'My Neighbor Totoro' voice actor to appear at Taipei int'l comics festival

Taipei, Jan. 22 (CNA) Noriko Hidaka, the voice of Satsuki Kusakabe in the 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film "My Neighbor Totoro," will hold a meet-and-greet on Feb. 9 at this year's Taipei International Comics and Animation Festival.

The 13th edition of the festival, which takes place from Feb. 6 to Feb 10 in Hall 1 of the Nangang International Exhibition Center in Taipei, will feature more than 100 exhibitors and is expected to draw 480,000 visitors, according to the event's organizers, the Taiwan-based Chinese Animation and Comic Publishers Association.

Hidaka, who is returning to Taiwan for the first time in 12 years, thanked her local fans in a prerecorded video for their warmth and passion, which she said continued to move her.

Meanwhile, Shion Wakayama, the voice of Momo Ayase in the supernatural fantasy anime series "Dandadan," will meet with fans on Feb. 8.

In addition to offering merchandise related to anime and manga, the festival will have music performances and signing events throughout its five days, the association said in a recent statement.

According to the association, this year's festival is expected to generate NT$250 million (US$7.63 million) in revenue.