Lai Frances

C-SPAN Host Lai Frances at Otakon 2022.

I had the honor of interviewing Lai Frances at Otakon on July 40, 2022.

She is a Social Media Producer for TikTok for CNET and also a multimedia journalist and producer who has a focus on music and entertainment such as K-pop.
At Otakon she held multiple roles, including a K-Pop Journalism session and Behind the Scenes K-Pop panel with Zanybros members Junhong Kim, Angelina Foss, and Jenny Zha. She also appeared on a panel with K-Pop artists PIXY and Rolling Quartz and MCed Friday, July 29ths concert.


It was there, at the K-Pop concert that people could immediately tell the kind of person Lai Frances was if they didn’t already know her. Having never hosted an event such as this, she hid her anxiety and connected with every person in the room, asking how far everyone came to experience Otakon and then patiently awaiting each answer among the cacophony of the ballrooms. She even involved stage hands and the stage manager into the conversation, reminding everyone to stay hydrated, because as she explained to me during our interview, it’s a simple act of caring about other people.

In our interview, she explains how she loved music so she began blogging, using Live Journal and Tumblr. She discovered K-Pop through emo and alternative rock and eventually dedicated her Tumblr account to it. From there she decided she wanted to pursue multimedia journalism in college because she would have more channels to tell stories.

Lai also discusses influences, information consumption, the Banksy documentary, the evolution of her career, shifts in journalism, and a cover story that she worked on last year that stood out to her.

Reed Shannon

Actor/Voice Actor/Singer Reed Shannon at Blerdcon 2025.

Reed Shannon is an actor and singer who has performed in theater, television, film, and video game productions.

He started his career acting as a young Michael Jackson on Broadway in Motown the Musical. He has since voiced Ekko from the hit Netflix series Arcane, appeared in Henry Danger, Speechless, the School of Rock tv series, Station 19, Token, Canal Street, the Wilds, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Pulse, and as Ekko again in the Legends of Runeterra video game.

Yaya Han

Cosplayer Yaya Han at Katsucon 2023.

AleXa

K-Pop Star AleXa at Otakon 2022.

AleXa headlined Friday, July 29’s K-Pop concert at Otakon. In May 2022, she won NBC’s ‘American Song Contest’ with her hit ‘Wonderland’. She released her third album, ‘Tattoo’ earlier this year and is signed with video production and recording label Zanybros.

Tiffany Grant

Voice Actress Tiffany Grant at Anime USA 2022.

Tiffany Grant is a voice actress and script writer who has appeared on countless anime and television shows including Evangelion, where she voiced Asuka. She’s also lent her voice to Blue Seed, Devil Hunter Yohko, Fire Emblem, Slayers, Fullmetal Alchemist, Elfen Lied, Fairy Tail the Movie, Akame ga Kill, and many more.

According to her website www.tiffanygrant.com Evangelion is her favorite anime of all time and she also likes Parasyte, Den-noh Coil, Excel Saga, Spirited Away, and others listed there.

Photos are from Anime USA 2022

Uki Sataki

Seiyuu/Voice Actress/J-Pop Idol Uki Sataki at Otakon 2024.

Uki Sataki is a Seiyuu - voice actress from Japan and founding member of the J-Pop girl group 9nine. She has created opening and closing credits for anime such as Star driver, Beelzebub, My Little Monster, Magi: the Kingdom of Magic, Ultimate Otaku Teacher, The Reflection, and Xuan Yuan Sword Luminary. She has also lent her voice to characters in Hunter x Hunter, Space Dandy, Crayon Shinchan, Mob Psycho 100, The Reflection, and Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror. Uki Sataki has appeared in both main and supporting roles in Japanese dramas including Konna no Idol Janain?