New album for autumn 2011

All the exciting news comes out when I'm away on business/holiday, doesn't it?

最新情報 今秋、アルバムリリース決定！！

15周年記念企画のラスト“第7弾”、全国ツアーが無事に終了いたしました。
応援してくださった皆さま、どうもありがとうございました。
ここでお知らせです。
今秋、アルバムリリース決定！！

現在、鋭意レコーディング中です！　
詳細は後日発表。
お楽しみに！

今週から毎週金曜日、重大ニュースをこちらのＨＰにて発表予定！
お見逃しなきよう、毎週必ずチェックしてください。

At least we know what the Kono Shin recordings were - for the new album! It's currently in the recording stage but it'll be out in the autumn. Wow, two albums in a year!

Summing up, a new album will be released in the autumn and it's still in the recording process.

The announcement also says that from this week onwards Maaya's HP will be rolling out big pieces of news every Friday 0_0 wow! What could it be?

Source: Maaya's official homepage 'I.D.'

New Maaya song on the way at some point...

Who knows when but Kono Shin has posted another photo of a recording session with Maaya on his official blog here as a follow up to the one a few weeks ago.

Rather exciting, eh?

Maaya's also got a charity calendar coming out for cell phones in Japan, although PC users will be able to enjoy a charity wallpaper which will be available on her official website later in the year. The design will be the YCCM tour. I wonder if it will be released around the same time as the photobook.

Blast from the past

Look what turned up on a Japanese Maaya-fan tumblr account I follow:

http://termin.tumblr.com/post/6716317728

Yes, that's me. Years and years ago! I thought I recognised it! Who would have thought that it would have been floating around the internet in 2011.

When did tune the rainbow get released? 2004?

Let this be a lesson to everyone: what you put on the internet is there forever! ^^;;

First photo book to be released

Goodness, what a day to be a Maaya fan. Her official site has announced the release of Maaya's first photo book! Well, they say photobook but it's not in the idol-vein of photobook at all; a collection of photos, text and reports about her latest tour!

The book will be released on the 19th of October 2011. The title is 'Sakamoto Maaya 1st & Last Photobook “You can't catch me”‐ document 2011.3.5-6.15' and it will be 112 pages, according to the official announcement. Photos of back stage, on stage, in the studio as well as interviews and messages from Maaya will be amongst the content included.

Well, that was a surprise. I can't help but smile at the title though, 'first and last' i.e. don't expect any more XD

Official announcement

New Maaya Sakamoto translation archive on delicious

Frecklegirl of Nostalgic Lavender a.k.a Maaya Sakamoto lyric translation goddess has created a link archive of all the English language translations of Maaya Sakamoto on her site, this blog and deltafour's website.

To go with her explanation:

All Maaya translations by deltafour, dilly, and me (as well as a few of the old translations by others dilly has archived) linked from one place, organized by tag!

http://www.delicious.com/maayas

Want to look at all the things (essays, interviews, etc) pertaining to one album or release? There you go. Want to look at all the translated IDS! newsletters we have so far among us? There you go. And so on...

Any questions, just ask me... hopefully this will be a good resource for everyone.

I've added it to the link bar on the side as well, but how useful!! Thank you for all the hard work Frecklegirl.

'I.D.' essay book will be published again on Star Seas Press

The publishing company Star Seas Press has announced that it will be publishing Maaya's essay book 'I.D.' in August 2011. This is the company which is also publishing Maaya's 2010 project, the Full Moon Recital Hall, in the summer.

This is unexpected, but it's been announced on both Maaya's official site and on the Sai-zen-sen editor's blog as well so it's definitely true ^^

『アイディ。』

著者：坂本真綾

定価：未定

ISBN：978-4-06-138915-1

発売日：2011年8月9日

サイズ：文庫判

It will be out on August 9th 2011. According to the announcement it's getting a new a 'new look' for its re-release so...that's something to look forward to.

Now, will it be pretty enough to make me replace my current copy which is starting to fall apart? The original design isn't that great for propping open and holding with one hand to translate from...the white cover is getting dirty too. All hail a new edition!

