Maaya Sakamoto

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Maaya Sakamoto (坂本真綾, Sakamoto Maaya^?, born March 31, 1980 in Itabashi, Tokyo) is a Japanese seiyū and singer who made her debut in 1996 as the voice of Hitomi Kanzaki^[1] in the hit anime series The Vision of Escaflowne. She sings songs in both Japanese and English.

She also does the voice of Padmé Amidala in the Japanese dub of Star Wars Episodes I, II, and III. She reprised the role in the current ongoing American 3D CGI animated television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.^[2] She is also voicing the lead character Chacha Kenomoto in the upcoming OVA, Kenomoto no Chat.^[3]

Her first concert DVD, containing the complete concert from her We Are Kazeyomi tour stop at Tokyo's International Forum Hall A, was released in 2009. In the same year, she announced to her fanclub at events and on her website that she will perform her first concert at the Nippon Budokan on March 31st, 2010, also her thirtieth birthday.

Her most recent single, Kobato's opening theme entitled Magic Number, was released on November 11, 2009.

About

Maaya is a graduate from Toyo University (Bachelor in Sociology). Her favorite colors are pink and brown, while her hobbies are performing, reading and singing.^{[citation needed]} Her blood type is A.^[4]

She was one half of the seiyū duo "Whoops!!", alongside Chieko Higuchi. She has been called お姉さま (Onee-sama), a respectful way of saying "older sister" by her Ouran co-host Ayaka Saitō.

Nothing much is known about her family except that her father, Yoshimi Sakamoto, is an expert in stage lighting. When she was at AnimeFest in 2005, she said that her favorite Western bands are Oasis and Maroon 5. She also has had at least one song, Uchiihikkoshi no Uta, that has appeared on the NHK program, Minna no Uta.

Collaborations

Maaya first teamed up with composer Yoko Kanno in her debut single, "Yakusoku wa Iranai" in 1996. Kanno collaborated with Maaya up until her fifth album, Yūnagi Loop, which has no songs composed by Kanno. Maaya also performed three songs for the anime Wolf's Rain, for which Kanno was the composer: "Gravity", "Tell Me What The Rain Knows" (with lyrics by Chris Mosdell), and "Cloud 9". More recently, Maaya and Kanno collaborated again for "Triangler", the opening theme song for the anime Macross Frontier. She performed "The Garden of Everything" for the anime RahXephon with Steve Conte.^[5] She also performed the song "cream" with HIDE, which was featured in Ghost in the Shell's mini album, be Human.

She also first collaborated with Shōko Suzuki in 2005 for the music and lyrics of "No Fear / Ai Suru Koto" and the composition of "A Happy Ending", both which appeared in her fifth album Yūnagi Loop. Later, she composed the title track of Sakamoto's 13th single "Kazemachi Jet" in 2006. The following year, she wrote the music and lyrics of "Kioku-there's no end" and composed "Universe" in the mini album 30Minutes Night Flight. The title track of the 14th single "Saigo no Kajitsu" was also composed by Suzuki. For album Kazeyomi, there was a album version of "Kazemachi Jet" with composition by the same person.

She also worked with composer, h-wonder in a few occasions, with songs such as "Honey Come", "Fuyu Desu ka", "Loop", and "action!". She covered the Beatles song Here, There and Everywhere, but this cover does not appear in any of her albums or singles to date.

Maaya typically writes her own lyrics but occasionally uses lyrics written by or in collaboration with others. Frequent collaborators include Yūho Iwasato for Japanese songs and Tim Jensen for English songs. She also wrote lyrics with Gabriela Robin for two of Megumi Nakajima's songs. Lyricist Chris Mosdell, well known in Japan particularly for his association with Yellow Magic Orchestra, has also written lyrics for her, including "Kingfisher Girl" on Shōnen Alice and "Another Grey Day in the Big Blue World" on Easy Listening.

Awards

In the 23rd Anime Grand Prix, she ranked tenth place under the seiyū category with 126 votes.^[6]

Nominations

In the first Seiyū Awards, she was nominated for "Best Actress in a leading role" for her portrayal of Haruhi Fujioka in Ouran High School Host Club as well as "Best Musical Performance" for Tsubasa Chronicle’s ending theme "Loop".

Participation in CLAMP's works

Her first participation in anime and OVAs adapted from works by CLAMP was in CLAMP School Detectives. She sang "Bokura no Rekishi", which was the theme song to its radio drama. She also provided the anime's second ending theme song, "Gift". Later, "Purachina" was used as an opening song for Cardcaptor Sakura and she lent her voice to a Clow Card (the Nothing) in the second Cardcaptor Sakura movie. She also voiced Sū in Clover's OVA.

More recently, she voiced Tomoyo in Tsubasa Chronicle, and sang several songs for the soundtracks, as well as the ending theme from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle's OVAs, Tokyo Revelations and the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle OAD, Tsubasa Shunraiki.

She also sings the opening theme, action! for CLAMP in Wonderland 2 and sings the opening of Kobato.

