[KYOMAFU 2016] Servamp X Bananya Feat. Yuuki Kaji and Ayumu Murase

Only at Kyomafu 2016, special event titled SERVAMP X BANANYA is held as the second stage (first day) at Miyako Messe. Kojacon Report Team is very happy to attend this event today! This stage will be a talk event with some quiz related to those two anime starring Yuuki Kaji and Ayumu Murase. First half of this stage will talk about Servamp, and Bananya will be on the second half. For the last part, they will announce some collaboration menu and goods! Let’s start from brief introduction about Servamp and Bananya, also about our featured guests today!

Servamp is a Japanese manga series by Strike Tanaka, serialized in Media Factory’s shoujo manga magazine Monthly Comic Gene since 2011. It has been collected into eleven tankoubon volumes. The series is licensed in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment. A television anime adaptation began airing on July 5, 2016 and concluded on September 20, 2016 with 12 episodes. When a stray black cat named Kuro crosses Mahiru Shirota’s path, the high school freshman’s life will never be the same again. Kuro is, in fact, no ordinary feline, but a servamp: a servant vampire. While Mahiru’s personal philosophy is one of non-intervention, he soon becomes embroiled in an ancient, altogether surreal conflict between vampires and humans.

Bananya  is a Japanese anime television series produced by animation studio Gathering. It began airing on July 4, 2016. The series follows a white cat who lives inside a banana. It is being streamed outside of Japan by Crunchyroll. Bananya is a mysterious cat who hides inside a banana. Bananya lives undercover inside a real banana, and no-one has ever seen the part covered by banana skin. When nobody is around, Bananya secretly plays and creates mischief. Bananya likes to play and eat sweet things. Bananya’s dream is to become a stylish chocolate banana.

Today’s guest Seiyuu(s) are as below:

Yuuki Kaji as Kuro (Servamp) & Bananya (Bananya)
Ayumu Murase as Hyu the Dark Algernon III (Servamp) & Tora Bananya (Bananya)

Yuuki Kaji is male seiyuu who come from Tokyo. He previously works under Seiyuu Agency “Artvision” before he left and now he is currently working for seiyuu agency “VIMS”. Started his seiyuu debut in 2004 as Shouran in Teikoku Senseki from PS2, he got his first anime debut in Ouran Koukou Host Club as Chikage Ukyou in 2006 and got his first main role in Over Drive as Mikoto Shinozaki in 2007. Beside releasing two singles in 2012, he also joined AD-LIVE butai Stage from three years ago until now. After his radio program with Hiro Shimono titled “Radio Misty” ended up, he continues for  hosting an internet radio program with Tsubasa Yonaga, titled “Yuuki to Tsubasa no Hiyoko” which currently airing on Animate. He also get one main program from 2014 called “Kaji Yuuki no Hitorigoto” that aired on AM1134/FM91.6 every Thursday and Chou!A&G every Sunday.

Ayumu Murase is newcomer seiyuu who was born in Los Angeles, United State of America. Same with Yuuki Kaji, he is now working under seiyuu agency “VIMS”. Debuted 2012 from Persona 4 The Animation and got his main role character in GATCHAMAN Crowds as Rui Ninomiya in 2013. His speciality are voicing both male-female character, and also his English accent. As rising seiyuu, his career is boosting up from Anime Mysterious Joker (as Joker/Jack Jones) and Haikyuu (as Shouyou Hinata).  In 2016, he won 10th seiyuu awards as best newcomer male seiyuu.

SERVAMP ~ TALK CORNER
Kuro and Hyu were holding a secret box together, what’s that about? Inside the box will be several topic to be discussed by taking up one question per turn. Lucky number one was Kuro, and the topic was “scene or script you remember well in Servamp” and Kuro’s answer was “I remember ep. 9 so much, when Mahiru was taken to the spirits world of Kuro and he realized that so many thing happened in their past was actually related to the “mukiae nee” words (finally we meet). I think it’s an important things to lead the audience knowing why Mahiru should meet Kuro, and that’s explaining really well. If you watched it”. Talk about quality of Servamp anime itself, “So many lovely staff and cast in this anime, when I was in recording session I saw that everyone keep their enthusiasm and love, moreover this anime is almost finish. Every time we watched the airing broadcast, we feel so moved.” he added.

Next turn is Hyu. Hyu was taking up “common points between you and your character in Servamp” topic, and his answered is “Even though Hyu often talk with his self-sufficiency and haughtiness, actually that is his way to make selection of friends to be believed and to gain his trust. I think that’s same with me, I don’t like to be kind to anyone I just meet at a second ago but I can see from that attitude who could be my friend and who couldn’t.” And he added “I also like wings! Especially dark wings like a bat! So cool! I feel like a fallen angel! LOL” and Kuro’s face turned out confuse responded Hyu, was like “Fallen Angel?!”

