EVANGELION: THE REAL 4D

Introducing the world's first "4D" Evangelion attraction. Since its release in 1995, this hit anime has been hugely popular around the world—the Rebuild of Evangelion movies have been shown in movie theaters including Japan, North America, Europe, and Asia. Now, Evangelion comes to the park for the first time.
This is the first Evangelion 4D attraction ever. It features a fully original story that can only be seen in the park and will be shown for a limited time at the Universal Studios Cinema 4D theater attraction. Guests will encounter Angels and witness fights between the Evangelion Units and Angels from brand-new, novel angles via 3D videos made with Hollywood technologies. Moreover, 4D special effects including bomb blasts, flashes, water spray, and vibrations that shake the guests' seats will thrill all five senses. Guests will be drawn into the world of Evangelion by the extreme sense of realism centered on these battles!

Attack on Titan: THE REAL

The world's first full reproduction of a "life-sized" Titan 15 meters tall! 40 million copies of the Attack on Titan manga have been published (as of October 2014), and this renowned series is hugely popular in Asia as well. Now, Attack on Titan comes to the park. For the first time, Universal Studios Japan's creative team utilized its fantastic reproduction technologies to create an amazingly realistic view of the unique world of this series. Before their eyes, guests will see a 15-meter-tall Eren Titan and a 14-meter-tall Female Titan! From the same viewpoint as the Survey Corps, guests will view these two impressive Titans—which seem likely to move at any minute and are approximately 10 times larger than a human—with their naked eyes as they experience unimaginable thrills. In addition, guests can look forward to a brand-new type of walk-through attraction that features Universal Studios Japan's wonderful movie technologies that will be announced in the future!

BIOHAZARD: THE ESCAPE

The Real Escape Game evolves into a realistic, live-type entertainment that has never been seen before! The Real Escape Game by SCRAP (Head Office: Tokyo) is expanding from Japan across the world. Now, it has been combined with the survival horror world of Biohazard and a realistic environment created by Universal Studios Japan that is so authentic it seems like a hallucination. Come experience the most advanced type of realistic live entertainment ever. Inside a huge television station building, guests will be frightened by the threat of sudden zombie attacks. They will deal with a wide range of traps as they count down to the time limit and work to solve multiple detailed riddles. This new Real Escape Game must be taken on not only with intellectual power but also courage, and allows guests to experience an ultimate sense of accomplishment with their friends.
* This is a new attraction that differs from the popular BIOHAZARD THE REAL 2 shooting attraction that began in August 2014 (held every day until Nov. 9, 2014).

MONSTER HUNTER: THE REAL

The world's first fusion of life-sized monsters and special effects. More than 31 million video games have been sold in the Monster Hunter series. For the first time, in this MONSTER HUNTER: THE REAL attraction—the third since 2011—special effects utilizing light will be combined with life-sized monsters, reproducing the world of Monster Hunter via environmental effects. An ultra-electrified Zinogre, its whole body charged with electricity, will appear in the park for the first time before guests, who will be able to physically experience the realistic sensation of being struck by lightning. The entrance to the venue will also feature a life-sized Seregios—a new monster from Monster Hunter 4G—for the first time. Seregios will greet the guests with an overwhelming force and sense of lively motion that makes it look like it has just come down from the sky. This attraction features a great deal of content from the 4G game that can only be found in the park, including popular Time Attack Challenges and food.

EVANGELION: THE REAL 4D

Introducing the world's first "4D" Evangelion attraction. Since its release in 1995, this hit anime has been hugely popular around the world—the Rebuild of Evangelion movies have been shown in movie theaters including Japan, North America, Europe, and Asia. Now, Evangelion comes to the park for the first time.
This is the first Evangelion 4D attraction ever. It features a fully original story that can only be seen in the park and will be shown for a limited time at the Universal Studios Cinema 4D theater attraction. Guests will encounter Angels and witness fights between the Evangelion Units and Angels from brand-new, novel angles via 3D videos made with Hollywood technologies. Moreover, 4D special effects including bomb blasts, flashes, water spray, and vibrations that shake the guests' seats will thrill all five senses. Guests will be drawn into the world of Evangelion by the extreme sense of realism centered on these battles!

Attack on Titan: THE REAL

The world's first full reproduction of a "life-sized" Titan 15 meters tall! 40 million copies of the Attack on Titan manga have been published (as of October 2014), and this renowned series is hugely popular in Asia as well. Now, Attack on Titan comes to the park. For the first time, Universal Studios Japan's creative team utilized its fantastic reproduction technologies to create an amazingly realistic view of the unique world of this series. Before their eyes, guests will see a 15-meter-tall Eren Titan and a 14-meter-tall Female Titan! From the same viewpoint as the Survey Corps, guests will view these two impressive Titans—which seem likely to move at any minute and are approximately 10 times larger than a human—with their naked eyes as they experience unimaginable thrills. In addition, guests can look forward to a brand-new type of walk-through attraction that features Universal Studios Japan's wonderful movie technologies that will be announced in the future!

BIOHAZARD: THE ESCAPE

The Real Escape Game evolves into a realistic, live-type entertainment that has never been seen before! The Real Escape Game by SCRAP (Head Office: Tokyo) is expanding from Japan across the world. Now, it has been combined with the survival horror world of Biohazard and a realistic environment created by Universal Studios Japan that is so authentic it seems like a hallucination. Come experience the most advanced type of realistic live entertainment ever. Inside a huge television station building, guests will be frightened by the threat of sudden zombie attacks. They will deal with a wide range of traps as they count down to the time limit and work to solve multiple detailed riddles. This new Real Escape Game must be taken on not only with intellectual power but also courage, and allows guests to experience an ultimate sense of accomplishment with their friends.
* This is a new attraction that differs from the popular BIOHAZARD THE REAL 2 shooting attraction that began in August 2014 (held every day until Nov. 9, 2014).

MONSTER HUNTER: THE REAL

The world's first fusion of life-sized monsters and special effects. More than 31 million video games have been sold in the Monster Hunter series. For the first time, in this MONSTER HUNTER: THE REAL attraction—the third since 2011—special effects utilizing light will be combined with life-sized monsters, reproducing the world of Monster Hunter via environmental effects. An ultra-electrified Zinogre, its whole body charged with electricity, will appear in the park for the first time before guests, who will be able to physically experience the realistic sensation of being struck by lightning. The entrance to the venue will also feature a life-sized Seregios—a new monster from Monster Hunter 4G—for the first time. Seregios will greet the guests with an overwhelming force and sense of lively motion that makes it look like it has just come down from the sky. This attraction features a great deal of content from the 4G game that can only be found in the park, including popular Time Attack Challenges and food.

 The melody and the lyrics for the song was composed by their lead guitarist Mami Sazaki around the time they finished their Yokohama Live earlier this year in June. The song was created based on the surge of feelings the band had at the time around the theme of "Imagining a brighter future than it is now." This is certainly reflected in the up beat and fast paced melody of the song, which gives the impression of racing towards the future. The song also shows off the band's ability for the four girls to be in harmony with each other in a unified song, whereas the style of many of their past songs were composed in a way that there are very individual solo parts in the song. The style of the song is what you still come to expect from Scandal in their rock themes, similar to their singles like "Harukaze".

