Anime Expo 2005 Report (Rady)

Seki Tomokazu's second appearance in the US.

I met Seki-san again this year, and my enthusiasm has NOT died down. Same as last year, this page is to report my account of hearing/seeing/meeting him ^_^ I'll try to fill in as many questions as possible until I can sit down and transcribe the entire panel. The Meet the Guest Reception, however, I didn't hang around Seki's table because I wanted to be courteous to him and the other guests, so my account for that will be more personal.
Now onto the good stuff!

Disclaimer: This is my personal account of Seki Tomokazu's appearance at Anime Expo 2005. Please be warned that I am excessively wordy and I insert quite a bit of my personal opinions on the events that occurred. My memory is not always intact, so be warned that I may have gotten some information mixed up. For that, I apologize ahead of time. With that in mind, read on!

~~~ <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 ~~~

Friday

First day! Seki didn't make it to the opening ceremonies again, except that this time I actually attended. They played a video of clips of characters he voiced and that was it. Early in the morning, I had checked with the information tables about purchasing tickets for the Meet the Guest (of Honor) Reception, because Seki and many other guests were going to attend it, but they gave me wrong information. I had a bad feeling about it later, about 5:30pm, so I checked back at the information tables again. This time they gave me the right information, but the merchandising vendors had closed already so they told me to check back tomorrow. I stressed out so much thinking about getting a ticket the next day...

Saturday

By the way, the GoH Reception's tickets doubled from $5 last year to $10 this year. Even with that in mind, I still wanted to go, and I had convinced and helped Ciara come to Anime Expo so that we could go see him, so with that precursor, I continue. So when the merchandising vendors open, which is 9:30am, I was there to buy tickets. However, they told me they had sold out the day before, and I was as mad as I could get about this issue. While I was in line, Sachi had called Ciara at approximately 10am to help hold their spot (because they went to get Yamamoto Kazue's autograph) in the line for the Seki panel later that day, and I went to join her after merchandising telling me there were no more tickets. I tried to sit still in line, but the whole deal bothered me so much I left Ci again to go ask staff about where I could go to discuss this problem. They directed me to the Con Ops (operators I suppose) and there I explained my situation. I told them that their staff and volunteers were misinformed and giving people bad instructions and information, myself being one of them, and they confirmed my story with the information tables and felt somewhat obligated to compensate me. So they called programming and hooked me up with a "mangled" ticket, but at least it was going to get me into the GoH reception. I was relieved and thankful that they took my issue seriously, but I was slightly upset that I could only get one ticket, which would mean I had to leave Ci out, especially because they had written my name on the ticket to make sure I was the one to go. I roamed the halls and called Sachi to help me look for people with spare tickets or tickets they were willing to sell, but neither of us had any luck. I finally gave up and destressed myself a bit in the dealer's room with some book purchases. ::laughs:: I'll scan something later. Anyway. I gave one of them to Ci because Miki was in it. Very good shots, might I add. So back in the line I go, and Sachi, her sister, and one of her friends soon arrived with lunch for us, $6 each. Sigh. Food near Disneyland so expensive. We all chatted up and got to know each other, as well as getting to talk with some other LJ members too! Like Velessa! Another was a Hinoe (Harukanaru toki no naka de 3) cosplayer and we talked about Takahashi Naozumi for a while. So awesome, another Nao-kun fan!! The best line I've ever been stuck in with such good company!

Finally we started moving somewhat at 2pm, which the schedule says the panel should start but I knew it really wasn't going to start until 2:30pm anyway. In we went and all of us got to sit in the front row left side. Both Sachi and I had our camcorders and we were estatic just waiting. The lot of us decided that when Seki gets on, we'll all count to 3 and shout "Seki daisuki" LOL. That was funny, and we did do it, but we were drowned by the audience anyway. The amount of fans (girls mostly, as a matter of fact) is absolutely overwhelming, but I expect no less for Seki-san!! ::cheers for his fandom:: The same translator lady from last year was translating for Seki, and I'm glad this time around I got to thank her for all her work! The host for the Seki panel was none other than Crispin Freeman, probably the most prolific American voice actor. Well go him, but I apologize that I'll only be talking about Seki in this report. He read off announcements and introduced our beloved Seki Tomokazu, to who we all screamed like no tomorrow for in adoration and, for many, obsession. Crispin then proceeded to tell Seki about how he was inspired by Seki's performance in Escaflowne to become a voice actor, and Seki was very pleased to hear it and shook his hand (which he did again later too). For perhaps a little under the first half of the panel, Crispin asked questions about Seki and his work, and all the while Sachi and I filmed. Her camera died faster than mine, whereas I actually ran out of tape by the end of the panel, but let's not skip that far ahead just yet...

