By KEVIN TAN
alltherage@thestar.com.my
IF you are an anime enthusiast and have watched shows like Macross Frontier, Shangri La, or Accel World you would definitely recognise May Nakabayashi – or her voice at least.
The 24-year-old singer, better known as May’n, had sung the theme songs for those shows and is most popular for her gig as the singing voice for the character Sheryl Nome in Macross Frontier. Last weekend, May’n was in the country to perform at the Animax Carnival Malaysia 2013 in Sunway, Petaling Jaya.
May’n made her singing debut in the anime world in 2006 when she sang Fallin’ In Or Not for Love Get Chu, before getting her big break as a singer in the industry after she was noticed for her work as Sheryl Nome two years later.
“I really enjoy singing and performing anime theme songs, because it makes me feel like the main character in the anime,” said the singer, who is very much inspired by R&B artiste Namie Namuro.
“I saw Namuro on TV when I was three years old, and I wanted to be a singer just like her. That was what made me pursue singing.”
The singer is also known for her original work outside the anime world. Having worked towards making it big in the music industry since 15, May’n released her first single Crazy Crazy Crazy in 2005. She has three solo albums to date and May’n cites her latest album HEAT as her best work so far.
“When I sing my own songs, it feels just like when I sing theme songs for animes – I am the main character of the song I sing,” she said.
May’n noted that she was pleasantly surprised to see how strong anime and Japanese music culture has become in Malaysia in the last few years, despite the cultural and language differences. She said the scene is definitely bigger now compared to in 2010, when she first performed in Malaysia during the BIG WAAAAAVE!! Asia Tour.
“During my concert, the fans were singing with me in Japanese even though many of them did not understand the language. I could really feel the energy from the crowd.”
May’n is currently working on a new single, and is looking forward to coming to Malaysia again on her next world tour.
“Seeing my fans smile really encourages me. It’s amazing how music brings everyone together.”
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