New Everything...and a Sphere?

So after a few weeks of lackluster updates, there have been a few changes. 3 new polls have been added as well as a new video clip (OMG NON-ANIME). Descriptions after the jump....

First the polls, your input is appreciated. If you only care about the video, scroll down.

Poll #1: So while I believe that not many people will read this far, I'm still interested to know how many people are here during intersession and how many would actually be interested in attending informal JHAC meetings if we were to host them over intersession? Simple yes or no will suffice

Poll #2: What JHAC event(s) would you be most interested in attending?
So in the past few years, all we've done is show stuff, occasionally hold random event nights and such, go to conventions, etc... There was that one time last year where we held a Brawl tournament, but didn't go so well due to poor planning on our part. Regardless, we're looking for alternatives to help spice up the meetings a bit and make it a bit more eventful. I'll describe a few of them:

1) Discussion/Recommendation Panels: This is basically what some of you may have seen during meetings. We simply hang around either before, after, or between showings and just talk about random crap. If we were to have a full blow panel, this would usually involve us mocking shows, or a more specific discussion similar to the ones you see at conventions....or it could just be boring depending on how active the audience is.

2) Trivia Contests w/ Prizes: Kind of self explanatory. Topics are not limited to anime, manga, live-action visual novels, video games, etc... We may very well throw in other random crap as well. Yes, we will go out of our way to give prizes. The prizes could range from ancient gems to pieces of garbage.

3) Weekly Showings: You know, the stuff we usually do. If you're happy/satisfied the way meetings are currently run, select this.

4) Special Event Nights (80s night, yaoi, yuri, incest, etc...): Similar to #3, except these would normally happen on a Friday night. We've had moe night, comedy night, live-action night our annual horror night, etc... in the past. The above are a few we've recently decided to possibly implement next semester....yaoi and yuri night will involve 18+ content. Incest night will be at your own judgment/discretion. 70s and 80s night involves the ancient gems from the 80s like Kimagure, Yamato, Mazinger, Gundam, Touch, Urusei Yatsura, etc...

Poll #3: What is the #1 reason you can't/don't attend JHAC meetings?
The most common reason is most likely to be that you have a social life. Well guess what, we're social too, you just don't know what you're missing by not coming to the meetings.
But in all seriousness, we usually have this spike at the beginning of the semester, and then a gradual deterioration as we approach the end of each semester, As a result, we're interested in knowing what is the primary reason as to why you're unable to come to JHAC. Hopefully we may be able to remedy this for a handful of people.

Last but not least, the new video...


So this little gem is known as the promotional video of "Moon Signal" by a pop idol group known as Sphere in Japan. Moon Signal is the opening theme to the Fall 2010 anime Otome Youkai Zakuro (Demon Girl Zakuro). While some of you like/watch anime, I'm sure 80 to 90% of you outside Japan don't recall many of the opening themes to anime you've watched, let alone enjoy/care about listening to J-pop or J-Rock at all. With that said, this is going to be an article on Sphere.

Sphere is a group composed of 4 people: Haruka Tomatsu, Ayahi Takagaki, Minako Kotobuki, Aki Toyosaki. Some of these names you may have heard of before, so here's a little refresher:

