Aniplex Producer Yuma Takahashi Trains Four Voice Actors As Event MCs
Takahashi is building a bench of voice actors trained to host Aniplex events, and he is doing it openly as an alternative to existing professional MCs rather than a replacement for them.
Reporting from 1 source: GIGAZINE.
At Machi Asobi vol.31 in Tokushima, Aniplex producer Yuma Takahashi held the debut event for his MC Training Project. Takahashi, in his 23rd year at Aniplex and MC of roughly 500 events, selected four voice actors from about 20 agency applicants through auditions. Three appeared: Katsuhiro Tokuishi and Yu Kosaka of 81 Produce and Yu Kawada of Rakuen Dog. Yuki Ayami of Across Entertainment was absent for work.
The project drew about 20 applicants through voice acting agencies before auditions cut the field to four. Takahashi's stated reason for recruiting from that pool is that voice actors already speak professionally, know anime and games, and are used to being on stage.
He framed the effort as an addition to the MC pool, not a rejection of professional MCs or of performers who host their own events. The debut ran at Machi Asobi vol.31, where Takahashi had been named an Aniplex executive officer the previous day.
- Katsuhiro Tokuishi: 81 Produce; first Machi Asobi appearance
- Yu Kosaka: 81 Produce; first visit to Tokushima Prefecture
- Yu Kawada: Rakuen Dog; first Machi Asobi visit
- Yuki Ayami: Across Entertainment; absent for work commitments
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.