From HNPH: Reina is going to be following her Morning Musume bandmates Risa Niigaki and Koharu Kusumi into the world of anime voiceover (seiyuu) work. Details are few, but Reina is going to be voicing a character on Onegai My Melody Kirara, the fourth series to be based on the Sanrio creation “My Melody” (a bunny rabbit). No word on what character Reina will be lending her dulcet tones to or if she’ll also be doing a theme song - never mind any possibility of her doing a character album a-la Koharu’s Mitsuboshi and Kirarin Land! This, along with being in the band and having her weekly radio show, will make the Wonkylicious One a very busy young woman.

On a related side note, I love Ray Mescallado like a brother, but contrary to his comments at IntlWota, I’d rather see Morning Musume marketed here in the States as the musical act that they are, rather than “the girl band that has some seiyuu in it”. That would be Yui Horie’s recently disbanded Aice5 project anyway.

UPDATE 3.30.08, 2:06 AM: Some Boys Blog found out that Reina will be doing the main human character, Kirara, (the girl in the blue dress in the promotional art below) in the anime, which premieres on April 6th. The TV commercial can be seen in Windows Media (bleh!) format here from TV Osaka’s site, or in viral video form via Paul at Hello!Blog here. Thanks to my IW colleage maiZe for the linkage contained in this update.

Recently:

• The One Where Reina Gets Her Keith Olbermann On
• The One In Which Reina Does A Post Herself
• The One In Which Reina Coaxes CJ Out Of Exile And Talks About Writing
• Reina Goes Tweet-Tweet
• Tanakamesen: Year Three
• Reina Tanaka, Playmate?
• Punk Rock Musume, or God Save The Queens
• The Toast of Three Countries
• Two Years Of Tanakamesen
• The One In Which Reina Is Fast And Bulbous (Tight Also)