New year, new releases!! Rounding up some of the releases this month from your favourite seiyuu:

[15 Jan 14]

Virginal
Shouta Aoi

© b-green

The voice behind Uta no Prince-sama’s Ai Mikaze has released his first single as Shouta Aoi. Brought to you by music label b-green, this single was crafted by the same people behind the wildly successful Utapuri franchise, Elements Garden. Title track Virginal features writing by Noriyasu Agematsu and arrangement by Junpei Fujita, while coupling song Yume no Tsudsuki (ユメノツヅキ) was written by Shouta himself.

This single reached 8th on the Oricon Weekly Rankings the week it was relseased. Sample tracks are available at the official website for the single.

http://youtu.be/VDq1XKTb8WU

Tamura Yukari LOVE LIVE ＊Cute’n Cute’n Heart＊[BD-DVD]
Yukari Tamura

© www.tamurayukari.com

Relive Yukarin’s summer lives last year at Saitama Super Arena from the comfort of your couch with this DVD collection~ Bop along to the cutesy tunes with Yukarin’s signature voice, while getting prepared for her upcoming release in February, Nourin’s opening theme, Himitsu no Tobira Kara Ai Ni Kite (秘密の扉から会いにきて). Or getting yourselves ready for her spring tour LOVE ♡ LIVE 2014 Spring *Fruits Fruits ♡ Cherry*!

DVD also includes 9 bonus tracks, a short movie “～A Story of Dreaming Princess　EXTRA～”, and a behind-the-scenes road-to-Saitama Super Arena documentary. Full track list is available at her official website.

http://youtu.be/ADgH7q-7SJg

[23 Jan 14]

Miyano Mamoru Artist BOOK Journey
Mamoru Miyano

JOURNEY Cover: © Gakken Publishing Co.,Ltd.

A 96-page full-colour feast for the eyes! Follow Mamo as he brings you locations around Okinawa (warning: includes abs). Also includes several interviews where he talks about his childhood, youth, career, and even shares a few anecdotes about his mom~

Full details here: [SEIYUU] MAMORU MIYANO BRINGS YOU ON A VISUAL JOURNEY.

[29 Jan 14]

START AGAIN
Hiroshi Kamiya

© Kiramune

Not forgetting the super popular Kamiya Hiroshi, who also just released his fourth single right after his birthday on the 28th! Title song START AGAIN preview promises a lavish shoot with melancholic backdrop with deserted beaches and sand dunes, a slight departure from Hare no Hi and Nijiiro Choucho, but not quite as edgy as Such a Beautiful Affair.

Additional details here: [SEIYUU] HIROSHI KAMIYA: START AGAIN – NEW SINGLE

VisuMania (ビジュメニア) - World Conquest Zvezda Plot Ending Theme
Aoi Yuuki

© FlyingDog

Prodigy Yuuki Aoi returns with her first single VisuMania, after her solo album Petipa in 2012. The title song serves as the ending theme to anime World Conquest Zvezda Plot (Sekai Seifuku: Bouryaku no Zvezda), with Maaya Sakamoto’s BE MINE! as the opening theme. The series follows Asuta Jimon as he chances upon Kate Hoshimiya, and ends up tangled in her organisation’s (Zvezda) quest on world domination.

Coupling song Kuchihige Awa Balloon (くちひげ泡バルーン) is the theme song for the Monster Hunter: Itsudemo Airuu Life smartphone app. Do check both songs out if you liked Petipa! Track samples are available at the official website.

http://youtu.be/FGG6PVhUhB8

Stay tuned to AFACHAN for more updates! See you next month!

The post [SEIYUU] January releases round-up: Individual Releases appeared first on AFA Channel!.

All the Dear Girls out there, remember the rumours/ fancams on social media catching Kamiya Hiroshi and Ono Daisuke filming in the streets of Hong Kong? Well, it’s here!!

Dear Girls ~Stories~ (DGS) presents: DGS THE MOVIE2 ACE OF ASIA!

Three years after their last movie adventure in Ushiku, join HiroC (Kamiya Hiroshi), and OnoD (Ono Daisuke) as they bring you on another adventure, this time in HONG KONG! They will be exploring the streets of Hong Kong, feasting on delicious Chinese food with Chanko Chanko (their unofficial chubby mascot staffer), and maybe learning some kungfu moves?!

Expect silly games, laughter, and heaps of HiroC bullying OnoD (as usual)~

Of course, let’s not forget their PV for the theme song ACE OF ASIA by the MASOCHISTIC ONO BAND. Word was filming for the PV did cause traffic to come to a standstill –  they certainly were not prepared for the crowd of fans turning up!

The movie opens 15 Feb 2014, nationwide in Japan, catch it if you are there! Or wait for the DVD with the rest of us~ In the meantime, check out the trailer and a preview of the theme song ACE OF ASIA (taken from the radio show) below!

Trailer:

, courtesy Nono. K
(From the official website, http://www.joqrextend.co.jp/dgsmovie2/)

What is Dear Girls ~Stories~??

For the uninitiated, Dear Girls ~Stories~, or affectionately known as DGS, is a weekly web radio show hosted by seiyuus Kamiya Hiroshi and Ono Daisuke, known on the show as HiroC and OnoD. The radio show has gained immense popularity over the years, spawning their own manga series published in Sylph, product tie-ins, stage events and even a full theatrical movie chronicling OnoD’s special birthday celebration where they brought him to see the Daibutsu (big Budddha) in Ushiku (OnoD is quite the daibutsu fanatic).

Each radio episode generally abides to a theme, and has the personalities responding to fan letters (Futsusto), letters from the editing department at Dengeki Girl’s Style magazine (GirlSty Danwashitsu), or the manga authors from Sylph (Sylph Danwashitsu). As the name of the show suggests, this usually involves the pair coming up with “innovative” solutions to their problems, sometimes involving creative role playing, and a lot of OnoD ribbing. Special episodes include guest appearances from friends and colleagues (most memorably from the DG5 gang: Nakamura Yuuichi, Sugita Tomokazu, Yasumoto Hiroki), birthday celebrations (once springing a surprise visit to HiroC’s house), and even durian-tasting adventures.

The post [SEIYUU] Dear Girl～Stories～THE MOVIE2 ACE OF ASIA appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Kiramune’s youngest is back with an all new album!

© Kiramune

After a long break (1½ years) since his last mini album cocoro, Irino Miyu is back with another mini album. As one of the very first (and youngest) to join the Kiramune stable of popular seiyuus, fans have literally seen him grow up with Kiramune – moving from genki pop tunes to dance tracks and even tackling ballads in cocoro.

E=mc² is compilation of 6 pieces which contains his first attempt at writing his own songs – Sore Demo Nao (それでもなお-composition and lyrics) and Hibi (日々- lyrics).

Bing Bing Knight PV ©Kiramune

Based off the preview at his official Kiramune webpage, Bing Bing Knight appears to similar in style to his previous release, energetic tunes with a youthful vibe. Watch the PV preview to Bing Bing Knight here: http://kiramune.jp/artist/irino/

Irino Miyu first impressed audiences with his performance as Haku in Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, and is probably most remembered for his roles as Syaoran (Tsubasa Chronicle, Kobato, xxxHOLiC), Niwa Daisuke (D.N.Angel), and most recently as Tadakuni (Daily Lives of High School Boys) Chizuru (Kimi to Boku) and Sora (Kingdom Hearts). He is also very active in theatre, and recently completed runs in Fune ni Nore! (船に乗れ! ) and Takarazuka BOYS (宝塚BOYS).

