High Guardian Spice Explained

Creator:	Raye Rodriguez
Developer:	Claire Stenger
Voices:	Briana Leon Lauren White Amber Romero Michelle Deco
Composer:	Steven Argila
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Num Seasons:	1
Num Episodes:	12
Runtime:	22 minutes^[1]
Company:	Crunchyroll Studios
Network:	Crunchyroll

High Guardian Spice^[2] is an American animated television series created by Raye Rodriguez, who formerly worked for Danger & Eggs as a character designer.^{[3] [4]} The series is produced by Crunchyroll Studios (formerly named Ellation), and was originally slated to be Crunchyroll's first original series before it was delayed for approximately 2 years.^[5] The series premiered on its streaming service on October 26, 2021.^{[6] [7]}

Premise

A group of four young girls who attend the High Guardian Academy are training to become guardians of West City.^[8] At the same time, they deal with friends, enemies, and betrayals, as they attempt to protect everything from an unknown threat against the world.

Characters

Main characters

• Rosemary (voiced by Briana Leon)^[9] – A human who has pink hair and wants to become a guardian no matter what. She's brash and bold, and wants to take up her mother's sword and follow in her mother's footsteps.
• Sage (voiced by Lauren White) – A witch who has blue hair and uses Old Magic. She often runs into problems with the New Magic-centered school, as she objects to New Magic.
• Parsley (voiced by Amber Romero) – A dwarf and a magical girl with blond hair. She also works as a blacksmith.
• Thyme (voiced by Michelle Deco) – A magical girl with red hair who is a skilled archer elf. She is committed to saving her home from a mysterious ailment called the Rot.

Supporting characters

• Lavender (voiced by Liisa Lee) – The mother of Rosemary who has lavender hair and was once a well-known Guardian.
• Amaryllis (voiced by Katie McVay) – A rich, snobbish and violent human girl with purple hair who goes to the same academy. Despite her aggressiveness, she is a loyal and caring friend to Snapdragon.
• Snapdragon (voiced by Julia Kaye) – A snarky, awkward human student, and best friend of Amaryllis, with red hair who goes to the same academy.
• Mandrake (voiced by AJ Beckles) – A human shapeshifter and warlock.
• The Triad (voiced by Salli Saffioti)^[10] – The female human headmasters of the academy. They are immortal. One is young-appearing, one looks middle-aged, and the last one looks elderly.
• Professor Harkone (voiced by Anthony Brandon Walker) – A human professor who teaches battle tactics.
• Parnelle (voiced by Barbara Goodson) – The youngest male human student in the academy and a child prodigy.^[11]
• Neppy Cat (voiced by Cam Clarke) – A housecat near the academy which had secret powers.
• Slime Boy (voiced by Julian Koster) – A human warlock boy and second-year student who loves monsters and is a musician.
• Professor Caraway (voiced by Raye Rodriguez) – A human professor who teaches a class on sacred alphabets and is a powerful guardian. He is also a trans man. Lavender's friend.
• Moss Phlox (voiced by Audu Paden)^[12] – A satyr professor who teaches blacksmithing and is a guardian.
• Fennel (voiced by Audu Paden)^[13] – The father of Rosemary who has violet hair.
• Chicory (voiced by AJ Beckles)^[14] – The brother of Rosemary who has lavender hair.
• Anise (voiced by Haviland Stillwell) ^{[15] [16]} – Sage's lesbian cousin.
• Aloe (voiced by Joy Lerner)^[17] – Anise's lesbian elf wife.
• Wyverna Dretch (voiced by Haviland Stillwell)^{[18] [19]} – A female demon professor who teaches an ethics class at the academy.
• Olive (voiced by Stephanie Sheh)^[20] – A catgirl working for the Triumvirate. She is a skilled assassin.
• Grog (voiced by Audu Paden)^[21] – A creature that is sighted on the academy campus.
• Redbud (voiced by Barbara Goodson)^[22] – A science teacher at the academy who puts her students at risk, even putting their lives on the line, in order to "test" them.
• Flora (voiced by Cindy Robinson)^[23] – Mother of Thyme who visits her in the city.
• Smoke Face (voiced by Audu Paden)^[24] – A smoky purple wisp-like entity.
• Cal (voiced by SungWon Cho)^[25] – A student at the academy who is transphobic to Snapdragon and plays into her gender dysphoria.
• Sage's Mom (voiced by Michelle Deco)^[26] – The mother of Sage who appears in one episode.
• Sage's Dad (voiced by AJ Beckles)^[27] – The father of Sage who appears in one episode.
• Angie (voiced by Wendee Lee)^[28] – Mother of Parsley and many boys. Married to Sorrel.
• Sorrel (voiced by Cam Clarke)^[29] – Father of Parsley and many boys. Married to Angie.
• Zinnia (voiced by Cindy Robinson)^[30] – Student at academy who wanted to avoid danger.
• Kino (voiced by Raye Rodriguez)^[31] – Cat at the academy.
• Demon (voiced by SungWon Cho)^[32] – A demon that Thyme tries to appeal to so she can talk to her dad.
• Kelp (voiced by SungWon Cho)^[33] – A merperson that Parsley, Thyme, Sage, and Rosemary meet.
• Coral (voiced by Haviland Stillwell)^[34] – A mermaid that Thyme has a crush on.
• Hawthorn (voiced by Audu Paden)^[35] – Father of Snapdragon who pushed her to be "strong" like "a boy".
• Yarrow (voiced by Audu Paden)^[36] – Brother of Snapdragon who made fun of her for being "girlish".
• Elodie (voiced by Karen Strassman)^[37] – Mermaid at the underwater academy with Kelp and Coral. Helped by Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme.
• The Triumvirate (voiced by Audu Paden)^[38] – The mysterious governing group that appears at the end of the series and are presumably villains.