In contrast to their B-side song included with the single, it is much slower paced and conveys a more laid back and happy mood. According to bassist Tomomi, this was composed in 5 minutes, which is pretty impressive. The song incorporates many non-traditional sounds and instruments that you come to expect from a rock band. And while it was not a song you come to expect from Scandal, the theme reminds me greatly of Tomomi's goofy and happy personality due to its melody.

While both are great songs to listen to, the more polished A-Side far outshines B-side song in this single due to the thoughts that have gone in to creating the single. The B-side feels like it was more a fun playful song that the band came up with on the whim and not a song I can picture them performing seriously in a concert. The A-side song on the other hand is a solid single that I can only imagine will be one of the key songs that most fans will be looking forward to during next year's Hello World Tour.

You can listen to the full song as well as check out the music video below.

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The single is now available on Amazon and on iTunes for purchase.

 Not just talented for her singing, Luna shows off she is also skilled at Gunpla (Gundam model kits.) Luna poses next to her custom model titled DUELUNA GUNDAM AS on display. The kit is a Master Grade Duel Gundam with Assault Shroud armor from Gundam Seed sporting a brilliant fuchsia that would make Meer from Gundam Seed Destiny proud. 

 On her official blog, Luna noted she is a huge fan of Gundam and one of her favorite characters was Yzak, hence why she deecided to build his Gundam. During the early build she made a mistake and reversed a piece while making the kit. Luna's friend and fellow singer Eir Aoi also paid her a visit several times to check up on her progress.

Luna concentrating when Eir Aoi checked up on her.

Luna attempting to remove a piece she assembled upside down.

 
The finished Gundam!

Luna posing with her DUELUNA GUNDAM AS at the Gundam Expo.

As of this post, Luna is still back posting her progress updates on her blog, so check it out if you want to see more!

Luna Haruna Twitter: https://twitter.com/luna_galaxy
Official Blog: http://ameblo.jp/luna-luna-moonrise/

T-ONO: First off, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with us.  If you could cosplay as any Street Fighter character who would it be and why?

Daigo: I probably wouldn't cosplay, nor would I ever be forced into that situation, but if I had to... let's see... Well, cosplay for me is always something to watch and look at rather than participate in.

I'm going to defer my answer until the end of the interview. I'll think of something.

T-ONO: Yesterday at your panel, you said that you weren't originally a fan of your artwork from Street Fighter III. Can you tell us a little bit about your process when you were creating your characters?

Daigo: Well, for Street Fighter 3, I only did the visual arts for it. It was really 4 where I started to design the characters. Since Capcom and Street Fighter are both relatively known throughout the world, I began with the audience that's going to be playing and hope that they accept it. So they were the first ones that I needed to cater to and put out something that would be accepted.

Since my upbringing is in design and characters has been alongside great predecessors, I do have some confidence in me that I can draw well. However, I also have an additional conflict since I'm constantly comparing myself with them. That's why I came up with the idea that my art isn't good but at the same time I do have confidence that I can draw well.

T-ONO: What was the hardest part of designing the characters for Street Fighter IV since it was the first time that one of the flagship titles was in 3D?

Daigo: Well, the game's visual is the total of everything. From the animation to the backgrounds, along with everything else that made the game. For Street Fighter IV, our original goal was to remake Super Street Fighter II Turbo for the new generation.

So for us, it was really about bringing the animation and pixel design of Street Fighter II into Street Fighter IV's polygons where we could do facial expressions when they're being hit or KO'd. So we tried to show something different for the players to experience.

T-ONO: During the panel, you also had a chance to do a live drawing of Dan in front of a receptive crowd. How did it feel drawing him?

Daigo: In all honesty, when I draw I usually don't have an audience so I was a little bit uncomfortable. However, since I had to do the same thing in Paris, in addition to showing off my work at our company, I'm somewhat accustomed to drawing in front of a small audience. That being said, drawing in front of a large crowd like here and Paris is something that I don't do all that often.

T-ONO: Were you surprised that they told you to draw Dan?

Daigo: Yeah, I was surprised *laughs*.

T-ONO: One other thing that you mentioned was that you don't like drawing female characters because of peer criticism. How do you usually work around this when designing them?

Daigo: Since fans have their own ideas on how female characters should look, along with my predecessors setting a high bar, it falls on me to draw them well. If you could give me any advice it would be appreciated, ha ha.

T-ONO: Lastly, in your opinion what makes Street Fighter, "Street Fighter"?

Daigo: Well it doesn't just pertain to Street Fighter, but as an artist what's important to me is everything inside the art itself in terms of game development. It's important that the player understands the world and builds around it through what's inside the screen.

In terms of Street Fighter IV, what was really important to us was to bring back that nostalgia from Street Fighter II from the heads-up display down to the characters and background while hoping that the community would accept it.

In terms of your cosplay question from earlier, since my gut has been growing in the past compared to what it was before, I would have to say maybe a smaller version of E. Honda. That's not to say that I would want to do it, but my physique might fit *laughs*.

Fans can rest assure knowing that the group's first ever world tour SCANDAL WORLD TOUR 2015 "HELLO WORLD" will feature a setlist with songs from the recently released album. Their world tour will include stops in the U.S., U.K., France, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hello-world/id943092143

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hello-World-Scandal/dp/B00PWCPGOQ/

Track listing

1. Image
2. Your song
3. love in action
4. Departure
5. Graduation
6. Yoake No Ryuseigun
7. Onegai Navigation
8. Runners high
9. Honn Wo Yomu
10. Can Beer
11. Winter story
12. Oyasumi
13. Place of life（feat. Tetsuya Komuro）

Official Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/ANISONGWorldTourLantisFestivalinLasVegas

Dates:
January 16th, 2015 Show time: 7pm to 10pm
January 17th, 2015 Show Time: 2pm to 5pm

On sale date: November 21, 2014

Ticket Link for January 16th:
http://www.axs.com/events/256244/anisong-world-tour-lantis-festival-tickets?skin=thejoint

Ticket Link for January 17th:
http://www.axs.com/events/256245/anisong-world-tour-lantis-festival-tickets?skin=thejoint

Ticket Prices:
VIP Tickets: $125 (limited quantity)
• VIP Pass
• Early Entry
• Lucky bags
• High-touch session with all artists after show

Advance Tickets: $50

The Joint - Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV
http://www.hardrockhotel.com/las-vegas-concerts/the-joint

JAM Project // Yoko Ishida // YOUSEI TEIKOKU // ChouCho // Faylan // Sayaka Sasaki // bamboo (from milktub)

The 2015 ANISONG World Tour Lantis Festival will bring hit anime songs to 6 cities: Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, Taipei, and one more city to be announced. The ongoing Lantis Festival covered a total of 9 concerts across 4 cities in Japan, delivering successful performances for many thousands of fans. The Tokyo concerts held on the 13th, 14th and 15th of September had an amazing turnout of 28,000 fans in 3 days.

