SOS-Dan at Anime Expo

Not much to report yet, except what attendees have been kind enough to mention in comments on my last couple of posts. The only things I've found are a quote on 2channel (from an English-language source I can't find) and one blog post from a Japanese attendee.

Aaya, Gotuuza-sama and Minorin (Hirano Aaya, Gotou Yuuko, and Chihara Minori) were asked where they saw themselves in ten years: "Hirano hopes to still be doing the work she loves, TV/seiyuu work and singing. Chihara feels the same, and adds that she might like to be a good wife by then. Goto says in English: 'I wanna be married.' (She also wants to keep working, but notes that she's a bit older than these two - hence the desire to be married.)"

Aaya was asked if she has a boyfriend, and she apparently said she didn't normally talk about her personal life. But then she added "no," with a smile.

Neither Minorin nor Aaya had much English, but Gotuuza-sama seemed pretty fluent. She went to college to become a translator before dropping out to go into the entertainment industry.

By the way, I did find a shot of a page from the Sabra magazine feature:



EDIT: Found a couple more mentions:
The Great Elk was amazed that the three women's voices actually did sound like that, and thought they were very, very cute. Worry vs. Donuts had a quote of the day: "Will you be my friend?" an attendee asked Aaya, after he was repeatedly told to sit down. Now I know what the comment about the questions being so bad meant, lol.

On her blog this morning, Aaya has a picture of a big bowl of clam chowder, commenting how enormous the serving is, that one bowl of soup would fill her. Welcome to America, Hirano-san.

The Japanese blog, now that I read it in detail, says that there is (was) an SOS-Dan autograph session at ten this morning, and there will be an SOS-Dan live performance tonight. The autograph session did not appear on the schedule of events posted on the web. The "SOS Brigade Invasion Tour" will be at 4:30.

Hirano Aya After her event at AX

From Aaya's blog: "It's six o'clock now. The panel discussion is over. It was a question-and-answer session with all the people who were kind enough to come. Everyone knows Japanese anime so well! It really surprised me."



She looks tired. No wonder, after a ten-hour flight that probably started at about five a.m. LA time -- nine p.m. in Tokyo, followed by a session with people who knew more than she expected, and were probably more forward than she was used to, desperate to get their questions answered in the hour they had, and talking in a foreign language.

Hirano Aya in LA

Aaya has just posted her first pic from LA, after a ten hour flight, with the event coming up right away -- in a half-hour from now.

Hirano Aya on her way to America

Hirano Aya will be a guest of honor at Anime Expo in Long Beach, California, this afternoon at 4:30, along with Gotou Yuuko and Chihara Minori, in a celebration of The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi.

She posted in her blog last night, California time, about her departure and asked readers to look forward to reports from "over there." First (below left) she posted a shot of how she had had her nails done for America: "Cute, aren't they? All sparkly. But is that fungus? Noooo!!" Note the Vivienne Westwood ring, like Nana O's in NANA.



Then (above right) she posted a shot of a "cute" Haruhi poster and said she and Haruhi were going to America together to work to stir things up around the world.

She seems to be heading to the goth side since her cosplay for Death Note. I wonder if she will show up in the T-shirt she bought recently (below left), or in what she's wearing in the last photo she posted before leaving Japan (below right), as she said her arrivederci -- 行ってくんね(≧∇≦)



She seems to be arriving the same day she has to appear. I hope she doesn't have to just rush back without enjoying a little time around Los Angeles (Long Beach is part of the LA conurbation).

I expect her management will have arranged a photo-shoot or two on location in California. She already posted a pic of her name on the cover of Sabra magazine, a men's magazine featuring sexier photography than she's ever done. I wonder what her feature in it is like. Below (left) is the part of the cover she posted, cheering at how big her name was. Check the full cover (only semi-worksafe), to see why she blocked out the rest of the image. Gambatte, Aaya-chan! (Unrelated photo from a few weeks ago, below right.)

Koshimizu Ami, producer

Koshimizu Ami 小清水亜美 is now becoming a producer. She is producing and performing in a live event called something like "Ani-stalgia," which will take place June 30 at the Ginza branch of the karaoke chain Pasera. The show will feature anime music from 1995.

Guest performers will be her good friend Sanpei Yuuko (Renton in Eureka7, Souta in later episodes of Otogijushi Akazukin), Hanamura Satomi (Anise Azeat in Galaxy Angelune), Abe Reiko (TV, radio, idol unit Pallet, Noriko in Strawberry Panic), and further "secret guests." Sanpei-san's participation is probably made easier by the fact that she has just left her agency, Gekidan Wakakusa, and become independent, as Amisuke did two years ago.

I'm wondering if the ED performances in Lucky Star have revived interest in old anime music.

Summer 2007 Anime Calendar -- what's on when, w/staff & cast highlights

Since a couple of shows have already started (Devil May Cry and Tetsuko no Tabi), now's the time to post my calendar-style anime schedule for summer 2007.

It gives days and times for almost all shows that are on, including shows continuing from previous seasons, and gives highlights of staff and cast. There are links to Anime News Network for more info about each show, and this time I've added links to the AnimeSuki threads for each new show.

And this time I've also included all the OVAs for the entire summer, as currently listed on Moon Phase. Here's what the calendar looks like. Click to go to the calendar itself.


I make this thing for my own reference, really, since I find it hard to keep track of showtimes, staff and cast. But I post it so anyone else who wants can use it. Be sure to check out mahou's great calendar Showtime, too.