Production

Development

In 2013, Rodriguez first came up with the idea for the show and pitched it to Frederator Studios but it was rejected. It was later pitched to Crunchyroll in 2016, developed into a comic in 2017, and re-pitched in 2018 when Marge Dean started at Crunchyroll, becoming a TV show. In October 2023, Rodriguez told Melanie Cionco of Skwigly that he tried to "pitch the show for five years before it would eventually get picked up by Crunchyroll as part of their original series" and noted that he downplayed the show's queerness when he was "pitching it as a kids show for like Nickelodeon, Frederator, Cartoon Network etc."^[39]

The show began production in 2017. According to the resume of Claire Stenger, a co-developer, writer, and co-story editor for the show, she worked on pitch documents, helped with VO sessions, gave notes, and helped with the writing, between September 2017 and October 2018.^[40] The show was originally set to be released in early 2019, but was delayed.^[41] The show wrapped production in autumn 2019, as noted by Raye Rodriguez,^[42] the series creator, and Anime News Network, even though Crunchyroll missed deadlines for release in 2019 and 2020.^[43] ANN reviewer Callum May stated that negative backlash by some people to the series was why there was a lack of communication or release of the series and argued that Crunchyroll has an internal and external "communication problem".^[44]

Rodriguez stated that he produced "twelve 22-minute episodes" of the show on his official website. This number of episodes was confirmed with the official announcement of the series premiere date in October 2021. Apart from Rodriguez, who is a trans man, the show had a writers room composed completely of women, and a crew that was 50% female, and "very ethnically and LGBTQ+ diverse" according to the head of Crunchyroll Studios, then named Ellaton Studios, Margaret Dean.^[45] It was later confirmed that William Ruzicka worked as a storyboarder for the series.^{[46] [47]}

In January 2022, Rodriguez revealed that the series was "significantly low budget by U.S. animation standards," saying that many of the problems people attributed to the series, in terms of writing and art, could be "attributed to this low budget." He added that even though the show was on Crunchyroll, it was a cartoon created using a similar production pipeline to American animations like those on Cartoon Network, describing the show as ambitious artistically within the schedule and budget which was provided. He also stated that Onyx Equinox learned from mistakes made on the show and was union, but had "a lot of the same team and same pipeline" and urged people to think about what happened behind the scenes while thinking about who started hatred toward the show.^[48]

Release

On February 25, 2020, Crunchyroll released a trailer for 8 original series including High Guardian Spice^[49] and seven others. Previously, the series had been announced as the first project under the "Crunchyroll Originals" brand.^[50] In May 2020, Alden Budill, head of global partnerships and content strategy at Crunchyroll described the series as "anime-inspired," like Onyx Equinox but said they are created by a "team of people who both love and respect anime as an art form because they are designed and produced by true fans who seek to infuse that same spirit into their content even though it is created outside of Japan."^[51]

