Seiyuu Radio Shows for Listening Practice

Japanese Language Listening
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Okay so I am just starting WaniKani (hi!) though I’ve been learning Japanese on-and-off for… a really long time. But I honestly feel like one of the most helpful resources out there are radio shows done by seiyuu for either anime they’re starring in/promoting, or just because they are very entertaining and charismatic personalities. I have them playing in the background for like 85% of my day and they’ve proven so, so valuable for passive learning. I haven’t really seen them cited as a listening resource on this forum, so I thought I’d give people my top three recs in case they might be helpful!

1. Dear Girl Stories (Hiroshi Kamiya, Daisuke Ono)
Probably the most famous seiyuu radio program, this one is hosted by the voice actors for Levi Ackerman (Kamiya) and Erwin Smith (Ono) in Shingeki no Kyojin, though they each have incredible careers outside that very amazing show. It airs weekly, it’s hilarious and incredibly entertaining, but has also proved so effective in my listening practice, probably more than any other resource - and many times, the videos are kindly transcribed. Get started by clicking this playlist, or click here (for advanced listeners) to view the weekly uploads, which go back to 2007.

2. Kimetsu no Radio (Natsuki Hanae, Hiro Shimono)
From the stunning anime Kimetsu no Yaiba, here’s Tanjiro and Zenitsu hosting a weekly radio program that aired for the duration of the series. Hopefully there’s more to come, but for now, listen and adore it. I’ve cried laughing at this, and again, it proves very helpful with the transcriptions.

3. The World Only I Know (Yoshimasa Hosoya)
One of my favorite people and one of the most talented seiyuu out there (think Kunikida in Bungou Stray Dogs, Reiner in Shingeki no Kyojin, Tokoyami in Boku no Hero Academia, etc. etc.), this solo radio program is a lovely meditation on gentle everyday matters as well as an easy listening practice since he’s speaking on his own. Highly recommended for beginners, and also anyone who wants a little bit of sweet introspection in their everyday life. All episodes are updated weekly and available here.

That’s it so far, but if anyone has any other shows they love, or any other types of series they’d like to listen to, please either reply here with recs or reach out and I’ll do my best to help! Enjoy! x

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Kimetsu no radio. Omg i have seen someone translating what is been said there. I like them. How do you listen to them? with your phone ?
If so how ?
Edit: nvm i see now

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Thanks for the link! I didn’t know Youtube have some of its program. Even if I can’t understand what they all say, I love these voice actors enough to just laugh along with them :joy:

Oh- the first recording was on 2007s. So classic :dizzy_face:

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Thank you so much! These are amazing resources! :kissing_heart:

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Yay of course! I know right, they were so smol :sob: love that there’s still a new episode every week! Enjoy! x

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You’re so welcome! Hope they’re helpful! :hugs:

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Are there any podcast links for these? I don’t get why these are usually only uploaded to youtube :confused: Ripping and moving them to phone is 面倒くさい。Especially since my iPhone has been randomly deleting my own added podcasts.

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Thanks so much for the resource! I never considered passive listening before.

Do you think any of these would be helpful for someone just starting out at my level with no listening/speech experience?

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Sure, they can help with getting used to the sounds and flow of the language, but I’d personally go with something a bit easier like Nihongo con Teppei, who also has a beginner version.

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Trust me, I wish :confused: however they’re all standard radio shows, so people just rip them after airing and put them online. Hosoya’s show is internet-only (Niconico and YT) but still not available as a podcast for some reason. Hope they still prove helpful though! x

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They might be a tad advanced as an absolute beginner (especially DGS, Kamiya talks so freaking fast!), but I think once you get a handle on the basics, it’s good to expose yourself to as much Japanese as possible even if you can’t understand all of it. Combined with whatever studies you’re doing, you’ll slowly find yourself picking up words and phrases here and there, which eventually evolves into you understanding cohesive sentences and conversations. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ll be able to sponge up without realizing it; it takes time but so does anything worthwhile! In the meantime, Hosoya’s show is probably your best bet since he’s by himself, there’s no cross-chatter and he speaks very clearly. がんばってね ! :relaxed:

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Got it, thank you! I’ll try Hosoya’s show out and see how it goes.

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If you want to learn “natural” Japanese, the voice actors are the best to go for beginners since most of them speak in “standard” Japanese and of course they have clearer pronunciation than if you listen to locals or even random Japanese youtubers. Except that some (yep Kamiya Hiroshi) really speaks so fast.

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