Seiyū ka-!

Seiyū ka-!  is a shōjo manga by Maki Minami. The series started serialization in the biweekly magazine Hana to Yume on June 20, 2009. In order to accurately present the voice acting business in the manga, the company 81 Produce and the professional Tokyo Animation Institute were involved in references and research, and credit for their involvement in the series is included on the cover of chapter 1.

Plot

Hime Kino is a 15 year-old girl who just started attending Hiiragi High School Academy, one of the top schools around when it comes to voice acting debuts. Hime's biggest dream is to one day become the voice of a main character in one of the most popular shojo series in Japan, "Mahou Senshi Lovely Blazers". However, Hime's dream is rather difficult to fulfill, seeing as her voice is not nearly suitable as a professional voice actress, and her new classmate Senri Kudou points that out in front of everyone in the class. She's immediately downgraded to the bottom 4 of the class, where she meets fellow dropouts Tsukino Todoroki, Shou Takayanagi, and Mitchel "Mitchi" Zaizen, and together they work with each other to show everybody what they're capable of.

Setting

Hiiragi High School Academy is one of the top schools in the nation, including a number of different departments such as general education, sports, music, acting, voice acting, and art. Seeing as there are many talented students attending this school, as well as recruiters from the business world coming in and out, celebrities walk the halls every day.

Characters

     

        Hime Kino (Kino Hime)

Hime is the protagonist of the story. Ever since her encounter with the talented voice actress Sakura Aoyama as a child, she has aimed for the goal of being a voice actress herself. She is energetic and determined, but lacks great talent in the subject she wants to perfect the most: voice acting. However, the head teacher of the department saw great hidden talent within her and allowed her to enter the voice acting department despite her underdeveloped voice acting talents. Whenever she introduces herself and attempts to make a cute, girly voice, it turns out to be a very thick, scratchy, middle-aged man voice. Thus, she earns the nickname "Gori-Hime" among her classmates. However, during the 2nd-year vs. bottom 4 dropout Snow White showdown, Hime portrays an alluring voice for the prince in Snow White, gaining the attention of not only Senri Kudou, but the popular Producer of Idol Unit AQUA named Haruka Yamada. Later on when she is recruited by Producer Yamada, he decides to debut her as a male voice actor. Thus, she leads a double-life. She belongs to GGC Productions.

Senri Kudou (Kudou Senri)

Senri is a first-year student in the Hiiragi Academy's voice acting department and the son of Sakura Aoyama, the actress that Hime admires so much. He's already a professional in the voice acting industry, and despite only being 15-years old, has already mastered the acting talent of becoming his character, not simply playing out his character. He's also a good singer, great in the looks department, and has astounding grades in the generals department. He shows a cold-hearted attitude toward Hime once he finds out she admires his mother and chooses to ignore her since she doesn't interest him in the least. However, when she portrays the prince's role in Snow White, he helps her out when nobody else is available. He also tries to help her practice her cute voice, but is too distracted by her smile. Even though he portrays a cold exterior, he has a soft spot for small animals and, for some reason, sees Hime as a cat sometimes, allowing him to soften up around her, even if it is for a few seconds. He is currently active in the anime "Lesson Detour". He is described as a male 'tsundere', showing hostility on the outside and a fragility (towards cute animals), on the inside or when no one is looking.

Tsukino Todoroki (Todoroki Tsukino)

Tsukino is a first-year student in the voice acting department. She's one of the bottom 4 dropouts simply because her voice is too soft. She feels insecure about her soft voice, but takes a deep liking to Hime when she compliments her soft voice. Even though Tsukino looks the innocent girl type, she is involved with the black arts and has been known for cursing others, especially Mitchi.

  Shou Takayanagi (Takayanagi Shou)

Shou is a first-year student in the voice acing department. He's one of the bottom 4 dropouts due to his violent temper and inability to read kanji without furigana attached to them. He's the fifth-generation leader of the Kanto "Bloody" Alliance of Kanto. His loyalty to his friends is strong and he promises Hime and the others that if anyone messes with them, he'll send them to their death in a minimum of 20 seconds. His desire is to become a voice actor for delinquent roles. However, he feels determined to develop other sides of him that surface when Ume takes a liking to him.

Mitchel "Mitchi" Zaizen (Zaizen Mitchel)

Mitchel is often called by his nickname "Mitchi". He is the last of the 4 dropouts of the voice acting class. He lived in Monaco until he was 7 years old. His voice is excellent, but the reason he's in the dropout class is because he refuses to give up his foreign accent, he's full of himself, and he easily breaks under pressure. He was supposed to be the prince in their Snow White showdown, but Tsukino cursed him when he belittled Hime's talents, thus causing him to fall extremely ill before their performance.

Haruka Yamada (Yamada Haruka)

He is a producer for GGC Production, and the producer of the popular Idol Unit AQUA. He often checks out the voice acting department to scout new talent. In actuality, he visits simply to check up on Senri and tries to convince him to join his newest production. However, after hearing Hime do the prince's role he becomes quite interested in scouting her as well. When she doesn't do very well at the one-line thug role he assigned her a few days later, he wonders if he misjudged her, only to be blown away in awe by her final attempt. He fires her, only to reveal that he has bigger plans for her in the future. Ever since then, he has planned to scout her for his own production as well. When he comes to scout a second time, after meeting Hime's mother and realizing that she thinks Hime's sister is more popular and important than Hime, and that Hime still continue to smile, so he promises her that he will help her accomplish her dream if she can do the same for him.

        Shuuma Kawai (Kawai Shuuma)

He's a 2nd-year in Hiiragi Academy's acting department and one of the Idol Unit AQUA boys. He was one of the mediators of the 2nd-year vs. 4-dropout Snow White Showdown. He is rarely seen without his partner, Mizuki Haruyama. He's overprotective of Mizuki and causes his fangirls to harass Hime. After Mizuki calms his wrath by punching him, he is reduced to simply giving Hime evil glares. He belongs with GGC Production.

        Mizuki Haruyama (Haruyama Mizuki)

He's a 2nd-year in Hiiragi Academy's acting department and, along with Shuuma, is one of the Idol Unit AQUA and mediated the Snow White showdown. He's gentle-hearted, but Shuuma suggests that someone injured him in the past that still haunts him and gives Mizuki a mysterious, more sinister side. Hime is the first person in a long time that he's shown interest in becoming friends with. He belongs with GGC Production.

        Akane Kino (Kino Akane)

Akane is the 10-year old sister of Hime. She is the picture of perfection to her parents, which causes her to feel incredibly guilty that her parents don't treat Hime as well as her. She is constantly worrying about Hime.    

        Ume Ichijou (Ichijou Ume)

Ume is a first-year in Hiiragi Academy's art department and the leader of the Idol Unit AQUA followers. She draws cartoons for online communities. When Hime, Shou, Tsukino, and Mitchii are preparing for a noon broadcast, they discover Ume and try to get her to draw their storyboard for them. However, she has troubles coming up with the perfect male role, but when Shou saves her from falling down a flight of stairs, she finds her motivation. She has a great love for all things 'moe'.

        Sakura Aoyama (Aoyama Sakura)

Sakura Aoyama is a successful actress who started out as a voice actress for the shojo anime series "Mahou Senshi Lovely Blazers". When Hime was a child, Sakura helped her by covering an ice cream stain on Hime's dress, calling her a genuine princess. She is Senri's mother.