Hinako is a fictional character appearing in the three

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

: #April 2009: '' Issho ni Training: Training with Hinako'' #February 2010: ''Issho ni Sleeping: Sleeping with Hinako'' #December 2010: ''Issho ni Training 026: Bathtime with Hinako & Hiyoko''. In Japanese, the character is voiced by

Mai Kadowaki is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Tokyo, Japan. She was previously known as 門脇舞 (pronunciation identical). Biography She is popular as a radio actress who wears glasses. She is also known for portraying meganekko characters on ...

. All three OVAs were produced at

Studio Hibari is a Japanese animation studio founded in 1979, in Ōizumi, Gunma Prefecture. History Studio Hibari was founded in July 1979 in Ōizumi by former Tsuchida Production cel-colorist Sachiko Mitsunobu and her husband, anime director . In 1985, ...

, with character designs from Ryoko Amisaki and the screenplay written by Muneshige Nakagawa. In the first OVA, ''Training with Hinako'', Hinako is transformed into an anime figure through a television and then talks to the viewer. After that, she begins to exercise to lose some weight, providing the viewer with

fan service , fanservice or Example: A frame (numbered "25") from the English opening sequence of '' New Cutie Honey'', in which character Danbei Hayami fires a Rocket Punch as main character Honey Kisaragi lies topless and prone in the background, i ...

in the process. The video is in an interactive format, allowing the viewer to rearrange the scenes in the video. The intention behind the production of the first DVD was to make an animation that could be participated in. This DVD became a

bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

in Japan in April 2009. The second OVA, ''Issho ni Sleeping: Sleeping with Hinako'', shows Hinako going to bed and sleeping, while again addressing the viewer directly at the beginning. This second OVA has been panned for sometimes distracting from its main premise of showing the character sleep.

Home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...

releases of the OVAs include releases in Japan, the United States,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Android Apps have been released for ''Training with Hinako'' in 2010 and ''Sleeping with Hinako'' in 2011. A pirated version of the ''Training with Hinako'' app contained a smartphone virus, the first such virus found in Japan. Hinako's effect on the viewer has been described as legitimizing their existence in the fictional setting by recognizing the existence of the viewer and thereby letting them identify with the character. Merchandise released for the character includes an anime figure by

Good Smile Company is a Japanese manufacturer of hobby products such as the Nendoroid and Figma (toy), Figma product lines, as well as scale figures. In addition to production and manufacturing, its business includes design, marketing and distribution. Its product ...

, a bathing

mitten A mitten is a type of glove that covers the hand but does not have separate finger openings or sheaths. Generally, mittens still separate the thumb from the other four fingers. They have different colours and designs. Mittens provide greater th ...

as well as an artbook and a guidebook for Android mobile devices.

References

External links

* {{Studio Hibari, state=collapsed

See also

References

External links