Discography

• Grapefruit (1997)
• Dive (1998)
• Lucy (2001)
• Shōnen Alice (2003)
• Yūnagi Loop (2005)
• Kazeyomi (2009)

Soundtracks

Sakamoto has worked, listed in alphabetical order on these soundtracks.

• 23-ji no Ongaku: NHK Renzoku Drama "Mayonaka wa Betsu no Kao"
• Arjuna: Into the Another World
• Arjuna: Onna no Minato
• Brain Powerd Original Soundtrack 2
• Cardcaptor Sakura Original Soundtrack 4
• Clamp in Wonderland: Precious Songs
• DeViceReigN OST
• Dream Power: Tsubasanaki Mono-tachi e
• El-Hazard: The Alternative World Ongakuhen
• Escaflowne Movie Original Soundtrack
• Game Vocal Best: Shikura Chiyomaru Gakkyokushū Vol.1
• Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Be Human
• Kōya no Medarot
• Les Misérables 2003 Original Cast CD: "Purple" label recording starring Kiyotaka Imai as Valjean
• Linebarrels of Iron Original Soundtrack
• Little Lovers Soundtrack
• Macross Frontier O.S.T.1 Nyan FRO.
• Macross Frontier O.S.T.2 Nyan TRA☆
• Macross Frontier Vocal Collection Nyan Tama♀
• Mizuiro Jidai Musical CD
• Napple Tale Original Soundtrack Vol.1: Kaijū Zukan
• Napple Tale Original Soundtrack Vol.2: Yōsei Zukan
• RahXephon O.S.T. 1
• RahXephon Pluralitas Concentio O.S.T.
• Record of Lodoss War OST 1
• Risky Safety Aa! Soundtrack
• The Vision of Escaflowne Original Soundtrack 1
• The Vision of Escaflowne Original Soundtrack 3
• Tsubasa Chronicle: Future Soundscape I
• Tsubasa Chronicle: Future Soundscape III
• Tsubasa Chronicle Best Vocal Collection
• Wolf's Rain O.S.T
• Wolf's Rain O.S.T 2

Filmography

TV drama

• Suekko Chouan Ane Sannin - Emi

Short films

• 03†^[7] - Zero Saint Cross

Documentary films

She is featured as an interview subject, alongside composer Yoko Kanno, in the 2009 documentary film about lyricist and collaborator Chris Mosdell entitled Ink Music: In the Land of the Hundred-Tongued Lyricist. The film's soundtrack also features one of Maaya Sakamoto's songs, composed by Yoko Kanno.^[8]

Voice roles

Musicals

• Angel Touch - Rin Otō
• Bangare - Nin Sasaki
• Les Misérables - Éponine
• Letter ~ Bring to Light - Ritsuko Nonomura
• Mizuiro Jidai - Natsumi Kugayama

Radio

• Sakamoto Maaya no Vitamin M (坂本真綾のビタミンーＭ^?) - Bay-FM^[13]
• Sakamoto Maaya Chizu to Tegami to Koi no Uta (坂本真綾　地図と手紙と恋のうた^?) - TBS Radio^[14]
  • Broadcast date: April 7, 2007 ~ March 28, 2009
• Konica Minolta presents Night on the Planet - Tokyo FM
• Yellow tail music tail - Tokyo FM
• Sapporo Beer Key of Dish - Tokyo FM
• Sakamoto Maaya no Naisho Hanashi (坂本真綾のナイショ話^?) - Nack5
• Girls' School Fantasy – NACK5
• Sakamoto Maaya I.D. (坂本真綾 I.D.^?) - Nack5, FM Osaka, FM Aichi
• Sakamoto Maaya no Who Is Lucy (坂本真綾のWho Is Lucy^?, Sakamoto Maaya's Who Is Lucy) – FM Fukuoka, Sendai City-FM, FM-Nigata, K-Mix
• Sakamoto Maaya I.D. Night Flight (坂本真綾 I.D. Night Flight^?) - Nack5, FM Osaks, North Wave, Cross FM
• Sakamoto Maaya no Escaflowneeyes (坂本真綾のEscaflowneeyes^?, Sakamoto Maaya's Escaflowneeyes) - Nippon Cultural Broadcasting
• Sakamoto Maaya no Lucy's Radio Show (坂本真綾のLucy's Radio Show^?, Sakamoto Maaya's Lucy's Radio Show) - Nippon Cultural Broadcasting

Publications

Serialization

• (坂本真綾の満腹論^?) – Currently in Newtype.

- A monthly column

Books

• Chizu to Tegami to Koi no Uta (地図と手紙と恋のうた^?) – April 18, 2008^[15]

- A photo and lyrics book compilation

References

General

• Maaya Sakamoto at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia

External links

Official sites

• Maaya Sakamoto's Official Homepage (Japanese)
• Idling Stop ~ Official Fansite (Japanese)

Other sites

• Maaya Sakamoto at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Maaya's unofficial international fanclub forum
• Nostalgic Lavender Maaya Lyrics & Translations
• maayasakamoto.net/
• Maaya Sakamoto @ Oricon (Japanese)
• MS Mélodie (French)
• Maaya Sakamoto @ J-Music Italia (Italian)