The Voice of Hentai

H-anime is famous for its visual depictions of many different types of sexual encounters and fetishes. Character designs and erotic situations that are nigh-impossible to portray convincingly in live action, especially titles with science-fiction or fantasy themes, can be easily portrayed via hentai’s animation format. Artists are limited only by their own imaginations and the project’s budget/schedule. Take for instance the short scene from Urotsukidoji ep5 in which a nymphomaniacal demoness sexually assaults Takeaki under the guise of his newfound love Megumi. The fake Megumi’s sudden transformation into a four-breasted demoness with snakes protruding from her shoulders was eerily erotic, but it would have looked cheap and cheesy with all but the most sophisticated of special effects, which are often beyond the financial scope of most all erotic titles.

However, even the most enchanting character designs and highest quality animation alone do not provide a captivating hentai experience... The visuals must be accompanied by the human element of talented and appropriate seiyuu (voice actors/actresses). On occasion, a passionate seiyuu performance can sometimes even redeem lackluster or recycled animation. However, poor voice acting will absolutely ruin an otherwise well-conceived character or well-animated show, making it seem dry and uninspired. A perfect example is Mija from Bi-Indoushi Miija: Injoku no Gakuen. Although Mija’s character design is quite visually captivating, her voice actress is completely devoid of any emotion or feeling, especially when simulating Mija’s sexual encounters. Regardless of the creators’ intents, this lack of passion sadly portrays the otherwise intriguing Mija as disinterested and boring.

I have yet to witness an instance in which an English dubbed erotic voice actress performance exceeds (or even comes close to) that of the original Japanese seiyuu. It is most unfortunate that studios utilize and market porn stars in their English dubbing of hentai titles (ex: Words Worth). Live action pornography usually goes hand-in-hand with poor acting, and it rarely achieves the emotional heights required in many h-anime or eroge titles. It would be inappropriate to automatically assume that porn stars have the talent required to portray such emotion with their voice alone. In reality, though, this should not come as a surprise... Eroticism's wide acceptance in Japanese mainstream entertainment permits the development of high quality talent in many unique fields, including the challenging role of seiyuu in h-anime and eroge.

Ultimately, to be truly enrapturing, an erotic character must have a great conceptual design and a passionate seiyuu, as well as scenes and settings that take advantage of these complementary qualities. Following are the top four delectable performances that I feel deserve special merit... In each case, the listener can almost feel the intense pleasure of the animated character being portrayed. The corresponding audio-only "videos" are accompanied by summaries and highlights of each performance. It is my hope that these in-depth analyses give due credit to the ear-catching brilliance of these remarkable voice actresses. Wouldn't it be fascinating to witness one of these performances live in a recording studio? From a voice acting perspective, do you share my appreciation of the four scenes below? Are there any other erotic seiyuu performances that you feel are worthy of attention? ...What about them do you find so enrapturing?

The Voice of Heaven

Although the animation in Tsumamigui is not the highest of quality, the voice actress who portrays Hasuma Kanae is absolutely stellar. Unfortunately, I cannot identify the actress who lends her heavenly voice to this character. (Her kind, sweet, and mature voice sounds oddly like the immaculate and talented Kikuko Inoue, who is most famous for her role of Belldandy in Ah! My Goddess).

In this story, the middle-aged Kanae takes an immediate liking to the not-so-confident Satoru Tsuzaki and serves as matchmaker between him and Mizumori Chiho. By engaging in three instructive yet intimate encounters with Tsuzaki, she successfully boosts his sexual confidence while simultaneously satisfying her own womanly physical desires, which have remained unfulfilled due to her traveling husband.

CHARACTER: Hasuma Kanae (蓮間 香苗)
TITLE: Tsumamigui ep2
VOICE ACTRESS: Unknown

In my opinion, Kanae’s best vocal performance occurs during her second encounter with Tsuzaki, during which she teaches him the intricacies of how to properly please a woman via cunnilingus and fingering. Needless to say, Kanae’s vagina is the focal point of this entire encounter. The voice actress successfully balances her simulated pleasure with verbal feedback and instructions on how to maximize her pleasure.

SUMMARY AND VOCAL HIGHLIGHTS:
0:01 - 1:34 Kanae sits panty-less on a couch with her legs spread apart. As Tsuzaki begins to explore her exposed crotch, Kanae provides specific instructions on how he should proceed to maximize her pleasure. She tells him to start by licking around the vagina (0:17) and then to lick up and down the vagina's length (0:27), all while being mindful that it is a woman's most sensitive area (0:59). After spreading her vaginal lips apart, she implores him to bury a finger deep inside.