Lantis, the premier Japanese record label that represents the largest roster of anime song artists, was established November 26, 1999. To commemorate the 15-year mark of their establishment they held the "Lantis Festival 2014" to bring anime song loving fans in Japan together for a memorable experience.

The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas is a 4,500-person capacity venue that serves as a sophisticated, intimate and unparalleled entertainment destination. The Joint features seven Luxury Suites, a VIP Studio Level, state-of-the-art sound system, superior video system and a production package tailor-made for artist comfort. It has received numerous accolades including "Best Concert Venue" in Las Vegas Review – Journal's "Best of Las Vegas" awards 2010 – 2013, "Best Music Venue" in 2012 and 2013 Las Vegas Weekly Awards, "No. 1 Hottest Club in America" award by Billboard Magazine in 2011 and 2013, "Best Live Music Venue in Las Vegas" by MetroWize.com in 2011, "Best New Major Concert Venue" at the 2010 Pollstar Awards, and "Best Live Music Venue" in AOL City's Best 2010 awards. The Joint delivers unforgettable live music experiences with performances by both legendary and ground-breaking artists including Paul McCartney, The Killers, Bon Jovi, Kenny Chesney, Nine Inch Nails, The Who, Imagine Dragons, Prince, Arcade Fire, Muse, Drake, and No Doubt. The venue created the successful concept of rock 'n' roll residencies with Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits, Mötley Crüe in Sin City, Mötley Crüe invites you to an Intimate Evening in Hell, Guns N' Roses Appetite for Democracy, Guns N' Roses – An Evening of Destruction. No Trickery! and Def Leppard VIVA Hysteria! as well as Tiësto In Concert featuring electronic DJ and producer Tiësto. KISS kicked off its nine-show residency, KISS Rocks Vegas, on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Follow The Joint on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ANISONGWorldTourLantisFestivalinLasVegas
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjR6YoI3EYrJXoQlEHt4HfQ

JAM Project
http://jamjamsite.com/

JAM Project ("Japan Animationsong Makers Project") is a Japanese anime song supergroup formed in 2000 that is comprised of five veteran vocalists: Hironobu Kageyama (Dragon Ball Z), Masami Okui (Revolutionary Girl Utena), Yoshiki Fukuyama (Macross 7), Masaaki Endo (The King of Braves GaoGaiGar), and Hiroshi Kitadani (One Piece). They have achieved an extraordinary position in the "Anisong" genre. In 2008, they completed their first world tour called "No Border" in 8 countries and established strong international recognition. After adding a South American tour in 2012, JAM Project continues singing "Anisong" all over the world to represent Japanese culture.

Yoko Ishida
http://www.yokoishida.com/

Yoko Ishida's music career started after she won a contest to become an "Anisong" singer in 1990. Her debut was in 1993 with the song "Otome no Policy," which is the ending theme song for Sailor Moon R. In 2003, her 1st album "sweets" was released in the U.S. and she performed a U.S. tour called "AFT (Anime Fusion Tour)" in 13 locations in 2005-2006. She is also known as the singer of the theme songs for the Strike Witches series. She has held concerts in 8 countries and will continue performing as an international "Anisong" singer

YOUSEI TEIKOKU
http://www.fairithm.com/

YOUSEI TEIKOKU ("Fairy Empire") is made up of five members: Yui (vocal), Takaha Tachibana (guitar), Nanami (bass), Shiren (lead guitar), and Gight (drums). Their music style is a mix of Techno, Trance, Gothic, Heavy Rock, and Classical. This heavy yet symphonic sound was showcased in the theme songs to Mirai Nikki in 2011. They also performed the ending song for the 2014 anime Tokyo ESP.

ChouCho
http://iwill-music.co.jp/choucho/

In 2008, ChouCho began posting videos of herself singing on Nico Nico Douga, a popular video sharing website in Japan, which led to her major debut single "Kawaru Mirai" for the 2011 anime Heaven's Memo Pad.

Faylan
http://www.s-inc.jp/faylan/

Faylan debuted with "mind as Judgement," the opening song of the 2009 anime CANAAN. She has been performing theme songs for several anime and video games, such as the "BLAZBLUE" series in 2013 and many more.

Sayaka Sasaki
http://sasakisayaka.com/

Sayaka is the winner of the "3rd All-Japan Anisong Grand Prix" in 2009, out of 6,570 groups in the competition. She debuted with "Seisai no Ripieno," the second opening song for the 2009 anime The Book of Bantorra. She continues to sing for many anime and video games.

bamboo (from milktub)
http://milktub.com/

milktub is a music unit consisting of bamboo (vocals) and Ichibanboshi Hikaru (guitar) with the slogan of "fast, silly and stylish." They performed the theme song of the 2013 anime Uchouten Kazoku.

As some of you may be aware, I tend to dread writing music or concert impressions. Critiquing music can be difficult, as in most cases as listeners, you either like it or you don't. With Perfume; it was something that I leaped at the opportunity as I have listened to their music for a number of years. Identity wise, it has been repeated over and over again through various media that it’s difficult to describe or categorize Perfume. At its core, Perfume would be best categorized as a techno pop idol group consisting of three members Nocchi, Achan, and Kashiyuka. Almost 11 years ago, the trio started as an idol group competing against countless others. Over the years, they had their ups and downs struggling to find their own identity until in 2007 their release of the addicting and now iconic "Chocolate Disco" caught the attention of the general public. For those unfamiliar with some of Perfume's songs, I will do my best to include samples throughout the article as they are mentioned.

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In 2008, the group also received their own television show, "Happy!" The show aired over the span of a year and was a hilarious "high-tension girl's variety" show where each member was able to show more of their personalities. 2008 also marked Perfume's first appearance on Japan's most watched and prestigious Kohaku New Year music show. In 2010, Perfume made their first performance outside of Japan in Macau at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA). This proved to be a significant turning point for Perfume putting them in front of an international audience and the first time I heard about the group. They also took home with them the Best Asian Pop Artist Award. Perfume's rise in global acceptance is partially thanks to electronic dance music's popularity growing out of Europe. At the same time, Korean pop music which featured female groups dancing in high heels and hot pants were beginning to emerge. The timing couldn't be better blending the two genres transforming Perfume from cute school girl idols to electronic dance goddesses in Christian Louboutin heels.

Perfume's performances are a sight to behold. Combining the latest visual effects with giant LEDs, incredible laser, and light shows, the trio truly shine on stage. Before the concert, we walked up and down the line which wrapped around the Hollywood Palladium and spoke with several fans. Surprisingly, there were a large number of fans who flew in from Japan who waited in line as early as 3AM.

Upon entering the lobby, merchandising could be purchased from the left including T-shirts and exclusive member only items such as photobooks. We also couldn't help but noticed the gorgeous flower bouquet, oiwai no hana (お祝いの花), congratulating Perfume on their first performance in the USA...

As the room filled, I was surprised at how many were present. Initially the show was not sold out, but the sheer number of at the door attendees grew. Max capacity for the venue is listed as 4,000 people but it certainly felt more than that as every level of the venue was packed with people shoulder to shoulder all the way to the back. Even before the show started, the crowd was absolutely pumped and ready to go with clapping and synchronized chants.

