News

Penang Anime Matsuri Hosts Shiena Nishizawa, Luna Haruna, Konomi Suzuki

Malaysian convention Penang Anime Matsuri announced on Monday that singers Shiena Nishizawa, Luna Haruna, Konomi Suzuki, and the band BAND-MAID will perform at the convention as part of its I Love Anisong event.

Nishizawa debuted in February 2015 with her "Fubuki" single, the title song of which was used as the ending theme song for the Kan Colle television anime. She released her second single, "Brand-new World/Piacere," in November 2015. "Brand-new World" served as the opening theme song for The Asterisk War anime, while "Piacere" served as the ending theme song for Aria the Avvenire. The song "Cross," which appeared in the same single, was the ending theme song for the BAD APPLE WARS PlayStation Vita game. She released her third single "The Asterisk War," in May 2016. The title track served as the opening theme song for The Asterisk War anime's second season, while the coupling track "Brilliant Star" is the theme song for the A.W. : Phoenix Festa game based on the anime. Her fourth single, "Kikan," shipped in November 2016. The title song served as the theme song for the Kantai Collection: KanColle anime film. Her fifth and latest single, "LOVE MEN HOLIC," shipped on February 21, and served as the theme song for the Ms. Koizumi loves ramen noodles anime.

Haruna was as a finalist at the 4th Animax Anison Grand Prix in 2011. Her debut single "Sora wa Takaku Kaze wa Utau" in 2012 served as the ending theme song for the second season of Fate/Zero. She has since performed theme songs for Sword Art Online, Sword Art Online II, Monogatari Series Second Season, High School Fleet, Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, and Urahara. She also performed the theme song for the Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization video game. She released her first album OVERSKY in August 2013, and released her second album Candy Lips in March 2015. She released her third album, LUNARIUM, last June.

Suzuki debuted at age 15 after winning Animax's fifth All-Japan Anison (anime song) Grand Prix singing contest in 2011. She has since performed songs for Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, No Game, No Life, Dusk maiden of Amnesia, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, WATAMOTE, Freezing Vibration, Lord Marksman and Vanadis, Absolute Duo, BBK/BRNK, Ange Vierge, and Akashic Records of Bastard Magical Instructor, among others. She made her major voice-acting debut in the Lost Song anime, although she previously had a minor role in Dusk maiden of Amnesia.

The all-girl Japanese band BAND-MAID formed in 2013. The band is notable for performance costumes based on maid outfits from Japanese maid cafes. The band has released five albums and three singles.

The convention will take place at the Spice Convention Center in Penang, Malaysia on July 7 and 8.