On September 4, 2020, Ethan Supovitz of CBR described the series as an upcoming Crunchyroll original which would come out in 2020, but gave no exact date.^[52] The same month it was revealed that Kristle Peluso, who also was a writer for Onyx Equinox and the second season of , was a writer for the show.^[53] On November 15, 2020, Constance Sarantos of CBR wrote an article advocating for Crunchyroll to release the series, with the latter silent about the show's release date, noting that it received backlash when it was initially announced, but that the delay "seem[ed] ridiculous" at that point.^[54]

On May 13, 2021, Rodriguez told people to be "on the lookout" for news regarding the show later in the summer.^[55]

In June 2021, it was announced that at the virtual Crunchyroll Expo 2021, taking place from August 5–7, 2021, there will be "news" about the series, specifically at the Crunchyroll Industry Panel on August 6.^{[56] [57] [58]} The same month, Anime News Network stated that show will receive a "new release date in Summer 2021" and no other shows from the studio have been announced apart from High Guardian Spice. On August 6, 2021, a trailer for the series was released, along with new art of characters in the series^{[59] [60]} In the announcement, no release date was noted, only that it will premiere soon, and that the series had magical girl influences.^{[61] [62]}

On September 21, 2021, Crunchyroll listed the show as part of its Fall 2021 lineup.^{[63] [64] [65]}

On October 10, 2021, Crunchyroll revealed the release date as October 26, 2021 and cast list. The series had a 12 episode debut.^[66] Before the show's debut, Animation Magazine said that Rodriguez wants to make the world a "more loving and empathetic place by sharing fantastical stories about queer, diverse and relatable characters."

Influences

In a November 2021 interview, Rodriguez noted that he was inspired by Magic Knight Rayearth, Sailor Moon, Petite Princess Yucie, and Little Witch Academia, and described the show as having a "hybrid Eastern-Western cartoon style." He also praised the show's cast and crew, noted the representation of various body types in the show, and argued the show's message is that being a Guardian means risking your life to stand up for what you believe, while the protagonists "have to decide for themselves if this really is the path they want to walk down." Rodriguez also said that the content warnings before episodes were not put there because of him, and that the series is not "an adult show" and that while there are curse words and mild blood, it is not for "mature audiences only".^{[67] [68]}

LGBT representation

The series features various LGBT characters. Anise, Sage's cousin, is married to an Elf woman named Aloe, with Anise voiced by Haviland Stillwell, a lesbian woman.^[69] Professor Caraway, a professor at the High Guardian Academy, is a trans man. In the third episode "Transformations", he is revealed to be a trans man, and is voiced by the show's creator, Raye Rodriguez.^{[70] [71]} Snapdragon is a trans woman. Over the course of the series, Snapdragon "Snap" figures out who she is and Caraway helps her move toward gender transition. The voice actress for Snap, Julia Kaye, confirmed that Snap is a trans woman and that Rodriguez based aspects of the character on her.^[72] Rodriguez further confirmed that Snap is a trans woman.^[73] The series also includes LGBTQ cast members like openly gay Cam Clarke (who voices Neppy Cat and Sorrel) and ambiguously queer Julian Koster (who voices Slime Boy).

In October 2021, Rodriguez was described as being "passionate about telling diverse and inclusive stories" and noted as wanting to share "fantastical stories about queer, diverse and relatable characters." In a November 2021 interview, Rodriguez noted the importance of representation and voiced optimism for inclusivity in animation. He further praised Crunchyroll for not giving any pushback to LGBTQ representation in the series, adding that in the world of High Guardian Spice, people are "generally a lot more chill about LGBTQ+ people than they are in real life."

Reception

Pre-release

In March 2020, John Witiw of CBR said that the series reminded them of RWBY, Mysticons, and Harry Potter, while noting that the names of the characters are a reference to "Scarborough Fair", an English folk ballad made popular by Simon & Garfunkel.^[74] Another reviewer, Ethan Supovitz, also of CBR, said that the show has "a lot of anime influences", blending Eastern and Western animation, calling it reminiscent of Steven Universe, The Owl House, and Dungeons & Dragons, praising the creative team, variety of characters, while expressing worry about the show's style over substance, the number of "newcomers", familiar themes, and delay in release.

Crunchyroll's announcement of the show prompted a negative backlash from some of the site's users due to the diversity of the cast and crew and inclusion of LGBTQ+ themes.^[75] Tom Capon of Gay Star News described Rodriguez as the "creative force" behind the show, noting that he'll be "leading an all-female writing room."^[76] Callum May of Anime News Network wrote that due to response by some to the show's unveiling, Crunchyroll seemed to have put off releasing the show for almost two years.

