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Overseas Fans Get a Voice at the Seiyu Awards

 Minori Chihara, Aya Hirano, and Yuko Goto (with apologies to    moyism)
 Minori Chihara, Aya Hirano, and Yuko Goto (with apologies to moyism)
The fourth annual Seiyu Awards (their spelling, not mine) have opened up a new award this year: the Overseas Fans' Choice Award. It's open to anyone "who is not Japanese" (presumably meaning not a Japanese citizen, as opposed to not of Japanese descent), and you basically get to nominate a seiyuu, any seiyuu, and list the roles that they played. Unfortunately the Overseas Fans' Choice Award only exists in English at the moment, so fans in non-English-speaking countries are still more or less excluded unless they work out the English for themselves. Maybe next year they'll add more languages...

The site also doesn't actually specify that it needs to be a Japanese seiyuu, but I'm guessing that's what they're going for. So I thought I'd throw out the names of some of the busiest seiyuu in 2009.

  • Daisuke Namikawa (07-Ghost's Mikage, Hanasakeru Sheishounen's Rumaty, Hetalias North Italy and South Italy, Kimi ni Todoke's Shota Kazehaya
  • Daisuke Ono (11eyes' Kakeru, Hanasakeru Seishounen's Eugene, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Second Season's Itsuki Koizumi, Minamike: Okaeri's Hosaka, Pandora Hearts' Jack, Sora Kake Girl's Shigure, Munto's titular Munto, Umineko no Naku Koro ni's Battler.
  • Jun Fukuyama (Akikan!'s Kakeru, Viper's Creed's Haruki, Sora Kake Girl's Leopard, Valkyria Chronicles' Maximillian, Spice and Wolf II's Kraft Lawrence, Pandora Hearts' Vincent Nightray, 07-Ghost's Hakuren, Tegami Bachi's Gauche Suede, Saki's Kyoutarou Suga, Shangri-La's Sion Imaki)
  • Mamiko Noto (Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th's Shimako Toudou, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu's Haruka Nogizaka, Kimi ni Todoke's Sawako)
  • Hiroshi Kamiya (Zoku Natsume Yuujin Chou's Takashi, One Piece's Trafalgar Law, Bakemonogatari's Koyomi Araragi, Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei's Nozomu Itoshiki)
  • Miyuki Sawashiro (CANAAN's Canaan, Tegami Bachi's Lag Seeing, Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom's Drei)
  • Maaya Sakamoto (Kuroshitsuji's Ciel Phantomhive, Soul Eater's Crona, CANAAN's Alphard)
  • Aya Hirano (Fairy Tail's Lucy, Kiddy Girl-and's Lumiere, Queen's Blade's Nanael, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Second Season's Haruhi Suzumiya, White Album's Yuki Morikawa)
  • Rie Kugimiya (Fairy Tail's Happy, Basquash!'s Flora Skybloom, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's Alphonse Elric, Hayate the Combat Butler!!'s Nagi Sanzenin, Kanamemo's Mika Kujiin, Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th's Toko Matsudaira, Saki's Yuuki Kataoka, Shakugan no Shana S's Shana)
  • Romi Paku (Bleach's Hitsugaya, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's Ed Elric, Hetalia's Switzerland, RideBack' Tamayo Kataoka, Spice and Wolf II's Abe)
  • Yui Horie (Bakemonogatari's Tsubasa Hanekawa, Tower of Druaga's Fatina, Umineko no Naku Koro ni's Maria, Kampfer's Akane, Saki's Mihoko Fukuji)
  • Nana Mizuki (White Album's Rina Ogata, RideBack's Rin Ogata, Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini's Misaki Kihara, Shugo Chara!! Doki's Utau Hoshina)
  • Minori Chihara (Minamike Okaeri's Chiaki Minami, Saki's Touka Ryuumonbuchi, Tower of Druaga's Coopa, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Second Season's Yuki)
  • Yuuko Gotou (Tears to Tiara's Rhiannon, Queen's Blade's Menace, Zan Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei's Abiru Kobushi, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Second Season's Mikuru)
  •   Marina Inoue (Minamike: Okaeri's Kana Minami, Maria Holic's Matsurika, Umineko no Naku Koro ni's Jessica, Valkyria Chronicles' Alicia, Kampfer's Natsuru)

Of course, prolificness isn't necessarily the sign of a good seiyuu-- there was just no way I could list every seiyuu who had a lead this year, much less every seiyuu who had a role! Will you submit a nomination? If so, who will it be?
 
Personally, I think I'm going to submit Marina Inoue-- I think for sheer versatility of roles, she's done an amazing job.
7 Comments
Kuro on Oct. 19, 2009
Okay guys, we storm the votes with Vic Micnoodle
FoxxFireArt on Oct. 19, 2009
I really enjoy Marina Inoue's voice work as Matsurika in Maria+Holic. Jun Fukuyama does the perfect Lelouch, but you only show him listed for Lawrence. Though that's probably because it's what he's nominated for this year. Aya Hirano will probably be a major favorite.
rein on Oct. 19, 2009
if were only talking about Japanese seiyu then i will go with  Sanae kobayashi 
if were talking anyone then I'm definitely going with Jessica boone
gia on Oct. 19, 2009
@FoxxFireArt said:
" I really enjoy Marina Inoue's voice work as Matsurika in Maria+Holic. Jun Fukuyama does the perfect Lelouch, but you only show him listed for Lawrence. Though that's probably because it's what he's nominated for this year. Aya Hirano will probably be a major favorite. "
Code Geass R2 ended in Japan in 2008-- I was sticking to shows that started or were at least still running in 2009.
 
As I recall, though, the Seiyu Awards don't specify what role someone is actually awarded FOR, which is mildly irksome to me.
HeeroYuy on Oct. 19, 2009
If there were separate categories for male and female, I'd vote Jouji Nakata for having the most awesome manly voice ever, and Maaya Sakamoto for just being generally awesome.
gia on Oct. 19, 2009
@HeeroYuy said:
" If there were separate categories for male and female, I'd vote Jouji Nakata for having the most awesome manly voice ever, and Maaya Sakamoto for just being generally awesome. "
I do love me some Maaya Sakamoto-- her work as Haruhi in Ouran Host Club is phenomenal. But while they don't specify a year, I'm kind of trying to force myself into a one-year mindset, because it would make such a competition stronger in the long run (remember how awful the American Anime Awards were because they included, like, anything ever? Blech!). I think Marina had an incredibly strong and very diverse year.
 
But I was just listening to Maaya's album Lucy, and it's so great. I highly recommend the song "Honey Bunny," if anyone wants to give it a shot-- a real cool, jazzy tune.
HeeroYuy on Oct. 19, 2009
@gia: If you're trying to fit yourself into a one-year mindset, she also did Ryougi Shiki from Kara no Kyoukai, and that was definitely one of her finer performances. But yeah, I love her music too.
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