Premium Edition

Regular Edition ©Kiramune

Release date: 19 Feb 2014
Tracklist:
1. Bing Bing Knight
2. LOUD!
3. Sore de Nao (それでもなお)
4. Saraba, Kimi yo. (さらば、君よ。)
5. Hibi (日々)
6. Doko Mademo (どこまでも)
Premium edition comes with Bing Bing Knight music clip, making of “E=mc2” video, and the promotional trailer.

Credit: All images from Kiramune

Official webpage (with PV preview): http://kiramune.jp/artist/irino/
Blog: Jiyuuchou http://kiramune.jp/artist/irino/jiyucho/

The post [SEIYUU] Irino Miyu 4th mini album E=mc2 appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Free! seiyuus Shimazaki Nobunaga (CV for Nanase Haruka) and Yonaga Tsubasa (CV for Hazuki Nagisa) are heading to Taipei this Sunday (9 Feb 2014) for an fan meet and autograph session, as part of the Taipei International Book Exhibition (TIBE) 2014!!

The Taipei International Book Exhibition  is being held at the Taipei World Trade Center this week, from 5th to 10th February 2014. This year’s exhibition features four members of the Asia Pacific Publishers Association, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Thailand. This is the first time the TIBE is setting up a special area for Anime and Manga (動漫書區), featuring manga, comics, anime, novels, board games, anime-manga-related goods, as well as a special activity area for participants and fans to interact with authors, mangakas, and other special guests from both overseas and within Taiwan. The Anime Manga Section is situated in Exhibition Hall 1.

One of the highlights of this section will be the special Free! Anime Seiyuu Autograph Session featuring the voices behind water-baka lead Nanase Haruka and cheery prankster Hazuki Nagisa. Details below:

Free! Anime Seiyuu Shimazaki Nobunaga, Yonaga Tsubasa Autograph Event
《FREE！》動畫聲優「島﨑 信長、代永翼」簽名會
Venue: Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1 (Anime-Manga Activity Area)
Time: 12.30-4.00pm
Organiser: Mighty Media Co. Ltd 曼迪傳播有限公司
Ticketing:
Single day exhibition admission – NTD 100, student/ senior citizens NTD 80
Multi-day exhibition admission – NTD 180, student/ senior citizens NTD 150

TIBE official site: English / Chinese
Free! Event Schedule Details: 《FREE！》動畫聲優「島崎信長、代永翼」簽名會
Additional reporting from: CNA news  男子游泳部声优 台北书展献声

Image sources: TIBE http://tibe.org.tw

[Yonaga Tsubasa 代永翼] Voice actor with Ken Production
Best Male Newcomer, Seiyuu Awards 2008
Notable roles: Mihashi Ren (Ookiku Furikabutte!), Sendo Aiichi (Cardfight!! Vanguard), Chihayafuru (Komano Tsutomu)

 Wouldn’t it be great if we could have something like this here? *sniffs*

The post [SEIYUU] Free! Seiyuu Fan Meet & Autograph Event in Taipei appeared first on AFA Channel!.

BREAKING!! The first round of winners for this year’s Seiyuu Awards have been announced!
In this first wave of winners announced, the awards focus on the most experienced members of the community, and include winners for the Achievement Awards.

特別功労賞 Special Achievement Award
- Awarded posthumously, this award celebrates their multiple contributions over their long career to multiple genres, including foreign film.

Utsumi Kenji (right), with Nomura Michiko at 2009 Seiyu Awards, from kenproduction

内海 賢二 Utsumi Kenji (Ken Production)
Founder of one of the most prominent seiyuu agencies, Ken Production. He is well-known for a wide range of villain roles. Best known as the voice for Alex Louis Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist), Norimaki Senbei (Dr. Slump), and Raou (Fist of the North Star). The official dub-over for Steve McQueen, Carl Weathers, etc, and Gimli (John Rhys Davies) in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Previously won the Achievement Award in 2009.

Kinomiya Ryouko, from haikyo.co.jp

来宮 良子 Kinomiya Ryouko (Haikyo)
Best-known for her low voice, most notably as a narrator for a number of dramas, including Enka no Hamamichi (演歌の花道), Hell Teacher Nube (地獄先生ぬ～べ～), as well as roles in Galazy Express 999 and Speed Racer. Previously won the Achievement Award in 2008.

Previous winner: 青野 武 Aono Takeshi (Aoni Production)

功労賞 Achievement Award
- For contributions to multiple genres over many years, including foreign films

Keaton Yamada, from re-max web

キートン山田 Keaton Yamada (Re-max) (also Yamada Junji)
Best known for Katou Saburo (宇宙戦艦ヤマトSpace Battleship Yamato), 004 (Cyborg 009 -1979), and narrating for Master Keaton.

Naya Rokuro, from seiyuawards.jp

納谷 六朗 Naya Rokorou (Mausu Production)
Specialises in “gentle fatherly” and “cool logical” types. Well known roles include Sensui Shinobo (YuYu Hakusho), Aquarius Camus (Saint Seiya – 1986), Grumman (Fullmetal Alchemist). Also the official dub-over for William H. Macy, Ed Harris and Gary Oldman.

Previous winner: 近石真介 Chikaishi Shinsuke (Mouvement), 野沢雅子 Nozawa Masako (Aoni Production)

シナジー賞 Synergy Award
- For showcasing the best teamwork as a voice cast

ガールズ&パンツァー, from Media Factory

ガールズ＆パンツァー Girls und Panzer
Represented by 渕上 舞 Fuchigami Mai (INCS toenter)
An original anime series about high school girls participating in competitive “tankery” , a modified battle-strategy sport where teams operate and have ‘mock’ battles in modified World War II tanks and warships.

Previous winner: タツノコプロ創立50周年 Tatsunoko Production 50th Anniversary cast
大平 透 Oohira Tooru (Ohira Production), 森 功至 Mori Katsuji (Office Mori), 岡本 茉利 Okamoto Mari (freelance), 小原 乃梨子 Ohara Noriko (Production Baobab)

富山敬賞 Tomiyama Kei Award
- For contributions to promoting the profession through various media channels (Male)

Miki Shinichiro, from Animedia.net

三木 眞一郎 Miki Shinichiro (81 Produce)
One of the most prolific seiyuus of his generation, he has brought many iconic characters to life, including Fujiwara Takumi (Initial D), Urahara Kisuke (Bleach), Lockon Stratos (Mobile Suit Gundam 00), and Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist). Part of one of the very first singing seiyuu units, Weiss (from Weiss Kreuz) with Koyasu Takehito, Seki Tomokazu and Yuuki Hiro. Previously won Best Supporting Actor in 2010.

Previous Winner: 三ツ矢 雄二 Mitsuya Yuuji (Combination)

高橋和枝賞 Takahashi Kazue Award
- For contributions to promoting the profession through various media channels (Female)

Mitsuishi Kotono, from Asahi News

三石 琴乃 Mitsuishi Kotono (Lasley Arrow)
A prolific seiyuu with many iconic characters to her name, including Tsukino Usagi (Sailor Moon), Katsuragi Misato (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Murrue Ramius (Mobile Suit Gundam SEED series), and Gracia Hughes (Fullmetal Alchemist).

