From Kakko-ii.com’s photo gallery, press conference pics with Reina and some of the other voice cast from Onegai My Melody Kirara. Clicking on the thumbnails will bring up the pictures themselves.

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.

In honor of International Wota’s First Anniversary… since we already served cake over at the Pagoda, we figured some more substantial food might be in order for those wishing to avoid sweets…

reina_t_1111: Hey Ceej. Sorry to hear about your Mac.
minimoniotaku: Thanks, Reina. I think I can deal with “Windoze Blister” for a few months until I can get a new MacBook Pro.
reina_t_1111: There you go. At least you’ll be getting your work done.
minimoniotaku: Yeah. I had a busy weekend and need to catch up on blog posts and write one for Stuck In A Pagoda when I’m finished here.
reina_t_1111: Are both sites ready for IW’s first anniversary?
minimoniotaku: Oh yeah. Been ready since last Friday, in fact.
reina_t_1111: Cool. Speaking of blog posts, I’m going to catch up on a few myself.
minimoniotaku: Yeah, there’s still ones being written on “Resonant Blue” from what I’ve seen.
reina_t_1111: OK

[a few minutes later]

reina_t_1111: What in the flying motherfucking fuck?!?
minimoniotaku: That’s what I was thinking when my Mac died.
reina_t_1111: Did you see this fucking review Yoshimi did?
minimoniotaku: Um, no, I didn’t… *reads”… Oh shit!
reina_t_1111: This bitch called me “Reina Winehouse”! What a fucking insult!
minimoniotaku: That was lame.
reina_t_1111: That’s an understatement! My hairstyle in the PV hardly looks like Amy Winehouse!
minimoniotaku: You’d need ridiculous tattoos, excess eyeliner and a bloodstream full of drugs to complete that comparison.
reina_t_1111: Tell me about it! Suppose I went on Five Stars this week and said “Yoshimi does as many drugs as Amy Winehouse?”
minimoniotaku: Exactly.
reina_t_1111: I’ve got a good mind to fly over there and kick her ass so badly that she’ll be needing a different kind of “Rehab”!
minimoniotaku: Whoa.
reina_t_1111: No, better yet, what’s that Public Enemy line from “Don’t Believe The Hype”? “All the critics, you can hang them, I’ll hold the rope”?
minimoniotaku: I don’t think Chuck D meant that literally.
reina_t_1111: Even better — I should go find her, strap her to a chair, and rip her cunt hairs out one at a time with tweezers!
minimoniotaku: I’m not even going there. o_O
reina_t_1111: Goddamnit, it’s not my fault that Tsunku and Daichi Suzuki thought that Takitty and I should be the lead singers on the song!
minimoniotaku: Right.
reina_t_1111: I mean, I’d like to see JunJun and LinLin get some more lines on singles, but they’re still getting used to the language, and…
minimoniotaku: REINA! It’s OK!
reina_t_1111: I’m sorry, Ceej, I just gotta vent.
minimoniotaku: I think this week it’s your turn to get off of IM and put a Miles Davis album on.
reina_t_1111: I’d better make it something like On The Corner or Black Beauty Live At Fillmore West, I can use the mental floss.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I wish no harm or ill will whatsoever on Yoshimi whatsoever. I happen to like her as a person, and her worship posts for Li Chun, by her open admission, were inspired by my worship posts for Reina on Stuck In A Pagoda, something by which I am extremely flattered. Yoshimi is entitled to her opinion, right or wrong. My point here, however dark-humored and satirical, is that if I were in Reina’s shoes, I wouldn’t be too happy with what Yoshimi wrote.

reina_t_1111: Hey, check this new photo of me out.
minimoniotaku: Cool. I always wanted to see you with a guitar.
reina_t_1111: Yeah, I would have preferred an electric, though. Or at least a strap for this one. It’s a little hard to hold a barre chord when you have to hold the entire guitar at the same time.
minimoniotaku: How true.
reina_t_1111: So, what’s your verdict on the Stooges’ little tribute to Madonna the other night?
minimoniotaku: Well, right after I found YouTube footage that wasn’t by some jabroni pointing his half-megapixel webcam at his television, let’s just say I looked like I elected myself pope.
reina_t_1111: You and me, both. I was waiting for someone to ask me if I was eating hot peppers again, LOL
minimoniotaku: That was fantastic, though - and a very sneaky way on Madonna’s part to get Iggy and the band on the Hall Of Fame stage.
reina_t_1111: At the end of that clip, where Mike Watt is bowing when he meets Madonna - and since you’re friends with him, you’d know - is he always that humble?
minimoniotaku: Oh yeah, very softspoken and pleasant person. Probably speechless too given that he’s a big Madonna fan since back in the day.
reina_t_1111: Yeah, I can definitely appreciate that… but bowing at her?
minimoniotaku: Well, after four visits to Japan, I think your mother country is rubbing off on him.