Turning my eyes toward the stage, was decorated with stacked cubes that changed colors on the floor and hanging from the ceiling. 

Although we were told at the start of the concert that there would be no video or photography allowed, I couldn't help but notice the sea of lit up screens around the hall, many which are already up on Youtube. The screen dropped and a deafening cheer from the audience as Perfume starts their show with "Spring of Life." 

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Perfume 4th Tour in DOME 「LEVEL3」"Spring of Life" performance

Next was one of their most recent songs, the hypnotizing "Cling Cling."

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Part way through the performance was the MC portion. This was an absolutely adorable moment as Achan was speaking openly as if she was talking to a friend over the phone. Since the girls knew a limited amount of English, they asked the audience who could translate for them. Surprisingly, they handed the mic to our very own resident The-O Network host and translator Alysa McWilliams.

To start, Noochi said she was extremely surprised to see so many people at their performance and Kashiyuka mentioned she really likes the smoothie chain Jamba Juice. Seeing all the fans in LA was unbelievable for Achan, almost like a dream. Achan continued with a hilarious discussion on her bewilderment of the difference between American and Japanese showers with the latter generally having detachable shower head handles. To the delight of the audience, she then began to cutely mimic the sound when you detach a shower head. She wondered if it was difficult to use and started to mime attempting to shower, confused on how to position herself properly to rinse off to the amusement of the audience. She also wanted to take a bath but American bathtubs were so shallow compared to the ones in Japan. Achan noted they were staying at the same hotel they were at previously for the premiere for Cars 2. She also thought it was very cold in LA. Achan really wanted to eat a real American cheeseburger when they arrived, In-N-Out specifically, and it was really delicious. Next time she goes she wants to wait in line at the drive through. The topic of cheeseburger ended up into a spur of the moment into a chant for the audience to shout "CHEESE! BURGER!" 

I think one of the highlights of the show for me was the bass heavy "Party Maker" and "GAME" both with go-go style influenced dancing. The bass was turned up so high, even from the second floor I could feel the vibrations. As part of the encore set, the final song played was "MY COLOR" where the entire audience was involved waving their hands, and counting down with the girls. Having been to a fair share of Japanese concerts locally and overseas, one of the most striking thing to me was the lack of glow sticks in the audience. This might be partially explained by the fact that most of Perfume's performances involve a lot of interactive hand motions for the audience making glow sticks unnecessary and allowing everyone to participate. 

My only complaints were the echoes in the venue that occasionally made the girls sound like chipmunks. While a couple of the songs were subtitled on screen, it would have been nice if they were all subtitled. My biggest disappointment was the omission of the dress pattern projections during their performance which has been so iconic on their more recent performances. I also wished their management was more receptive to media attention. Unfortunately, their popularity and status as idols does lead to strict controls over their talent's image and what would profit the most.

At the very end, Achan left with some parting words, although people from all around the world may speak different languages or have different culture, “Same music, same passion.” After two hours of nonstop head thumping music, it was definitely an unforgettable performance and I look forward to the next time seeing them again. 

Overall, most of the fan favorites were played that night. Most of the slower songs were omitted opting for the more high energy dance music. You can check out the full set list provided by management below:

1. Enter the Sphere
2. Spring of Life
3. Cling Cling
4. One Room Disco
5. Nee
6. SEVENTH HEAVEN
7. Hold Your Hand
8. Spending all my time (DV&LM remix)
9. GAME
10. Dream Fighter
11. Party Maker
12. GLITTER
13. Chocolate Disco
14. Polyrhythm

Encore　
1. FAKE IT
2. MY COLOR

Note: Set list from each performance varied slightly from each venue and list above appears to may have been from the New York performance.

Previously released on the PC by JAST USA, the game follows the story of Okabe Rintaro and his friends, who discover a way to send text messages back into the past using microwave technology. They continue to experiment until chaos erupts sending them on a never-ending downward spiral as they learn the consequences of their actions.

Although details, including a North American distributor and whether or not it will have a physical release are still scarce, PQube has been stated as being a fan of retail releases and that they will do their best to have the game available on both formats for fans worldwide.

For more information, please visit the official Steins;Gate community page on Facebook.

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I got invited to the premiere which was in downtown LA on December 13, 2014 which was the first place outside of Japan to air the movie, Expelled from Paradise. People who attended the premiere received an exclusive movie poster, featuring the main characters Angela and Dingo, with their tickets. The doors opened at noon and the movie began at 1:00PM. However, before the screening they announced that the producer, Mr. Koichi Noguchi, was in attendance and had flown all the way from Japan to attend the premiere as a guest. He personally wanted to see how the film would be received outside of Japan by an American audience. The audience welcomed him with a warm round of applause. After his speech to the audience, the film began with a short recorded message from the movie director Mr Seiji Mizushima.

The film itself takes a leap into the future where humans have “evolved” into a data driven race, living in a server world where the amount of storage space you have is what pronounces individuality and status. In this future, there are two sides: one that lives on the earth surface and the other a server orbiting around the planet. On the surface there are humans, trying to live in this desolate world along within a few cities while on other digital side humans live in a digital state where they don’t have a physical body, but instead have storage space.

The story revolves around Angela coming from the server world and Dingo a surface dwelling guide searching for an individual named Frontier Setter. I won’t say anymore since I don’t want to spoil anything but the film attempts to address the age old questions “is the grass always greener on the other side?” and “can we replace human interaction with artificial interaction?” Thematically, the main emphasis of the movie is about how far we are moving from the real world into the cyber world. Since the internet was made we have moved from shopping in physical store to shopping online and meeting up with friends in real life to meeting up on Skype. So can this actual replace human interaction? Will grabbing a cup of coffee and catching up in real life be replaced by logging in online and check status updates?

While watching the movie some of the challenges that the protagonist faced reminded me of Saya no Uta and Fate/Zero, which were both written by Gen Urobochi. The question Angele faced when she was confronted with the decision to continue her life as she knew it or risk it all for someone she knows or something she believes is worth losing it all for. To me, I would describe the movie as a cross between Matrix, Elysium, a bit of WALL-E and some mecha battle scenes.

 Overall the film was enjoyable and the new 3D CGI was well implemented it. I thought I would see the CGI as in most action movies and say “why” but I didn’t it seemed that they integrated it very well into the movie to the point where I didn’t even remember I was watching a CGI movie. The story was not slow to the point where I would zone out, as it kept me interested throughout. There were parts in which I did stop and giggle at the low blows they took such as some camera angle shots where the camera focused on some attributes of the female protagonist and reason for her age; I will just leave it at that. If you enjoyed movies such as Avatar, Matrix, WALL-E and the setting of Cowboy Bebop and the Gundam series then this is a film you will enjoy.

