Anime: Koe de Oshigoto! The Animation

It's not very often that we get an anime about the behind the scenes of anime, and I'm pretty sure it's a rarity that we get an anime about the behind the scenes of eroge games or anime. And I'm not sure how much of a demand that this niche needed to be filled either, but here we are today with "Working with Voice!" (Original Title: Koe de Osigoto! The Animation), which is probably the least interesting name for anything outside of a title for an instructional video.The story follows Kanna Aoyagi, a girl who is asked to become a voice actress for eroge by her older sister on her sixteenth birthday. Kanna doesn't want to become a voice actress at first, but after she thinks about all of the things that her sister did for her when she was growing up, she finally agrees, figuring that she owes her older sister. While she is still very nervous about doing it, as the story progresses, she becomes more and more comfortable with going through with it. She is helped out by her coworkers and a classmate who also happens to do work on eroge in his spare time.There isn't any explicit sex scenes or even softcore sex scenes, but the main focus of this series still involves sexual content, so you're still probably going to avoid watching this just in case your mother or roommate walks into the room.Surprisingly, Koe de Oshigoto! is a pretty decent series for what it is. While the story is simple, it's enjoyable, and is weirdly endearing to some extent. It progresses at a decent pace, having little extraneous content, and the humor is actually not awful. All of the characters are actually likable to a degree. It's not amazing by any stretch, but it's worth the ~30-45 minutes it would take to watch this.Even the production value is pretty good, with the animation and art style being nice to look at. I was surprised at how much I liked this, because I had low expectations going in. I just wish it had a little more going on in terms of either comedy or story. It felt a little underwhelming in that regard.I'd say that "Koe de Osigoto!" is worth checking out if the subject matter interests you and you have some free time with nothing else going on It's not going to blow your socks off, but is still an enjoyable watch.

If you want an anime that induces a nosebleed once every ten minutes, Koe de Oshigoto! maybe that show you're looking for (even if it's only an OVA). Just make sure you're watching either: 1) alone 2) with people with the same tastes or 3) knowing how to mute the show in less than one second. Because believe me, if there are people "around" you who doesn't know what you're watching, you might as well be watching hentai (in their mind, at least).

Story: 8/10

The story's very straight-forward; Kanna just turned 16 and is asked by her older sister to work as a Voice Actress in her company. Sounds fun, right? I mean, who wouldn't like to voice their own character in an anime or visual novel? Unfortunately, it turns out that her sister's company produces eroge, meaning she'll be an erotic voice actress... And for a virgin (I use the term loosely) like Kanna, hilarity ensures. I found the story fresh and funny, though with some reused elements (common schoolgirl who's life changes once she comes of age; can't be helped).

Art: 9/10

The art is what you'd expect in a 2010 anime, nothing looked old or outdated. The movement of the characters and the scenes are smooth and crisp, so you can tell the quality of the production value. They also applied censoring in a humorous way, think Seitokai Yakuindomo-style (the mose recent anime with this style that I can remember).

Sound: 10/10

The sole reason why I rated the sound value of this OVA a 10 is because it will induce nosebleeds, trust me on this. Or it may lower blood pressure for some people. The Voice Actresses voicing these Voice Actresses (try saying that 10 times over) delivered what I consider an experience rather than a performance (tell me when I'm exaggerating...). If you're careful, or have a really good ear, you'll also detect a little censoring on some ero-words.

Character: 8/10

Kanna is/was your typical schoolgirl with her life changed once she turned 16, with a sister that's so composed it's almost a crime. And since it is just a one episode OVA, for now, character introduction and development was kept at a minimum. As far as I can remember only the main lead (Kanna) got any substantial introduction followed by her sister and Fumika (another VA working for the same company). Which, again for a single episode OVA, isn't really a bad thing.

Enjoyment: 9/10

Whether you're a fan of comedy or eroge (or like me, both), you'll find something to enjoy in Koe de Oshigoto!. The only muzzle in your enjoyment is the fact that it's only one episode. We'll have to wait for the next episode, or hope this is turned into a series like KissxSis (I'm citing circumstance, not the actual anime).

Overall: 9/10