Maaya Sakamoto got married!
In yet another breaking development that casts a blinding spotlight on the unrelenting passage of time and my lost teens, Maaya Sakamoto, my favourite singer in all dimensions of space and time, got married at the ripe age of 31 to fellow seiyuu Ken’ichi Suzumura.
Seriously, do you people realize that the 90s was like twenty years ago? It’s fricking insane. Maaya is basically old school now. I don’t even know the names of any voice actors nowadays. Get off my proverbial lawn you damn kids. I am having a quarter-life crisis.
Anyway, I had just returned from a trip to Hong Kong two days ago and spent today finishing up my packing for my imminent house-moving, so I didn’t notice this piece of gigantic news until Kurogane messaged me on Twitter.
There’s a short personal message on Maaya’s official news feed announcing that the wedding took place on 8th August (incidentally a rather auspicious date in some East Asian cultures):
今日はいつも応援してくださっている皆様に、ご報告したいことがあります。
私、坂本真綾は、８月８日に声優の鈴村健一さんと結婚しました。今までの自分の人生の中で
好きだと思うことや、嬉しい、心地いいと思うことを優先する行動が
いつも未来につながってきました。
だから結婚についても、
私がそうしたいと心から思えるときが自然と来たので
その気持ちに従いました。
鈴村さんは、一緒にいるととても穏やかな気持ちになれる、優しい人です。
これからも私が私らしく歌い、演じ、そして生きていくために、
心休まるパートナーが側にいてくれること、とても頼もしく思います。
皆様にも、あたたかく見守っていただけたら嬉しいです。これからもより一層仕事に励んでいきたいと思っておりますので、
どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。坂本真綾
Today I have an announcement to make to everyone who has long supported me.
I, Maaya Sakamoto, was married to voice actor Ken’ichi Suzumura on August 8.Throughout my life, prioritizing the things I like and the things that make me happy and feel at ease has always turned out to be the right path to my future.
So when it came to marriage, the feeling that this was the right time came naturally to me and I decided to follow it.
Suzumura-san is a kind person who makes me feel calm when we are together.
I believe that as I continue to sing, perform and be myself in the coming future, it will be great to have a supportive partner by my side.
I would be really glad if everyone would also continue to watch over us.I hope to strive even harder in my work in the future, so please continue to lend me your support.
Maaya Sakamoto
Interestingly, as noted by Kurogane, Ken’ichi Suzumura voiced Shinn Asuka in Gundam SEED DESTINY, alongside Maaya who voiced Lunamaria Hawke. This is like Nadesico’s Ruri x Akito all over again. Although Nadesico is by now so old in Internet age that I don’t think anyone online knows what I am talking about.
Real-life parallels fiction
Now to be clear, this is not going to be a fanboy rage thing where I desperately struggle in a futile attempt to not have to confront reality because the marriage of my favourite singer somehow symbolizes the lost of a part of my comfort zone for the past decade. But I have to admit that the timing of this almost too perfectly coincides with the start of a new chapter of my life.
Human beings are superstitious creatures like it or not, and it’s not unreasonable to perceive mutual significance in unrelated events as long as we keep it to poetic musings.
I am actually quite happy for Maaya. 31 is kind of old for a woman to get married by Japanese standards and, in typical Japanese fashion, all sorts of social complexities evolve past 30 for a single working woman. Hope she continues to sing.
I guess officially Maaya Sakamoto is now Maaya Suzumura even though she probably keeps her maiden name as her stage name for branding purpose.
August 13th, 2011 at 3:20 am
Well frankly I was quite late to the news too since lol work and no internet access during work.
She’ll always be Maaya Sakamoto to me though. And don’t worry, marriage doesn’t kill professional life… although it may slow it down :).
I wish them the best in their newly wedded life and hope they will have a happy marriage for a long time.
August 13th, 2011 at 3:51 am
Oh, that’s nice ^^. I’ve always adored Maaya Sakamoto as well and it’s great to hear she has found happiness in marriage.
I just hope she continues to sing. He can have her in marriage, but her lovely voice should be shared with the world :D
August 13th, 2011 at 4:35 am
Referring to the second line in Active Heart, she has now found it!
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August 13th, 2011 at 9:35 am
Uwaa~ It’s a really surprise! I’m glad Maaya finally gets married! Congratulation for them. ^^
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August 13th, 2011 at 11:42 am
This was such a conflicting matter for me, although it probably shouldn’t be. I’m happy that she’s finally married and it’s definitely a very large step for her to take in life but the raging otaku part of me can’t help but feel like I’ve lost a best friend (and out for Suzumura’s blood). Ah well, my selfish NTR symptoms and otaku nerddom should wear off with time orz. Likewise Maaya Sakamoto was my favorite seiyuu and singer from Japan so this came as a big surprise to me but in the end I’m very glad for her.
August 13th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Again, this can be explained by our conflicting feelings of joy and melancholy at the passage of time and our own nearing senescence…Regardless, I’m happy for her!
August 13th, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Considering the fact that they have been colleagues and friends for quite a while now, it’s not surprising.
Also, RYOUGI X KOKUTO!!!
August 13th, 2011 at 6:12 pm
I remember Nadesico DM. Surely it’s time for a Nadesico revival so these kids can rediscover a classic?
August 14th, 2011 at 5:04 am
Woah. I had no idea that Ruri and Akito’s VAs got married. Is that one of the reasons for that announcement about a Nadesico sequel not being possible?
August 19th, 2011 at 7:20 am
sweet! Shiki marries Mikiya, finally! :-)
August 24th, 2011 at 6:58 am
nadesico? if it’s like Akira im going to flip. The movie producer burned the manga volumes then used the surviving half burnt pages as the storyboard.
August 27th, 2011 at 7:34 am
Totally agree with you guys. I was so surprised by this news of my favorite singer and seiyu! A part of me is somewhat sad, just feeling like I lost a best friend. But the other part is really happy and glad that she found her most important person.
I wish the best for them! You deserve it Maaya!
August 27th, 2011 at 7:36 am
And also, it is Aerith and Zack, from FF VII, that got married!
September 12th, 2011 at 6:11 am
Maaya is very beautiful …
October 28th, 2011 at 10:18 am
it’s just like shin asuka and lunamaria hawke got married…