Local events organizer Cosplay.ph has announced on Friday that voice actors Wataru Hatano and Kotaro Nishiyama are set to grace this year’s Cosplay Mania event as special guests.
They are the latest addition to previously announced Japanese guests, such as Konomi Suzuki, Shiena Nishizawa and kradness, who will perform at event’s annual JAM – Japanese Anime Music concert.
This will be the first time that the hugely-popular event will feature Japanese voice artists in its nine-year history.
Wataru Hatano is a Japanese voice actor based from Nagano Prefecture, who is associated with the agency 81 Produce. His career in the entertainment industry started in 2011, and is well-known as the voice of “Gajeel Redfox” in the hit anime series Fairy Tail.
Aside from his role on Fairy Tail, Hatano voiced characters in anime, including from Bungo Stray Dogs (as Port Mafia’s “Motojiro Kajii”), Valvrave the Liberator (as “Takumi Kibukawa”), and Yuri!!! On Ice (as “Georgi Popovich”).
He also sang the theme songs for anime shows, including Battle Spirits: Heroes, Hamatora, and Yuri!!! On Ice.
Kotaro Nishiyama is a Japanese voice actor based from Kanagawa Prefecture, who is associated with the agency 81 Produce. His career in voice acting started in 2011, and is well-known as the voice of “Atsushi Kinugawa” in the parody comedy anime Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE! in 2015.
Aside from his role in the comedy anime, Nishiyama also voiced characters in anime, including Haikyuu!! (as “Kazuhito Narita”), Jewelpet: Magical Change (as “Sakutaro Kirara”), and Servamp (as “Koyuki”).
He also voiced characters in video games, including Future Card Buddyfight: Explosive Fight of Friendship, Ensemble Stars!, and Granblue Fantasy.
The organizer also hints of a possible meet-and-greet sessions with the guest voice artists, but no details has been released.
Cosplay Mania ’17 is set to happen on September 30 to October 1 at SMX Convention Center – Manila at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.
For more details regarding the event, please visit their website at cosplaymania.com.
