Otakon Hosts Welcome to the Space Show Premiere, Staff (Updated)

1st film by R.O.D/Kamichu! director Masunari, designer Ishihama, producer Ochikoshi

Otakon has announced on Wednesday that Koji Masunari, character designer Masashi Ishihama, and producer Tomonori Ochikoshi will present the American premiere of their Welcome to THE SPACE SHOW anime film during the July 30–August 1 event in Baltimore. The science-fiction family film begins during the summer vacation of fifth grader Natsuki Oyama, who just moved into the countryside. She and four of her schoolmates embark on an space-spanning adventure that takes them beyond the fields they call home. The first 22 minutes of the film are streaming online with English subtitles.

For this film, Masunari, Ishihama, and writer Hideyuki Kurata joined forces at A-1 Pictures Inc. after working together on the R.O.D. Read or Die and Kamichu! anime. Susan Boyle, the 49-year-old Scottish woman who became globally famous after performing on the televised competition Britain's Got Talent, is contributing her "Who I Was Born to Be" song as the theme of the film. The film opened in Japan last month, after a February screening (without the theme song) at the Berlin International Film Festival and June screenings at the Sydney Film Festival.

Otakon is also hosting Michael Sinterniklaas, the prolific voice actor and dubbing director behind Gundam UC, Slayers, and many other titles.