Previous winner: 緒方 恵美 Ogata Megumi (freelance)

Congratulations to all the winners!

We will continue to bring you the latest news for the 2014 Seiyuu Awards, for which the award presentation ceremony will be held on 1 March 2014. Leading up to the big day, we will also be bringing you a series of articles featuring last year’s winners. So stay tuned for more seiyuu love, and to see if your favourites have won this year!

The post [SEIYUU] Seiyuu Awards 2014: First Wave of Winners Announced! appeared first on AFA Channel!.

In anticipation of the coming 8th Seiyuu Awards, the most prestigious award in Japanese Voice Acting, to be given out on 1 March 2014, we are bringing you a series of articles featuring last year’s winners.

In this first installment, we will introduce you to the winners of 2013’s Best Actor and Best Actress award.

Winners of Best Actor/Actress at last year’s awards ceremony

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2013 Seiyuu Awards – Best Actor, Yuuki Kaji

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Kaji began his seiyuu journey at the age of 18, when he qualified as a finalist in “VS Audition 2003”, a competition for young aspiring voice actors. He enrolled in a narration school (Nihon Narration Engi-Kenkyuu-jo) under a scholarship from seiyuu management company Artsvision. He scored his first lead role in 2007 and rapidly gained recognition from then.

Not your typical shounen, his unique voice quality has him being exceptionally good at young, adolescent boys. Fans probably first noticed him as Finian in Kuroshitsuji, whose high-pitched squeals had them gender-confused on multiple occasions. He later won the Best Male Newcomer Award at the 3rd Seiyuu Awards in 2009, together with Okamoto Nobuhiko.

Following his win, he continued to shine in big-name anime series such as Fairy Tail and Durarara!!. His big break came in 2011, when he played lead roles in Guilty Crown, No. 6 and Ro-kyu-bu!. He continued to land leading roles in Aquarion Evol, Accel World and Magi, eventually winning Best Actor in the 7th Seiyuu Awards in 2013.

Despite taking on typical shounen roles in anime, he is best known for his little brother-niche in otome game titles including Moujuutsukai to Ouji-sama, Brothers Conflict, and Diabolik Lovers. From his role as Shion in No.6 to Kanato in Diabolik Lovers, he may have just perfected a new niche; the innocent-turned-yandere/psycho. He is also a recent favourite in the Final Fantasy series, where he plays Hope Estheim in FFXIII and Ace in Final Fantasy Type-0.

Aside from his seiyuu roles, he has had two singles released under his name. He is part of the seiyuu unit “BRAVE WING” with Yonaga Tsubasa, and G.Addict with Terashima Takuma, Abe Atsushi and Horie Kazuma. Adored by his seniors, he is playfully dubbed “Kaji-kyun”, “Kajibaba” (for playing Alibaba in Magi) and “Yuu-tan” by both friends and fans.

For those unfamiliar with Kaji, you would have heard him as Eren Jaeger (Shingeki no Kyojin). This season, he plays adorable Yukine in Noragami and Hideyoshi in Nobunaga the Fool. You can also catch him in leading roles in upcoming series Kamigami no Asobi, Black Bullet and Donten ni Warau.

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 2013 Seiyuu awards – Best Actress, Kana Asumi 

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Asumi’s interest in seiyuu work first began during her elementary and middle school days, after listening to seiyuu radio programmes in high school, she auditioned for and joined a Fukuoka local girl group for aspiring female seiyuus, “Ko-ume Five”. She later enrolled in a short college course, obtaining a qualification in kindergarten teaching and childcare. After gaining work experience for a year, she quit her job to become a seiyuu.

In 2005, she passed the audition for a role in game “Crossworld ~Mishiranu Sora no Etatia~“, also forming seiyuu unit CW/3 with fellow cast members Iguchi Yuka and Tokunaga Ai. She landed her anime debut and first leading role in 2007 anime Hidamari Sketch. Subsequently, she won the Best Female Newcomer Award at the 3rd Seiyuu Awards in 2009, together with Tomatsu Haruka.

She gradually gained popularity and made her big break in 2010-2011 as well, landing main roles in Haiyore! Nyaruko-san and WORKING!!. She continued to play main roles before winning Best Actress in the 7th Seiyuu Awards. In the same year, she also won the Singing Award as part of seiyuu unit “Ushiro kara Haiyori-tai” from Haiyore! Nyaruko-san, together with Matsuki Miyu and Ootsubo Yuka. She was part of seiyuu unit LISP from 2010-2011.

Following her win, she continues to voice characters in more recent series DEVIL SURVIVOR 2, Machine Doll wa Kizutsukanai and Non non Biyori. She has received praise for her soothing and gentle voice. Casually dubbed “Asumin” by her fans, Asumi is also close friends with Iguchi Yuka, and often mentions Iguchi in her radio shows.

This season, you can catch her as Tachibana Marika in romcom Nisekoi and Hio Touko in Witch Craft Works. Look forward to her roles in upcoming series Kanojo ga Flag wo Oraretara and Mekaku City Actors.

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Look forward to our next installment!
Coming next: 2013′s Best Supporting Actor/Actress 

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Image credit © ボイスニュータイプ ．別冊 spoon.2Di．
Images taken from Voice Newtype Issue 47 : 7th Seiyuu Awards feature article and 別冊 spoon.2Di Vol.48: Noragami feature article (Available at local Kinokuniya stores)

The post [SEIYUU] A Look At Seiyuu Awards: 2013′s Best Actor/Actress appeared first on AFA Channel!.

The Japanese princess of Kawaii-ness, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, yesterday release her latest song, “Yume no Hajimarin Rin“. A Graduation song, made for the season of separations and new beginnings, something that many third year high school students will relate too, thus a very viable season for releasing soppy tunes in Japan.

But somehow, Kyary’s new tune is kinda different, it has that mix of melancholy somewhere within the generally happy sounding music and super colourful Promotional Video. And unlike previous , this actually have somewhat meaningful lyrics, even Kyary herself admits it to being more realistic that her other songs. The effect on me is such that I’m subconsciously looping it. It tells the story of Kyary through her various stages of development, represented by a “short” Kyary at the beginning and the various costumes of previous PVs of her songs, with each portion ending with a happy wave of goodbye and then with a tear of, I don’t know, maybe a tint of regret?

Well it’s different and so much so that fans are confused that this would be her last song, or she is retiring, but that is simply not true. For those whom have seen her tweet about the new song, her retiring is unthinkable, this is especially with the upcoming 2nd leg of her World Tour in Asia.

Fact is  though, ”Yume no Hajimarin Rin” is her first song that made any senses and she might do a lot better going down this path for her future music release, afterall she can sing.

2/26発売の新曲「ゆめのはじまりんりん」のMVが公開されました！卒業がテーマのこの曲では、白熊のお父さんに見守られなから成長していく私が描かれています。涙涙涙。きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ – ゆめのはじまりんりん http://t.co/5eIl7IreuB

— きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ (@pamyurin) February 20, 2014

“New Song Release on 26 Feb, The MV for “Yume no Hajimarin Rin” is up for public viewing! It’s a graduation song, and the Polar bear is depicted as the Father that watched over my growth. (tears). Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Yume no Hajimarin Rin.”

