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AKB48 Anime Cast's 30 Finalists Announced

The official website for AKB0048, next spring's television anime inspired by the all-female idol group AKB48, announced the 30 finalists for the anime's voice cast on Thursday. Among the 30 are self-professed anime fan Mayu "Mayuyu" Watanabe, voice actress Sayaka Nakaya, and 15 other members of AKB48 itself. Eight hail from the Nagoya-based sister group SKE48, four from Osaka's NMB48, and one from the new Fukuoka-based group HKT48.
Haruka Ishida (AKB48 Team B)

Miori Ichikawa (AKB48 Team 4)

Karen Iwata (AKB48 trainee)

Aika Ōta (AKB48 Team A)

Mayu Ogasawara (NMB48 Team N)

Haruka Katayama (AKB48 Team A)

Momoka Kinoshita (NMB48 trainee)

Marina Kobayashi (AKB48 trainee)

Mei Sakai (SKE48 Team E)

Amina Satō (AKB48 Team B)

Sumire Satō (AKB48 Team B)

Mieko Satō (SKE48 Team KII)

Shihori Suzuki (AKB48 Team B)

Rika Suzuki (AKB48 trainee)

Miyu Takeuchi (AKB48 Team 4)

Rina Chikano (AKB48 Team B)

Haruka Nakagawa (AKB48 Team A)

Hiromi Nakagawa (trainee)

Yūka Nakanishi (SKE48 Team S)

Sayaka Nakaya (AKB48 Team A)

Moeno Nitō (AKB48 Team K)

Sawako Hata (SKE48 Team KII)

Minami Hara (SKE48 Team E)

Reina Fujie (AKB48 Team K)

Airi Furukawa (SKE48 Team KII)

Mao Mita (NMB48 trainee)

Anna Murashige (HKT48 1st class)

Miki Yakata (SKE48 Team KII)

Kumi Yagami (SKE48 Team S)

Mayu Watanabe (AKB48 Team B)

These 30 finalists were selected from the 200 members of AKB48 and its sister groups: SKE48, NMB48, and HKT48. The 30 will then perform during the final public audition in Tokyo on December 13, and the nine winners will voice the AKB0048 anime's nine main characters.

Shoji Kawamori, the co-creator of the Macross franchise and the co-director of Macross: Do You Remember Love?, is the project planner and the chief director, and Toshimichi Ootsuki (Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone) is the executive producer. AKB48 producer Yasushi Akimoto himself is planning and supervising the project.

Mari Okada (Anohana, Hanairo, Toradora) is supervising and writing the scripts, and Mikan Ehime (Macross Frontier, Gravion Zwei) is designing the characters. Yoshimasa Hiraike (Working!!/Wagnaria!!, Amagami SS, Sketchbook ~full color's~) is the actual hands-on director of the anime at Satelight (Macross Frontier, Aquarion, Shugo Chara!).

Source: Oricon