1:35 - 1:40 Unprepared for the intense pleasure from Tsuzaki's finger's sudden penetration of her vagina, Kanae emits a sudden gasp (1:35) and orgasms instantly, expelling a mist of female ejaculate which has a heavenly accompanying sound effect (1:39).

1:41 - 2:11 Kanae lets out a series of moans as Tsuzaki comments on how her vagina is so tight that it seems to involuntarily "swallow" his probing finger. Obviously enjoying the sensations, she pleads for him to continue.

2:12 - 2:39 Upon being overwhelmed from the enhanced pleasure from his simultaneous fingering and clitoris licking, Kanae makes several sudden gasps (2:29) and then one long gasp (2:38) as she slumps down on the couch.

2:40 - 2:51 Completely lost in pleasure, Kanae breathes in and out deeply while her "back on couch, elevated hips" pose permits her breasts to jiggle around more freely, effectively providing her with a hands-free breast massage that serves to increase her body's overall physical stimulation.

2:52 - 3:02 Passing the point of no return, Kanae involuntarily exclaims Sonna! (2:52) while wrapping her legs tightly around Tsuzaki’s head. Her entire body convulses as it nears its second climax.

3:03 - 3:21 Kanae experiences a gentle full-body releasing orgasm accompanied by another ejaculating mist (3:07). Her two breathing-in moans at 3:03 and 3:15 are particularly enchanting.

3:22 - 3:31 Exhausted, Kanae recovers by deeply breathing in and out.

The Voice of Soothing
In my humble opinion, Momoiro Paradise features one of the most authentic and emotionally enrapturing vocal performances in all of eroge. Talented voice actress Mieno Tsugumi portrays minor character Murayama Taeko with confidence, passion, and an aura of vulnerability during the entirety of Taeko’s erotic encounter with Yuusuke. The high quality recording combined with the ability to turn off the background music highlights Tsugumi-san’s soothing and emotive voice before, during, and after her two consensually loving ascents to orgasm.

CHARACTER: Murayama Taeko (村山 妙子)
TITLE: Momoiro Paradise (eroge)
VOICE ACTRESS: Mieno Tsugumi (三重野亜未末)

Tsugumi-san’s performance remains topnotch throughout Taeko’s entire 10+ minute scene. Instead of simple "oohs" and "aahs", the script involves lengthy dialogue: a true test of erotic voice acting talent. Unlike many voice actresses who feign pain or discomfort during erotic scenes (especially those of any substantial length), Tsugumi-san’s unique performance simply oozes pleasure. She does not simply read her lines... She emotes them, realistically straining her voice so as to simulate Taeko’s perceived pleasures induced by Yuusuke's insertions and their shared rhythmical thrusting. Tsugumi-san’s wonderfully comforting and sensual voice conveys a realistic ascent to orgasm which lulls the listener into a deep state of serenity by bringing life to Taeko’s progressively more intense physical sensations.

SUMMARY AND VOCAL HIGHLIGHTS:
The Foreplay (0:17 - 1:01) - After Taeko offers herself to Yuusuke with a coy oide, meaning "come here" (0:34), they share a quick smooch followed by a more passionate kiss. She tells him not to worry and that she will handle everything.

The Blowjob (1:02 - 2:44) - Tsugumi-san does a wonderful job muffling her speech and straining her voice to simulate Taeko giving Tuusuke a full-releasing blowjob. During his orgasm, she stutters several times as he repeatedly shoots ejaculate inside of her mouth (2:11 – 2:16). After his orgasm subsides, she opens her mouth and lets it all drip onto her hand, expressing her surprise at how much he came (2:18 – 2:26).

The Rise to Solo Climax (2:45 - 6:25)
- Taeko’s first receipt of physical pleasure occurs as she spends 15 seconds slowly mounting Yuusuke's penis (2:54 - 3:09). She offers a delighted chuckle (3:14) after Yuusuke comments how she has completely taken him inside of her.
- Taeko utters a pleasantly soothing iiyo in response to the pleasure she feels as they start to move their bodies. (3:39)
- Jibun no kimochi ii you ni.... yattemi? (3:56) – Taeko shows that they can enhance their pleasure by moving their bodies more. Her brief pause before finishing the statement reveals how the voice actress is starting to portray progressively higher levels of pleasure in Taeko's voice.
- Jyaa... korede... douda? (4:50) – Obviously experiencing intense pleasure, Taeko displays some cute vulnerability as she stutters while asking Yuusuke how the change in her rhythmic motion feels.
- (5:04 - 6:25) – Taeko, now deeply lost in pleasure, is barely able to utter anything intelligible as she moans and stutters her way to her first orgasm (5:46), which causes her to fall exhausted on top of Yuusuke. The authentically growing passion in her voice as she approaches her first climax is absolutely phenomenal.

