Sexy Voice and Robo
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Nico Hayashi
セクシーボイスアンドロボ
(Sekushī Boisu Ando Robo)
GenreMystery[1]
Manga
Written byIou Kuroda
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
ImprintBig Comics Ikki
MagazineSpirits Zōkan Ikki
DemographicSeinen
Original runNovember 30, 2000 – December 25, 2002
Volumes2
Television drama
Directed byTōya Satō
Original networkNippon TV
Original run April 10, 2007 – June 19, 2007
Episodes11

Sexy Voice and Robo (Japanese: セクシーボイスアンドロボ, Hepburn: Sekushī Boisu Ando Robo) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Iou Kuroda. It was originally serialized in the seinen manga magazine Spirits Zōkan Ikki (re-branded as Monthly Ikki in 2003) between November 2000 and December 2002, with its chapters collected in two tankōbon volumes. Sexy Voice and Robo is currently unfinished. Kuroda stated that he had planned to continued the story some day. The series was licensed for English release in North America by Viz Media, who released it in a single volume in July 2005. It was adapted into a 11-episode Japanese television drama, which aired on Nippon TV between April and June 2007.

In 2002, Sexy Voice and Robo received the Grand Prize of the sixth Japan Media Arts Festival.

Plot

The story is about the adventures of a 14-year-old girl named Nico Hayashi, who uses her talents of changing and altering her voice to manipulate men over the phone who want to participate in enjo kōsai. Through this she learns a lot about human nature, and gains a keen understanding of people through their voices. An aging gangster notices her talents and decides to hire her to solve various cases. While Nico is on her first case, she meets with a geeky man named Iichiro Sudo, who has an obsession with robot toy models. This obsession that leads Nico to call him "Robo", and the two become an unlikely team. After completing her first case Nico proclaims herself "Sexy Voice" and a variety of short loosely linked character-driven adventures ensue.

Characters

Iichiro Sudo (須藤威一郎, Sudō Iichirō) / Robo (ロボ)
Portrayed by: Kenichi Matsuyama
Nico Hayashi (林二湖, Hayashi Niko) / Nico (ニコ, Niko)
Portrayed by: Suzuka Ohgo

Media

Manga

Sexy Voice and Robo is written and illustrated by Iou Kuroda. It was serialized in Shogakukan's Spirits Zōkan Ikki (re-branded as Monthly Ikki in 2003) from November 30, 2000,[2][3] to December 25, 2002.[4] Shogakukan published the chapters into two tankōbon volumes, released on November 30, 2001,[5] and February 28, 2003.[6] Sexy Voice and Robo was unfinished. In January 2007, Kuroda stated on his blog that he planned to write a continuation some day.[7] In 2016, Kodansha republished the series with new cover illustrations and two additional stories on March 23 and April 22.[8][9]

In North America, Viz Media released the series in a single 400-page volume on July 19, 2005.[10]

Volumes

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 November 30, 2001[5]4-09-188231-5July 19, 2005[10]978-1-59116-916-1
  1. "Sexy Voice is 14 Years Old" (セクシーボイスは14 歳, Sekushī Boisu wa 14-sai)
  2. "Women are Like the Sea" (女は海, On'na wa umi)
  3. "Go After the Ace!" (エースを狙え！, Ēsu o Nerae!)
  4. "The Man at the Tower" (タワーの男, Tawā no Otoko)
  5. "Japanese Vacation" (日本のバカンス, Nihon no Bakansu)
  6. "The Ring and the Gangster" (指輪とギャングスター, Yubiwa to Gyangusutā)
2 February 28, 2003[5]4-09-188232-3July 19, 2005[10]978-1-59116-916-1
  1. "Touch the Blue Sky" (さわって青空, Sawatte Ao Zora)
  2. "Forgetter's Heaven" (三日坊主の天国, Mikkabōzu no Tengoku)
  3. "Boss' Cellphone" (おじいさんの電話, Ojīsan no Denwa)
  4. "A One Night Extravaganza" (一夜で豪遊, Ichiya de Gōyū)
  5. "Key" (鍵, Kagi)
  6. "The Telephone Game" (伝言ゲーム, Dengon Gēmu)
  7. "The Telephone Game Goes On" (伝言ゲームはつづく, Dengon Gēmu wa Tsudzuku)

Drama

An 11-episode Japanese television drama, starring Kenichi Matsuyama as Robo and Suzuka Ohgo as Nico, was broadcast on Nippon TV from April 10 to June 19, 2007.[11][12]

Reception

Sexy Voice and Robo won the Grand Prize of the Manga Division at the sixth Japan Media Arts Festival in 2002.[13][14][15][16]

References

  1. ^ "The Official Website for Sexy Voice and Robo". Viz Media. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  2. ^ 本誌掲載作品一覧 (創刊号). Ikkist Paradise (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on September 2, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  3. ^ スピリッツ増刊IKKIバックナンバー!!. IKKI Paradise (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on October 25, 2004. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  4. ^ ＩＫＫＩ（イッキ） １３ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on January 15, 2004. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c セクシーボイス アンドロボ / 1 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 3, 2007. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  6. ^ セクシーボイス アンドロボ / 2 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on February 7, 2005. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  7. ^ 「セクシーボイスアンドロボ」ドラマ化について. Iou Kuroda's Blog (in Japanese). January 24, 2007. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  8. ^ セクシーボイス＆ロボ（１） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  9. ^ セクシーボイス＆ロボ（２） (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c "Sexy Voice and Robo". Viz Media. Archived from the original on January 25, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  11. ^ Koulikov, Mikhail (March 30, 2007). "Sexy Voice and Robo becomes live-action TV series". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  12. ^ セクシーボイスアンドロボ (in Japanese). Nippon TV. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  13. ^ 2002年 文化庁メディア芸術祭 マンガ部門 大賞 セクシーボイス アンド ロボ 文化庁メディア芸術プラザ. Archived from the original on July 13, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  14. ^ 第10回文化庁メディア芸術祭特設ブログ: セクシーボイス アンド ロボがドラマ化. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  15. ^ 登竜門 /今週のイチオシ！コンペニュース /平成14年度［第6回］文化庁メディア芸術祭. Archived from the original on February 12, 2003. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  16. ^ 平成１４年度（第６回）文化庁メディア芸術祭賞の決定について. Archived from the original on December 22, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2009.

Further reading

External links

Monthly Ikki series
Categories