Plug In! To Your Ears!
Futaba: I always thought the work of a seiyuu was more like a dream.
Hikari: The audience sees the dream. We show them that dream.
Hikari: The audience sees the dream. We show them that dream.
Seiyu's Life! (Sore ga Seiyuu!) is a Spin-Off of Hayate the Combat Butler written by seiyuu (Japanese voice actress) Masumi Asano and illustrated by Hayate's creator Kenjiro Hata. It follows three young girls—Futaba Ichinose, Ichigo Moesaki, and Rin Kohana—as they pursue careers as professional voice actresses and eventually Idol Singers.
The manga is actually doujinshi, as it was self-published and released twice a year at Comiket from 2011 to 2017. It received an anime adaptation in the summer of 2015.
Compare Shirobako and Bakuman。 which focus on various aspects of the anime industry, and Girlish Number which also focuses on voice acting.
Seiyu's Life! features the following tropes:
- As Himself: Several famous and unknown voice actors make a cameo throughout the series.
- Bishie Sparkles: During the credits for episode 8, Ichigo and Rin try to show Futaba how to sparkle on command.
- Bittersweet Ending: By "Assessment",note Futaba was warned by Aozora Productions management that she's at risk of being let go by the agency since she wasn't able to get regular work despite being in Earphones and doing various recurring roles for two years. Futaba's later told that a grace period was granted for up to one year before another assessment would be done.
- Celebrity Paradox: Indirectly. Ryōko Shiraishi, Rie Kugimiya, Masumi Asano and Yui Horie all appear even though they voice characters on Hayate the Combat Butler.
- Couch Gag: The anime's Ending Theme has the girls sing along to famous anime themes songs and talk about the events of the episode sandwiched in-between the actual theme. Choice of the songs are vague. Sometimes they are classic anime songs the older fanbase could relate to, others might tune in towards the songs of the "guest voice actor" who sung it, or they may be "audience submitted choices".
- Creator Cameo: The manga writer and voice actress, Masumi Asano makes an appearance in each episode posing as some background character or As Herself. Which can be quite funny.
- Crossdressing Voices: Since it's a series about voice actors, there are several in-universe examples. Ichigo also mentions in the last episode that Futaba has a talent for voicing young boys.
- "Do It Yourself" Theme Tune: Both the opening
and ending themes are sung by the main characters voice actresses. They also exist in-universe as the opening and ending themes of their radio show. The Idol Singer group Aice⁵ (of which Masumi Asano is a member) did a cover of the ending theme. - Hot Springs Episode: During the OVA, Earphones gets a free trip to a hot spring since their concert went so well.
- Idol Singer: After Radio Bodhisattvon ended, Kaibara signed on Futaba, Ichigo and Rin as a voice actress idol unit called EARPHONES. Aside from that, several of the voice actor cameos throughout the show are current or former idols.
- Lower-Deck Episode: Much of episode 9 is devoted to Konno's point of view as a manager, and her own perspective as to what's been happening in the series to Futaba and her friends.
- Most Writers Are Writers: This story is about Japanese voice actors written by an actual Japanese voice actress.
- The Other Darrin: In-Universe example that's Played for Drama. Futaba had a part in a Drama CD and was looking forward to the anime adaptation since it'd mean that she could work with Rie Kugimiya again. Then she finds out that Rin was given the roll instead.
- Recursive Canon: Indirectly. Futaba is a fan of Hayate the Combat Butler and works with Hayate's voice actress in episode 11 even though both shows take place in the same universe.
- Sequel Hook: The series ends with Kaibara shows the girls a poster and says that something big is in the works. We don't see what it is, but it makes them all scream in shock.
- Series Mascot:
- Korori, Futaba's favorite plushie, acts as one for the series itself, explaining to the audience the inner workings of being a voice actor.
- Futaba herself voiced Pipo, the mascot for Buddha Fighter Bodhisattvon, before they were unceremoniously killed off in episode 2.
- Show Within a Show:
- The anime that the girls provide a voice for is Buddha Fighter Bodhisattvon, which going by the logo, is a reference to Evangelion.
- They also auditioned for parts in The Seven Colored Titan but none of them got a part.
- Futaba had a part in a Drama CD for a manga called Spiral Café.
- Special Thanks:
- Episode 9 credits showed Futaba reading a submitted letter from Konno (using a pen name obviously), and thanked her during their radio show segment. The Earphones trio then proceeded in singing their thanks to all real-life voice actor managers for their work in their business.
- The trio then sung their thanks to the entire animation industry in Episode 10.
- Spoiler Title: Episode 4 focuses on the main trio getting angsty about not having any more work after their web radio show ends. The episode in question is titled "Unit" (as in, an idol unit). Take a wild guess what happens.
- Stealth Pun: The show Western Detective from episode 11 is about a cowboy named Macaroni. In other words, a Spaghetti Western.
- What Could Have Been: In-Universe, Futaba was supposed to cover the bit part of a little boy in the first episode of Buddha Fighter Bodhisattvon. She couldn't do it due to nervousness and Shiodome covered the part instead. We do get to hear what she would have done at the end of episode 3 though.