Rear Entry Pleasure (6:26 - 8:28)
- Eager for more, Taeko bends over the bed, spreading open her vagina invitingly to Yuusuke while coquettishly asking him not to stare at her erotic pose. (6:26 - 6:42)
- After Yuusuke inserts himself inside Taeko, she utters Haiite kuru (6:47) meaning "It's inside..." followed by a coy Koufun shiteru? (6:57) meaning "Are you still that aroused?"
- As Yuusuke’s makes his first thrust (7:02), Taeko cries out in extreme pleasure and instantly transitions into a pleasure-induced trance that lasts the rest of this position (7:02 - 8:28). Tsugumi-san's beautifully erratic vocal performance would seem to indicate that Taeko's body is quite sensitive to this position.

The Rise to Shared Climax (8:29 - 10:47)
- Taeko emits an absolutely beautiful pleasure-filled Haiite kuru as Yuusuke inserts his penis in their final position (8:31). Compare this with her previous utterance of Haiite kuru at 6:47, and her now heightened physical pleasure becomes immediately apparent.
- With his penis buried deep inside of her, she exclaims Yappa kore ga icchi ban ii kana? (8:37). I translate this as: "I wonder if this is going to be our final ascent to orgasm?" This thought-provoking question is stated with a magnificently titillating inflection and reveals her charming uncertainty in how this wondrous encounter will ultimately end. Such great dialog and voice acting!
- 9:01 - 10:36 – Taeko and Yuusuke share some lengthy dialog during their final series of thrusts that ultimately send them both over the edge together. After all this effort, though, Taeko’s final orgasm is unfortunately rather subdued (10:33).

The Voice of Seductive Desire
As the director of a nursing home with an all-female staff, Saeko reveals that she wants a young male on her team. During her introduction to the recently hired Kawahara Yosuke, she mentions that this is to keep a better handle on the old child-like residents. However, it becomes quickly apparent that she has another self-serving motive. When Yosuke cannot sleep his first night there, Saeko wastes no time in revealing her true intentions by asking him to join her for a drink during which she promptly seduces him.

CHARACTER: Nakajo Saeko (中条 紗江子)
TITLE: Dorei Kaigo ep1 (H-anime)
VOICE ACTRESS: Unknown

The unidentified voice actress who portrays Saeko does a magnificent job portraying her as a mature seductress whose simply desires to release her pent-up sexual desire. The actress's non-stop passion-filled voice inflections, moaning, and breathing make this scene powerfully convincing. Especially delectable is her enchanting depiction of the much-needed release of Saeko’s sexual energy at the moment of her climax.

SUMMARY AND VOCAL HIGHLIGHTS:
0:33 - 0:42 Saeko reveals how incredibly soaked her panties are from her own wetness by rubbing them from the outside, holding up her dripping fingers, and uttering a provocative Ne? (0:42)

0:53 Unfortunately, there is a brief cutaway from their encounter during which Saeko apparently pulls her drenched panties down to her left ankle and unzips her blouse to expose her large breasts. The scene cuts back to their encounter with her in the midst of performing paizuri. I have edited out the unrelated audio between the cutaway and cutback.

1:02 - 1:17 Saeko begins to moan as she simultaneously stimulates Yosuke’s penis with her breasts and tongue. She emits an enchanting "surprised" moan at 1:06 as she reaches underneath her side-slit skirt and starts to finger herself.

1:18 - 1:27 Asking for feedback on how it feels, Saeko asks him for some affirmative feedback that she is pleasing him. When he does not respond, her desperate kotaete ("please answer me") at 1:22 shows how she really wants to hear his reaction.

1:28 - 1:44 After withdrawing her breasts from around Yosuke’s penis, Saeko bends over a nearby desk and presents her completely exposed rear end to him, verbally enticing him with a coy Watashi no naka ni irete de shou? meaning “You want to come inside me, don’t you?” (1:37) Obviously enjoying herself, Saeko offers two delightful chuckles at 1:31 and 1:39.

1:45 - 2:05 Saeko provides an absolutely wondrous series of sporadic uninterrupted moans as Yosuke stimulates her vagina with his tongue.

2:06 - 2:21 Saeko instructs Yosuke where to lick to further increase her pleasure and provides a passionate high-pitched reaction when Yosuke finds her weak spot (2:17).

2:22 - 3:09 With her hands starting to convulse uncontrollably, Saeko grabs his penis, guides it to her vagina and offers a high-pitched squeal (2:31) as he audibly buries it deep inside her. The subsequent thrusting has Saeko repeatedly exclaiming haiite kuru! ("it's inside me!"), moto! ("more!"), and ii! ("so good!"). Saeko’s brief catching of breath at 2:58 further adds to the perceived intensity.

