Crunchyroll announced the special musical guests and Japanese presenters attending and performing at the Anime Awards 2023.
On Thursday, February 23, 2023, Crunchyroll spiced up their guest list for the Anime Awards 2023. On their site, they showed some of the best on-screen talents in Japan, from well-known actresses to comedians who will be taking part in the award show. They also revealed some of the biggest performers going to be singing and playing some of the anime world’s most iconic openings and outros in the last couple of years, from shows such as Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan.
In terms of the Japanese entertainers that will be presenting at the Anime Awards this year, Crunchyroll highlighted these four:
- Haruka Kaki – singer and actress who has been with the fourth generation of the idol group, Nogizaka 46.
- Kendo Kobayashi – comedian who has been a part of many great TV shows such as Niketsu!! (YTV), Mando Kobayashi (CS Fuji), and BOSS (Fuji TV), a TV drama from 2009.
- Roland – night club host, entrepreneur, and TV personality who has his own host club, “THE CLUB,” which he is also the owner of. He also appears on several TV shows, magazines, and commercials in Japan, and his YouTube channel has over 1.3 million subscribers.
- Sawa Suzuki – actress known for starring in the film, Ai no Shinsekai in 1994. She also appeared on one of the most popular Japanese TV series, Aibou.
These trendsetters and icons will be seen presenting various awards on stage at the awards show. On the night’s entertainment and showcasing some of the best musical artists and songs from anime in 2022, here was the list of music artists performing at the Anime Awards:
- ALI – a music group known for their mashup of music genres and will be performing their worldwide hit, “LOST IN PARADISE feat. AKLO”, which was the ending song for Jujutsu Kaisen season 1.
- KOHTA YAMAMOTO – composer known for Attack on Titan The Final Season, and can be known for the epic orchestra music fans have enjoyed in the series’ conclusive, yet strenuous, last season with the background theme, “Ashes on The Fire.”
- Yuki Kajiura – songwriter and composer best known for working on the score and music for Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train.
Each music group or artist shared their thoughts on being able to perform at the awards platform. ALI noted how much their first two awards ever were in 2021 at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards for Best Ending Sequence and Best Opening Sequence.
Leo from ALI also said that anime and music will be very important for a long time. He said that “I am confident that a series of wonderful anime being created today will be masterpieces in 50 or 100 years from now and will influence the hearts and lives of people. With these feelings and wishes in mind, I would like to wander the musical paradise and sing for the fans worldwide.”
YAMAMOTO and Kajura also shared their gratitude for the awards ceremony giving them a platform to perform a once-in-a-lifetime live performance for viewers and attendees. “Through my performance, I hope that I can join with “Attack on Titan” fans around the world in getting excited together for the conclusion of the story,” YAMAMOTO stated.
Kajura noted how it was an “honour for [her] to be a part of the music that colours the wonderful film,” and she hopes the audience will love her performance at the award show. Interestingly enough, all of these shows these artists have worked on will be returning to both the streaming screen and theatre screen this year to continue building each of their anime worlds and lore.
The Anime Awards 2023 will take place on Saturday, March 4, 2023, with a live ceremony hosted by renowned voice actress Sally Amaki and popular entertainer Jon Kabira. Fans can watch the Anime Awards live stream on the Crunchyroll channels on YouTube and Twitch beginning at 6:30 PM JST/1:30 am PST. Stay tuned for more coverage on the Anime Awards, as I will be especially looking forward to all the music performances and seeing it myself!