Post-release

On public review sites, the series was review bombed.^{[77] [78]}

Melanie Cionco of Skwigly described the series as being "as queer and loud in its representation as it could" by featuring a cast of "mostly queer characters and plotlines" but lamented that the show's uncertain future left these themes, plotlines, and characters, that "it wished to explicitly and openly tackle not fully developed." Jade King of The Gamer described the series as not being "afraid to showcase its queer identity" and called the characters "bright, colourful, loving."^[79] Evan Valentine, in an article for ComicBook.com, described the series as having a "unique aesthetic."^[80] Ritwik Mitra of Game Rant described the series as "pretty lighthearted and interesting," but criticized the pacing and premise, while arguing that "the LGBTQ+ representation in the show was a breath of fresh air."

Chiaki Hirai reviewed the first episode for Anime Feminist, describing it as a comfortable and "enjoyable show", praised the show's setting and story, and said that the "explicit LGBTQ positivity" stands out. However, she criticized the lack of English subtitles, saying it makes it hard for people with impaired hearing to watch the show.^[81] Madeline Carpou of The Mary Sue described the show as "middle of the road," saying the show's quality varied, but praised the show's LGBTQ representation, and said that she ultimately liked the series.^[82] Samuel Gachon of Collider said that anime-inspired series like High Guardian Spice and RWBY are "not always great."^[83]

Franchise

Merchandise

On November 12, 2021, Crunchyroll announced that a pin set of characters Rosemary, Sage, Parsley, and Thyme, in the chibi style from the show's closing credits, could be bought from the company's web store.^[84]

Recipes

On December 10, 2021, Crunchyroll shared four recipes inspired by the show ranging from "sweet to savory treats".^[85]

