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Ex-Morning Musume Mari Yaguchi Designs New Digimon
posted on by Egan Loo
Mari Yaguchi, a former Morning Musume idol singer, designed a new character called Panbachimon which will appear in the television anime Digimon Xros Wars on February 1. Yaguchi also recorded the voice for the new character on January 19, the day before her birthday. Yaguchi said that she is a big fan of anime and wanted to try her hand at becoming a voice actress.
The opportunity to work on Digimon began with Yaguchi's appearance on the Anime Seisaku Senyū Tour!! Digimon ga Dekiru Made program last October. The body of the Panbachimon character has the top half of a panda and the bottom half of a bee. Its special moves include "Bamboo Leaf Cutter" and "Poison Stinger," although Panbachimon does not use these moves in the 25th Digimon Xros Wars episode that Yaguchi voiced, "Zone Hōkai! Hibana Chiru Taiki to Kiriha."
During her time in Morning Musume and its sub-unit Mini Moni, Yaguchi voiced a super-deformed "Yaguchi-san" version of herself in Mini Moni the TV and Mini Moni Yaru no da Pyon!. She also made cameos as the hamster version of herself, "Gucchan," in Tottoko Hamutarō: Ham Ham Ham - Jya! Maboroshi no Princess and Tottoko Hamutaro: Hamu Hamu Land Daibouken. She guest-starred as herself in Futari wa Precure Max Heart 2: Yukizora no Tomodachi and as Yoko on One Piece. Among other songs, she sang theme songs for the Hamtaro films and television series, One Piece, and Orphen.
Source: Oricon
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