This year, the panel Q&A worked different. Instead of having slips to write questions for the host to read off, people lined up in the middle of the room to a microphone to ask directly. That was awesome, and I would've gone if I wasn't filming. Sighs. I don't have a full transcript of the panel *yet*, but I do intend on watching it and writing down all the questions and answers if I can. ^_^! Will take me a long time so please be patient with me. Anyhow! There are a few Q&As and requests I remember and will type out now.

Once again, I was very impressed with his professionality and his calmness. He told us he came back for his American fans, and also because the taste of the steak he had here last year is still in his mouth and he really wanted it again. ::laughs:: He's such an adorable man, steak...

Crispin Freeman had asked him about his experience at the Club Escaflowne talks, and he laughed and said that that was a bitter (??) moment to bring back, and yes he had fun, but how he can't talk so explicitly anymore and will have to watch what he says and be more subtle, even though in his minds he'll still be thinking explicitly. Soooo, all my fellow fans, what do you make of that? ^_~

Then the question related to that was in reference to how much fun he has in the behind-the-scene talks like Club Escaflowne, and what would be his favourite behind-the-scene events? Seki answered that it was the ones he had with the Harukanaru Toki no Naka de cast in which they would have parties (and drink? I forgot if he said they drink) at the hotel afterwards. This is beginning to sound fishy to me though, can anyone confirm this? My memory is starting to slide.

Someone asked him about his roles as Sagara Sousuke (spell?) from Full Metal Panic and Shuuichi from Gravitation, which was harder to play, and what he thought of his character, and if he can relate to him. Seki responded that Shuuichi is "chotto gay" LOL. We all heard it and laughed. He said that Shuuichi was more harder to play because he's gay and he's not, although I think at some point in his answer he said that maybe something of Shuuichi rubbed off on him, and I'm not sure if the next part was part of the answer to the Shuuichi question, but he told us that he had a bad experience in elementary school when a boy kissed him - a "bad trick" lol. Said he was a bad kisser too. ::laughs:: Personally, this really does sound like his talk about his first kiss in Club Escaflowne because he did say his friend (boy) at the time had convinced him to kiss him. Crispin laughed at his answer of "bad kisser" so he asked if all the boys in his elementary school were bad kissers, and SEKI NODDED. Ouch, there goes my brain. That really sounded like he kissed a few more in order to come up with that response. ::laughs:: Or maybe the translation for him was misinterpreted, but still, I think I was going to have a heart attack there.

A question came up about how he and Miki Shinichirou are in a lot of works together. The girl asked whether or not they were just coincidentally casted in the many of the same animes and series or whether if they have a say in bringing in Miki to work in the same cast because they're comrades or something. Okay I just know whoever asked this is either a yaoi fan or is interested in seiyuu slash possibly. ::laughs!:: So to this, Seki didn't exactly *answer* the question but I think it's just a "coincidence" or a sort that they're cast together frequently, and he said he sees Miki so much during a week (it was either 3 or 5 days a week) that when after they work, they'll go out for drinks afterwards. Okay, cue in the slashy fangirls. Crispin Freeman laughed and asked Seki what his favourite drink is, and either the translation was faulty or not, Seki answered THIS: "Miki drinks booze, and I drink soda." (Translator said booze, but maybe it was sake specifically?) Why did he answer what Miki drinks first? Crispin asked what his drink was! I'm having a moment here, excuse me. So yeah, good for Seki, he drinks soda. Keep that up please!

