Love GetChu!: Early Impressions

Episodes 1-3

Many thanks to Hinano for alerting me to the existence of this series.

I wasn’t going to do much more than write a paragraph about this for my Weekly Round Up, but after realising that a) this series needs more attention and b) I need an excuse to show off screencaps and talk about the characters, it seemed only right to give Love GetChu an entire post of its own.

The story is simple enough- aspiring voice actress Ichihara Momoko (age 18) has just moved to Tokyo in order to pursue her dream, which is entirely founded on a desire to meet the male star of her favourite anime. Along the way, she meets up with the usual run of supporting characters- fellow trainee VAs, eclectic neighbours, and the obligtatory male lead. All of the characters fall into the standard types that we’ve met a hundred times before, and herein lies the contradiction that sits at the heart of Love GetChu- the series is filled with predictability and near-cliché, but somehow that makes it none the less enjoyable. Perhaps it is the upbeat and light-hearted tone of the series, the likable characters, the novelty of learning about voice-acting, or even the bright character designs- whatever the reason, Love GetChu is able to overcome its shortcomings and provide an entertaining experience.

Characters

Momoko: everything you’d expect from a lead, chirpy and optimistic but more than a little ditzy and clumsy. She has a glass-shattering voice, a cute plush rabbit named Usamaru, and a crush on the male lead from her favourite anime.

Character match- Sakura Shinguji (Sakura Taisen)

Atari: (blue-hair) the quiet bespectacled type who works at an animation studio with his cheerful best friend™. Naturally, Momoko ends up mistakenly calling him a pervert and causing trouble when she tries to help him.

Yurika: the ‘best supporting female’, generally confident and free of the problems that befall the lead. She wants to become a VA since it is more prestigious than just being an idol.

Rinka: the shy meganekko who stutters in front of the mike but wants to become a VA anyway.

Character match- Lettuce Midorikawa (Tokyo Mew Mew)

Tsubasa: the athletic tomboy who only wants to perform male roles.

Character match- Mikoto Suoh (School Rumble)

Amane: the cool, composed idol who hopes to use her looks to get ahead in voice acting. Not only does she have her own limo and red carpet, but she even gets a personal maid.

Character match- Zakuro Fujiwara (Tokyo Mew Mew)

The Maison Ikkoku side of the series: quiet landlady, sports instructor, drunken older woman, lead male, student and fashion-obsessed ‘best friend outside of work’ type.

The President of Lambda Eight, the company that the girls want to work for- predictably she’s both talented and extremely harsh on auditioners, but not above giving named characters a chance to prove themselves.

Also on the roster is the girls’ voice acting coach, an extremely strict older woman. Who wants to bet she has a heart of gold underneath?

Special bonus- series that ‘influenced’ Love GetChu: Rec, Sakura Wars, Animation Runner Kuromi, Tokyo Mew Mew, Maison Ikkoku, Ginban Kaleidoscope