Last turn will be for Kuro and Hyu together. The question is “things should be paid off when recording“. Hyu answered first “Before we have recording for anime, we actually done the recording for drama CD, so I think it will be the same trouble from Hyu in drama CD and Hyu in TV anime. Isn’t?” and continued by Kuro “It was more difficult when recording for drama CD, in TV anime recording session, I could see Kuro himself, so I could imagine better when voicing Kuro”. Suddenly Kuro said that Hyu made stupid case when recording the latest episode of Servamp. “Hyu didn’t recognize senpaitachi who also been there to join recording session!” and audience were laughing so hard about that. “I don’t remember Kakihara-san (cast of Mikuni Arisuin) was appearing in Servamp! Then senpaitachi like Ishikawa-san (cast of Shuuhei Tsuyuki) and Shimazaki-san (cast of Licht Jekyll Land Todoroki) were getting mad of me! I’m sorry senpai! LOL” replied Hyu to Kuro.

Finally, Kuro kigurumi (character-costume) appeared on the corner and walk into the middle of stage! So cute! Kuro said hello and waved his hands to everyone who comes to this stage event! He said that he will come again at the end of the show, together with someone. Who?

BANANYA ~ TALK CORNER
Yuuki Kaji and Ayumu Murase were returning to stage as Bananya and Tora Bananya. They came with cute bananya hoodie towel! OMG! And this time, a Bananya themed table already prepared for them to get into talk session! Similar to Servamp on last session, they should take a kuji bananya to answered the question. So let’s change Kuro and Hyu to Bananya and Tora Bananya!

First draw was Bananya and he got “try to make NYAA~ voice“. “What?! Not a question?!” he asked himself while loud screams heard from here and there. After Yuuki said “Nyaaw~” as Bananya, Ayumu asked him to also give NYAA~ voice as Kuro! Then he said “nyaw!” which is very  sharp but cute! LOL. Then, Tora Bananya also gave another “nyaa~” to the audience and made the audience screamed louder just like big climax to the venue!

Next draw for Tora Bananya, “what is your impression voicing Bananyako?” and he answered it was quite difficult since the recording session took time in the morning and he should voice a female cat, “sometimes I felt my throat is really hurt” he added. Following draw again by Tora Bananya, the topic is “comment about voicing several character in one series“. First answer came from Ayumu, “It’s fun to try voicing a lot of character! Isn’t it?” Yuuki replied “yes of course”. “But sometimes I felt like, am I voicing the wrong bananya? Did I just mistaken the character? LOL” he added.

Suddenly Ayumu talked about his own feelings on this Bananya series! “By the way sorry to say but in my opinion, Kaji-san is unfair. He is so cute with or without Bananya, and I feel like I’m gonna losing anytime from the very beginning. But I tried so hard and I’m not gonna lose! Just you see it!” he said and Yuuki just laughing so hard responded to him. By the end of the laughter in the air, talk corner session is over.

As expected, Bananya kigurumi appeared on the corner of the stage, opposite place with Kuro Kigurumi last session, and it jumped over to the middle of the stage. So cute, isn’t it?!

SERVAMP X BANANYA
Last session of this stage event will be collaboration event for Servamp and Bananya. Here, Yuuki and Ayumu introduced some collaboration goods from Servamp and Bananya. It’s Kuro using Bananya Hoodie Hat and Bananya with Kuro inside! Available goods are A4 Clear File for ¥350, Can Badge for ¥500 per set, and Key Holder ¥600 each. All price before 8% government tax. Check this cute limited goods! They appreciated that half of the goods are already sold out and just a few left at the exhibition corner!

For the closing, both seiyuu expressed their gratitude to anyone who come to the stage. Ayumu Murase started first “Hello everyone, I’m very glad to be here in front of you all as Hyu and also as Tora Bananya, but I’m quite nervous standing beside Kaji-san here, I adore him very much. LOL. It’s so fun to have this kind of collaboration in one stage. Anyway, I’m not sure that all of you already watched Bananya or not, but please try to watch it, you must be like it! ” and continued by Yuuki Kaji “Thanks for coming today, Servamp is almost over so please watch it until the very end and keep loving Servamp for me and for all! Since both anime is very fun to follow, please enjoy and don’t forget to buy the merchandise, okay? LOL! See you again soon!”

After Yuuki and Ayumu left the stage with big applause echoing in the venue, kigurumi of Kuro and Bananya were re-appearing from the corner and walk into the center of stage. They said thank you for coming and waving to all audience until the stage is clear again. Unfortunately Kojacon Report didn’t get any collaboration goods which mention above. All merchandise already sold out before the stage end!

Special Thanks to : Kyomafu 2016 Executive Committe
Photos Credit: Animate Times
Pictures are taken from:
Servamp Official Website
Bananya Official Website