BENI’s Anime Expo panel: What went down!

The Japanese born, American raised Beni, host of Tokyo Kawaii TV, took time out of her busy schedule for a question and answer session at Anime Expo on July 2nd.  Singing the ending theme for Eyeshield 21, she is laregely known as a fashion icon in Japan and has recently topped the Oricon Charts with Lovebox. See below for some notable memories from her panel.

• Q: When does she plan to make her first debut in America?

A: While she dreams of touring worldwide, she will be making her debut Japan tour this fall.

• Q: When did she first move to America?

A: She was born in Okinawa, moving to San Diego when she was in first grade. She moved back to Japan after spending fourteen years of her elementary school life in the US.

• Q: What does it feel like coming from America and making music in japan?

A: While she was originally seen as a gaijin, or foreginor, in Japan she’s been accepted by her audience even though she didn’t know Japanese all that well when she moved. As she got into jpop, she began to write her own lyrics as a child.

• Q: What inspired her to become a singer?

A: Since she loved R&B singers like Janet and Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, etc. she wanted to become a singer just like them and bring R&B to Japan.

• Q: How frequently does she come back home to America?

A: While she’s only able to return on long breaks, last time being seven years ago to California, she was in the states three years ago. That said, she has traveled a lot around Japan.

• Q: When did her popularity start to increase?

A: While she initially singing, acted, etc., she wanted to focus on music and her popularity started to increase when she changed her image and took her last name off her last name for her music.

• Q: How did she get involved with her copy of Call Me, Beep Me?

A: Disney asked her to sing theme for Kim Possible.

• Q: Did her sociology major help her provide a better connection with audience?

A: It had to the extent that she studied a lot about culture and found out difference between Western and Japanese Culture. She also read about Western Scholars to take on Japanese Music.

• Q: Does she write most of her own material, if so what genres inspire her?

A: While she enjoys performing in R&N style, she believes that Japanese R&B is a mixture of jpop and R & B; creating a new ‘style.’

• Q: Is Beni her real name?

A: Yes, Beni is real name, which means ‘bread’ in Japanese.

• Q: What is the difference between American pop music/R&B vs Japanese pop music/R&B?

A: Japanese love karaoke and the music needs to be fun, while American music tends to focus more on lyrics.

• Q: Who are her favorite celebrities?

A: She enjoys Utada Hikaru, downtown, summers, Japanese comedians. Her favorite actor is Ken Watanabe because he’s hot. (HAHA!)

• Q: How has Japanese fashion changed her? How does she choose what to wear when performing vs casual wear?

A: She enjoys kawaii stuff, and shows them off on Tokyo Kawaii Show which shows off the cute/colorful parts of Japan. She changes clothing with mood, performance-wise, she likes to wear cute and anything that’s sparkly or attracts attention.

• Q: How has her life changed in Japan?

A: Nothing has changed in Japan, even after her number one in Japan for her last album. To her, nothing has particularly changed, no ‘superstar’ status. She also doesn’t like hiding.

• Q: Has she ever performed songs in English?

A: While she’s written a few, she mostly writes in Japanese. She would like to create a full worldwide English album someday and perhaps a tour.

• Q: How does she influence Japanese Fashion?

A: Lots of girls in Japan like to know what Beni wears casually, so she has an online blog about fashion. She constantly writes about what brand she wears, and girls in Japan tend to emulate it.

• Q: What is her favorite variety show that she’s been on?

A: Sawakuri Seven.

• Q: What’s her favorite color and fruit?

A: Purple and mango.

• Q: Does she ever plan on translating her blog www.benibenibeni.com?

A: She would like to, but she would have to do the translations herself as no one on her staff speaks English other than her.

• Q: How does she feel being a ‘successful’ artist?

A: Although it took a while, when she heard people singing her songs it felt great.

• Q: Has she been influenced by any other artists?

A: She has been influenced by many people, many live concerts, r&b artists, pop music, etc. She gets inspired after concerts, listens to her songs, and thinks of new ways to alter her songs.

• Q: Why did she cut her hair?

A: Thanks in large part to an iphone app where she was able to try on different hairstyles.

• Q: What’s her favorite anime?

A: Sailor Moon when she was little, although she began to read the manga 20th Century Boys recently.

• Q: How did she feel about performing in an Andrew Lloyd Weber musical?

A: She enjoys being in musicals, as she gets to join a group. When working as a team, she loves being part of a project and would love to try it again.

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Tags: ax2010, beni, goh