Anime Anime Global

A largest anime event “C3AFA” is held at several places around Asia, including Japan.
In the past, several titles, voice actors, and artists participated in this event, and the total number of visitors in these 11 years exceeded 1.7 million people.

Here at Anime! Anime!, we conducted a backstage interview for guests who appeared at “C3AFA Singapore”, held from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, 2019. This article asked the voice actress Nakamura Eriko on her impressions of the interaction with her overseas fans at the event.

There were several wonderful encounters at Singapore.
—May I have your impressions on the event?

Nakamura: I am not good at speaking English, but the fans welcomed me, so I was happy because the fans allow me to stay as the me.
Ash, a translator god, stayed with me, and he translated my words in English, but I was surprised that the fans at the event reacted even before he had finished translating.

—Was it your first time visiting Singapore?

Nakamura: I arrived at Singapore yesterday night, and they made my wish to eat Chilli Crab came true. But there was traffic regulation due to the marathon event. So, I used MRT (a subway), and I could see the scenes of Singapore, which I can't see from the car.

—What are your recommendations of Singapore to the visitors from Japan?

Nakamura: Singapore has easy access from the center of the city to the other places, so if you came here thinking, “I love anime and manga!”, you would not need much time to visit all the place necessary. So it is so appealing.

But, I did not research about the souvenirs, so I have no idea where to go lol. The readers of this article, please tell me your recommended souvenirs in Singapore for my next visit!

—So you think that you want to visit next time?

Nakamura: I want to go again so much! Among the fans I met, there was a fan from Australia, and I believe that such encounters became possible because the event was held at Singapore, and also I was able to talk and have tea with the performers whom I am not able to see often in Japan, so I hope to have such opportunity again.

My next goal is to master own-style English!

—Is there any other foreign country you want to visit?

Nakamura: I want to visit Toronto again. When I visited Toronto before, the fans told me that there are many anime fans in Europe. That fan visited me from New York, and I met him again at Singapore.

—World is small, isn't it?

Nakamura: I think so, too. It is full of wonderful things, and I don't want to leave Singapore.

—We look forward to your continuing success. May I have your goal for the future at the last?

Nakamura: Thank you for inviting me to Singapore! I was happy that the fans understand both my Japanese and poor English, and I did not feel any language barrier.
But if I could speak English, I can deliver my thoughts to fans from abroad who visit Singapore, so, I will work hard in studying English.

I often use onomatopoeia, and many people call it my uniqueness, so I wish I could deliver my thoughts into English combined with onomatopoeia, called “Eringlish”, like Singlish (English unique to Singapore). I said this at the last show, so I do my best not to quit it (laugh).

[Interview= Ezaki Dai, article=Yamada Sachihiko, photo shoot=Nogi Akira]
Interview cooperation : C3AFA Singapore 2019