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Otakon Announces 7 Additional Guests

Otakon announced more guests for this year's convention over the past three days, including voice actress Kikuko Inoue, producer Michihiko Suwa, producer Masao Maruyama, director Hiroshi Nagahama, voice actress Sayuri Hara, and producer Shōichi Hotta. The event will also host cosplayer Jez Roth.

Inoue is a prolific voice actress having appeared in hundreds of roles over the course of her career. She is the voice of Belldandy (Ah! My Goddess), Cecile Croomy (Code Geass), Goei (Ikki Tousen), Grace O'Connor (Macross Frontier), and Kasumi Tendo (Ranma ½).

2018 marked Inoue's 30th anniversary as a voice actress. She won the Kazue Takahashi Award for the "female performer who broadens the profession of voice acting in every form of media" at the 10th Annual Seiyū Awards in 2016.

Suwa has been involved in the anime industry for more than 35 years. He has worked on Inuyasha, Detective Conan (Case Closed), Lupin III, Magic Knight Rayearth, City Hunter, The File of Young Kindaichi, Black Jack, Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl, Angel Heart, Kekkaishi, and more.

Inoue is a voice actress for the Mix anime, and Suwa is a producer on the anime.

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, and then stepped down as CEO in April 2016 and founded his new Studio M2 in the same year.

Nagahama served as animation director for the Revolutionary Girl Utena anime series and directed the Mushishi anime series and its sequels. He also directed the Flowers of Evil anime series. He created The Reflection television anime series along with late comics pioneer Stan Lee, and he also directed the series and designed the characters. Nagahama had stated in December 2017 that he was trying to make a sequel to The Reflection. Most recently, Nagahama directed an episode of the Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan anime (each episode of the anime features a different staff, cast, and anime studio). Nagahama stated in April that his next project will air in North America first.

Hara's first major role was the character Nyarue in the Haiyoru! Nyaruani: Remember My Mr. Lovecraft anime, and is perhaps best known for voicing the character Mio Honda from The IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls anime and games. She has also starred in such anime as Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream (Rizumu Amamiya), Sengoku Collection (Bokuden Tsukahara), Flowers of Evil (Mayu Miyake), Arpeggio of Blue Steel - Ars Nova (Makie Osakabe), KONOSUBA (Luna), and Captain Tsubasa (Sanae "Anego" Nakazawa).

Hotta has worked as a producer on such anime as Anne-Happy, Is the order a rabbit?, Hanayamata, and Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler.

Hotta planned and produced the Laid-Back Camp, and Hara also voiced the character Chiaki Ōgaki in the anime.

Otakon will be held at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. from July 26 to 28. The event will also host rock band BRADIO as musical guests; former Studio Ghibli staff member Hirokatsu Kihara; composer Kaoru Wada; Studio Trigger staff members Hiromi Wakabayashi, Shigeto Koyama, and Hiroyuki Imaishi; hip-hop artist Shing02; and singers Diana Garnet and Nano.

Source: Press releases