Good news to anime fans living in the Midwest: Anime Central 2019 will be bringing in lots of big names in the anime world! Most prominent of their guest will be two well-known seiyuus, Kiyono Yasuno and Hinata Sato!
Kiyono Yasuno is a singer and voice actress who first made her debut in the Kizuna Ichageki anime film as Kizuna Todoroki. She has since played other notable roles, such as Kaname Buccaneer in Macross Delta, Sakura Kitaoji in Aikatsu, and Megumi Kato in Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend. She will be appearing on May 19, making this her first North American appearance.
Hinata Sato is well-known for her role in the Love Live! Sunshine!! series as Leah Kazuno, one half of the idol duo Saint Snow. She debuted as an idol for a Japanese girl group called Sakura Gakuin in 2010. In 2017, she was announced to be part of Bushiroad’s newest franchise, Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight as the hardworking class president Junna Hoshimi.
Besides these well-known seiyuus, other guests include well-known names in the anime industry. Check them out below (in bullet form for an easier read):
• Kenichi Sonoda will be attending the event for the world premiere of his Kickstarter-funded Bean Bandit anime project.
• Kinema Citrus, the studio behind the anime series Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight, Made in Abyss, and The Rising of the Shield Hero anime will also be attending the convention and will be represented by their CEO Muneki Ogasawara, along with other staff.
• Key staff from the Made in Abyss: Wandering Twilight film will also be present in line with the film’s US premiere. These are director Masayuki Kojima, music producer Hiromitsu Iijina, and composer Kevin Penkin.
• Director Atsushi Nakayama of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime will also attend the convention, along with character designer Ryouma Ebata and seiyuu Miho Okasaki (who voices Rimuru).
• Other seiyuus will also be attending, such as Aya Suzaki (Assassination Classroom’s Kaede Kayano), Mai Nakahara (Clannad’s Nagisa Furukawa), and Natsumi Takamori (Orange’s Azusa Murasaka).
• Anisong singers such as Asaka, Sayaka, Sasaki, TRUE, and ZAQ will also be performing in a special concert.
Whew, that was a long list but looks really exciting!
Anime Central 2019 will take place on May 17-19 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.
Source: Anime Central 2019 website