From: Reina T.
To: CJ Marsicano
Subject: Resonant Blue

Ganbatte,
Reina

(later that day)

minimoniotaku: Hi, Reina.
reina_t_1111: Well?
minimoniotaku: Well, what?
reina_t_1111: What do you think of the new A-side?
minimoniotaku: I’m writing about it right now for the music blog.
reina_t_1111: Grrrr! Goddamnit, are you trying to twist my ovaries from 16,094 kilometers away?
minimoniotaku: Well, it is going to be a positive review, that’s all I’ll say for now.
reina_t_1111: Fair enough.
minimoniotaku: And I’m glad you’re getting more lines this time.
reina_t_1111: I figured you’d pick up on that. LOL
minimoniotaku: I will say one thing though, I hate radio rips. I was left wanting for more.
reina_t_1111: Yeah, it’s like listening to that John Coltrane live album that came out a couple of years ago. He’s going at full tilt during “My Favorite Things” and then the goddamn radio announcer interrupts and the music fades out.
minimoniotaku: Nice analogy.
reina_t_1111: Yeah, I’m starting to take after you with the musical reference points.
minimoniotaku: Gee, I wonder why?

reina_t_1111: About time you checked in. Are you OK?
minimoniotaku: I don’t wanna talk about it.
reina_t_1111: Ohhh! If you can’t talk to me, who can you talk to?
minimoniotaku: You’re right again.
reina_t_1111: Is it about what I think it is?
minimoniotaku: Compound that with shitty weather, a shitty job, and a mostly shitty past seven days. What do you think?
reina_t_1111: Damn.
minimoniotaku: I need some major changes in my life, Reina. Big time.
reina_t_1111: I hope none of those changes include me.
minimoniotaku: Relax, babe, you’re safe.
reina_t_1111: I hope so. For myself and the rest of the band, and for you most of all.
minimoniotaku:
minimoniotaku: So what part are you going to have in Cinderella?
reina_t_1111: I don’t know yet. Why?
minimoniotaku: Because if you don’t get the title role, I’m going to hurt somebody.
reina_t_1111: Don’t talk like that.
minimoniotaku: Why not?
reina_t_1111: Because my name already means “queen” in Spanish, remember?
minimoniotaku: So?
reina_t_1111: So why would you, of all people, want to downgrade me to a goddamn princess?!?
minimoniotaku: Yeah, but princesses usually grow up to become queens.
reina_t_1111: True.
reina_t_1111: Get off of IM, put a Miles Davis album on, and focus on to what you’re meant to be doing and what you believe in, OK? Tomorrow should be a better day.
minimoniotaku: OK, I will.
reina_t_1111: Ganbatte, Ceej.

Another fan video, this time a slide show with the Nami Tamaki song “Shining Star” as the soundtrack and most of the pics coming from her Shoujo R photobook.

No takers for Reina footage set to the Buzzcocks’ “Are Everything” yet, people?

A segment from the making-of DVD for Re: Return.

reina_t_1111: I see the hype is already underway for the new photobook.
minimoniotaku: You can say that again.
reina_t_1111: I gather my American fanbase - and I’m asking you because well, duh, you’re part of it - is excited about it?
minimoniotaku: I would like to think they’d get excited about anything involving you.
reina_t_1111: You’re too kind.
minimoniotaku: Any picture of you in a bikini or bathing suit makes this shitty winter weather a little more bearable.
reina_t_1111: Yeah, well, the person who made the above statement also likes seeing me in kimonos, so I should think it doesn’t matter to you what I wear during a photo shoot.
minimoniotaku: Perhaps not. So, what are you doing up so early in the morning today?
reina_t_1111: You’re one to talk. You’re on IM during work hours again. Usually you don’t turn IM on unless you’re home at night and taking a break from writing.
minimoniotaku: Yeah, but it’s almost 3 PM here on the East Coast. It’s almost 5 in the morning in Tokyo.
reina_t_1111: So?
minimoniotaku: ‘Fess up, Reina. Why are you up so damn early?
reina_t_1111: Because your favorite MoMusu is wired for sound right now.
minimoniotaku: Huh?
reina_t_1111: Too much Starbucks. Coffee-coffee-coffee! *teeth grinding*
minimoniotaku: Since when do you drink coffee late at night?
reina_t_1111: OK, I’ll admit it. It was crack.
minimoniotaku: REINA!!! You did not do crack!
reina_t_1111: OK, then you did.
minimoniotaku: I’ve never done a drug in my life and neither did you!
reina_t_1111: Are you sure?
minimoniotaku: Positively!
reina_t_1111: Because it sure seems like one of us did *teeth grinding*
minimoniotaku: *rolls eyes*
reina_t_1111: Are you sure you’ve never done drugs?
minimoniotaku: Absolutely.
reina_t_1111: Never dropped acid?
minimoniotaku: Never!
reina_t_1111: Never did speed?
minimoniotaku: No!
reina_t_1111: Never smoked pot?
minimoniotaku: NO!
reina_t_1111: Well then, how the fuck do you come up with these dialogues with ME?!?
minimoniotaku: Not enough Starbucks.
reina_t_1111: *headdesk*