Manga Review: Voice Over! Seiyu Academy, Volume 12, by Maki Minami

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: Shojo Beat (VIZ Media)

Release Date: August 4, 2015

Volumes: 12

Spoilers?: No.

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Volume: 1. 11.

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VIZ Media Synopsis:

Hime has the chance of a lifetime—to live and work with her heroine Sakura Aoyama. Sure, she’ll still be in the role of Shiro, but she’ll be breathing the same air as her idol every day! But Senri knows what his mom is really like, and he’s worried that his new friend will fall under her spell. Can Senri save Shiro from the same heartbreak he suffered as a kid without destroying Hime’s dream?

Review:

Hime is on her last job as Shiro, working with Kudo and his mother, whom has been her idol through this entire thing.  Sakura, Kudo’s mom, takes acting to a whole new level; when she’s playing a character, she is that character, and she sucks everyone else into it as well.  It’s what messed Kudo up in the first place, and he finds himself protective of Shiro, not wanting him to get dragged into it.  Hime understands why, but she still finds Sakura’s acting skills amazing.

Being the last volume, several storylines had to get wrapped up.  There’s the relationship between Kudo and Sakura, which I thought was given a rather nice closure for him, without being too much.  There’s Hime’s relationship with her mother, which was also sweet without being over the top.  Mizuki’s feelings for Hime was concluded in the previous volume, for the most part.  And then there’s Hime and Kudo.

I will admit that the ending is a bit rushed.  The series could have gone on at least one more volume, if not two.  I liked how Kudo figured it out, and even though I would have liked more attention on it, the subtle way their relationship continued worked.  While I couldn’t have imagined their relationship going in any other way, and I understand the reference to the way the series started and to Kudo’s parents, the way the story jumped ahead for the final scene was too fast.

I have loved this series immensely from the first volume.  It’s crazy and hilarious but also super sweet and heartwarming, and the character development was so good.  The ending could have been extended a bit more, but this was still a fantastic series, and I am really excited for her next one.

A review copy was provided by the publisher, VIZ Media, and Erik Jansen from MediaLab PR. Thank you so, so much!