When someone asked Seki to sing, he pulled the same thing he did last year and coughed saying maybe next time because he didn't feel well or something. I think he's still shy about singing in front of an audience without practicing, but man, I think he doesn't have to worry at all. He's a wonderful singer with a gorgeous voice!

Crispin Freeman didn't look very happy at the panel. And by the end he looked desperate to end the panel and leave. Sigh. Nothing against him, but I almost felt bad for him...

Most of the questions seemed to be directed about Gravitation, Fruits Basket, and Weiss Kreuz. There were questions about his roles in gundam series and his personal aspirations and role models. Ah gotta love that man.

People asked him to do lines from various roles. For Gravitation, he went "Yuki~~" in this super cute tone, for Gundam Seed (Destiny? or maybe the original) he did a shouting line for Yzak (Isaac) Jules, and for Fushigi Yuugi he said a cute line ending with "no da~!"

Finally the panel ended, and EVERYBODY gushed up to the bottom of the stage to take manic pictures of him and shake his hand. He was so patient and wonderful, and posed for us and shook everybody's hand that was extended. Sachi told me someone kissed his hand, hey who stole my idea! ::laughs:: I'm just glad everybody got to experience the love and charisma this man emanates. I snapped a bunch of pictures, now that my camcorder was safely put away, and shook his hand too, thanking him for coming. I think he shook so many people's hands that his grip was going limp, and I almost felt like I was shaking something.. weird. Anyway, I then waited around for a while to see him off and shook the translator's hand to thank her too. She was pleasantly surprised and happy, saying this was a first that anybody would thank her. I'm glad I did, because other people saw me and thanked her later on too. She gets credit too you know, she deserves it, having to fend off the hoards of Seki fangirls and put up with all of us! Once again, thank you so much! ^_^

After the panel ended at a bit past 3:30pm, it seems like everybody split up. I headed back to the hotel to drop off some things and compose myself, telling my roomies about the panel, and especially Becky because she's a Seki fan but she didn't go to the panel! My cousin was at AX apparently and I ended up hanging out at the dealer's room with her until I went to line up for the GoH reception that starts at 6pm. So while at the line, I found out Ci needed to get in the hotel so I had went down to give her the key, only to find out that Sachi said her friend may be able to manage a ticket for her!!! So estatic as we were, I led her back to the line and we plopped down to wait. The lot of us LJ people sat together and chatted, and they were all so wonderful! I got pictures of everybody individually then we did a group picture. Sakamoto Maaya showed up but, sadly, they had people escort her out because they didn't want her to be there? Afraid she was going to get attacked? Sigh, don't know, but it made me sad. Anyhow! We eventually went in, while I stared at Seki when he entered before us, and since we were the front of the line, we all sat down at Seki's table first. The translator laughed at us and said she figured their table would be the first to fill up, even before the refreshment table.

I asked for a picture of Seki and the translator together, and she was surprised? Hey I wanted a way to remember her too! She's such a wonderful person to translate for Seki so the rest of us can understand what he says. Those of us who had gifts gave him gifts and we all chatted rather informally until the translator looked at us and said, "Don't you guys have any questions?" Then it hit us that we could start asking and so we did. I don't recall everything we asked, because I was sitting right next to the translator and feeling a bit queasy as I did last year, except I was much more calm this time. He was beginning to feel like a friend, down to earth, rather than a crazily exhalted being of obsession lol. That sounds weird. Anyway. One question I do remember asking is if he'll be doing anymore live action dramas like Voice Lugger, and I forgot to mention Cosmo X, but he did and asked me "Cosmo X aishiteru?" to which I answered "Hai~" sheepishly. It's surprising how shy I get in front of him when I'm usually telling everyone I know (and don't know) about the this wonderful man. I think I got more queasy from hearing the word "aishiteru" directly from him. Eep.

Sachi gave him her wonderful drawing and CG of a bunch of characters Seki's voiced, and when someone asked him about his most difficult role to play, he used her drawing as a reference and pointed out Shuuichi from Gravitation being difficult because the character is so cute and having to maintain the cuteness was difficult. I forget if it was then he mentioned that he's not that cute, or if it was another time. Oh but he is cute, just not Shuuichi hyper cute. ::laughs:: And for that I'm thankful. While he spoke, my gaze dropped to his arm many times, and I don't know why I was staring at his armhair... ::coughs:: Moving on.