 《Release Information》

■Kyary Pamyu Pamyu 8th single “Yume no Hajimarinrin”
Release Date: Wednesday, February 26th, 2014
Price: First press limited edition (CD + DVD) ￥1,500 (tax included), Regular edition (CD) ￥1,200 (tax included)

【Track list】
1. Yume no Hajimarinrin (CHINTAI TV commercial)
2. Slomo (ALOOK TV commercial)
3. Mottai Night Land –extended mix-
4. Yume no Hajimarinrin –instrumental-
5. Slomo –instrumental-

【DVD】*For first press limited edition only
1. Ninjari Bang Bang choreography video by KPP dancers

 《KYARY PAMYU PAMYU NANDA COLLECTION WORLD TOUR in SINGAPORE 2014!》

Location: Star Theatre, Singapore
Date: 21.06.2014 (SAT)
Ticket: TBA
Official Site: http://www.japanmusicfestival.asia/kpp

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Official Website
http://kyary.asobisystem.com/

The post [JMUSIC] Yume no Hajimarin Rin – Kyary Pamyu Pamyu appeared first on AFA Channel!.

In conjunction with her 25th birthday falling on the 25th this month, seiyuu Kana Hanazawa is releasing a super maxi album containing a total of (of course!) 25 tracks, including both old and new compositions!

Hanazawa Kana ©SonyMusic

If you liked her previous album claire, do make sure to check this one out, since it features the same stellar writing crew as claire. The limited first press edition will also include a Blu-ray DVD containing a special making-of “road movie”, a 32-page booklet, and a 50-page premium photobook. Fans of Kana-chan, don’t miss this!!

She released her debut single Hoshizora☆Destination (星空☆ディスティネーション) in 2012, reaching seventh on the Oricon Weekly rankings. Other memorable singles include Hatsukoi no Oto (初恋ノオト), and happy endings. happy endings also served as the ending theme for anime Blast of Tempest (絶園のテンペスト Zetsuen no Tempest), in which she also starred as Aika. Her first album claire was released last year, to great response. She had her first solo ‘live’ concert at the NHK Osaka Hall and the Shibuya Public Hall in March 2013.

[25] Regular Edition ©SonyMusic

 Kana Hanazawa is easily one of the most prolific female seiyuus of her generation. A casting favourite for all genres of anime, from shoujo to shounen, even outright commercial to avant garde, most seiyuu fans will be very familiar with her. Her incredibly long list characters include Tenshi from Angel Beats!, Kobato from Kobato, Tsunemori Akane from PSYCHO-PASS. Regular attendees of Anime Festival Asia Singapore (AFASG) would have seen her in action when she was invited as the very first seiyuu guest to our sunny shores!

Release date: 26 February 2014

[25] First Press Limited Edition ©SonyMusic

[25] Limited Edition ©SonyMusic

Born on 25 February 1989, Tokyo native. Actress with Office Osawa. Also part of seiyuu vocal unit RO-KYU-BU!
Notable roles: Kurashita Tsukimi (Kuragehime), Sonohara Anri (Durarara!!), Ruri Goko (Oreimo)

The post [SEIYUU] Kana Hanazawa Album [25] for her 25th appeared first on AFA Channel!.

In anticipation of the coming 8th Seiyu Awards, we continue to bring you more articles featuring last year’s winners. Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards are given to two candidates in each category. In this instalment, we introduce you the Best Supporting Actor winners from 2013, Junichi Suwabe and Yuuki Ono.

7th Seiyuu Awards Winners – Men: (clockwise from top left) Junichi Suwabe, Yuuki Ono, Yuuki Kaji, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Kazutomi Yamamoto

Junichi Suwabe for Tokyo Disney Resort ® 30th anniversary Edition CD (2is news)

Like most of the veteran seiyuu of his generation, Suwabe did not aspire to become a seiyuu at first. Having joined his school broadcasting committee and movie production circle, and was an aspiring movie director. Having accumulated experience from various jobs, he eventually enrolled in a training school and joined artiste management company Haikyō. In his 20s, he undertook countless narration jobs for prime time tv shows and commercials, far surpassing his peers.

Although his early career revolved around narration jobs and radio shows, his big break into the anime industry took the form of Atobe Keigo (Prince of Tennis). His voice gave cool, egoistic Atobe new layers of charisma, sealing his character niche. Nevertheless, he has mastered a truly unmatched range of character types. From the cool mature adult, hot-blooded shounen, the flirtatious bishounen and even the comedic hooligan, Suwabe has shown that no character is beneath him. Fans are unlikely to forget roles such as the sarcastic yet devoted Archer (Fate/stay night), wild and half-crazed Grimmjow (Bleach), Frau (07-GHOST), downright weird Undertaker (Kuroshitsuji), suave and flirtatious Ren (Uta no Prince-Sama) and recently, sardonic and hot-blooded Aomine (Kuroko no Basuke).

With his clean vocals coupled with Atobe’s popularity, he was the first male seiyuu to enter the Oricon Weekly Top 10 charts in 2005 with character single “Riyuu/E-Kimochi”. As part of the super-popular unit ST☆RISH, he took the Singing Award at the 6th Seiyuu Awards. He is also leader of seiyuu unit “Nazo no Shin-Unit STA☆MEN” consisting of Kouske Toriumi, Kenichi Suzumura, Daisuke Kishio, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Hiroki Takahashi and Makoto Yasumura, highly popular for their entertaining and comedic stage antics.

Junichi Suwabe at the Space Dandy Mini Stage (from Animax Asia Facebook)

He has shown great flair for hosting, often acting as the emcee for various events. His stage presence surpasses language barriers, charming crowds even at overseas fan events in Taiwan and even locally. Known as “Be-sama” to his fans, he drew a huge crowd when he graced AFASG for the Space☆Dandy mini-stage, together with co-star Yurin. Those who had attended the event cannot deny his charisma and wild popularity with the audience, many of whom fought for a chance to get an autograph.

Yuuki Ono, for Style of Prince feature, Girls Style

Having played soccer since he was in elementary school, Ono was all set for a career in the sport, having been scouted for a professional soccer team. However, a serious injury in his final year dashed all hopes of that becoming reality. For a child who only lived, ate and breathed soccer for all his formative years, his first real encounter with anime was when he was asked to record Kimi ga Nozomu no Eien  for a friend in university. To cut a long story short, he was so impressed by lead Kishou Taniyama’s voice, he became inspired to work the in same field as the man himself.

Having the ability to take on distinctly different voice tones for each character, Yuuki Ono has an uncanny ability to meld seamlessly into each character, it’s often difficult to remember that he’s the voice behind these roles.

With his versatility, memorable roles over his relatively short career has already spanned a wide spectrum, there’s the cool, collected Kaname Tsukahara (Kimi to Boku), the rash and hot-headed Taiga Kagami (Kuroko no Basuke), the devoted and reliable Zenkichi Hitoyoshi (Medaka Box), and the loyal but very domestic Ashiya (Hataraku Maou-sama!). Who can forget the pet rooster Nagoya in Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (and Tomio too)? Then there is also the mysterious and morally ambigious Magus (The Unbreakable Machine Doll) and recently, Moral (Hamatora).

Yuuki Ono (left) with Kensho Ono, Kuroko no Basuke feature

Known affectionately as OnoYuu or Onopin (in a reference to his role as “Pin” Kazuichi Arai in Kimi ni Todoke) to fans, his name has been pretty much  a source of derision at many events, sharing last names with fellow cast members Kensho Ono and Daisuke Ono, and a similar-sounding name to Aoi Yuuki and Yuuki Kaji – causing quite a bit of confusion at the Valvrave event in 2013. Other than being skilled at soccer, he also holds a hyper yoyo professional license and competes actively, reminiscent of his characters in Saint October (Joshua) and Yu-Gi-Oh! (Kiryu).

