The songs we love so well
Some of the best known names in Japanese anime songs come to Thailand for this year's Anime and Music festival
A blazing sun and temperatures in the high 30s didn’t stop Thai manga fans turning out in full for the two-day Thai-Japan Anime & Music Festival 2013 last weekend, though several were spotted wiping their brows as they sat around in the large tent waiting for their idols to appear.
The activity tent was also packed, as youngsters gathered to enjoy a demonstration of dubbing by Sansanee, a Gokaiger showcase and a wealth of Japanese cartoon products. The Japanese cartoon characters clad in costumes and plastered with heavy makeup looked even hotter but put on a great show.
Masaaki Endoh was the first to emerge on the stage, singing his singles, “Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger” and “Asu e No Michi – Going My Way!”
“This is my third time in Thailand and I’m so pleased that Thai people know my songs,” Endoh told the audience. “I didn’t start out singing anime songs but my producer convinced me to cover ‘Cha-La Head-Cha-La’, the opening theme of the anime series ‘Dragon Ball Z’, which is well known to you all. I haven’t stopped singing anime soundtracks since.”
The singer also delighted fans with numbers from his compilation album, among them “Ai O Torimodose!”, “Mononoke-Hime”, “Yuusha Oh Tanjo!” and “Yuzurenai Negai” before handing over to Kazumi.
She opened with “We Are!” and “Inside Identity”, a soundtrack from the anime “Chunibyo Demo Koi ga Shitai” (“Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions”).
But the warmest welcome was reserved for Osugi Kumiko, who lent her voice to the original anime series “Doraemon”. She came out on stage singing “Doraemon no Uta” and followed up |with “Ii Yatsu Nanda Yo Doraemon” and |“Aoi Sora wa Poketto Sa (Doraemon).”
The 62-year-old Japanese anime singer also performed soundtracks from other series “Mattete Goran” from “Heidi, Girl of the Alps”,
“Yoake no Michi” from “Dog of Flanders” and “Rock River e” from “Rascal the Racoon”.
“I haven’t left Japan for more than 30 years and this time it is my first time in Thailand,” said Kumiko happily. “I’ve been so impressed with Thai people’s warm and friendly welcome.
“So, I want to say thank you to everybody. I feel the power of the audience and will take it back |with me for my show in Japan.
“I love anime songs. They have such great lyrics and melodies that it made sense to make them my career. And I love Thailand too, especially the beautiful Wat Pho, which we visited earlier in the week.”