At the end of our round before rotation, Sachi asked if she could kiss him on the cheek. The translator looked wary, but she did tell him and they didn't say *no* either, so after she went "So is that a yes?" she went up to him and kissed him on the cheek!!! ^____^ YAY for Sachi!!!! Isn't that wonderful??? He looked SO adorable afterwards too! I recorded that as a video on my digicam. Sachi's going to love it! ^_^ Before leaving his table, I asked him for another handshake, and thankfully this time it wasn't oversqueezed like at the panel and he gave me a steady grip. I love this man. I had a rant about handshakes last year, I think I'll refrain from doing it again. ::laughs::

I did not loiter at his table, nor did I try to sit down again because I felt that everybody should get a chance to sit with this man and it would be impolite to both him and the other guests if I had stayed around. Before the last rotation, one of my friends from last year's AX asked him a question about Weiss Kreuz Side B.. and oddly enough, Seki seemed confused and had NO idea about this at all!! Why is Koyasu not informing him about this? Ken is a major character in Side B! Not to mention he and Aya/Ran are practically married.....

Somewhere towards the end of the rotations, Sachi helped me get a picture with Seki, and I actually touched him this time. Yet this time, it felt more appropriate. The reception had reached that level of comfort that Seki was comfortable with it too, and it made me so very happy that I could take a picture with him! Thank you Sachi for taking a picture for me!! ^_^

For the last rotation, there was an empty seat and I really badly wanted to return, so after asking some standing people, they told me they weren't sitting so I sat back down, this time across the table from Seki. The translator looked at me and laughed, saying, "Back for the last round, eh?" and I smiled embarrassed a bit and said replied affirmatively feeling sheepish. Because this was the last rotation, the atmosphere had relaxed to a very casual setting and, instead of actual questions, people seemed to be asking more requests than anything. I had sat down without pulling our my camera at first, but when someone asked him to do a cute pose, I scurried out my camera to catch it, only to miss it because he put his pose down!! I pouted and pleaded for him to do it again for a second so I could a picture. The translator was amused and translated my message to Seki in a cute tone, and he laughed and posed at me. I think I nearly died right then and there. Pictures are below if you're interested. I thanked him profusely and bowed at the table.

I was getting increasingly nervous, because I knew in my heart that this was my second chance to record Seki singing, but so far he seemed too shy to sing for anyone. I finally worked myself up to ask him, and I kept tripping over my words telling him that last year he sung "Drive" for me but I didn't have a chance to record it, and hoped that he would do it for me this time when I *can* record. The translator did her thing, and Seki responded amused, "What kind of song is that, 'Drive'?" ::laughs!:: "He doesn't remember what it sounds like!" she told me. So I held onto my hopes and said that I'll sing it for him if he sings it back. So she told him and he nodded, and I sung. ::gulps:: Again. This is really embarrassing. Singing his song to him, and the second time around too. It was just the opening, so after I sung, the translator asked me, "That's it?" and I nodded. I would *love* for him to sing an entire song for me, but that's just too much to ask of him, especially when he wasn't willing to sing at all to begin with! THEN a miracle happened. He looked ready to sing. So I panicked and asked him to wait (translator was translating for me too) until I got my camera ready, then I nodded at him. And he sung it back to me again! He started off on a higher note, but that was probably my fault, being a bad example. I have it recorded, finally! The happiest thing that could ever happen to me, and again too! He was so cute, after singing he went, "Okay? :D" and I nodded rapidly, once againg going off on my profuse thanking. Ahhh. My heart was flying on air. Someone asked him to sing something else I forgot, but he said that he doesn't know how it goes, and that if they sung it for him he'd sing it. So someone said "Yeah? Twinkle twinkle little star~" and he piped it back at us quickly in an amused tone. He's so adorable!!

