Whisper Me a Love Song

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Whisper Me a Love Song
First tankōbon volume cover
ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう
(Sasayaku You ni Koi o Utau)
Genre
Manga
Written byEku Takeshima
Published byIchijinsha
English publisher
MagazineComic Yuri Hime
Original runFebruary 18, 2019 – present
Volumes9
Anime television series
Directed byAkira Mano
Written byHiroki Uchida
Music by
  • Hiroshi Sasaki
  • Wataru Maeguchi
Studio
Licensed bySentai Filmworks
Original networkANN (TV Asahi)
BS Asahi, AT-X
Original run April 14, 2024 – present
Episodes3

Whisper Me a Love Song (Japanese: ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう, Hepburn: Sasayaku You ni Koi o Utau)[a] is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eku Takeshima. It was first serialized in Ichijinsha's Comic Yuri Hime April 2019 issue and is licensed in English by Kodansha Comics. An anime television series adaptation produced by Cloud Hearts and Yokohama Animation Laboratory premiered in April 2024.

Synopsis[edit]

On the first day of entering high school, Himari Kino "falls" for her senior, Yori Asanagi, whom she watched singing with a band at the welcome party for new students. When Himari confesses her admiration to Yori, Yori misinterprets Himari's feelings as romantic love. However, before Yori realizes, she comes to fall for Himari anyway, and promises to win her affections for real.

Characters[edit]

Himari Kino (木野きの ひまり, Kino Himari)
Voiced by: Hana Shimano[1]
A first-year high school student, an energetic girl who falls in love with Yori's singing on her first day of school. She confesses her admiration to Yori, who misinterprets her feelings as romantic. However, she agrees to spend time together to see if she can come to feel the same way as Yori.
Yori Asanagi (朝凪あさなぎ 依よ, Asanagi Yori)
Voiced by: Asami Seto[1]
A third-year high school student, who serves as the vocalist and lead guitarist for the band SSGIRLS after their previous vocalist quit. Often seen as stoic by those around her, Yori enjoys singing while playing the guitar on the school's rooftop alone and collecting cute cat merchandise. Yori falls for Himari after her "confession", only to realize later that Himari was actually confessing admiration for her singing. However, she resolves to get Himari to reciprocate her feelings in time.
Aki Mizuguchi (水口みずぐち 亜あ季き, Mizuguchi Aki)
Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu[2]
A cheerful third-year student and the bassist for SSGIRLS. She is Yori's best friend and tries to support her in winning over Himari while hiding the fact she has romantic feelings for Yori herself.
Mari Tsutsui (筒井つつい 真理まり, Tsutsui Mari)
Voiced by: Konomi Kohara[2]
A stoic third-year student and the drummer for SSGIRLS. She comes from a rich background and is childhood friends with Kaori.
Kaori Tachibana (橘たちばな 香織かおり, Tachibana Kaori)
Voiced by: Ai Kakuma[2]
An easygoing third-year student and the keyboardist for SSGIRLS. She has been friends with Mari since childhood.
Miki Mizuguchi (水口みずぐち 未希みき, Mizuguchi Miki)
Voiced by: Aoi Koga[3]
Aki's younger sister and Himari's best friend since elementary school. She is part of the brass band club and tries to support Himari any way she can.
Shiho Izumi (泉いずみ 志帆しほ, Izumi Shiho)
Voiced by: Yuna Nemoto[2]
A second-year and former vocalist and guitarist of SSGIRLS, which she left following a feud with Aki. She now fronts a rival band, Lorelei, while also acting as a ghost member for the Culinary Research Club.
Momoka Satomiya (里さと宮みや 百ひゃく々花はな, Satomiya Momoka)
Voiced by: Reina Ueda[3]
A kind-hearted second-year who is president of the Culinary Research Club and guitarist for Lorelei. Gentle and supportive, she quickly befriends Himari, who joins her club.
Hajime Amasawa (天てん沢さわ 始はじめ, Amasawa Hajime)
Voiced by: Chika Anzai[3]
A third-year student who is the drummer for Lorelei. She is often seen with Momoka.

Media[edit]

Manga[edit]

Written and illustrated by Eku Takeshima, Whisper Me a Love Song began serialization in Japan in the April 2019 issue of Ichijinsha's Comic Yuri Hime magazine, released on February 18, 2019.[4] It has been compiled into nine tankōbon volumes as of March 18, 2024. Kodansha USA licensed the series in English and began releasing volumes in North America from October 2020.[5]