• Haruka Tomatsu (戸松遥): Haruka Tomatsu is the 20 year old voice actress (seiyuu) who made her debut 3 years ago by voicing Corticarte Apa Lagranges in Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica, which was acquired by Sentai Filmworks last year for distribution in the US. Since then she has become a top tier seiyuu through numerous lead roles including Misao Minakami in Asura Cryin', Nagi in Kannagi, Lala Satalin Deviluke in To Love-Ru, and Shiho Sannomiya in Zettai Karen Children. She has also released numerous singles since her debut in addition to the ones with Sphere as well as acted in a few live action dramas.
• Ayahi Takagaki (高垣 彩陽): Ayahi Takagaki is the oldest of the group and began her music career with Sphere. Like Haruka, Ayahi began her career in the industry as a seiyuu, voicing as Jasmine in Deltora Quest and Lucia Nahashi in Venus Versus Virus in 2007. Within the same year, she also took on roles in big franchise shows, such as Gundam 00's Feldt Grace, Da Capo II's Otome Asakura. Since then she seems to have been focusing on more of her music career than her voice acting career, and thus only taking on three major roles in the past year. Her latest solo single, Kimi ga Iru Basho, is the ending theme to the Summer 2010 anime Seikamatsu Occult Gakuin (Occult Academy).
• Minako Kotobuki (寿 美菜子): Minako Kotobuki is the youngest of the group and did not make a major debut until Spring 2009 where she was granted two major roles: K-ON!'s Tsumugi Kotobuki (ironic ain't it?) and Hatsukoi Limited's Rika Dobashii. She thus began her singing and music career as a member of Houkago Tea Time, which is the name of the band in K-ON! In the same season, she also helped in releasing Sphere's first single, Future Stream, which is the opening theme of Hatsukoi Limited. As 2010 comes to a close, Minako is gradually working her way up the ladder of acquiring more major roles while simultaneously continuing her work with Sphere.
• Aki Toyosaki (豊崎 愛生): Like Haruka, Aki Toyosaki is considered a top tier seiyuu and made her debut in the industry in late 2006. It was not until 2007 where she took on three big roles: Su in Shugo Chara!, Amuro Ninagawa in Kenkou Zenrakei Suieibu Umishou, and Reiri Kamura in Princess Resurrection. Since then her number of major roles have increased. To name a few, Uiharu Kazari in To Aru Kagaku no Railgun (A Certain Scientific Railgun), Yui Hirasawa in K-ON!, and Lisa in The Sacred Blacksmith in 2009, as well as Yui Hirasawa in K-ON!!, Kena Soga in Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou, and Bonbori in Otome Youkai Zakuro. She is also already expected to take on the roles of Aoi Kunieda in Beelzebub and Shirai Momoko in Wandering Son in the upcoming Winter 2010/2011 season. In addition, in 2010 she won the award for Best New Actress (as Yui Hirasawa) and Best Musical Performance (Houkago Tea Time's K-ON!) in the 4th Annual Seiyuu Award.

Now that I've rambled enough about each individual member, about Sphere itself... the group formed in Spring 2009 and made their debut with Future Stream, which as noted before is the opening theme song to Hatsukoi Limited. Since then they have released 5 other singles within the past year and a half as well as released a full album at the end of last year after their third single. The other singles and album are as follows:

• Super Noisy Nova, released on July 29, 2009. Contains the opening theme of Sora no Mani Mani.
• Kaze wo Atsumete (Brave My Heart), released on November 25, 2009. Generally considered as a  stand alone single, but was released as part of the Ragnarok Online 7th Anniversary Song collection.
• A.T.M.O.S.P.H.E.R.E, released on December 23, 2009. Sphere's first full album.
• Realove; Realife, released on April 21, 2010. Contains the opening theme of Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou.
• Now Loading...SKY!!, released on July 28, 2010. Contains the opening theme of Asobi ni Iku Yo!: Bombshells from the Sky.
• Moon Signal, released on October 20, 2010. Contains the opening theme of Otome Youkai Zakuro.

For a group that only formed over a year ago, the track record is very impressive; 5 of 6 singles are used for anime themes. While definitely not Nana Mizuki or AKB48 level of impressiveness, it is most definitely a fantastic start. This is one group to definitely be keeping an eye on as they may very well become one of the bigger groups in the next few years should they stay together. While I can see Ayahi potentially going solo at some point (and maybe even Haruka), for now this is one group to be paying attention to, along with a few of the other big shots like fripSide, ELISA, and eufonius.

*I wished there was PV for "No, Thank you" but sadly HTT is not a real group....