3:10 - 3:24 The softness and sensitivity of Saeko's breasts (which remained oddly untouched up until Yosuke unexpectedly grabs and squeezes her left breast here) serves to bring them both over the edge. Saeko’s breathing pattern becomes quick and erratic as she approaches orgasm.

3:25 - 3:46 Saeko provides a marvelously long orgasmic reaction as her voice slowly returns from its high-pitched passion to its normal (albeit fatigued) tone. Her exhausted breathing as Yosuke lays atop her breasts highlights the power of her recent orgasm.

The Voice of Desperate Desire
Takumi Yuri lends her wonderful voice to Luv Wave’s Dyne Wyzman, an antagonist with a wonderful fashion sense whose addiction to sexual pleasure ultimately becomes her undoing. In contrast to the heavenly high-pitched mature voice of Kanae from Tsumamigui, Yuri-san’s low-pitched yet equally passionate mature voice sets a completely different mood during Dyne’s final sexual encounter.

CHARACTER: Dyne Wyzman (ダイン・ワイズマン)
TITLE: Luv Wave ep3
VOICE ACTRESS: Takumi Yuri (匠揺)

Dyne’s intense sexual desires ultimately end up overpowering her moral integrity. However, the show never reveals whether her sexual addiction stemmed from a victimization by the corrupt Dr. Wezmar or if she willingly aided him prior to her addiction. This unknown past along with the fact that she cannot help but be a mindless slave to her body's overwhelming physical desires provide a certain amount of empathy for her character's sad fate... Did she really deserve such a gruesome end when all she was trying to do was satisfy her physical urges? At least her final moments involved a thoroughly culminating sexual release, as evident by her dripping vagina, drooling mouth, and soporific voice during her post-climax cool-down.

The scene that I feel truly captures Dyne’s sense of desperate desire occurs in episode three in which main character Mikogami Kaoru abducts her after learning of her involvement in the cyber drug Ninth Heaven. While he takes advantage of her intense libido while pumping her for information, Yuri-san’s wonderful voice acting brings Dyne’s character to life...

SUMMARY AND VOCAL HIGHLIGHTS
0:01 - 0:16 Having been forced to take a dose of the cyber drug Ninth Heaven by Kaoru, Dyne is heard softly moaning in pleasure while massaging her large exposed breasts.

0:17 - 0:26 Displeased with Dyne’s silence in response to his first question, Kaoru promptly kicks her hard to the ground (0:22) and yanks her back up by her hair (0:25). Thankfully, this is the only time she receives rough treatment.

0:27 – 0:33 Kaoru changes interrogation tactics, removes Dyne’s panties, and inserts a finger into her vagina. Dyne’s abrupt breathing-in (0:31) followed by a louder gasp (0:33) immediately reveals her sensitivity. Yuri-san does a splendid job verbally simulating this sudden sexual intrusion.

0:34 – 0:49 Dyne’s pleasure-induced stuttering of ya....ya....yamete ("stop it") precedes an immediate loss of her mental willpower as she starts to divulge her true agenda. Her vagina drips audibly and profusely, that is, up until Kaoru discontinues his teasing.

0:50 – 1:24 At this point, Yuri-san begins to infuse her voice with a sense of wondrous desperation so as to portray Dyne’s intense sexual cravings. With her exposed vagina lingering onscreen panning back and forth, yearning for more stimulation from Kaoru, Dyne earnestly pleads for him to resume pleasuring her (0:53). Kaoru obliges, and she responds by revealing more information. Curiously, Kaoru completely ignores her desperate request of ushiro onegai ("please do my butt, too") at 1:07.

1:25 – 1:35 Dyne’s frustrated aahh... mou at 1:25 reveals how badly she wants Kaoru to simply insert himself into her. With her libido absolutely raging, Kaoru's lengthy teasing is quite cruel.

1:36 – 1:54 After the scene briefly pans away and back, Kaoru’s penis is finally seen thrusting inside Dyne. Dyne’s voice reduces in volume to the point of barely audible whispering (1:49) as she tries to vocalize the remainder of her information while finally experiencing the pleasure she so desperately sought.

1:55 - 2:03 The scene cuts away, but Dyne’s hurried rise to orgasm is heard over the listening devices of those monitoring the interrogation. It's unfortunate that the viewer does not get to see her facial reaction at the moment of her final release.

2:04 – 2:18 Having partially regained her composure after having finally achieved sexual gratification, Dyne spends her final moments slumped down, weary-eyed, and nude while lethargically talking with Kaoru.