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rodridguez . Raye . About . Raye Rodriguez's Official Website . 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201010162512/https://www.rayetoons.com/about . October 10, 2020 . October 10, 2020. live.
2. Web site: Corporate Reshuffle Signals New Era at Rooster Teeth. Whittaker. Richard. 4:22PM. Austin Chronicle. en-US. 2019-01-11. December 12, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20200704114445/https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2018-12-12/corporate-reshuffle-signals-new-era-at-rooster-teeth/. July 4, 2020.
3. Web site: Roettgers. Janko. AT&T's Ellation Launches Studios in Burbank and Tokyo to Produce Crunchyroll Originals. Variety. 22 August 2018 . June 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210114164349/https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/ellation-studios-crunchyroll-originals-high-guardian-spice-1202912537/. January 14, 2021. live.
4. Web site: Milligan. Mercedes. Exclusive Images: A BTS Taste of Crunchyroll's Latest Original 'High Guardian Spice'. Animation Magazine. October 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211025231542/https://www.animationmagazine.net/anime/exclusive-images-a-bts-taste-of-crunchyrolls-latest-original-high-guardian-spice/. October 25, 2021. live.
5. Web site: 'High Guardian Spice' is Crunchyroll's first original series. Engadget. 22 August 2018 . en. January 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20200704114445/https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2018-12-12/corporate-reshuffle-signals-new-era-at-rooster-teeth/. July 4, 2020. live.
6. Web site: Hazra. Adriana. Crunchyroll Originals Animated Shows High Guardian Spice, FreakAngels Reveal New Trailers. Anime News Network. October 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211010181741/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-10-10/crunchyroll-originals-animated-shows-high-guardian-spice-freakangels-reveal-new-trailers/.178321. October 10, 2021. live. October 10, 2021.
7. Web site: Cardine. Kyle. Crunchyroll Announces Fall 2021 Lineup!. Crunchyroll. September 21, 2021. September 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210921211947/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2021/09/21-1/crunchyroll-announces-fall-2021-lineup. September 21, 2021. live.
8. Web site: . High Guardian Spice - Coming 2019 . . . August 22, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200614131537/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZSOGZFfSDk . June 14, 2020. live.
9. Web site: Luster. Joseph. October 10, 2021. High Guardian Spice Soars to Crunchyroll with New Trailer and Premiere Date. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211010182237/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2021/10/10-1/high-guardian-spice-soars-to-crunchyroll-with-new-trailer-and-premiere-date. October 10, 2021. October 10, 2021. Crunchyroll.
10. Web site: The Triad Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429015909/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/The-Triad/. April 29, 2022. live.
11. Raye Rodriguez . dinoraye . 1453259687395217409 . Wow thank you for watching[.] Parnelle is a boy, he uses he/him pronouns! ]. October 27, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211027071815/https://twitter.com/dinoraye/status/1453259687395217409 . October 27, 2021 . December 14, 2021 . live. Also see this tweet stream where he describes Parnelle as age 10 and a "child prodigy"
12. Web site: Moss Phlox Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429020156/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Moss-Phlox/. April 29, 2022. live.
13. Web site: Fennel Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429022007/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Fennel/. April 29, 2022. live.
14. Web site: Chicory Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429022343/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Chicory/. April 29, 2022. live.
15. Stillwell . Haviland . MissHaviland . 1453172048700723200 . October 26, 2021 . Can't wait to see how the characters I voiced came out and happy to have voiced my first gay character (finally!) on this show . en . October 27, 2021 . https://twitter.com/MissHaviland/status/1453172048700723200 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211027012957/https://twitter.com/MissHaviland/status/1453172048700723200 . October 27, 2021 . Haviland is referring to Anise.
16. Web site: Anise Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429023505/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Anise/. April 29, 2022. live.
17. Web site: Aloe Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429023604/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Aloe/. April 29, 2022. live.
18. Stillwell . Haviland . MissHaviland . 1453586831321157639 . October 28, 2021 . I loved voicing this character and always love playing a powerful professor! #HighGuardianSpice #gabrielsInferno #professorpain #dretch #voiceover #VoiceActors #LGBTQ . en . October 27, 2021 . https://twitter.com/MissHaviland/status/1453586831321157639 . live . https://archive.today/20211028150924/https://twitter.com/MissHaviland/status/1453586831321157639 . October 28, 2021 .
19. Web site: Dretch Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429023724/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Dretch/. April 29, 2022. live.
20. Web site: Olive Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429023939/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Olive/. April 29, 2022. live.
21. Web site: Grog Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429024309/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Grog/. April 29, 2022. live.
22. Web site: Redbud Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429024745/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Redbud/. April 29, 2022. live.
