Amidst the stiff competition among the participating groups to be the best J-pop and anime singing group in the Philippines, three emerged as the top winners of the first-ever J-Pop Anime Singing Competition Grand Finale held in this country at the Activity Center of Market! Market! on July 25, 2009. The Competition was held as the highlight of this year's Philippines-Japan Friendship Month.
The group “What Is?!” from Manila of Nikki Araneta, Joseph Quirante, Sarah Quirante, Xavier Diaz and Miguel Cardastro ranked the best of the ten finalists in the Grand Finale. Coming in second place is the group “Bage” of De La Salle University students Janelle Joyce Cahilig, Jondane Castro, Merlin Enese, Kevin Caballos and Keanu Endino. “ Bage” also went home with the HERO's Choice Award. Landing the third place in the competition is the Makati-based group “Sakura Beat” of Ringo Paul Callado, Ersten Lebrias, John Vinny Marquez and Arnold Diaz.
The ten performing groups, chosen to proceed to the J-Pop Anime Singing Competition Grand Finale out of eighty five groups coming from as far as Baguio City in the northern part of the country and Zamboanga City in the south, captivated the audience with their upbeat, enthusiastic and youthful performances of their favorite J-Pop and Anime pieces. These top ten groups were judged according to the following criteria: Voice quality – 30%, Diction and pronunciation – 30%, Interpretation – 20%, Stage Presence – 10% and Audience Impact – 10% for a total of 100%. The top three winning groups received Nihongo learning scholarships from the Nihongo Center Foundation and certificates from the Embassy of Japan.
At the Grand Finale, song numbers from “Bossa Nova Queen” Sitti and J-Mellow singer Makoto Inoue also entertained the audience. Various other activities were also conducted such as anime-making demonstration by TOEI Animation Philippines, the Japan Foundation manga library and a film showing of classic and rare animes produced in the budding period of Japanese animation between the 1920s and 1950s.
The J-Pop Anime Singing Competition was co-organized by the Embassy of Japan and the Japan Foundation Manila with the cooperation of HERO TV, Ayala Malls Market! Market!, TOEI Animation Philippines, Inc., Nihongo Center Foundation and MAX FM103.5 to promote appreciation of the Japanese language and culture and to foster deeper friendship between Japanese and Filipinos.
