generasia:Featured article for 2011 week 43
Sakamoto Maaya
Sakamoto Maaya is a well-known seiyuu and Japanese pop singer-songwriter under flying DOG, a sub-label of Victor Entertainment.
Sakamoto got her break at the age of 15 when she lent her voice to Kanzaki Hitomi in the anime series Tenkuu no Escaflowne. Her debut single, "Yakusoku wa Iranai", produced by popular composer Kanno Yoko, also was its opening theme. "Yakusoku wa Iranai" marked the beginning of a longtime collaboration between her and Kanno. During that time, she also started to write lyrics for her songs. With Kanno, Sakamoto released a lot of songs which are still favored by fans today, notably "Kiseki no Umi" and "Hemisphere". Sakamoto also appears in television dramas and musicals, including the role of Éponine in the Japanese adaption of Les Misérables.
Sakamoto's 19th single, "Buddy (Sakamoto Maaya)", was used as the opening theme for the anime LAST EXILE ~Ginyoku no Fam~. Released on October 19, 2011, the single charted at #10 in its opening week.