Catch OnoYuu’s Taiga Kagami facing off Suwabe’s Daiki Aomine in one of the most thrilling rival match-ups of this season in Kuroko no Basuke, and OnoYuu as the spine-chilling villian Moral in Hamatora. Suwabe is also available as the bumbling Dandy (Space☆Dandy) on Animax, and the very fabulous Ren Jinguji (Uta no Prince-Sama) on Aniplus HD.

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Look forward to our next instalment:
Coming next: 2013′s Best Supporting Actresses  

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Image credit in order of appearance © ボイスニュータイプ , 2is news, Animax Asia, Girls Style, http://kanacaecilius.tumblr.com/
Top image taken from Voice Newtype Issue 47 : 7th Seiyuu Awards feature article. Voice Newtype is available at selected local Kinokuniya stores. 

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In anticipation of the coming 8th Seiyuu Awards, we continue to bring you more articles featuring last year’s winners. Our last installment focused on the men, so this time, we will be introducing 2013 winners of the Best Supporting Actress Award.

7th Seiyuu Awards Winners – Women: (clockwise from left) Asumi Kana, Sayaka Ohara, Haruka Tomatsu, Rumi Okubo, Kaori Ishihara

Sayaka Ohara, for xxxHOLiC (from en.anoword.com)

Ōhara had a strong love for musicals and theatre since young, and only knew of seiyuu as a profession in high school, when introduced to drama CDs by her younger brother. In her 3rd year of university, she became part of Haikyō Voice Actors Studio, and eventually joined agency Haikyō following graduation, despite parental objections. After her debut, she continued part-time acting at a theatre to supplement her income while taking on auditions for seiyuu work. She did mainly narration work until her anime lead debut in 2003, when she played Ai in Popotan, a visual novel adaptation.

Some of her early famous roles include Alicia (ARIA) and Layla Hamilton (Kaleido Star). In recent years, she often plays the roles of mature women, and often motherly characters, in anime. More recent notable roles include Irisviel von Einzbern (Fate/zero), Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail), Sofia Velmer (Jormungand) and Rokka Shimao (Natsuyuki Rendezvous). Most fans would have at least known her from the CLAMP series xxxHolic and Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, in which she steals the show as “The Dimension Witch” Yuuko Ichihara, with her mysterious allure and charming, free-spirited childishness.

Ōhara has a highly respectable list of works as a narrator, including narrations for countless TV shows and commercials. She is also the specified voice for Japanese major mobile phone company au, train announcements along private railways lines Keikyu and Keio, as well as other forms of media. By 2010, her voice has been used in at least 5% of all railroad and train announcements in the Kanto area. She has also been the DJ of bayfm radio show “NOW HITS STREET” since 1999, on top of her commitments in anime radio shows.

Known as “Saaya”, “Sayasaya” or “Saya-nee”, she first met overseas fans at the 2012 annual Taiwan Comic Exhibition as a guest for the Fairy Tail stage event, in her first trip out of the country. In the short interview and autograph session, she spoke of how she was drawn to the profession. According to her, a seiyuu could portray various characters by voice alone regardless of appearance; aptly summing up the main reason why fans continue to love this industry.

Given the massive popularity Tomatsu enjoys, it is rather unfathomable that she has only been active since 2007. She entered the industry as a seiyuu when she passed the “Music Ray’n Super Seiyu Auditions” organised from 2005 to 2006, together with the other members from Sphere (Aki Toyosaki, Minako Kotobuki, and Ayahi Takagaki). She immediately caught audiences’ attention with her role as Corticarte Apa Lagranges in Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica, and her portfolio exploded soon after, followed by her meteoric rise to super-stardom.

Showing amazing dedication and tenacity, she spent most of her last two years in high school travelling between her hometown and Tokyo on weekends, juggling school and recordings. Upon graduating from high school, she started living by herself in Tokyo, while continuing her seiyuu, singing and acting work, whilst attending university. Even early in her career, she already had a string of iconic characters under her belt, which includes Nagi (Kannagi), Shiho Sannomiya (Zettai Karen Children), Megumi Shimizu (Shiki), ‘Annaru’ Naruko Anjou (Anohana), Shizuku Mizutani (Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun), Saki Rukino (Valvrave), showing off unparalleled versatility. You can also catch her this season as Morigiana in Magi, Mari Maya in Samurai Flamenco, and Karina in Wake Up, Girls.

Haruka Tomatsu, Sphere (from planet-sphere.jp)

Armed with immense talent, a unique singing voice, fantastic stage presence and good looks, she has been unstoppable since her debut, earning herself legions of adoring fans. She’s known for her quirky and unassuming personality, which to this writer, is one of her most endearing charms. By injecting a little of her own quirkiness into her roles, she each one uniquely hers. Also a previous recipient of the Best Female Newcomer Award at the 3rd Seiyuu Awards, she continues to outshine her peers in every domain. Enjoying phenomenal success both as part of Sphere and as a solo artiste, her singles, albums and live performances often becoming best sellers, with her last album Sunny Side Story reaching 5th on the Weekly Oricon Rankings.

Up next: 2013′s Best Newcomers

 Image credit © ボイスニュータイプ , from Voice Newtype Issue 47 : 7th Seiyuu Awards feature article unless otherwise stated
Voice Newtype is available at selected local Kinokuniya stores. 

The post [SEIYUU] A Look at Seiyuu Awards: 2013′s Best Supporting Actresses appeared first on AFA Channel!.

In this last instalment, we will be swinging our focus to look at the young talents who have made a splash within the first five years of their début.  With three of the Best Newcomers in 2008 (Yuuki Kaji, Kana Asumi and Haruka Tomatsu) sweeping the top awards in 2013, these up-and-coming newbies are definitely on the cusp of something big. So make sure to keep your eyes (or rather, ears) trained on them in the coming years.

Best Male Newcomers 2013 – Kazutomi Yamamoto, Nobunaga Shimazaki (from Voice Newtype)

Shimazaki first aspired to become a seiyuu as he looked up to veteran seiyuu Midorikawa Hikaru, who voiced protagonist Heero Yuy in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. His love for manga and anime stayed true throughout his schooling years, even joining the school tennis club because he liked the series Prince of Tennis. Although his mother constantly signed him up for talent auditions, he stayed firm in his aspirations. Having graduated from the seiyuu training school affiliated with Aoni Productions, he scored his first leading role in 2012, as Kaito in Ano Natsu de Matteru. In the same year, he was also part of the main cast of TARI TARI and Sukitte Ii na yo. Shortly after his debut, he won Best Newcomer, and shot to fame with his leading role as Nanase Haruka in summer hit anime Free!, and also scored main roles in Ace of Diamond, Date A Live and Photo Kano.

Nobunaga Shimazaki (from Seigura)

As a seiyuu fan himself, he looks up to many of his seniors, sometimes even getting teased for it. In the radio show for baseball anime Ace of Diamond, he is often teased by his peers about his admiration for veteran Takahiro Sakurai, who stars alongside Shimazaki’s character as Kazuya Miyuki. He also gets up to hilarious antics as an adoring kouhai with Tatsuhisa Suzuki on the anime radio show Free! Iwatobi Channel. Among his peers, he is also good friends with Yoshitsugu Matsuoka. Sharing a name with a extremely famous historical figure, his name is also the source of conversation, disbelief and often, teasing, among many.