23. Web site: Flora Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429030522/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Flora/. April 29, 2022. live.
24. Web site: Smoke Face Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022.
25. Web site: Cal Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429031040/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Cal/. April 29, 2022. live.
26. Web site: Sage's Mom Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429031244/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Sages-Mom/. April 29, 2022. live.
27. Web site: Sage's Dad Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429031547/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Sages-Dad/. April 29, 2022. live.
28. Web site: Angie Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429032439/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Angie/. April 29, 2022. live.
29. Web site: Sorrel Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429032832/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Sorrel/. April 29, 2022. live.
30. Web site: Zinnia Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429121804/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Zinnia/. April 29, 2022. live.
31. Web site: Kino Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220427203417/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Kino/. April 27, 2022. live.
32. Web site: Demon Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429123829/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Demon/. April 29, 2022. live.
33. Web site: Kelp Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429124107/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Kelp/. April 29, 2022. live.
34. Web site: Coral Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429124317/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Coral/. April 29, 2022. live.
35. Web site: Hawthorn Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429124458/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Hawthorn/. April 29, 2022. live.
36. Web site: Yarrow Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429124552/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Yarrow/. April 29, 2022. live.
37. Web site: Elodie Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429124705/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/Elodie/. April 29, 2022. live.
38. Web site: The Triumverate Voice. Behind the Voice Actors. April 28, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220429124824/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/High-Guardian-Spice/The-Triumverate/. April 29, 2022. live.
39. Web site: Cionco. Melanie. The Fear of Trans Stories in Animation. Skwigly. October 4, 2023. October 5, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231004110851/https://www.skwigly.co.uk/the-fear-of-trans-stories-in-animation/. October 4, 2023. live.
40. Web site: Stenger . Claire . Resume . Official website of Claire Stenger . July 19, 2017 . https://archive.today/20201010165658/https://www.clairestenger.com/resume . October 10, 2020 . October 10, 2020. live.
41. Web site: Ellation Launches Studios In Burbank And Tokyo To Produce Crunchyroll Original Series 'High Guardian Spice'. August 22, 2018. Cartoon Brew. en-US. January 11, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20200406035021/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/internet-television/ellation-launches-studios-in-burbank-and-tokyo-to-produce-crunchyroll-original-series-high-guardian-spice-163246.html. April 6, 2020. live.
42. Rodriguez . Raye . dinoraye . 1192322651076739073 . Soooooooo... it was my last day at Crunchyroll a week and a half ago! High Guardian Spice has wrapped, now it's just a matter of when Hime-Sama wills it to be released into the wild. I animated a bouncy Rosemary in my now copious amounts of freetime to celebrate . November 6, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200126181032/https://twitter.com/dinoraye/status/1192322651076739073 . January 26, 2020 . October 10, 2020. live.
43. Web site: Loveridge. Lynzee. Crunchyroll Joins Forces With WEBTOON for New Animated Content. Anime News Network. October 15, 2019. March 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20230926091146/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2019-10-15/crunchyroll-joins-forces-with-webtoon-for-new-animated-content/.152260. September 26, 2023. live.
44. Web site: May. Callum. Crunchyroll Originals Have Been A Disaster. June 18, 2021. Anime News Network. June 18, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210618141838/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2021-06-18/crunchyroll-originals-have-been-a-disaster/.173347. June 18, 2021. live.
45. Web site: Sarto. Dan. Marge Dean Brings Anime and Inclusion Together at Crunchyroll Studios. Animation World Network. November 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126211123/https://www.awn.com/animationworld/marge-dean-brings-anime-and-inclusion-together-crunchyroll-studios. January 26, 2021. June 18, 2021. live.
46. Web site: Mateo. Alex. Storyboard Artist/Animation Director William Ruzicka Passes Away. Anime News Network. February 7, 2023. March 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240120094059/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-02-07/storyboard-artist-animation-director-william-ruzicka-passes-away/.194627. January 20, 2024. live.
47. Web site: Hodgkins. Crystalyn. News: In Memoriam. Anime News Network. December 31, 2023. March 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240120094446/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-12-31/in-memoriam/.206031. January 20, 2024. live.
48. Web site: Morissy. Kim. High Guardian Spice, Onyx Equinox Creators Discuss the Shows' Low Budgets. Anime News Network. January 19, 2022. January 19, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220119181447/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2022-01-19/high-guardian-spice-onyx-equinox-creators-discuss-the-shows-low-budgets/.181680. January 19, 2022. live.
