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This year’s edition carries the theme “Street”, spotlighting grassroots creativity, street culture, and the diverse world of ACG through cosplay showcases, art markets, panels, indie games, live music, and more.
AniManGaki 2025 ushered in a weekend packed with exciting programming, community energy, and major international guests, and welcomed a star-studded lineup of special guests.
Among the star lineup was ChouCho, who performed during the event. ChouCho is a Japanese singer known for anime hits including Heaven’s Memo Pad, Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya, and The Strongest Sage with the Weakest Crest.
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| ChouCho |
In an interview, ChouCho shares with her Malaysian fans about her hobbies and performance rituals.
Outside of singing, ChouCho is an avid gamer, especially fond of Monster Hunter. Her favorite weapon to use is the hammer to beat the head of a monster.
Before going on stage, she always uses throat spray as a personal assurance ritual. Without it, she just feels that there’s something’s missing. She says, “It’s my symbol of assurance.”
ChouCho shares how live performances and seeing her fan reactions fuel her drive. It raises her creativity to continue writing more songs.
“The more I see fans react, the more motivated I am to keep creating—it’s a cycle.” - ChouCho
Even though this ChouCho’s first visit to Malaysia and her first time performing here, she felt warmly welcomed.
“I definitely feel excited… I believe this event will be very warm and welcoming.” - ChouCho
Her message to her Malaysian fans:
“I know it’s not easy to understand songs entirely in Japanese, so I’m grateful when fans take the effort to listen many times and try to understand my message.” - ChouCho
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| BRADIO @ AMG 2025 |
On night 2, taking the center stage was BRADIO, a Japanese funk rock band behind iconic tracks such as Flyers from Death Parade.
This was BRADIO’s first time in Malaysia. The members explored local attractions like Batu Caves, tried durian for the first time, and were surprised by Malaysia’s cooler weather compared to Japan’s summer heat.
They enjoyed Malaysian food, mentioned wanting to try nasi lemak, and expressed curiosity about local flavors. They also found Malaysia’s multicultural harmony and peaceful environment inspiring.
The band picked up phrases like “jom menari bersama” (“let’s dance together”) and appreciated the warmth of Malaysian culture. They also admired how Malaysia embraces multiple languages and ethnic harmony.
BRADIO's message to Fans:
They hoped fans at Animangaki would fully enjoy themselves during BRADIO’s performance. They emphasized that music transcends cultural and language barriers, uniting people through shared energy.
“Even though we are from different languages and cultures, through songs we can all become one and understand each other more.” - BRADIO
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| BRADIO |
Closing off the event with a grand performance was Aya Hirano, a renowned voice actress and singer, best known as Haruhi Suzumiya from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, as well as roles in Death Note as Misa, Fairy Tail, and more.
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| Aya Hirano |
During an interview, Hirano shared how she never expected her voice acting to gain so much recognition. What began as support work for anime projects grew into something that connected her with many fans worldwide.
One of her most lasting impressions was recording a pivotal scene as Haruhi Suzumiya.
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| Haruhi Suzumiya |
She shared that some characters she’s voiced resemble her more closely than others. She feels that while fans often associate her with Haruhi Suzumiya, in reality her personality is quite different—more relaxed and slow-paced.
“I never thought people would know me through my voice acting work. It’s interesting to see how many support me because of it.” - Aya Hirano
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| Aya Hirano |
Although she had visited before, this trip still felt like a “first time” experience. She was eager to enjoy exhibitions, sightseeing, and trying local food during her stay at AniManGaki 2025.
“Coming to Malaysia this time feels like a first. I hope to enjoy the exhibitions and also go sightseeing tomorrow.” – Aya Hirano
Other special guests who appeared included:
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| Studio Orange |
Lucius Merryweather, a popular anime YouTuber, and manga/webtoon creator, and known for his insightful and entertaining ACG content.
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| Lucius Merryweather |
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| MIT Photography |
Written By JC
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