moments.

She also thanks fans who stuck with the show past Endless Eight and says that it's nice to have escaped the arc.

So I guess now we know where Hirano stands on whether we should forgive KyoAni-- how about you?
HeeroYuyon Aug. 17, 2009 at 3:16 p.m.
What's with all this talk of forgiveness still? Jeez people, when a business makes a blatantly STUPID move, you don't buy their product with all it's flaws anyway, you move on. Why should we cut them any slack for this when it's pretty much universally accepted that it was a giant waste of time, money, and resources?
RockmanBionicson Aug. 17, 2009 at 3:28 p.m.
I'm perhaps not the best person to comment on this since I haven't even finished the first season of Haruhi. Because of this I only saw one episode of the second season before deciding to hold of until I had finished the first, and thus didn't hear about endless eight until much later. 
 
Seriously though, THEY FUCKING REANIMATED EVERY EPISODE EIGHT FRIKKIN TIMES? I thought they were just being artsy and perhaps a bit lazy, but you gotta admire that kind of dediction to giving their fans the finger. 
 
I should get back into anime.
lanaswifton Aug. 17, 2009 at 4:12 p.m.
@HeeroYuy: Considering that most anime fans in the US don't vote with their dollars but with their downloads, I hardly thing that KyoAni will suffer the results of their decision based on these fans' not buying Haruhi. They wouldn't do it anyway.
lordhaseoon Aug. 17, 2009 at 4:24 p.m.

ya no its so sad that i only seen 1 an 2 of seasion 1 dubed, other then that havent seen eney other episode!
Void_Wizardon Aug. 17, 2009 at 4:29 p.m.
KyoAni is MASTER TROLLS.
NovidAnonon Aug. 17, 2009 at 4:33 p.m.
This is extremely rare in the states. They do it through back channels (see the recent Nikki Finke article about BandSlam). Of course she wants to Assert Herself. She IS KyoAni in better terms.
InfiniteGeasson Aug. 17, 2009 at 4:38 p.m.
I forgive them, but then again I am a masochist, so what do I know...
zynon Aug. 17, 2009 at 5:11 p.m.
I would be pissed to have to re-record the same dialogue EIGHT (8) TIMES, without the studio having to re-use my already recorded dialogue.
Agent_Loston Aug. 17, 2009 at 5:12 p.m.
Do we forgive KyoAni, maybe.
Do we forgive Kadokawa, never.
HeeroYuyon Aug. 17, 2009 at 5:44 p.m.
@lanaswift: I didn't mean necessarily "buy" in the literal sense there, but that too.
GrandMarshalon Aug. 17, 2009 at 7:13 p.m.

Wouldnt be a week on anime vice without news about how bad endless eight was =] 
lanaswifton Aug. 17, 2009 at 7:56 p.m.
@zyn: I wouldn't. I'm getting paid to memorize fewer lines.
Sigueon Aug. 17, 2009 at 10:04 p.m.
I never really liked KyoAni that much in the first place, so I guess I've escaped this little dilemma.
Black_Roseon Aug. 18, 2009 at 5:05 p.m.
Meh, it's their loss anyway. They made a stupid move and they should pay for it. 
 
Do I forgive them? It all depends on the quality of the next few episodes, but it already feels like the whole season was lost, especially since they'll probably make us wait another 4 years for the third.

Dig Deeper into Aya Hirano

A popular Japanese voice actress, singer, and gravure idol.

Edit/View the Wiki
Hit the Forums (2 Posts)
Add/View Images (171 Images)
Watch Some Videos
Pokemon Black and White Looks Delicious in Motion

First video of a Pokemon battle in Black and White.

Comment & Win: One Piece Vol. 52, 53

Time for a giveaway folks! Now, act civil, we don't want anyone to get hurt in the mad rush to win.

Beginner's Guide to FLCL

Gainax's madcap, surrealist anime, broken down for new viewers.

Ballz Deep

Steve gets intimately close to Dragon Ball Z, for science!

Weekly One Piece: Chapter 656

Join us for a discussion about this week’s newest One Piece chapter.

YU YU HAKUSHO #29 -- Watch & Learn

Which one's the lover? Which is the fighter?

CASTLE IN THE SKY -- Retro Review

A mild misfire kept up by charming humor and music.

Community Spotlight: 2/10/12

BLEACH may be coming to it's finale, but the Anime Vice wiki is only just starting and growing bigger each week. Come check out some highlights.

EUREKA SEVEN #30 -- Watch & Learn

Heh heh... they dig on engineers in this one.

YU YU HAKUSHO #30 -- Watch & Learn

He's, uh, actually more dangerous than he looks.

EUREKA SEVEN #29 -- Watch & Learn

Good to finally have some answers right out there.

Winter Watch: Bodacious Space Pirates #4

Shiver me timbers! Who is going to swab the poop deck!?

BLEACH to Enter the Final Arc

After over ten years, Tite Kubo announces that BLEACH is entering it's final arc.

Why Do Guys Like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic?

Lets take a look at the show itself and find out why teen and adult men watch it. There has to be something to it, right?

PRINCESS MONONOKE -- Retro Review

Unquestionably the best Miyazaki movie in the final verdict.

YU YU HAKUSHO #29 -- Watch & Learn

Which one's the lover? Which is the fighter?

EUREKA SEVEN #30 -- Watch & Learn

Heh heh... they dig on engineers in this one.

Weekly One Piece: Chapter 656

Join us for a discussion about this week’s newest One Piece chapter.

Community Spotlight: 2/10/12

BLEACH may be coming to it's finale, but the Anime Vice wiki is only just starting and growing bigger each week. Come check out some highlights.

CASTLE IN THE SKY -- Retro Review

A mild misfire kept up by charming humor and music.

Submissions can take several hours to be approved.

Save ChangesCancel