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 series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

: #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 a ...

. All three OVAs were produced at

Studio Hibari is a Japanese animation studio founded in July 1979 by Hiroyoshi Mitsunobu and his wife Sachiko. In 1985 Hiroyoshi Mitsunobu fell ill and Sachiko Mitsunobu was appointed president. During that time Seiji Mitsunobu (Hiroyoshi and Sachiko's son) wa ...

, 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 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 on

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

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 prerecorded media sold or 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, Blu-ray and streaming me ...

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

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France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and

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. 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 product lines, as well as scale figures. In addition to production and manufacturing, its business includes design, marketing and distribution. Its products are usual ...

, a bathing

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

References

External links

* {{Studio Hibari, state=collapsed Female characters in anime and manga

See also

References

External links