Catch him this season in Nobunaga the Fool, Nobunagan (both in which he ironically doesn’t play Nobunaga), Date A Live II, Buddy Complex and Ace of Diamond.

Kazutomi Yamamoto (from Voice Newtype)

With his small stature and high-pitched voice, Yamamoto is often mistaken for a girl. However, his unique voice quality may have carved a niche for himself. Despite only debuting in 2009, he got his first main role as Yuudai Chiba in 2010 gag series Mitsudomoe. In the same series, he also plays Yuudai’s mother, Kazumi, convincing with a mature female voice. Subsequently appearing as supporting characters in Deadman Wonderland and Nichijou, he scored leading role Kio Asuno in Mobile Suit Gundam Age and Yuuya Mochizuki in horror series Another in 2012, securing his Best Newcomer win the year after.

More recently, he continues to play to his strength as Kenjiro Hato in Genshiken Nidaime, with his extremely convincing female voice. Continue to look forward to (possibly) more shocking roles from this newbie!

Best Female Newcomers 2013 – Rumi Ookubo, Kaori Ishihara (from Voice Newtype)

As the overall winner at the third 81 Auditions organised by renowned seiyuu management agency 81 produce, Ookubo  got a stellar start to her career. She first took notice of the seiyuu profession when she realised that the same voice was behind two different characters in Pokemon and Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, provided by veteran Mayumi Iizuka.

Rumi Ookubo, Tokyo International Anime Fair 2012 (from koepota.jp)

Her first main anime role was Kaho Hiiragi in Freezing, quickly followed with other memorable roles such as Chinatsu Yoshikawa (YuruYuri), Hibashi (Mushibugyo), and Touko Ichimiya (Servant x Service). Passionate about her work, she has a penchant for dressing up as her own characters when attending events, appearing before in the Nanamori Middle School uniform for YuruYuri, in hakama and yukata for Acchi Kocchi, and once even dressed up as Sweet Little Devil Nobunaga Oda for Sengoku Collection. In an interview, she admitted to liking kids anime series Digimon so much, that at the beginning of every year, she has this little ritual in which she opens her DVD box set and watches all the episodes.

Kaori Ishihara (from Famitsu.com)

Ishihara started her career in 2008 as a trainee in HAPPY!STYLE Rookies under Style Cube. She graduated from the group in 2009, forming the unit YuiKaori with label mate Yui Ogura. Her formal début as a seiyuu was in hit anime series Kaicho wa Maid-sama! as younger sister Suzuna Ayuzawa. Since then she has been taking on an increasing number of roles, many of them in supporting positions, most memorably as as Azusa Azuki in Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko, Kanna Tanigawa in Ano Natsu de Matteru, Sayu Hisanuma in Nagi no Asukara. Additionally, she has also played the lead in large productions such as Rinne no Lagrange (Madoka Kyouno) and Magi (Aladdin).

Ishihara is also active as an anisong artiste. Not only as part of YuiKaori, Ogura and Ishihara were part of the pioneer generation of seiyuu unit StylipS (with Arisa Noto and Maho Matsunaga). As part of these groups, she has provided vocals in songs for numerous anime series such as High School DxD, KissxSis, Saki Achiga-hen Episode of Side-A, and Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru!. However, Ishihara and Ogura both graduated from StylipS in mid-2013, and after, transferred management agencies from Style Cube to Sigma Seven.

We’ve finally reached the end of the series featuring the winners from the 7th Seiyuu Awards! Keep checking back to AFACHAN for the list of winners for the 8th Seiyuu Awards on 1 March~ 

Stay tuned!

The post [SEIYUU] A Look at Seiyuu Awards: 2013′s Best Newcomers appeared first on AFA Channel!.

BREAKING!! The list of winners of the top awards for this year’s 8th Seiyuu Awards have been announced!!

These awards serve as a platform to honor the best performing actors, actresses, song artistes and radio personalities from the seiyuu industry. Somewhat like the Oscars of the seiyuu-kai, these awards are handed out yearly (incidentally the Oscars is also this weekend~). Thanks for staying with us through the week-long features of last year’s awards, and now, we bring you this year’s winners!

Best Actor

Yuuki Kaji (VIMS)
Notable roles: Eren Jaeger (Shingeki no Kyojin), Yukine (Noragami), Alibaba (Magi)

Best Actress

Rina Satou (Haikyo)
Notable roles: Mikoto Misaka (Toaru Kagaku no Railgun), Haruka Minami (Minami-ke), Ema Hinata (Brothers Conflict)

Kaji stuns again this year by winning two Best Actor awards in consecutive years, making him the only awardee so far to win this award twice. Both had strong profiles of leading characters in prolific anime such as Shingeki no Kyojin and Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, in the past year, and proved to be worthy of this award. 

Best Supporting Actor

Yoshimasa Hosoya (Mausu Production)
Notable roles: Reiner Braun (Shingeki no Kyojin), X-Eins (Valvrave the Liberator), Haruto Kirishima (Kimi ga Iru Machi)

Best Supporting Actress

Yui Ishikawa (Sunaoka Jimusho)
Notable roles: Mikasa Ackerman (Shingeki no Kyojin), China Kousaka (Gundam Build Fighter), Yutika (Lupin III: Princess of the Breeze – Hidden City in the Sky)

This year’s number of winners for Best Supporting Actor/Actress had halved (much to our surprise), with only one male and female awardee each. This year’s winners are quite different in terms of experience. Hosoya has built up a steady portfolio of characters in recent years, with impressive variety and range. Ishikawa completely swept us away with her stunning performance as Mikasa, zooming past the Newcomer Award to land this award instead.

Best Male Newcomer

Kaito Ishikawa (Pro Fit)
Notable roles: Harutora Tsuchimikado (Tokyo Ravens), Ledo (Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet), Tsumugu Kihara (Nagi no Asu Kara)

Daiki Yamashita (Arts Vision)
Notable roles: Sakamichi Onoda (Yowamushi Pedal), Touya (Log Horizon), Rekka Shirogane (Gaist Crusher)

Best Female Newcomer

Maaya Uchida (IM Enterprise)
Notable Roles: Hiyori Iki (Noragami),  Rikka Takanashi (Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!), Hajime Ichinose (Gatchaman Crowds)

As hot favourites to win this award, this year’s Best Newcomers come as no surprise. Ishikawa and Yamashita rose quickly to fame despite only debuting only 2 years ago, having landed leading roles and shone in them. Uchida has chalked up an impressive list of characters over the past two years, and her performance has definitely been more-than-worthy of this award.

Singing Award

Mamoru Miyano (Gekidan Himawari)
Songs: Kanon (Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 2000% OP)

Riding the wild sucess of Uta no Prince-sama, Miyano’s Kanon single hit a record high of 3rd on the Oricon Weekly Charts. Considering that he was also the first male seiyuu to hold a solo concert in Budoukan last year, this award comes as no surprise.

Best Radio Personality

-not awarded-

This is just sad. We are once again reminded of the dismal year (in 2010) in which the Best Actor award was, also, not awarded.

Most Popular Award

Hiroshi Kamiya (Aoni Production)

With this marking his 3rd consecutive year winning this award, Kamiya has shown himself to be truly unstoppable. As the one and only winner since this award was inducted, one wonders if this award should be renamed the “Hiroshi Kamiya Award” instead. 