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 June 18, 2019[6]978-4-7580-7950-1October 20, 2020[7]978-1-64651-115-0
2 January 17, 2020[8]978-4-7580-2074-9December 22, 2020[9]978-1-64651-146-4
3 July 17, 2020[10]978-4-7580-2135-7June 22, 2021[11]978-1-64651-147-1
4 January 18, 2021[12]978-4-7580-2201-9October 26, 2021[13]978-1-64651-228-7
5 September 17, 2021[14]978-4-7580-2294-1July 19, 2022[15]978-1-64651-398-7
6 April 18, 2022[16]978-4-7580-2397-9December 6, 2022[17]978-1-64651-617-9
7 January 18, 2023[18]978-4-7580-2491-4January 30, 2024[19]978-1-64651-741-1
8 July 18, 2023[20]978-4-7580-2578-2March 26, 2024[21]978-1-64651-917-0
9 March 18, 2024[22][23]978-4-7580-2694-9
978-4-7580-2695-6 (SE)		——

Anime[edit]

An anime television series adaptation was announced on January 13, 2023. The series is produced by Cloud Hearts and Yokohama Animation Laboratory. Initially, it would have been directed by Cai Xinya;[1] however, Cai stepped down due to health issues, and was replaced by Akira Mano.[24][25] Hiroki Uchida is overseeing series' scripts, Minami Yoshida is designing the characters, and Hiroshi Sasaki and Wataru Maeguchi are composing the music.[1] The series, initially scheduled for January 2024 but delayed due to "various circumstances",[2][24] began airing in Japan from April 14, 2024 on TV Asahi's NUMAnimation [ja] programming block.[3][b] The opening theme song is "Follow your arrows", performed by the anime's band SSGIRLS (with vocals by Kana Sasakura), while the ending theme song is "Giftee" (ギフティー, Gifutī), performed by Hana Shimano.[26] Sentai Filmworks licensed the series in North America, Australia and British Isles for streaming on Hidive.[27]

Episodes[edit]

No.Title [28][c]Directed by [d]Written by [d]Storyboarded by [d]Original air date [30][b]
1"The Rooftop, A Guitar, And Senpai."
Transliteration: "Okujō to, Gitā to, Senpai to." (Japanese: 屋上おくじょうと、ギターと、先輩せんぱいと。)		Nobuhiro Mutō
Yuka Hashimoto		Hiroki UchidaXin Ya CaiApril 14, 2024 (2024-04-14)
On her first day of high school, Himari Kino attends a freshman reception performance by school band SSGIRLS and becomes awestruck by their temporary vocalist, Yori Asanagi. Following the performance, Himari comes across Yori and tells her that she fell in love at first sight. Interpreting this as a confession, Yori finds herself falling in love with Himari at first sight herself. Spurred on by her friends, Yori meets Himari on the school roof and responds to her confession, only to discover Himari's "love at first sight" wasn't the romantic kind and she was just a fan of her music. Despite this, Yori becomes determined to make Himari fall for her for real and starts regularly meeting her on the rooftop so she can listen to her sing.
2"Love, A Date, And..."
Transliteration: "Suki, Dēto, Soshite..." (Japanese: 好すき、デート、そして…)		Shinya KawabeHiroki UchidaReika AmaneApril 21, 2024 (2024-04-21)
When rain makes meeting up on the roof impossible, Himari comes over to Yori's class to make different plans for after school, coming across SSGIRLS' bassist Aki Mizuguchi along the way. Himari invites Yori out on a date to the shopping mall during the weekend, the news of which surprises Aki when Yori tells her about it. During the date, Himari speaks of her admiration of Yori's singing on stage, leading Yori to consider doing it again. At the end of the date, Yori tells Himari upfront that she wants to date her for real. Himari, realising that Yori's previous confession of love at first sight was serious, worries that her own love is different.
3"Confession and Hesitation."
Transliteration: "Kokuhaku to, Tomadoi to." (Japanese: 告白こくはくと、戸惑とまどいと。)		Aya KawamuraNami OtomoHarume KosakaApril 28, 2024 (2024-04-28)
As Himari becomes conflicted about how to respond to Yori's confession, having never experienced romantic love before, she turns to her best friend and Aki's younger sister Miki for advice. Later, Himari's mother tells Himari about how she and her father started dating, stating that she initially turned him down when he first confessed but eventually fell in love with him. The next day, Himari tells Yori that she wants to spend more time with her to see if she'll develop romantic feelings before deciding whether or not to date her. Wanting to make Himari fall for her for real, Yori asks SSGIRLS to let her join as an official member of their band.
4"Progress, Impatience, And a Quiet Resolve."
Transliteration: "Shinten to, Aseri to, Shizuka na Ketsui." (Japanese: 進展しんてんと、焦あせりと、静しずかな決意けつい。)		TBATBATBAMay 5, 2024 (2024-05-05)

Reception[edit]

Erica Friedman of Yuricon noted in her review that while the story is not groundbreaking it is "so pleasant and full of such pleasant characters, that it's a joy to read."[31] In contrast, The OASG criticizes its ability to keep the series interesting, "Eku Takeshima is betting the success of this entire story on the strength of the relationship between Himari and Yori and while that may have worked if this story was a short one-shot, it's not nearly enough for an entire series."[32]

Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network praised the characters and called it "a yuri series you don't want to miss."[33] Nicki Bauman likewise praised the characters, calling them "delightfully passionate and excited by each other" but criticized the series's pacing.[34]

In 2020, Whisper Me a Love Song was nominated for Niconico and Da Vinci's Next Manga Awards, and placed eighteenth out of 50 nominees.[35]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Also transliterated into English as Whispering You a Love Song in Japan.
  2. ^ a b TV Asahi listed the series premiere at 25:30 on April 13, 2024, which is effectively April 14 at 1:30 a.m. JST.
  3. ^ All English titles are taken from HIDIVE.[29]
  4. ^ a b c Information is taken from the ending credits of each episode.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Hodgkins, Crystalyn (January 13, 2023). "Eku Takeshima's Whisper Me a Love Song Manga Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hodgkins, Crystalyn (March 17, 2023). "Whisper Me a Love Song TV Anime Reveals Teaser Visual, More Cast, January 2024 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 2, 2024). "Whisper Me a Love Song Yuri Anime Reveals More Cast". Anime News Network. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  4. ^ コミック百ひゃく合ごう姫ひめ4月がつ号ごうのお知しらせ (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  5. ^ Mateo, Alex (November 17, 2019). "Kodansha Comics Announces 12 Digital Manga Licenses, 4 Manga Print Releases". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  6. ^ ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう（1） (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 1". Kodansha. Kodansha Comics. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  8. ^ ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう（2） (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  9. ^ "Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 2". Kodansha. Kodansha Comics. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  10. ^ ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう（3） (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  11. ^ "Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 3". Kodansha. Kodansha Comics. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  12. ^ ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう（4） (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  13. ^ "Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 4". Kodansha. Kodansha Comics. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  14. ^ ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう（5） (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  15. ^ "Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 5". Kodansha. Kodansha Comics. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  16. ^ ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう（6） (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  17. ^ "Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 6". Kodansha. Kodansha Comics. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  18. ^ ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう（7） (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  19. ^ "Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 7". Kodansha. Kodansha Comics. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  20. ^ ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう（8） (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  21. ^ "Whisper Me a Love Song, Volume 8". Kodansha. Kodansha Comics. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  22. ^ ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう（9） (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  23. ^ ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう（9）特とく装そう版ばん (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Loo, Egan (November 10, 2023). "Whisper Me a Love Song Yuri Anime's 1st Full Promo Video Announces New Director, More Staff, April Delay". Anime News Network. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  25. ^ @sasakoi_anime (November 10, 2023). この度たび、TVアニメ『ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう』にて監督かんとくを務つとめられていた蔡欣亞あさんが健康けんこう上じょうの理由りゆうにより、真野まの玲れいさんと監督かんとく交代こうたいされることになりました。新あらたにTVアニメ『ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう』の監督かんとくを務つとめる真野まの玲れいさんよりコメントをいただきました。 [Due to health reasons, Cai Xinya, who was the director of the TV anime Whisper Me a Love Song, will be replaced with Akira Mano. We received a comment from Akira Mano, the director of the new TV anime Whisper Me a Love Song.] (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  26. ^ Hazra, Adriana (March 8, 2024). "Whisper Me a Love Song Yuri Anime Reveals April 13 Debut, Key Visual, Theme Songs". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  27. ^ Tai, Anita (March 13, 2024). "HIDIVE Adds Whisper Me a Love Song Anime to Spring Line-Up". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  28. ^ "Sutōrī -Terebi Anime "Sasayaku You ni Koi o Utau" Kōshiki Saito" STORY -TVアニメ『ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう』公式こうしきサイト- [Story -TV Anime "Whisper Me a Love Song" Official Site]. sasakoi-anime.com (in Japanese). Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  29. ^ "Whisper Me a Love Song - HIDIVE". HIDIVE. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  30. ^ "On'Ea -Terebi Anime "Sasayaku You ni Koi o Utau" Kōshiki Saito" ON AIR -TVアニメ『ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう』公式こうしきサイト- [On Air -TV Anime "Whisper Me a Love Song" Official Site]. sasakoi-anime.com (in Japanese). Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  31. ^ Friedman, Erica (16 November 2020). "Sasayakuyouni Koi wo Utau, Volume 3 (ささやくように恋こいを唄うたう)". Okazu. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  32. ^ Helen (March 16, 2021). "Whisper Me a Love Song Volume 1 Review". The OASG. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  33. ^ Silverman, Rebecca (August 8, 2021). "Whisper Me a Love Song GN 1-3 - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  34. ^ "LGBTQ Manga Review — Whisper Me A Love Song Vol 1-3". YuriMother. July 15, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  35. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (August 19, 2020). "Shonen Jump's Undead Unluck Wins Tsugi ni Kuru Manga 2020 Awards". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 9, 2021.

External links[edit]

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