Minori Chihara NYAF 2010 Guest of Honor

MINORI CHIHARA
GUEST OF HONOR AT NYAF
Japanese Seiyuu And Singer To Appear At
New York Anime Festival

Norwalk, CT, July 8, 2010: The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) and Bandai Entertainment, Inc. (BEI) today announced that prolific Japanese voice actress and singer Minori Chihara will be appearing at the 2010 New York Anime Festival as a Guest of Honor. The New York Anime Festival, an anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture convention, will take place October 8-10, 2010 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan. It is created by and co-located with the New York Comic Con. NYAF has already announced Japanese bands VAMPS and Puffy AmiYumi will appear as guests, and comics legends Stan Lee, John Romita, Sr., and John Romita, Jr. will headline the New York Comic Con. Ms. Chihara is most well-known as the voice of Yuki Nagato in the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya franchise. Her appearance at NYAF will include panel sessions, autograph signings, a concert, and an introduction to the new film The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Birthday: November 18th
Astrological Sign: Scorpio
Blood Type: B
Hobby: Cleaning the house
Licenses: Calligraphy 4th degree, Penmanship 3rd degree, Chairman of the Committee to Promote Tyrol Chocolate with Kinako Mochi filling (self appointed)
Personality: Shy, indecisive, stubborn
Personal treasure: Family
Happiest moment: Bath time
Place you most want to visit: Okinawa
Animal you're most like: Cat
Favorite perfume: Ultramarine
Favorite fruit: Pears
Favorite food: Chocolate, boiled shrimp, salmon
Favorite book: "Initiation Love" by Kurumi Inui
Favorite artists: Yutaka Ozaki, B'z

Ms. Chihara is most well-known as Yuki Nagato in the popular Melancholy of Haruhi Suzyumiya anime series, and in addition to voicing Yuki Nagato in the new Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya film, Ms. Chihara also performs its theme song, "Yasashii Boukyaku". Ms. Chihara's additional starring roles include Chiaki Minami in Minami-ke, Kagura Tsuchimiya in Ga-Rei -Zero-, Toka Ryumonbuchi in Saki, Aya Natsume in Tenjho Tenge, Minami Iwasaki in Lucky Star, Toa in Dragonaut, and Raquel Mayol in My-Otome 0~S.ifr~.

"The New York Anime Festival is honored to welcome Ms. Minori Chihara to New York City," NYAF and NYCC Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. "Haruhi Suzumiya is one of the most popular anime series around the world, and it's our sincere pleasure to have the voice of Haruhi's Yuki Nagato with us!"

"The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya proves again and again to win new fans, and we're excited now, four years after the original premiere of the series, to have Ms. Chihara with us as we present the newest chapter of the saga -- The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya," Bandai Entertainment President Ken Iyadomi said. "Ms. Chihara has a brilliant voice and amazing talent, and while I know fans across America have become familiar with her on television screens, I want fans to discover her again, this time face-to-face, at the New York Anime Festival."

Ms. Chihara's full schedule will be announced later this summer, and it will include both panel sessions and autograph signings. BEI will present a special screening of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya at NYAF, with Ms. Chihara welcoming fans to the premiere. On Saturday, October 9, Ms. Chihara will perform a concert at NYAF. General admission to Ms. Chihara's concert is free and first-come, first-served. For fans wishing to guarantee a seat, paid, reserved seating will be available via the Tickets page at www.newyorkanimefestival.com starting at 12 Noon EST on July 15th.

Tickets to attend NYAF and NYCC may be purchased at www.newyorkanimefestival.com or www.newyorkcomiccon.com now. (One ticket gets an attendee into both shows.) Other information about the conventions, as well as news about the Reed Pop Culture Group, which also organizes Star Wars Celebration, is available at Lance Fensterman's blog, www.mediumatlarge.net.

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New York Anime Festival Press Release