Source: Maaya's official site and Sai-zen-sen

Maaya at APPLESEED X III press conference

An excuse to post a picture, rather than to post this as a news item as I don't know much about Appleseed at all.

Maaya is starring in the new APPLESEED X III project as the leading lady Deunan Knute. There's a trailer and lots of information in English if you'd like to find out more about the project on the Appleseed Wikia website.

There are a lot of photos and news articles in Japanese about the press conference floating around the internet but this was my favourite image. You and see this and the other photos, along with a report (Japanese) on the event on Moca News.

© moca news

By the way, this blog is almost at 10,000 hits. Thank you very much for visiting, and please don't be scared to comment on the entries more (^^)V you are also all very welcome to join the discussion over at Maaya's if you're looking to chat more about Maaya!

Official 'You Can't Catch Me' tour report and photos

Excite Anime News have posted up a lengthy report of Maaya's current 'You Can't Catch Me' tour by Tomoyuki Mori with photos from the 4th June performance at Tokyo International Forum. The report is basically a summary of the set list with embellishments, a few comments on the costumes etc. but the photos are worth a look.

Go there now!

EDIT: Maaya's homepage being slow on the updating as usual, they've now posted their own copy of the official report here.

EDIT no.2: deltafour has posted a translation of the report on his website here.

'Full Moon Recital Hall' first volume on sale July, second in August 2011

Weird that the moment I find this news I discover that the ever-wonderful deltafour has posted the first part of his Bedtime Story translation (although, I think the word 'project' might be better as it's more of an interactive experience) on his website sakamotomaaya.com today. Coincidence! So while you are enjoying that you might also like to know that...

Sai-zen-sen's editorial blog has been updated with the news that the first volume of Maaya's 'Full Moon Recital Hall' will be released at the end of July. The first full moon featured the final chapter of Night on the Galactic Railroad by Kenji Miyazawa. And! The cover is out!

Click here for the larger, more beautiful version on their website - you know you want to...

© Star Seas Company

As you can see from the little logo on the cover, it's a CD and a book packaged together, Maaya on the CD and the illustrations from the streaming channel broadcast in the book. It looks beautiful...But it will only be on sale for four months after it has been published. So you'll have to get those orders in quick.

The second volume of the series will be released in mid-August. The second full moon featured the Atushi Nakajima's Sangetsuki.

Source: Sai-zen-sen and Sai-zen-sen again.

EDIT 15/6/2011: they have also posted up a preview of the books designs and illustrations here

A new song on the way?

Yesterday Kono Shin posted up a photo on his official blog of a post-recording session with Maaya and some band members.

There's a bigger version here with tag: "I got permission so I've uploaded a photo of the people taking part in Maaya-chan's recording♪ Maaya-chan looks like she's sparkling, doesn't she!"

This was posted yesterday and since it doesn't say 'during the You Can't Catch Me' sessions I'd like to think that it was a new song they were working on. Which is rather exciting if it turns out to be true.

Fingers crossed!

For your reference, Kono Shin worked on Get No Satisfaction and Colors from Kazeyomi and took part in the following WE ARE KAZEYOMI tour. He was also involved on Magic Number, everywhere and a couple of songs from You Can't Catch me (Topia and Kimi no Sei). He was also on the Budokan DVD, if I remember correctly.

New Marvel Blade anime role

Am I the only one who thinks the character designs in Blade, an anime-fied version of our favourite Marvel vampire killer, are ugly?

Maaya is playing knuckle-dusting, vampire-hunter Makoto. Makoto's father was also a vampire-hunter, but he was turned into a vampire by the evil (I'm assuming from his creepy character design) Deacon Frost before being staked by Blade. Her anger towards Blade eventually softens and they end up as partners in crime, according to the character summary on the official site here.

Well, the character designs don't look up to much but a preview screen shot of the first episode here makes Makoto look a lot prettier.

So, butt-kicking vampire action ahead.

Source: Blade Official Anime Site