49. Web site: . Crunchyroll Originals - OFFICIAL TRAILER . Crunchyroll Collection . . February 25, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200229163759/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlFRoUMkUDw . February 29, 2020 . October 10, 2020. live.
50. Web site: Ressler. Karen. Crunchyroll, VRV Plan to Expand Original IP Beyond Video. Anime News Network. September 20, 2018. March 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20230521193912/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/daily-briefs/2018-09-20/crunchyroll-vrv-plan-to-expand-original-ip-beyond-video/.137082. May 21, 2023. live.
51. Web site: Loveridge. Lynzee. Interview: Crunchyroll Talks What Makes an 'Original'. Anime News Network. May 6, 2020. March 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20200506182623/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2020-05-06/interview-crunchyroll-talks-what-makes-an-original/.159103. May 6, 2020. live.
52. Web site: Supovitz. Ethan. 5 Reasons To Be Hyped For Crunchyroll's High Guardian Spice (& 5 Reasons To Be Worried). CBR. 5 September 2020 . en. October 10, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200911122310/https://www.cbr.com/crunchyroll-high-guardian-spice-hyped-worried/. September 11, 2020. live.
53. Web site: Ogihara. Jordan. Rooster Teeth Reveals Diverse Writer's Room for Season 2 of Mecha Series 'Gen:Lock'. mxdwn. 16 September 2020 . en. October 10, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201010164256/https://television.mxdwn.com/news/rooster-teeth-reveals-diverse-writers-room-for-season-2-of-mecha-series-gen-lock/. October 10, 2020. live.
54. Web site: Sarantos. Constance. Crunchyroll - Now is the PERFECT Time to Release High Guardian Spice. CBR. 15 November 2020 . en. November 16, 2020. https://archive.today/20201116182705/https://www.cbr.com/crunchyroll-should-release-high-guardian-spice-now/. November 16, 2020. live.
55. Web site: Valdez. Nick. Crunchyroll's High Guardian Spice Creator Teases Update Coming Soon. ComicBook.com. May 14, 2021. May 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210514222947/https://comicbook.com/anime/news/high-guardian-spice-update-coming-soon-creator-tease-crunchyroll/. May 14, 2021. live.
56. Web site: The Rising of the Shield Hero Japanese Voice Actors Head to Virtual Crunchyroll Expo 2021!. Crunchyroll. June 10, 2021. June 11, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210610170658/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2021/06/10/the-rising-of-the-shield-hero-japanese-voice-actors-head-to-virtual-crunchyroll-expo-2021. June 10, 2021. live.
57. Web site: Valdez. Nick. Crunchyroll Expo 2021 to Feature The Rising of the Shield Hero Stars. ComicBook.com. June 11, 2021. June 12, 2021. https://archive.today/20210612204806/https://comicbook.com/anime/news/the-rising-of-the-shield-hero-season-2-voice-actors-crunchyroll-expo-2021/. June 12, 2021. live.
58. Web site: Lawrence. Briana. Here Is Everything You Can Expect to See At Virtual Crunchyroll Expo This Weekend. August 2, 2021. The Mary Sue. August 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210802190142/https://www.themarysue.com/virtual-crunchyroll-expo-2021/. August 2, 2021. live.
59. Web site: Milligan. Mercedes. V-CRX: Crunchyroll Announces Huge New Anime Slate. Animation Magazine. August 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210806205921/https://www.animationmagazine.net/anime/v-crx-crunchyroll-announces-huge-new-anime-slate/. August 6, 2021. live. August 6, 2021.
60. Web site: Baron. Reuben. Crunchyroll's Long-Delayed High Guardian Spice Drops Trailer, But Still No Release Date. CBR. August 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210807032303/https://www.cbr.com/crunchyroll-high-guardian-spice-trailer-no-release-date/. August 7, 2021. August 6, 2021. live.
61. Web site: Lacerna. Michael. Here's All The New Announcements from Virtual Crunchyroll Expo. CBR. August 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210806201537/https://www.cbr.com/virtual-crunchyroll-expo-announcements/. August 6, 2021. live. August 7, 2021.
62. Web site: Valdez. Nick. Crunchyroll's High Guardian Spice Debuts First Trailer and Key Art. ComicBook.com. August 6, 2021. August 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210806203112/https://comicbook.com/anime/news/high-guardian-spice-trailer-key-art-crunchyroll-animated-series/. August 6, 2021. live.
63. Web site: Simons. Roxy. Crunchyroll Announces Its Fall 2021 Anime Season Schedule. Newsweek. September 22, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210923003550/https://www.newsweek.com/crunchyroll-fall-2021-anime-season-schedule-1631514. September 23, 2021. September 23, 2021.
64. Web site: Crunchyroll Announces Fall 2021 Anime Slate. Animation World Network. September 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210922171516/https://www.awn.com/news/crunchyroll-announces-fall-2021-anime-slate. September 22, 2021. live. September 22, 2021.
65. Web site: Baron. Reuben. Blade Runner, Platinum End, Fena and More Lead Crunchyroll's Fall Season. CBR. September 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210922122943/https://www.cbr.com/blade-runner-platinum-end-fena-crunchyroll-fall-season/. September 22, 2021. September 23, 2021.
66. Web site: Dudok De Wit. Alex. Coming Soon To Streaming: 'Aquaman: King Of Atlantis,' 'High Guardian Spice,' 'Fairfax' (Trailers). Cartoon Brew. October 12, 2021. January 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20211101222122/https://www.cartoonbrew.com/series/coming-soon-to-streaming-aquaman-king-of-atlantis-high-guardian-spice-fairfax-trailers-209633.html. November 1, 2021. live.
67. Rodriguez . Raye . dinoraye . 1470856662776901633 . It's not supposed to be an adult show, that content warning at the top had nothing to do with me . December 14, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211214204723/https://twitter.com/dinoraye/status/1470856662776901633 . December 14, 2021 . March 23, 2022 . live.
