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Speaking of Seiyuu TV specials, while I missed the first time around, TBS is broadcasting a special documentary on Sakamoto Maaya on Sunday July 16. Curiously the TBS website, states that this is the first time it will be broadcast, so maybe I haven’t missed it, but on an earlier version of the page it was first broadcast in June.

Titled 「坂本真綾・君に届く声～ミュージック＆ドキュメント～」 Sakamoto Maaya, the Voice that Reaches You, Music and Documentary, Maaya herself will be narrating the program as it covers her three types of voice work. As a seiyuu for anime and foreign films, as an actress in a live musical and as a vocalist in her own right. Maaya will also sit down to talk to 山寺宏一 Yamadera Kouichi, and reflect on examples on her work.

You can catch the special on TBS, July 16 at 23:00. It sounds like it will provide interesting insights on Sakamoto Maaya’s more recent works. Maaya is certainly a worthy case of study as her career has taken her to perform in diverse areas of the vocal art. It’s also good to see that seiyuu are beginning to get more exposure and recognition in the mainstream for the talent and the roles that they breathe life into.

During the last 4 years Sakamoto Maaya has been participating in the musical “Les Miserables“ right here in Tokyo. After 4 years of playing the Eponine, the musical came to a close for Maaya and 7 other principal actors on April 24.

Toho has been posting reports with messages and photos from the principal cast on their final days. You can read Maaya’s message here.

この作品を通してたくさんのことを教えてもらいました。常に自分との戦いである、ということです。また、そこから逃げないことが大事なのだ、ということを教わりました。どんな時も、こんな頼りない私を支えて下さったのはカンパニーの皆さんです。ここで出会えた人たちに感謝しています。そして、見守ってくださったお客様、ありがとうございました。 

Maaya said that she has learned many things during this production. Things like to constantly stir herself and there are things that are important not to run away from. She is also really grateful for the support from everyone in the company. And she said thanks for looking after her.

It’s a pity, that I didn’t take the time to go and see it myself especially since it was only in Yurakucho. orz

Source: Toho

Sakamoto Maaya voicing the lead role in a new anime called ｢桜蘭高校ホスト部｣ (Ourankoukou Host Club). She plays a character named 「藤岡ハルヒ役」 (Fujioka Haruhi), and apparently she’s been given the thumbs up from the guys on 2chan for a good performance.

895 名前：名無しさん＠お腹いっぱい。[sage] 投稿日：2006/04/05(水) 01:17:21 ID:Hqn3RSERO
男役でも問題なし

898 名前：おむこさん志望 ◆QtGqCwfDSA [sage] 投稿日：2006/04/05(水) 01:40:12 ID:JL2Pz5xc0
すごくよかった 
着てる服によってちゃんと声で演じ分けてるね

899 名前：名無しさん＠お腹いっぱい。[sage] 投稿日：2006/04/05(水) 01:41:08 ID:Q6p/72/A0
全く違和感がなかった・・・
いつの間にか実力上がってたのね。

Her performance drew comments like “It was great”, “No problems with a male character” and “No sense of discomfort at all”. As far as I know this is Maaya’s first male role and while I haven’t seen ｢桜蘭高校ホスト部｣ yet (and I might never) it’s good to hear that she does it well.

Maaya is also doing a weekly podcast for the show which you can subcribe to from here or access from iTMS here.

桜蘭高校ホスト部 is airing on 日テレ(NTV) on Tuesdays at 24:50, which is actually Wednesday 0:50am.

Update: Having watched the first episode now, I realise my mistake. I’ll admit I was quick to assume the content of the show based on the promo art. I really should know better by now :P. Still it was good to hear Maaya acting in anime and I can actually concur that this is a good showing from her. Like one of the others said, “I really did think she was a guy at first”. :)

ID, WatchSeiyuuBan, NTV

Sakamoto Maaya is releasing a new song! Carrying on from the ending theme for the 1st season with 「ループ」, Maaya’s new single 「風待ちジェット」 will be the opening theme to the second season of Tsubasa Chronicle.

第１シリーズに引き続き、坂本真綾の新曲がエンディングテーマになります。
風待ちジェット」　詞：坂本真綾　曲：鈴木祥子

２００５年春にスタートしたＣＬＡＭＰ原作のアニメ「ツバサ・クロニクル」。
２００６年春からは、セカンドシーズン全２６話の放送がいよいよ始まります。
【放送開始日時】
２００６年４月２９日（土・祝）１８：２５～１８：５０（予定）

The second season of Tsubasa Chronicle will start airing from April 29th while Maaya’s new single coupling with 「スピカ」 is due for release on June 14th.

風待ちジェット/スピカ（両A面シングル）
2006年6月14日　発売です。「風待ちジェット」　作詞：坂本真綾　作曲：鈴木祥子
「スピカ」 　 作詞：坂本真綾　作編曲：h-wonder

As you can see, Kanno Yoko is a continuing absence from Maaya’s recent work. I can only say that I am somewhat saddened for the inevitable change in style after some much loved brilliance in their former works.