Someone asked him to do a Shuuichi (Gravitation) line again, so he went "Yuki~" again LOL. What a dork. Can't remember where that fit in the timeline, but it's all good. ^_^

I decided to ask him about producing a solo album again this year. This time he replied something about that he'll do it once his popularity dies down so he'll have time to make a solo album, and asked me to wait for that day. I nodded and told him I'd wait forever, and the translator told him what I said and he gave me this "Oooh" face and laughed.

And once again, I asked a stupid question. I asked if he was going to be attending the next NeoRomance, which was the following weekend. I knew that but.. I asked anyway. Well, can't expect me to be smart when I'm so out of it.

Ah, another question that was asked at the reception was how did he, Miyata Kouki, and Takahashi Naozumi ended up being chosen to sing the opening theme song to the Harukanaru Toki no Naka de anime. He answered that he had been expecting the whole cast to sing it, but when he showed up for the recording, they were the only three there and he was surprised. So they sang and that was that. Funny guy.

Finally when the reception ended, a bunch of people crowded up to take last pictures with him, and I waited around. I had a knot in my stomach, but I almost *needed* to ask this man for a hug this time. Even my dad asked me last year, and boy was that embarrassing O_O. So I waited and waited, and finally asked him. And he hugged me back when I did. It felt so warm that it made up for an embarrassing thing that happened at the reception there. He was happy to be with his fans, and I was happy too. By the end of all this, I really felt like he's someone I would someday want to really get to know and become friends with. Not high and out of reach or anything, but a very real man who is absolutely wonderful and caring. I feel so blessed to have been able to meet the man on all these occasions.

Now that the GoH reception ended, I went off with two friends to their room for dinner and to hang out. Eric called me out of the blue, at 9pm, that two of the girls rooming with his friends are lining up for the Seki's autograph session at *8am* the next morning already! That was reeeeally weird. Lisa grabbed the phone and told me (even though we didn't know each other at all at the time) that she wants to marry Seki too. ::laughs:: That was classic, telling random strangers on other people's phones that. So I stayed around with my friends shortly and decided I better go line up too, so I went back to my room to shower. I told Ci about the line and she went down to line up first, and I joined her, Lisa, and Colleen after I got out. We chatted for a while, with Ci sleeping, and all was going well until the Hilton (the hotel the autograph session was held) security came to kick us out of the hallway. Told us to go down to the lobby if we wanted to line up but we couldn't be there. Almost got our asses fried, but eventually, the whole lot of our pissed off line, moved down to the lobby. I had a bad feeling about staying in a hotel in which I was not staying in and didn't want to get arrested or anything bad, so we organized a signup sheet and Ci and I went back to our hotel to sleep until 6am...

Sunday

Got up at 6am when Lisa called me. I was freezing in my Neji costume, short sleeves and shorts. Got in back in line, and was seriously out of it. There were people later on in line complaining and making up stories about how early they were there, which the front of the line refuted because they had been in the lobby *all* night. I sincerely thank all these people who risked it and waited for us all, I would not have gotten a signature if it weren't for all these wonderful people!! I was #10 on the list, and Ci after me, and I plopped on my blind white contacts for my costume. Hm. Couldn't see very well when we went in, and I don't think either the translator or Seki could recognize me. ^_^; I got him to sign my 3rd solo mini album CD cover of his, and he signed exactly where I wanted him to sign without me asking. What a wonderful experience.

The autograph session should've lasted for an hour, because they had said they will only allow for 100 autographs, but I think it would've lasted the hour despite the number of autographs. Seki had a noon flight back to Japan, to my knowledge. So this man had come and gone again, appearing in our lives for less than 24 hours and then back to his busy life. I'm so thankful that he found the time to come even with his busy schedule, and I really do feel blessed. Seki makes my world a wonderful place, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

OKAY! I'm done with my Seki report now!! Once again I will state a disclaimer, because this entire report has a LOT of my personal thoughts and et cetera. I do not have a perfect memory, so if there is some misconstrued information here, I apologize. I hope you enjoyed reading, and if you have a report too, please do email me so I can read your experience too! ^_^ Have a good day everybody!

Pictures

For more pictures, go my Anime Expo 2005 photos directory.

~~~+++~~~ Written by Rady.