68. Rodriguez . Raye . dinoraye . 1453155260655038466 . Hey all, I've been seeing some questions/concerns about this content warning and I wanted to say, there's some mild blood & curse words in the series, that's about it. I wouldn't be too worried going into the show Definitely not for "mature audiences only" . October 26, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211202050954/https://twitter.com/dinoraye/status/1453155260655038466 . December 2, 2021 . March 23, 2022 . live. He also said that sexual content is "nonexistent".
69. Stillwell . Haviland . MissHaviland . 1453172048700723200 . October 26, 2021 . Can't wait to see how the characters I voiced came out and happy to have voiced my first gay character (finally!) on this show . en . October 27, 2021 . https://twitter.com/MissHaviland/status/1453172048700723200 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211027012957/https://twitter.com/MissHaviland/status/1453172048700723200 . October 27, 2021 .
70. Web site: High Guardian Spice wows fans with its openly trans character. Gayming Magazine. October 27, 2021. https://archive.today/20211027172245/https://gaymingmag.com/2021/10/high-guardian-spice-wows-fans-with-its-openly-trans-character/. October 27, 2021. live.
71. Rodriguez . Raye . dinoraye . 1453175622419685381 . October 26, 2021 . Yeah! I'm Professor Caraway . en . October 27, 2021 . https://twitter.com/dinoraye/status/1453175622419685381 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211027014425/https://twitter.com/dinoraye/status/1453175622419685381 . October 27, 2021 .
72. Kaye . Julia . Julia Kaye . upandoutcomic . 1455584522368548869 . November 2, 2021 . (yea, the showrunner based aspects of the character on me, snap is canon trans) . en . November 2, 2021 . https://twitter.com/upandoutcomic/status/1455584522368548869 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211102190728/https://twitter.com/upandoutcomic/status/1455584522368548869 . November 2, 2021 .
73. Rodriguez . Raye . dinoraye . 1462905769418911747 . November 22, 2021 . Yeah Snap is a trans girl :3 . October 27, 2021 . https://twitter.com/dinoraye/status/1462905769418911747 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211123042650/https://twitter.com/dinoraye/status/1462905769418911747 . November 23, 2021 .
74. Web site: Witiw. John. 10 Things You Need To Know About High Guardian Spice. CBR. en. March 23, 2020. March 23, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200324154948/https://www.cbr.com/high-guardian-spice-facts/. March 24, 2020. live.
75. Web site: Valdez. Nick. Crunchyroll Fans Rise Up to Defend Site's Original Animated Series. https://web.archive.org/web/20200402090805/https://comicbook.com/anime/2018/08/28/crunchyroll-original-anime-series-high-guardian-spice-react/. April 2, 2020. August 14, 2021. ComicBook.com. en. live.
76. Web site: Capon. Tom. A trans man is making the first ever original anime series by Crunchyroll. Gay Star News. en. live. August 25, 2020. October 10, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200215233937/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/trans-man-raye-rodriguez-crunchyroll/. February 15, 2020.
77. Web site: Spicing It Up: "High Guardian Spice" is A Cute and Magical Coming-of-Age Story. Hermann. Burkely. The Geekiary. October 30, 2021. October 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211031035644/https://thegeekiary.com/spicing-it-up-high-guardian-spice-is-a-cute-and-magical-coming-of-age-story/102114. October 31, 2021. live.
78. Web site: Mitra. Ritwik. All Crunchyroll Originals, Ranked. Game Rant. September 20, 2023. March 31, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20230427172905/https://gamerant.com/anime-best-crunchyroll-originals/. April 27, 2023. live.
79. Rodriguez . Ray . Jade King . High Guardian Spice Interview: Raye Rodriguez On Creating A Queer Crunchyroll Original . The Gamer . November 3, 2021 . Online . live . https://archive.today/20211103185715/https://www.thegamer.com/high-guardian-spice-interview-raye-rodriguez-crunchyroll/ . November 3, 2021 . November 3, 2021.
80. Web site: Valentine. Evan. High Guardian Spice Shares New Images For Its Halloween Special (Exclusive). ComicBook.com. October 28, 2021. https://archive.today/20211029011329/https://comicbook.com/anime/news/high-guardian-spice-halloween-special-exclusive-images-crunchyroll/. October 29, 2021. live.
81. Web site: Hirai. Chika. High Guardian Spice – Episode 1 [Review]]. Anime Feminist. October 27, 2021. https://archive.today/20211027174141/https://www.animefeminist.com/high-guardian-spice-episode-1/. October 27, 2021. October 27, 2021. live.
82. Web site: I Finally Watched the Internet's Most Maligned 'Anime' and It Doesn't Deserve the Hate. Carpou. Madeline. The Mary Sue. August 15, 2022. August 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220815202910/https://www.themarysue.com/crunchyrolls-high-guardian-spice-internets-most-unfairly-maligned-anime/. August 15, 2022. live.
83. Web site: Gachon. Samuel. 10 Great Western Shows Inspired By Anime. Collider. March 18, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220320142932/https://collider.com/great-western-shows-inspired-by-anime/. March 20, 2022. live.
84. Web site: Adorable High Guardian Spice Pin Set Now Available to Pre-Order. Crunchyroll. November 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211112200916/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2021/11/12-1/adorable-high-guardian-spice-pin-set-now-available-to-pre-order. November 12, 2021. live.
85. Web site: RECIPES: 4 Savory Snacks For Watching High Guardian Spice. Crunchyroll. December 10, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211211031049/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2021/12/10-1/recipes-4-savory-snacks-for-watching-high-guardian-spice. December 11, 2021. live.