Pros:

- Great use of the CGI cell look
- Great production team (director, producer, writer)
- Character quality over quantity
- Easy-to-follow thought-provoking storyline

Cons:

- Surprisingly light for a Gen Urobochi story
- Story relies on too many cliches and is predictable at times

There is a simple dream many Japanese would like to achieve in their lifetime, attend Kouhaku in person. Kouhaku is an annual music show that airs on television every New Years Eve at night with performances by some of the most popular and famous artists that year. Kouhaku is known to connect families. In a typical Japanese household, everyone sits in their kotatsu, eating their "toshikoshi" (year ending) soba while watching Kouhaku. By the time the show ends, there is roughly 15 minutes before the new year. You start hearing bells ringing at the nearby shrines at 12 midnight and everyone is praying their New Year goals before heading to sleep. It is simple to say that Kouhaku is deeply embedded into the Japanese New Year tradition.

Unfortunately, it is not easy to attend this event. You must first randomly be selected to attend. Each year NHK receives more than billions of postcard entries. The NHK Hall only fits roughly 3,400 people. The probability of getting chosen is minuscule. There is a saying that it is a miracle if you get chosen. This Kouhaku dream was also mine and my mother's. We send at least five postcards every year to attend, but we have never been lucky. That is why when I arrived in front of the NHK Hall, it was like a dream come true.

On January 29th, 2013, all the reporters and photographers were led inside and given a schedule for that day. The schedule consisted the times the artists were rehearsing and if we could photos of them or not. For the first time in my life, I walked inside the NHK Hall to see the ginormous glittering stage. Countless staff were running up and down the aisles talking into their microphones to get the right directions for each of the performances. Each artist rehearsed for about five to ten minutes on stage, checking their earpieces, sound levels, and audio. After each artist finished, they would walk off stage and head to the red carpet outside of the hall. Once on the red carpet, they took about three minutes to get their photos taken and about ten minutes for a group interview.

Arashi and Haruka Ayase appeared around noon on the red carpet as this year's host for the show. This is Arashi's fourth time as a presenter and Haruka Ayase's first. Arashi is a five member boy idol group from Johnny's Entertainment who is quite infamous for imposing strict photo guidelines for their artists. There is never a day that you will not see Arashi since they are everywhere in Japan, from televisions shows to advertisements on billboards and posters in subway stations. Haruka Ayase is an actress and her recent work includes NHK's history drama, Yae no Sakura.

For the rehearsal itself on the first day, we were able to see Nana Mizuki and TM Revolution perform together who are both well known for their music featured in anime series. With all the different artists rehearsing, the first and second day were roughly around 8 to 11 hours long.

The next day, on the 30th, was dress rehearsals for the artists performing in the second half of the show. Since this was dress rehearsals, the artists looked as if it was already the show. The first to rehearse was EXILE. This year's Kouhaku was very special both the artist as well as their fans because this was going to be the last performance by their group leader, HIRO. Earlier this year HIRO had announced his withdrawal from the group and Kouhaku was going to be his last performance. Their outfits were very unique this year. The base was a black suit, but it was embedded with LED lights that flickered white and red with the rhythm of the song.

Around noon, SMAP came around to have their special red carpet time since they were not able to make it the day before. They gave us about five minutes to take their photographs as well as fifteen minutes to get their interviews taken. As a fan since I was three years old, another dream was accomplished to see them in front of me in person.

AKB48 also made their appearance this year singing "Koisuru Fortune Cookie" in one outfit and quickly took off their tops to reveal a different outfit which they sang in for "Heavy Rotation." Notable this year was also the backup performances from their sister groups NMB48 and SKE48 who lined the aisles. Both groups also had their own respective performances.

Even if it was just rehearsals, Arashi's performance was just too amazing for me. This year they sang the songs "Endless Game" (theme song for Sho Sakurai's drama Kazoku Game) and "Breathless" (theme song for Kazunari Ninomiya's movie Platinum Data).Their Endless Game performance was a collaboration with new computer graphic techniques projected on a clear screen and it was if the green shards were wrapping around the members. After the song ended, the screen turned black and a graphic show started, it was very colorful and very entertaining then a crashing noise and there was Arashi on the top stage and their outfits had changed from red to white. The stage moved forward and Arashi came towards the front middle stage. A collaboration of analog stage moving techniques as well as new computer graphic skills was just eye opening for me.

The last day of rehearsals on the 31st were very short compared to the last two days, but it was very understandable since it was the actual day of the show as well. The rehearsals consisted of the artists that were scheduled to perform for the first half of the show.

E-girls and miwa were there to rehearse that morning. Since it was their first time performing at Kouhaku they all looked very nervous. Their facial expressions were very stiff compared to the sound check rehearsals that occurred just a couple days ago. The tension from their faces could tell you the pressure that they might be feeling once on stage.

That night at 7:15pm, I was sitting in the kotatsu eating my toshikoshi soba with my grandparents when the real live Kouhaku started. This year Kouhaku is celebrating their 64th show. The presenters Arashi and Haruka Ayase stood next to the computer graphics that lighted up the walls of the NHK Hall. They each explained that their were 25 artists on the Red Team and 26 artists on the White Team, totaling 51 groups that would be performing that night. The guest judges for this year were: Masahiro Tanaka (pro baseball player), Crystal Takigawa (free announcer/reporter), Kankurou Kudo (movie director, actor, screenwriter), Yoshiko Miyamoto (actress), Ryoutarou Sugi (actor, singer), Jun Fubuki (actress), Junichi Okada (singer, actor, V6 member), An (actress, fashion model), Ainosuke Kataoka (Kabuki actor), and Sawako Agawa (author, essayist).

The first performance for the Red Team was Ayumi Hamasaki with her song "Inspire." She and her back dancers were all dressed in gold, the theme looked as if it was a little Egyptian. The first performance White Team was Sexy Zone with their medley titled "Sexy Heiwa Zone Kumi Kyoku." Their performance was designed to look as if it was magic show. They would change their outfits for each song performance and their back dancers consisted of 100 Johnny's Juniors.

There were also performances that were not in the NHK Hall, but in different locations as well. Masaharu Fukuyama performed his songs overseas. He was in Taiwan having his Countdown Live Concert when they connected the airings. Dreams Come True were also not at the NHK hall, but were at Rikuzentakata having their free concert for those who lost their homes during the 2011 tsunami. Their performance consisted of high school students from that area singing their chorus in the background. Seiko Matsuda and Chris Hart were also at their Countdown concert when NHK broadcast them during their performance.

I also noticed the facial expressions that the artists had during rehearsals had changed once they were on television. I could see the lightened up faces of E-girls and miwa when they performed their songs. No more of the tension in their eyes, but you could tell that they were actually enjoying themselves.

AKB48's performance was something that many could not miss as well. I was actually surprised to see that AKB48 were not in their outfits that they were wearing during their dress rehearsals. This also was the same for their sister groups SKE48 and NMB48. They all looked adorable in their outfits, but it surprised me that they did not use the same ones. But this was not the surprising news that occurred. Yuko Oshima, has been center for AKB48 in senbatsu before, announced that she would be leaving AKB48 in 2014. Many gasped in the hall, as well as I. I actually dropped my chopsticks because I was in so much shock.

