Glossary : "17-sai Kyou" (17-ism)

17-sai Kyou (religion of 17 years old) is a phenomenon in the 
seiyuu industry for female seiyuu declaring herself always 17
years old.  

This is of course started by Inoue Kikuko, who was inspired by 
her limited-time working partner Yamamoto Mania's then self-
introduction phrase "Yamamoto Maria, 16-sai desu".  Inoue's 
becoems "Inoue Kikuko, 16-sai desu", and then became "17-sai 
desu" when Maria got 1 year older.  In the next year Kikuko 
used "18-sai desu" for a few occasions, and then revert back 
to "17-sai desu", and use it ever since.   

Tamura Yukari had worked with Kikuko in several occasions and
became freinds with Kikuko.  She then expressly asked Kikuko's
permission to use the always 17 directives.  Kikuko, never 
suspecting she is starting a religion and never thought of 
owning any rights to it, gave permission.  

Yukari announced her intention and persuaded Nomura Sakura to 
join her.  Later, Horie Yui and Satou Rina also joined.  It 
was said that Yamamoto Maria, Shintani Ryouko, and Mizuki Nana
are considering to follow suit.  

Kurata Masayo has explicitely refused to join.  Hisakawa Aya,
Kikuko's best friends in the seiyuu industry, commented in her
radio show in 2006 that "those who join the 17-sai Kyou are 
living in fairytales ?  Escaping reality ?...."  

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'CuSO4' Yung                          cuso4@cuso4.com, cuso4@cuso4.jp