AKB48's Anime Conquer in Spring!

The Nikkan Sports newspaper is reporting on Tuesday that the idol group AKB48 is getting its first anime, which will air next spring. The broadcasting station and title of the project, which will have an all-original story, are still secret. Shoji Kawamori, the co-creator of theMacross franchise and the co-director of Macross: Do You Remember Love?, is the project planner and the chief director, and Toshimichi Ootsuki (Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone) is the executive producer. As the newspaper puts it, AKB48 producer Yasushi Akimoto is "of course" planning and supervising the project.

The anime will center around nine idol candidates who aspire to be "legendary idols," in the motif of AKB48's real-life sōsenkyō (general election) Top 8.

Mari Okada (AnoHana, Hanairo, Toradora!) is supervising and writing the scripts, and Mikan Ehime (Macross Frontier, Gravion Zwei) is designing the characters. Yoshimasa Hiraike (Working!!/Wagnaria!!, Amagami SS, Sketchbook ~full color'S~) is the actual hands-on director of the anime at Satelight (Macross Frontier, Aquarion, Shugo Chara!).

The idol group members will "battle" each other in auditions to be voice actresses in this project, and the newspaper reports that the members' standings in "sōsenkyō" (general elections) popularity contests will not be a factor. Out of 200 candidates from AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, and its other spinoffs, 30 will be selected and announced on a dedicated website in November. In the final round of auditions held in Tokyo, nine will be chosen to perform the theme song

Source: Anime news network

Sakamoto Miu as VOCALOID 3

On June 8th, it was revealed at Yamaha's VOCALOID 3 announcement party event that the production of a Vocaloid using the voice of singer Sakamoto Miu is currently underway.

The ability to create music using Miu's voice, renowned by many for its clarity, seems sure to garner much interest and demand!

The product name and release date are currently undecided; in the meantime, the latest Vocaloid software VOCALOID 3 is shaping up for a September release.

Listen to Miu's acoustic performance of "Phantom Girl's First Love" here:

The daughter of famed musician Sakamoto Ryuichi, Sakamoto Miu debuted in 1998 with the mini-album aquascape and has most recently released her sixth full album HATSUKOI, her second collaboration with producer Dave Liang of the Shanghai Restoration Project. 

jpopasia

Vocaloid fans, close your eyes and listen to her singing in the video. Moved by her voice? Promise you can picture a vocaloid in your mind. I definitely did. I think her voice is quite qualified for a vocaloid. Seriously, my mind did feel ease when I was listening to the song myself. Her voice is so calm, it's so smoothing!