The last performance of the show was Saburo Kitajima with his hit song "Matsuri." Saburo Kitajima had announced that this year's Kouhaku was going to be his last since it was his 50th time performing. His stage was the most dynamic out of all the performances. Saburo Kitajima came in a very gorgeous stage with himself sitting on top of a white dragon's head. The dragon was in the middle of the stage when it started to move toward the front of the stage. Once the body of the stage was in the front, the neck started to stretch out toward the guest judges. I was actually very scared that he was going to fall off or something since during the rehearsals there were a few technical hiccups of getting him off the head, but he safely got off and finished his song.

After Saburo Kitajima's performance, it was time to announce the winning team. This year they brought back the ball system as well as utilized new technology allowing viewers to vote over their smart phones. The score was 235,669 to 431,783. The winning team was for the White Team! This was their 35th win.

It may be because I was able to follow Kouhaku for three days straight, but I feel as if this Kouhaku was very special and related to me. A memory I will never forget.

Please make sure to check out all our photos with the amazing performers including Dan Mitsu, SKE48, NMB48, Kyary Kyary Pamyu, Porno Graffitti, and more in our gallery by clicking on any of the images below.

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T-ONO: First off, thank you for coming to the United States to premiere your new movie, Expelled from Paradise. Please tell us a little about yourself, your past experience and your involvement in the film.

Koichi: I was working in the States back in 1995 for Boss Films (Air Force One, Multiplicity) I worked in their VFX (visual effects) department. I had previously worked on five projects as a VFX artist in the States before moving back to Japan five years ago. I had been working in visual effects in Japan, before I switched to being a producer.

T-ONO: This is Gen Urobuchi's first film to be produced in 3D, did you work directly alongside him and if so, how was it working with him?

Koichi: First, there aren't many CG projects in Japan. In the beginning when we first spoke to Gen Urobuchi about this project, we discussed about not having many characters or too many scenes. We decided that we wanted to make something with a strong message and that was how we started the project for Expelled from Paradise.

T-ONO: Unlike America, the anime industry has been a bit slow to adapt 3D CG as a way to produce films with the exception of a few films and series here and there. What are your thoughts on the state of animation in Japan?

Koichi: There has been more and more 3D CG animation Arpeggio of Blue Steel, Cyborg 009 and now Expelled from Paradise. Now that there has been more and more 3D CG animation in Japan, I hope that this project will serve as a catalyst for more Japanese 3D CG animation to come out.

T-ONO: Do you think there will be a time when 3D becomes commonplace?

Koichi: Personally I would love for that to happen I started working in the 3D industry so I am not familiar with the 2D as much as I am in the 3D CG industry due to my background. While I do hope CG becomes commonplace in Japan someday, it would be difficult as fans really love to see hand drawn animation. However, it still doesn't affect my dream of making even greater 3DCG animation.

T-ONO: Are there any current or future projects that you're working on that you can share with us?

Koichi: While I would love to talk about it, just know that I am working on other 3D projects. I get a lot of fan request telling me that I should do a sequel to Expelled from Paradise.

T-ONO: What kind of message, if any, are you hoping fans take away from the film?

Koichi: At the beginning of this project we were thinking about the question, where is humanity going from here? Since society has moved on from analog to digital and the internet has become a big portion of society. Going from there and looking at the world in the future, we asked ourselves how would the future change that it keeps evolving with the boom of the Digital Age.

So I asked Gen Urobuchi what do you think would happen and what do you think the future holds for humanity? He said that in the future since we're becoming mostly digitalized, paper money would not be worth anything. What will be important is memory alongside how much memory you will be able to obtain. He thought that storage would eventually take over as the new currency. Also one more point we wanted to make is: what is humanity worth in the new Digital Age if physical existence is not necessary? Do we need a physical body?

T-ONO: How are you hoping the crowd receives your film?

Koichi: I hope fans will receive it as Japanese fans did, they received it very positively. In Japan the film in the Yahoo! chart it received a 4.2 out of 5.0 so it was highly received. I hope something similar will happen here in the states.

The museum was pretty big with plenty of people lining up to go inside. My ticket was for the noon group so I arrived around 30 minutes before the tour and there were already about twenty people in line. Around 11:55AM there were almost hundred people in line to get in.

Once we were led into the building, we were told the rules of the exhibit: you can take photos, but flash photography was not allowed. We were then led into a small room where there was a large theater-sized screen with rubble on the floor. There was a soldier that told us to be very quiet and to squeeze into the room. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed in this room.

After the doors were shut behind us, the movie started. Cold wind blew into our faces and large footsteps could be heard all around us. The movie displayed curtains as if we were hiding in a building. The solider explained to us the details: we were all hiding inside of a building and on the other side of the curtains, were Titans awaiting for us to peek out. All of a sudden, the rocks and rubble started to shake under our feet and the curtains were removed where we faced many Titans crawling around a village. Then one of the Titans faced us and noticed us. It was the Titan that devoured Eren’s mother. The soldier said she was going to stop the Titan while we ran for our lives. The solider went behind the screen, at the same time, she turned into an anime character and entered the screen, screaming for dear life. She had been captured and was eaten to death.

The movie ended and we were led out of the exit door. Once we were led out the door, photos were permitted and we were allowed to go at our own pace to deeply examine the artwork. There was a history of the manga artist himself, Hajime Isayama. His exhibit featured artwork from his childhood along with what inspired him to create the world of Attack on Titan, his biggest seller.

Some of the displays were linked with lights so we could experience the manga coming to life. There were also visuals that made you feel like you were flying with the characters on the 3D Maneuver Gear.

Another section of the exhibit featured items that were in the manga. Mikasa’s scarf, Eren's secret key, Levi’s blade and even Sasha’s potatoes. They were all laid out on a table where museum-goers were able to touch and feel the items.

After this immersion that made you feel as though you were a part of the team, people encountered a giant life-size Titan model. This model was laid out so you could experience how big he was and how frightening it would be if he came from atop a wall. Lights flashed and rocks moved to give the figure a more realistic look.

Once you defeated the giant Titan, you were brought into a room filled with art that looked a little bit different. These framed arts were drawn by other manga artists that collaborated with the Titan crew. My personal favorite was the art drawn by Kenichi Tachibana, the artist who drew Terra Formars, another one of my favorite mangas. There were also others drawn by artists like Hiroki Endo and Kiyohiko Azuma.

Once you were finished with the exhibit, it was time to buy souvenirs! There was a variety from apparel to foods and mascots. Many were sold out, but I was able to order myself a specialty book of the museum that is to arrive approximately in March and some yummy goodies for myself. A full list of the goods are here: http://www.movic.jp/info/kyojintengoods/.

Although this might be a bit of old news, but it was previously announced that there will be a live-action Attack on Titan movie. There were many posters, some signed by the actors themselves, posted next to the goods registers. There was also an anime movie poster that was on display with all the voice actors' autographs as well.

Last, but not least, the exhibit did not forget anything. It got every detail down all the way to the restrooms which had characters on the restroom signs. While I was not courageous enough to go find the mens’ restroom, I took a couple shots of the ladies.

It was a very exciting experience and I would like to go back again. For people interested in immersing themselves within the world of Attack on Titan, there is an additional exhibit where you can purchase 3D goggles and experience the terror of running for your life from the Titans. The exhibit will still be running until January 25. Make sure to check out the rest of the photos below!

