Ayacon Haruko Momoi Interview Part 1

Written by Russell Phillips on 04 Sep 2009

As I tried to make myself comfortable while trying to balance my recorder on my knee in an attempt to ensure that the miniature microphone it had could pick up as much as possible, I idly wondered what Haruko Momoi would be wearing, having remembered her over the top, excessively frilled and incredibly... pink outfit she’d worn for the concert the previous night. At the time I presumed she'd choose to wear something more toned down –maybe a blouse/jeans combo.

What I wasn’t expecting was her to appear as thought she’d just come off the masquerade, and had then drank a gallon of Red Bull, having showing  no signs of exhaustion from performing for nearly 2 – 3 hours straight in a packed, hot and nearly full to capacity university club the previous night.

This I thought was not your average celebrity.

Born in 1977, the story of Haruko Momoi, or to use her stage name Momoi Halk, after HAL from 2001 a space odyssey, seems the stuff of Hollywood script writers – a fan of anime and keenly interested in the internet from a young age, Momoi however endured discrimination at high school because of what others considered to be a weird hobby. In later years though it was her interest in the internet that eventually lead her to start writing a successful music blog, and subsequently to gain employment at ASIIC magazine.

 However her career really took off when, after spending her spare time performing as a singer in Akihabara, her first single 'Mail Me' helped to mark her debut as a professional singer. Soon after that she debuted as an anime voice actress with her role as Komugi Nakahara in 'The SoulTaker'. After a brief career alongside fellow singer Masaya Koike as part of the pop duo UNDER17 she focused more on her solo career and after joining the AVEX MODE music label in 2006, later went on to found her own label “Akihabalove records”.

Her anime career has also gone on in leaps and bounds, from the lead role in 'Magical Nurse Komugi' (a series she considers her all time favourite role), through to 'Ai Yori Aoshi' as Chika Minazuki, followed by a role more well know to us UK fans as Maromi in 'Paranoia Agent'. She has also appeared multiple times on mainstream Japanese television and even has her own radio show  called Kageyama momoi no Baisoku Moe-chan Neru.

2009 has seen the UK's first chance to see her perform live when she appeared as the star billing at the newly reinstated Ayacon anime convention. Fortunately enough the following day after the concert we were given the opportunity to ask her some questions about her career, which was hosted by fellow guest American Voice actor and both co-creator, director and one of the stars of the comedy web video series 'There Will be Brawl' Matthew Mercer. Now here is the interview in it’s entirety including her likes, her love and just what was it she liked about the UK?