Turns out Shingeki no Kyojin was the big winner tonight, with their leads sweeping the board with 4 winners. And Noragami remains the frontrunner this season, with all 3 leads taking home awards today. 

The gala award ceremony will be held tonight, which will also be broadcast live on Bunka Housou Internet Radio Chou! A&G+ (文化放送 インターネットラジオ「超！Ａ＆Ｇ＋ 」) from 6pm (Japan time). Check out the official website and twitter for more details!

All images from http://seiyuawards.jp/

The post [SEIYUU] SEIYUU AWARDS 2014 WINNERS – Congratulations!! appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Watch the seiyuu of Shingeki no Kyojin, Yuuki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa and Yuu Kobayashi challenge 「Shingeki no Kyojin Real Escape Game: Escape from within the Colossal Stomach」in a Nico Nama live broadcast!

© リアル脱出ゲーム (http://realdgame.jp/shingeki/)

「Shingeki no Kyojin × Real Escape Game. Escape from within a Walled City」is a event collaboration between hit series Shingeki no Kyojin and Real Escape Game, which will be held in 6 major cities in Japan.

Before it is first unveiled on 3rd May in Yokohama, get a sneak peek of this colossal event as the voice cast of anime takes part in a special 「Escape from within the Colossal Stomach」 Escape Game event, which will be aired on Nico Nico on 12th April 2014 (Saturday).

(from left) Yuuki Kaji, Yui Ishikwa, Yuu Kobayashi (from KAI-YOU.net)

Seiyuus Yuuki Kaji (Eren Jaegar), Yui Ishikawa (Mikasa Ackerman) and Yuu Kobayashi (Sasha Blouse) will take part in this game event broadcasted on Nico Nama, which will put their their puzzle-solving, mystery-cracking skills to the challenge. Will they be able to escape the grisly confines of a titan’s stomach?

Shinkgeki no Kyojin NicoNama Event – from Koepota.jp

Program Details

【進撃の巨人×リアル脱出ゲーム】脱出ゲームニコ生特別公演「超大型胃袋からの脱出」
【Shingeki no Kyojin × Real Escape Game】Escape Game Nico Nama Special Event「Escape from within the Colossal Stomach」
【Broadcast】12th April 2014 (Sat) Opening: 20:50 / Start: 21:00 (Japanese Standard Time)
【Appearances】Yuuki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa, Yuu Kobayashi, Takao Katou (Commentary), Hisanori Yoshida (MC)
【URL】http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv174107818

Setting

In the Nico Nama Broadcasting Studio, the announcements for the Real Escape Game are being broadcasted as usual. Suddenly, a Colossal Titan appears!! While the staff are trapped in a state of shock and panic, the studio was swallowed by the Colossal Titan!!

There are only 15 minutes left.

If you cannot escape from the Colossal Stomach within 15 minutes, you will dissolve into the stomach contents.

Solve all the puzzles and escape from the Colossal Stomach!!

Do note that you would need a Nico Nico account to watch the live broadcast. Basic accounts are free but premium accounts would have priority access when viewing traffic is high.

According to Nico Nico, this event can only be viewed on mobile devices, so remember to check out the link and details early if you want to catch the broadcast live!

Check out our earlier post for more details on Shingeki no Kyojin: Real Escape Game!

Shingeki no Kyojin: Real Escape Game is a event collaboration between hit series Shingeki no Kyojin and Real Escape Game, titled 「Shingeki no Kyojin × Real Escape Game. Escape from within a Walled City」. Brought to you by SCRAP, this is likely to be the largest real escape game anyone has ever experienced!

The event will be first unveiled at Yokohama Stadium this coming May and held at later dates in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Sendai and Toyota, covering 6 major cities. Set in stadiums around Japan, this event comes closest to the actual scale of Shingeki no Kyojin. Fans of the series can now immerse themselves in the Kyojin world and experience the terror of the titans first-hand (3D Maneuver Gear not provided).

Will you be the hunter, or the hunted?

The post [SEIYUU] Shingeki no Kyojin cast challenge「Escape from within the Colossal Stomach」live on Nico Nama! appeared first on AFA Channel!.

Image Credit: LiSA’s Facebook

AFAID 2014 has come and gone, but there is still a huge upcoming event that should not go under the radar.

On this Saturday 23 August 2014, there will be an intimate live session with the one and only LiSA! The rock princess had made waves with songs like Crossing Field (Sword Art Online Opening Theme 1), Oath Sign (Fate Zero Opening Theme 1), Träumerei (Gen’ei wo Kakeru Taiyou Opening Theme) and the Opening Theme for the currently airing anime, Mahouka koukou no Rettousei. She will be gracing fans us with her stunning presence in a 1-day performance in collaboration with AFA Indonesia.

This event is a rare treat for fans outside of Japan because LiSA will be holding an extremely rare Unplugged live performance! Thus, in anticipation of this upcoming concert, I will be listing a number of things that are going to happen and why these are so important, especially if you are a die hard LiSA fan.

The concert will be held at the Upperroom in Jakarta, a small and intimate venue where you can feel much closer to LiSA.

• If you’ve been to a live performance with a large venue, you’ll know that it feels a lot less personal when you’re just a speck in the crowd. This is why this particular event is going to be such a treat for the fans. With a smaller venue, it means you’ll get to be that much closer to LiSA, and that close proximity will give you an experience like no other, a guaranteed experience of a lifetime.

There will be exclusive concert merchandise sold at the venue! Get them fast and while stocks last!

• Like a trophy or a medal, concert merchandise is your proof of attendance. Sure to make your friends turn green with envy, you can flaunt your experience in style with various apparel and goods that’s sure to be very coveted commodities amongst fans. Be wary though, you should probably hurry down if you want to avoid disappointment!

There will be copious amounts of fan interaction and the opportunity to have LiSA answer your questions!

• What better way to learn about LiSA than from LiSA herself? A few questions selected from those submitted by her fans will be answered at the concert. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear her answer your questions in earnest!

This is an extremely exclusive unplugged live event, the likes of which have not been seen outside of Japan.

• This is important so I’ll say it again. This is something that has not happened outside of Japan ever before. Do you want to be among the first people outside of Japan to experience this magic? Of course you do!

Last but not least, should you attend this event, you will receive a signed LiSA poster, handed to you by LiSA herself!

• Even in Japan, signed goods or autograph sessions are few and far between. As a fan, one simply cannot miss this chance of a lifetime. That’s right, a poster that is signed by hand, given to you personally by LiSA. Just let that awesome fact sink in, but not for too long because there’s not many tickets left! Get them before you lose this excellent opportunity to spend a glorious afternoon with LiSA!

Image Credit: LiSA’s Facebook

If you are still looking for that final reason to convince yourself to grab that plane ticket down to Jakarta to catch this special showcase, just check out LiSA’s special message for her fans:

The post [J Music] 5 Compelling reasons to catch LiSA’s Special Event in Jakarta appeared first on AFA Channel!.

LiSA at the Upperroom, Jakarta

Last weekend, LiSAkko’s from all over were treated to a spectacular 90 minutes solo live in Jakarta, which was a particularly intimate event given the cosy venue. This was a very special event because fans were able to see LiSA up close and personal, with the front row only about two or three metres away from her! Even the audience members holding general admission tickets had a very good view of her, as opposed to being restricted to watching a screen or projector feed.