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Make sure to jump to the 4 minute 22 second mark for the Gold Saucer.
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Developed by Japanese game developer French Bread (Melty Blood series) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the magazine, the game plays similar to other fighting games with characters having access to weak, medium and strong attacks as well as special moves that range in distance, power and speed. Support characters each have two moves that players can chain combos with or use as a defensive strike.

Featuring an original story campaign where characters are summoned to overthrow the evil Zetsumu, appearances from Valkyria Chronicles' Selvaria Bles and Virtua Fighter's Akira Yuki and 60 character vignettes in "Dream Duel" mode, the game looks to capitalize on fanservice for fans of anime and manga.

The game will be available physically and digitally in North America, while Europe will get a digital-only release.

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May 15, 2015
Anime Central-Chicago, Illinois
http://www.acen.org/content/scandal-anime-central-concert-information

May 20, 2015
Wednesday@ 8PM
El Plaza Condesa-Mexico City
http://www.ticketmaster.com.mx
http://www.elplaza.mx/evento/scandal

May 22, 2015
Friday @ 7:30PM
House of Blues- Los Angeles, California
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Scandal-tickets/artist/949557
http://www.hob.com/losangeles

May 23, 2015
Saturday @ 7PM
House of Blues- Anaheim, California
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Scandal-tickets/artist/949557
http://www.hob.com/anaheim

SCANDAL WORLD TOUR 2015 "HELLO WORLD"　official website
http://www.sonymusic.co.jp/Music/Info/scandal/worldtour2015/

[About SCANDAL]

SCANDAL was formed in August, 2006 with four high school girls who went to the same vocal & dance school in Osaka, Japan. They started performing as SCANDAL with aggressive sounds with pop characters.
In March 2008, they were invited to the Japanese culture convention Sakura-Con in Seattle, and they went around six cities in the U.S to see over 7,000 fans of them. In July 2008, they generated 10,000 people to Japan Expo in France and 8,000 to Anime Comic Fes in Hong Kong in August.

In October 2008, they released "DOLL" as their debut single. "DOLL" was rewarded for Power Play from over 40 FM/AM/CS radio stations in Japan.

In June 2009, they released their 3rd single "Shoujo S", and it was ranked 6th in the first week on Oricon chart, and 5th on Reco-choku Chakuuta Full (Full digital download provider) weekly chart.
On October 21st, they released their first album "BEST★SCANDAL" and ranked 5th on Oricon chart in their first week of the release. For the girls band's album to be awarded within 5th in their first week of the release was the first time in 7 years and a half.

In 2009, they were rewarded for New Face Award from Japan Record Award. - New Artist Their 7th single "Shunkan Sentimental" a tie-in song with the smash-hit animation series "FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST", has again scored high on the charts. #7 on ORICON and #4 on the Reco-choku full (full track download) chart.

They released their 2nd album "TEMPTATION BOX" in August 2010, and this was awarded 3rd place on Oricon daily chart. In October, "Scandal nanka Buttobase" was released, and awarded 3rd place on Oricon weekly chart, the highest ranking on Oricon weekly in their history ever.

In April 2011, single "HARUKA" was released and it also ranked #3. In August 2011, their 3rd original album "BABY ACTION" was released, followed by "VIDEO ACTION", 1st video clip collection DVD.
They also went on Asia tour, first tour outside Japan, and gathered 2,500 audiences from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. In March 28 2012, SCANDAL held the concert in Nippon Budokan, one of the high status venues in Japan.
They have recently announced their SCANDAL WORLD TOUR 2015 "HELLO WORLD" for next year and will be performing in 5 countries including U.S., U.K, France, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Official website
http://www.scandal-4.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/scandalofficial
Twitter
https://twitter.com/scandal_band
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/user/scandalSMEJ
Blog (Japanese only)
http://ameblo.jp/scandalblog-4/

From the outset, once we arrived at the Mesa convention center, the first thing we did was compare Taiyou Con against some of the more established small cons from California such as Sac-anime and Japan Expo USA. Where as these cons have had several years to learn from their mistakes, including keeping their attendees notified of updates and of autograph times, Taiyou Con's lack of experience showed. Speaking to other fans, and from our own experience, there was some confusion between the fans and staff on where to line up, where to get autographs, etc.

Having worked our own share of conventions as staffers however, we know that it takes time for even large conventions like Anime Expo to work out these kinks, and given that this was Taiyou Con's first time having a significant attendance at a new location the problems were understandable. However, to keep comparing them with long-time running conventions is to do the hard-working staff a major disservice so let's shift focus to what made them very impressive for a relatively unknown convention.

First, the staff was quite receptive to responding towards both the needs of the convention goers and the media while at the convention. Although there were times when some of the staffers were confused as to handle the media, they were always willing to answer our questions and get back to us in a timely manner. After having worked with several conventions over the years, you tend to appreciate receiving answers quickly versus not getting any at all.

Second, while the Persona concert started an hour late, nothing was cut from it to make room for the masquerade in their main hall. Everyone, from the opening act, Mega Ran, to the Persona concert, featuring Lotus Juice, Shihoko Hirata and Yumi Kawamura had a chance to own the spotlight, much to the delight of the dedicated fans that were in attendance. No matter where you looked, all of the fans, including some who traveled from South America, were rocking down alongside the performers with their con-provided glowsticks as they were graced with songs including, "Mass Destruction" and "Reach out to the Truth."

Probably the only thing missing from the Persona concert was of course, Shoji Meguro and the rest of the Persona Live band. When we take into consideration that he and his musical team are probably hard at work on Persona 5, the absence is definitely understandable. Still, with the help of the karaoke tracks that Lotus Juice was able to provide via his laptop, you could say that the rest of the Persona Live band were there in spirit at Taiyou Con.

{youtube}GsJj1R6zQH8?list=UUsXHeq0YcOjw19qTM3AQSzw{/youtube}

As with most performances, including Lotus Juice's solo one on Sunday, there were two different tiers of attendees: VIP and general. The VIP attendees paid $50.00, but received the nice perk of going in first to grab their standing room. The VIP session also came with a private meet-and-greet with the musical guests where attendees could interact and take photos with the guests in an extended session. The only problem? It wasn't particularly well advertised, so some of the attendees who purchased VIP tickets weren't able to take advantage of it. We ourselves only became aware of it after Jason had a nice bout of insomnia and was browsing the guidebook the night before at 3 am.

Though the con itself was modest in comparison to many of the larger cons, from the viewing rooms to the panels and even the dealers' hall, Taiyou Con attendees were in good spirits during all three days, including ourselves. Sometimes when attending larger cons, you tend to close yourself off from talking with others but there's something great about the intimacy of smaller cons where being able to converse freely with others is much easier. Oftentimes, attending smaller conventions are a good reminder of how bigger is not always better, particularly if you are attending your first convention or are easily overwhelmed by crowds.

When all was said and done though, we couldn't help but walk away from Taiyou Con with a smile and that we had just experienced something awesome as Persona fans. Even if another larger Persona event ever occurs in the States, we know that we had a chance to attend the very first one in the United States thanks to the staff at Taiyou Con.

