Tokyo International News Agency

The 20th Seiyu Awards were held, bringing together both new talent and veterans with long-standing achievements in the voice acting industry. Numerous honors were bestowed, eliciting heartfelt congratulations and emotional responses from fans. The Lead Actor Award went to Kikunosuke Toya, and the Lead Actress Award to Shion Wakayama. Toya was recognized for his work in Chainsaw Man and Dandadan , and even shared a moment of gratitude towards his mentor, Megumi Ogata. Wakayama's win, following her Newcomer Award last year, surprised many, with fans praising her, saying, "She's been amazing since last year's Newcomer Award!" The Supporting Actress Award was presented to Reina Ueda, also known for her role as Umi Kousaka in The Idolm@ster Million Live! The Singing Award was won by AiScReam. Member Ai Furihata delighted the audience with a witty speech, proclaiming, "Seiyu Awards are better than chocolate mint!" The "Game Award" went to the long-p...

Actor Jiro Sato was honored with the Best Supporting Actor award for his intense performance in the film “Bakudan” (Bomb) at the 68th Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony held on February 17th. However, a surprising mishap occurred at the celebratory event, sending waves of laughter through the venue. Upon arriving at the ceremony entrance, Sato was stopped by a security guard who told him, “The guest entrance is over there.” Despite his attempts to assert that he was an award recipient, his soft voice seemingly went unheard. Even his plea of “I'm going to receive an award!” was met with an unfortunate halt. This anecdote quickly spread across social media, becoming a major talking point with comments like “Even such a famous person can get stopped?” and “Typical Sato Jiro.” Host Yumi Kawai delivered a perfectly timed retort, “So, you were mistaken for a bomber, were you?”, which further endeared the audience and filled the venue with a warm atmosphere. In the award-winning film “Bakudan,” ...