News

Dallas' AnimeFest to Host Voice Actress Fumi Hirano, Directors Shingo Natsume & Shuhei Morita

AnimeFest announced on Sunday that it will host voice actress Fumi Hirano at its August 12-15 event in Dallas, Texas.

Hirano is perhaps best known for voicing the character Lum in the Urusei Yatsura franchise, which was her debut voice acting role. Before voice acting, she had debuted in Japanese television in a live-action NHK drama titled Meitantei Kacchin when she was still 12 years old. Since Urusei Yatsura Hirano has voiced characters in such anime as M.D. Geist (Vaiya), Three Musketeers (Milady), Chōjikū Romanesque Samy - Missing 99 (Samy Yoshino), Fuma no Kojirou: Yasha-hen (Yasha Hime), Ariel (Simonne), tsuritama (Keito), Infinite Stratos 2 (Squall Meusel), Tokyo Ravens (Miyo Kurahashi), Seitokai Yakuindomo (Furuya), and GATE (Mimoza La Mer).

The event has previously announced that it will host directors Shingo Natsume (pictured left) and Shuhei Morita, and animators Kazuhiro Miwa and Chikashi Kubota. Natsume has directed Space Dandy (both seasons), One-Punch Man, and Hori-san to Miyamura-kun; and Oscar-nominated director Morita has directed Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul √A, Freedom, Coicent, Possessions, and Kakurenbo - Hide & Seek.

miwa has served as the character designer for the Tokyo Ghoul anime franchise, and he also served as a key animator for Wolf's Rain, Eureka Seven, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, My Hero Academia, Tiger & Bunny, and Silver Spoon, among others. Kubota served as the chief animation director and character designer for One-Punch Man, and he has also served as a key animator for Space Dandy, Paranoia Agent, Attack on Titan, Gurren Lagann, and A Letter to Momo, among others.

The event will also host voice actresses Apphia Yu, Brina Palencia, and Lisle Wilkerson, and voice actor Micah Solusod.

AnimeFest will take place at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Dallas, Texas on August 12-15.

Thanks to crosswithyou for the news tip.