After a brief intro by Crispin Freeman, Maaya came out and everyone greeted her by saying "Good morning Maaya!" Maaya responded by saying "good morning everyone" and thanking the audience for coming to see her. Crispin commented on how amazing Maaya's English is and . Ironically, Maaya asked Crispin to speak slower. Crispin mentioned that he's a huge Escaflowne fan and that it inspired him to become a voice actor. Crispin then asked several questions. Here is a somewhat rough transcript of the Q&A.
[C] Crispin Freeman - [M] Maaya Sakamoto - [Q] Question from audience
[C] I believe that Escaflowne was the first anime show that you voice acted for?
[M] My actual start was when I was 12, I was in an anime called "Little Twins". Aside from that, Escaflowne was my real first anime role. That was a learning experience.
[C] Did you want to be a voice actor from when you were very young?
[M] I started acting when I was 8, and that was on stage. Through various connections, most of my migrating roles were for dubbing foreign movies.
[C] You said that when you were acting on Escaflowne, that you were 16 and that you were very pure. [reference to a statement Maaya made during her concert]
[M] Yes, yes. [*laughs*]
[C] And I remember on the dvds, Café Escaflowne?
[M] [*blushes*] I wish you wouldn't say that!
[C] Was it strange being 16 and being so famous? Was it awkward at school?
[M] No, my classmates were supportive of me. My friends said they watched the show and bought the cd.
[C] You've done so many roles since then, both in anime and in theatre. I believe you were playing in Les Miserable. Do you still do a lot of theatre work as well as voice acting?
[M] In terms of theater, this Spring I just finished 3 months of Les Miserables then I'll be be on a national tour this year and into the beginning of next year.
[C] How is theater and voice acting different? Is one more satisfying than the other?
[M] It's been great doing both voice acting and theatre because they compliment each other.
[C] I know you have so many songs, such a wonderful singing career, and you work a lot with Yoko Kanno. It seems so many songs you do together. Are you close, are you friends with Kanno?
[M] Yes, like a sister. Not a mother.
[C] I know you were surprised [at the concert] that the American fans knew you. How are the Japanese and US fans different?
[M] I like the American audience, they are very good at responding to the performance. I was very anxious until I stood on stage. But thanks to your support, I could go on with my performance.
[C] You started so young as an actor, and you've been acting for so long. Has your acting process changed, do you approach acting differently now?
[M] Back when I was 8, all I had to do was to be myself and I would be acting. But the older I got, I started to want to put more thought into my acting. I still have more to learn and I have a strong desire to learn.
[C] Do you find that you identify very strongly with your characters when you play them?
[M] I really sympathize with Hitomi from Escaflowne.
[C] You do so much. You sing, act in theatre, voice act. Is there one area that is more satisfying? Do you feel you express yourself more fully as a singer, or as an actor, or both together in Les Miserable?
[M] Everything. When I'm in the recording studio making music, I'm at peace the most. That's probably because when I'm voice acting or in the theatre, I have to become someone else. When I'm making music, I can be myself.
[C] Are they any new projects you're working on now that you are excited about?
[M] That would be the anime Tsubasa Chronicle that's currently broadcasting in Japan. I sing the closing song as well as play the role of Tomoyo. There's a movie version coming out in Japan, I'll also be playing the role of Tomoyo in the movie. I'm also working on a new album, I hope it comes out this year.
At this point, Crispin opened the panel to questions from the audience. I've included the ones I found more interesting.
[Q] Out of all the albums, which one do you feel expresses you the best?
[M] Everything. It's all my albums, but the most recent album tends to express myself the best. So that would currently be Shounen Alice.
[Q] Although it's had very limited exposure in the US, the Shounen Alice Unplugged live broadcast has been very popular and hard to get. Do you have any plans to release that recording or to do more acoustic in the future?
[M] Maybe not. [someone in the audience says "maybe yes"] Really?! I hope so.
[Q] What songs do you like the most that you have performed?
[M] It's difficult, I can't choose.
[C] Neither can we.
[M] Everything, I'm sorry I can't choose!
[Q] You've played many different roles, but is there any role in particular that you would like to play in the future?
[M] I like to try everything. The previous roles that I've tended to play are characters like Hitomi. The characters are like myself, they tend to be ordinary girls, good girls. I've come to to do new types of character such as Lunamaria Hawke and other characters that tend to be pilots. Others include a character in Gunbuster 2 [Raruku].
[Q] What manga are you reading?
[M] I'm not currently reading much manga, but I liked Slam Dunk. I tend to like sports manga.
[C] Who inspires you musically? Who do you listen to?
[M] Oasis. I listen to lots of music, and I love to listen to a lot of foreign/Western music.
[Q] Who is your favorite Japanese singer?
[M] Bonnie Pink
[Q] [SPOILER] I heard from a friend in Japan that during ep 37of Gundam SEED Destiny, your character cries and my friend was very moved. What was going thru your mind when you were performing that scene?
[M] For all the roles that I played where I have to cry, I actually cry and I get really sad about it and I can't stop myself. That's how I was when performing that scene.
Q) I heard that you've been in the industry since you were young. Is there anyone you respect?
[M] There's a voice actress by the name Keiko Toda in Japan and she was in the original Gundam. She was also very diverse in her roles, she does theater, TV and also sings. I have very much respect for her.
For the last question, a person from the audience asked Maaya to sing a part of the Tsubasa Chronicle ending song, "Loop". Without any hesitation, Maaya started singing a cappella. Afterwards, the audience cheered with thunderous clapping, yelling and screaming. It was an amazing way to end the panel, something I certainly won't forget. Maaya thanked the audience and said she hopes she can see everyone again.
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