T-ONO: First of all, thank you for coming to San Francisco. Is this your first time here?

P19: Thank you very much! Yes, this is my first time in the United States! There are a lot of places that I would like to visit like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon but that will be hard since we'll only be here for a few extra days. We'll see what happens!

T-ONO: Could you tell us a little bit about your appearance at Anime on Display (AOD)?

P19: I personally haven't had a whole lot experience at any anime-related overseas events, but when I came here I realized that it has a very similar feel to other similar events in Japan. Seeing everyone here together and enjoying themselves really leaves me with a happy feeling.

T-ONO: In a related question, now that you've had a chance to meet some of your fans at your panel and autograph session, how would you say the fans here compare to the ones in Japan at say Comiket?

P19: To be honest, I think there are a lot of similarities between fans in the United States and fans in Japan, as they have a very pure interest in the otaku culture. This makes me very happy. During the panel, one of my fans gave me a gift which made me excited. It was sort of like, "oh it's the same way that Japanese fans do it!" 

T-ONO: What was your reaction seeing your artwork for the first time everywhere on banners, pamphlets, posters, etc. at AOD?

P19: After I first received the art request from AOD to create their mascot, I was kind of unsure how to go about doing it. However, I was really excited to come. When I first came to the convention, I noticed the huge tapestry hanging outside in the foyer and this made me really happy. Seeing people walking around with the badges, pamphlets, etc. made me really excited and I came away thinking that this was something they would treasure as a one-of-a-kind item. It made me really excited, to me, that is one of the best thing that could happen to an artist.

T-ONO: The mascot character is a really cute, moe-style character. What was your source of inspiration behind your decision to create her as a nekomimi character?

P19: So normally, I like to draw original animal-style girl characters in my books; like the ones that you'll see in my book Select 3. A lot of them will often have fox-ears or cat ears. So I thought that I could what I normally do and blend that together with the theme of something/someone coming to San Francisco for the first time. Hence the theme with the character carrying a mailbag with the postcards and everything else.

T-ONO: So expanding upon that, how do you decide upon the character's eye colors, hair color, etc. when designing the outfits or designs?

P19: Well mostly just comes from top of my head... I usually just put the stuff I like into the character I am making. When you draw something that you like, you put more time and effort on it right? That's pretty much how I draw my characters. I love white hair with red eyes.

Are you familiar with the Japanese expression "jitome"? They're kind of like expressionless or deadpan eyes. I'm a really big fan of the jitome look. [Proceeds to do a quick doodle as an example shown below]

T-ONO: During the panel, you mentioned that there were some things that you could do only through drawing with pen and paper that you couldn't with digital artwork. Could you elaborate a little bit on that?

P19: I guess that this would be a basic way of explaining things, but with digital artwork you could erase and redo your technique as many time as you want as there's no real penalty to doing so. However with pen and paper, the drawings tend to smear so you have to focus more than you usually would as opposed to digital so it's a bit more of a challenge.

With pen and paper, lines just happen to go together and the outcome sometimes turns out differently than I originally expected. For example, when you combine colors with paint, it comes out differently than you expected so there is this trial and error aspect. This is different compared to digital where you know what to expect in the end.

Another thing, while digital drawings are often sharp and clean with pen and paper you can really see the artist's emotions and effort that they poured into their work even if the artist themselves consider it a failure. As opposed to digital, where you basically get what you see.

T-ONO: Do you often find inspiration from real life? For example, drawing in a café, magazine, etc.

P19: So starting with clothing, a lot of the inspiration comes from interactions within daily life like fashion magazines or stuff that I would like to wear myself. Since it's real people who are looking at my work, I can't go too far from using clothes that would be considered normal. Also following the fashion trend is important too. I try to implement what most people like into the fashion of my drawings.

T-ONO: How about deciding on the animal ears of your characters?

P19: As for the ears, since I live at a place where I can't own a pet, I ask my friends who own rabbits, dogs or cats to send me pictures. I'll look at a picture and then say, "aaaw I feel a lot of warmth from this" and then say that's the one. So I'll draw that and cycle through that. For the mascot character, the inspiration for the ears came from a photo from my friend who owns a lot of cats. I also take inspiration from fans who send me photos.

T-ONO: If you could have a pet, what kind of pet would you like?

P19: Either a cat or a hedgehog!

T-ONO: If you were to draw yourself as one of your characters, what kind of ears would you draw yourself with?

P19: Well, earlier today, I bought some cat ears that I thought were really cute and had been wearing them all morning. So I guess if were to draw myself, then I would draw myself with cat ears!

T-ONO: We know that at the panel you mentioned that you spend a great deal of time working on your art, particularly from 8am to 10pm drawing. However, we noticed on your Twitter that you have a lot of interest in Gunpla and MMOs. How do you find the time to balance the two in your schedule?

P19: Well, I'm often told that I must get more rest given my work schedule so I do try to find time to play games on Steam. However, when work really starts building up sometimes I only play around two hours in a week. So while it does state that I like Gunpla and MMOs, the Gunpla never gets finished and often, I'm left behind really fast in MMOs. They tell me, "well, you can't really play since you're lower level," so I kind of stop playing since I'm holding everyone behind since I'm a casual player.

My friends and I all start at equal levels, but then the minute everyone starts to really level up and get into it, I'm left alone and everyone else keeps going. So while it's unfortunate that I don't have a lot of time to spend with my hobbies, but I'm even more thankful that I have work to keep me busy!

T-ONO: Specifically, what were the last Gunplas that you did not finish?

P19: I only have two that I have not finished, but these are last two from December 2013. A Master Grade Gundam RX-0 and MSN-06S Sinanju Stein. I'm hoping to work on these this year with my little brother so hopefully we'll finish it! Usually, we work together to finish each kit.

T-ONO: Are you currently working on anything that you can share with us?

P19: On February 27th I'm going to have an artbook published by Kadokawa.

T-ONO: Is it an artbook of just your own original artwork or is it in collaboration with another project?

P19: Yes, it is featuring my own original artwork and not related to other projects. There are three new images. Particularly, on the cover there will be a fox-eared girl. I wanted to give thanks to all of the people I've worked with that's given me inspiration, like friends and family. Basically, everyone who's helped make it happen.

The pinup image was sort of created through fan requests and will feature multiple characters with cat ears, rabbit ears and fox ears living together in harmony producing a warm feeling. The last image conveys me feelings of happiness putting all of this together and to give a "glowing smile" sort of feeling. This book is really packed with all of my feelings like that.

T-ONO: So then we're guessing that the theme behind this book is to give thanks to supporters, that sort of thing.

P19: Yep!

T-ONO: Finally, is there anything that you would like to add to the interview?

P19: I hope that fans will continue to love animation and manga and to please always have those feelings!

To purchase or pre-order P19's upcoming Elements artbook, please visit Amazon Japan.

_{All images published with consent from artist and publisher.
Images from Elements are copyrighted: Kadokawa / ASCII Media Works
Special thanks to Sekai Project and Crenter}