Early in the day, fans turned up many hours before the actual event, perhaps to either buy tickets on the spot (on-site ticketing opened at 10 am) or to camp for their desired LiSA merchandise. The main crowd started to turn up right before the start of the sale of merchandise and for good reason. After all, we already know that the exclusive concert merchandise are must-buys!

Merchandise booth

This proved only too true as the first item to be sold out (only just half an hour after sales commenced), was the LiSA Landspace Light Stick. Priced at 220000 rp (approx S$23), it flew off the shelves like hot cakes and soon enough, when sales staff announced that only 2 remained, this evoked a huge collective moan of disgruntlement. Other goods that were being sold included towels, T-shirts, tote bags, music CDs, LiSA trading cards and key chains.

Upon entering the event hall, one could truly feel that the chosen venue was really made for intimate interaction between the artistes on stage and the audience. A cosiness that is rarely found in live venues, as well as the excellent acoustics of the hall set the stage for an event of epic proportions. Though there was a slight wait to be had, the atmosphere of the place was palpable. The audience combined anticipation was overwhelming, increasing steadily as time elapsed.

The curtains rise!

Figuratively speaking of course, as there were no curtains to be seen. Instead, the lights dimmed and all the anticipation from the crowd exploded into raucous cheer and applause. As the stage lights switched on, we’re greeted by the sight of Momoco the frog sitting on a table in the middle of the stage.

The event emcee then came on stage to give an introduction of the event, much to the chagrin of the already hyped up audience. Thankfully, the emcee could read the atmosphere, so he kept it brief. Following his exit, an energetic LiSA with her hair cutely done in twin tails bounded onto the stage to an electrically charged crowd with her opening song, Crossing Field.

LiSA immediately took over the stage with her commanding stage presence with this song, charging straight into one of her most popular songs to date. Instead of her band, LiSA had an instrumental backing track playing for this song.

CO-K, Guitarist for the event.

After Crossing Field, LiSA‘s guitarist for the event, 高慶”CO-K”卓史 (Koukei “CO-K” Takafumi) went on stage to join her for her acoustic songs. LiSA did a quick introduction for him, and went straight into the next track, an acoustic version of Waratte Hoshikute from her second album, LOVER”S”MiLE.

Now in my opinion, this is always one of the things I look forward to in LiSA’s lives, her crowd interaction song! This time, the song she used for this was Say My Name no Kataomoi. With dancers to help her with the demonstration of the little sequence, she did her skit in the most adorable fashion, which is to say, in her slightly coy, teasing manner when the crowd fails to accurately mimic the dance moves. Starting with a slow rendition of the beat, she draws the audience in gradually and let’s everyone have a few tries before she picks it up and resumes the song.

After the fun little number, LiSA whipped out one of her most iconic songs from Angel Beats, Ichiban no Takaramono. This song is perfect for the acoustic live and it also showcases her incredibly powerful vocals. Her masterful singing resulted in a soulful, slightly bitter-sweet and overall just immaculate song performance. It was emotionally moving, her every expression and gesture captivating the audience. A slightly prolonged pause before the final chorus felt like an eternity, which goes to show how enrapturing her performance was.

Q & A time!

The emcee makes his way back onto the stage and the audience starts murmuring, signalling that it’s time for the much anticipated Question and Answer session. A handful of those who had their questions picked were present, but for those who didn’t turn up for whatever reason, I’m sure you’re glad your question was picked!

The questions chosen to be answered covered a wide variety of topics. Casual ones, such as “What is LiSA’s favourite colour?” and “What is your favourite food in Japan?” were straightforward enough. The former was answered in a rather nonchalant manner, “Everyone already knows!” as she gesticulated at the crowd, many of which were waving their pink light sticks frantically in answer. (Also, her favourite food in Japan is Ramen!)

Other questions that followed were more insightful, such as “What does L. Miranic mean?” L. Miranic is the title of a song from her 6th single due to be released next month. It turns out that the title of the song is an anagram of the word “Criminal” and is meant to be a name, dubbed Ms. L. Miranic.

Other things that came to light include the fact that LiSA likes cleaning (such as cleaning and tidying her room); that she intends to watch the Doraemon movie when she gets back to Japan; that her childhood dream was to be a magician and that she listens to Disney songs such as those from Frozen. LiSA seems to be quite the Disney aficionado, as she was apparently inspired by Belle from Beauty and the Beast to start a career in music.

Live Redux

After the Q & A, LiSA dived straight back into the action with the opening theme of Gen’ei wo Kakeru Taiyou, Träumerei. This was followed by BRiGHT FLiGHT, LiSA‘s new single that is scheduled for release on 17 Sep 2014.  These songs were all played with instrumental backing tracks, which upped the tempo tremendously to a fever pitch. LiSA probably felt the heat in the venue as well, resulting in her taking off her vest between songs.

Needless to say, this LiSA live would not be complete without Rising Hope, the opening theme of Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei. Proclaiming this to be the last song, she nevertheless spared no bit of energy in her performance as the crowds’ cheers reached deafening levels. Showing no signs of fatigue, the audience brimmed with vigour as they rocked out with LiSA, demonstrating their limitless spirit and unbridled passion.

ENCORE

Before LiSA had even made it off-stage, the ecstatic audience launched into thunderous アンコール (Encore) calls, which lasted for about 3 minutes. In a gorgeous kimono-style costume, LiSA once again graced the stage, bringing with her CO-K to continue with the unplugged performance in the encore. Before that though, she had a few words to say to the turnout, including showing her appreciation for the banner than the Indonesian LiSAkkos had brought along. She also asked for a photograph session with her lovely admirers to which the audience was all too happy to oblige.

She also teased a special announcement that would be made at 9 pm on the day itself, which would go up at around the same time as the group photo. The special announcement is on LiSA’s official Facebook page so be sure to check that out!

From LiSA Special event in Jakarta, taken from LiSA’s Facebook page.

After that was all settled, the encore proceeded with an acoustic rendition of Oath Sign. Finally, an acoustic arrangement of Crow Song from Angel Beats! warpped up the entire live. Crow Song was an excellent song to finish the day, ending it on a sweet and high note. Everyone loves a song where there’s a sing-along segment. As the song goes, “Crow to utau yo!” (Sing along with the crow!)

Signed Poster give away

Concert goers still had more to look forward to! LiSA personally handed out a signed poster to everyone in attendance! This gave attendees a brief opportunity to speak with LiSA… Those few seconds could allow one to make a lasting impression on her! Without a doubt, this would be an event that will never be forgotten by everyone who managed to attend. Additionally, a LiSA badge was given out for filling in a post event survey form. The takeaways from this event were not only memories, but also tangible goods to enjoy as well.

Don’t you wish you were there? I’ll bet you do now!

Overall, this was a one-of-a-kind event that anyone would have enjoyed thoroughly. Any non-LiSA fans in attendance would almost certainly be LiSAkko converts by now. Her stage presence and charisma, coupled with her outstanding live performance would have won over even the most hard-boiled and stoic person. Everyone can tell that she gives her all when she performs, even going the extra mile to speak to the local audience in Bahasa Indonesia.

So, if you’re reading this and have yet to see a live performance by LiSA, make it a point to attend one whenever you can! She will leave you craving for more!

The post [JMusic] Live is Spectacular, Always! LiSA Special Event in Jakarta coverage appeared first on AFA Channel!.

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