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Anime Boston to Host Voice Actor Toshio Furukawa, Voice Actress Shino Kakinuma, Producer Masao Maruyama
posted on by Jabulani Blyden
The official Twitter account for Anime Boston announced on Thursday that voice actor Toshio Furukawa (pictured right in image at right), voice actress Shino Kakinuma (pictured left in image at right), and producer Masao Maruyama (pictured below left) will appear as guests of honor at the event at the Hynes Convention Center on March 25-27.
Toshio Furukawa began his prolific voice acting career in 1974. He has voiced dozens of roles including Piccolo in Dragon Ball Z, Portgas D. Ace in One Piece, Kageroza Inaba in Bleach, Kai Shiden in Mobile Suit Gundam, Ataru Moroboshi in Urusei Yatsura, Shin in Fist of the North Star, Sakamoto in Maison Ikkoku, Asuma Shinohara in Patlabor, Leon McNichol in Bubblegum Crisis, Hawks Eye in Sailor Moon Super S, Enedra in World Trigger, and Asura in Soul Eater.
Kakinuma's roles include Naru Osaka in Sailor Moon, Videl in Dragon Ball Z Kai, and Rie Kakinoki in Kemonozume. She and Furukawa are married.
Maruyama was involved in the establishment of MADHOUSE in 1972. Since then, he has nurtured talents such as Tetsuro Araki, Atsuko Ishizuka and the late Satoshi Kon. Among the anime he has produced are Unico, Ninja Scroll, Card Captor Sakura, Monster, Death Note, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Paprika, Redline, and Supernatural the Animation. Maruyama left MADHOUSE in 2011 to form MAPPA.
Anime Boston had previously announced in February that it would host director Kyōhei Ishiguro and animation director Yukiko Aikei, as well as musical guests Ali Project and nano.RIPE.
Ishiguro directed Lance N' Masques and Your Lie in April, and served as an episode director for Psycho-Pass, Fairy Tail, and Amagami SS+. Aikei debuted as a character designer in 2011 and has designed characters for Accel World, Your Lie in April, and Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere. She also served as the chief animation director for Your Lie in April and Accel World, as well as Love Live! School idol project. Anime Boston will be both Ishiguro and Aikei's first appearance at an American convention.
The Ali Project duo formed in 1992 and they have performed theme songs for Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Rozen Maiden, Chivalry of a Failed Knight, Katanagatari, Linebarrels of Iron, and Noir, among others. The four-member rock band nano.RIPE signed with Lantis Records in 2010, and the group has performed theme songs for Non Non Biyori, Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle, Sankarea: Undying Love, The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, and GLASSLIP, among others. nano.RIPE's appearance at Anime Boston marks their North American debut.
Anime Boston will also host voice actors Carrie Keranen, Eric Vale, Erica Lindbeck, Greg Ayres, Max Mittelman, Monica Rial, Patrick Seitz, Todd Haberkorn, and Tony Oliver.
