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North Carolina's Animazement to Host Aya Hirano, Yuu Mizushima
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
North Carolina's Animazement convention announced last month that it will host voice actress Aya Hirano, animator Shingo Adachi, Aniplex producer Shinichiro Kashiwada, and musical guest Oreskaband (ORE SKA BAND).
Hirano began acting as a child, but she received her big break when she starred in the title role of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya anime series. She has performed theme songs for anime such as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Fairy Tail, and Lucky Star, another television series for which she headlined. Her other anime roles include Kiddy Grade's Lumière, Death Note's Misa, Fairy Tail's Lucy, Eyeshield 21's Mamori, Parasyte -the maxim-'s Migi, and Gatchaman Crowds's Paiman. She announced earlier this week that she will study abroad in New York for four months.
Kashiwada produced and Adachi served as the character designer for the various anime installments in the Sword Art Online franchise, and both are working on the Sword Art Online the Movie: Ordinal Scale film, which will open in the United States next year. In addition to serving as a chief producer for Sword Art Online, Kashiwada was also an associate producer for other Aniplex titles such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Oreimo, World Conquest Zvezda Plot, The irregular at magic high school, and Nanana's Buried Treasure. Adachi also served as the character designer and animation director for all three seasons of Wagnaria!!, and also served as the character designer for Galilei Donna.
The six-member, all-female ska band Oreskaband formed in 2003 and debuted their first mini-album in 2006 while the members were still in high school. The group has performed theme songs for Bleach and Naruto.
Other previously revealed guests include voice actor Yuu Mizushima (Voltron's Isamu Kurogane, Magical Angel Creamy Mami's Toshio Ohtomo), MAPPA CEO and founder Masao Maruyama, voice actress Keiko Han (Mobile Suit Gundam's Lalah sune, Pokémon's Prof. Uchikido Sailor Moon's Luna), and mechanical illustrator/designer and voice actor Hidetaka Tenjin (mechanical art for various entries in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross franchise, voice actor for Goreinu in Hunter × Hunter). Other guests include translators Trish Ledoux and Toshifumi Yoshida, voice actresses Lauren Landa and Erica Lindbeck, and voice actors Kyle Hebert and Erik Scott Kimerer.
The convention will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh from May 27-29.
Thanks to Robert Mays and ColonelYao47 for the news tips.
