Tasha and Doremi made her North American debut at Anime Expo in 2014 as a Guest of Honor and as a Special Guest at the 2014 League of Legends World Championship in Korea. During the convention, Spiral Cats will be cosplaying as characters from Neople's action RPG Dungeon Fighter Online (DFO). DFO is a global game that currently has 500M users and Spiral Cats are huge fans of the title [http://www.dfoneople.com/].

They will be holding autograph sessions and photo opportunities at the Cosplay Photographers booth. Additionally, the cosplay duo will also make a special appearance for their fans at the Anime Expo 25th Event Welcome Ceremony on Day 1 at Main Events Hall B between 5:00-6:30 PM. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear from the pair during the convention!

For all inquiries including media opportunities such as interviews, or promotions during Anime Expo 2016 with Spiral Cats, please send an email.

 Their tentative autograph schedule:

• 7/1 12PM-2PM
• 7/2 10AM-1PM
• 7/3 10AM-1PM
• 7/4 10AM-1PM

Spiral Cats will also make a special appearance for their fans at the Anime Expo 25th Event Welcome Ceremony on Day 1 at Main Events Hall B between 5:00-6:30 PM.

In addition, members of the media and press are invited to meet Spiral Cats and hear about their latest works during their press conference from 5PM to 6PM during the Anime Expo Press Junket.

For all inquiries including media opportunities such as interviews, or promotions during Anime Expo 2016 with Spiral Cats, please send an email.

Aksys Games (Booth #2805)

• Panel: Aksys Games: The State of Anime Gaming
  • ffSunday, July 3, 1:15 – 2:15 PM in Live Programming 3 / 408 AB
• Zero Escape Puzzle Hunt, a free, live-experience puzzle game in collaboration with the third title in the popular series, “Zero Time Dilemma.”

Bandai Namco (Booth #2101 & Entertainment Hall)

Demos: Dragon Ball Z Xenoverse 2, Tekken 7, God Eater 2: Rage Burst, Tales of Berseria, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven, Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization

• Tournaments: Daily in Entertainment Hall (sign up onsite)
  • BANDAI NAMCO will host 4 tournaments each day July 1-3 for One Piece Burning Blood, Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Dragon Ball Xenoverse, and Tekken 7.  The grand prize for each winner is an Xbox One console.  We will award 12 Xbox One consoles.  In addition, there will be games and other prizes awarded to second through fourth places.
• Photo Opportunities: Tekken Dojo, DBZ Spirit Bomb, plus, check out their God Eater display in the South Hall Lobby.
• Panel: Quest Complete! BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment RPG Panel
  • Monday July 4, 2016 1:30 PM- 2:30 PM, (Live Programming 2 / 403 AB)

CAPCOM (Booth #505)

• Demos: Monster Hunter Generations, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney- Spirit of Justice
  • Check out their booth for a Phoenix Wright photo op, and an awesome Monster Hunter demo station
• Panel: Objection! Go Behind the Courtroom of Ace Attorney
  • Saturday, July 2, 9:45 AM- 10:45 AM (Live Programming 2/ 403 AB)

Idea Factory (Booth #808 -809)

• First time participating at AX! They’ll have official merchandise available for purchase:
• Nepu Nepu plushies, NEXT Form T-shirts Iffys Online Store
• Demos: Fairy Fencer F Advent Dark Force, MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death

Inti Creates (Booth # 310 / 311)

Developer of many Mega Man games, plus the upcoming Mighty No. 9, Inti Creates will be participating in AX for the first time this year!

• Demos: Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
• Panel: Creating New Games with a Retro Flair: Keiji Inafune and Inti Creates
  • Sunday, July 3, 4 – 5 PM (Main Events / Hall B)

NIS America (Booth # 2605)

• Panel: NISA Upcoming Releases & Community! (Monday, July 4, 9:45am – 10:45am in LP2)
• Panel: Mizokami & I: Creating the World of Yomawari from Scratch (Friday, July 1, 2:30pm – 3:30pm in LP2/403AB)
• Panel: Defining Doujin and Creating games for the Touhou Universe (Friday, July 1, 8:15pm – 9:15pm in LP3/LACC 408AB)
• Panel: One Man, One Universe: Zun and the creation of the Touhou Universe (Friday, July 1, 9:30pm – 10:30pm in LP3/LACC 408AB)
• Red Moon Day: Saturday, July 2
• Art Show Contest!
• Special Guests: ZUN, Yu Mizokami, JYUNYA, and Yuro Kyoya
• Check out their news page for all the full details.

Square Enix

• Star Ocean Launch Party: Join us as we celebrate Star Ocean’s 20th Anniversary with the developers, character designer Akiman, Voice Actors and special guests!
  • July 2: 5 PM – 9 PM (Lounge 21)
• Panel: Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness – Aligning the Stars
  • July 2: 10:15 AM – 11:15 AM (Petree Hall)
• Star Ocean Fan Gathering
  • July 1:  4 PM – 6 PM (Gilbert Lindsay Plaza / Cosplay Gathering Site # 6 – see map)
• Screening: BROTHERHOOD FINAL FANTASY XV EP 1&2
  • Saturday, July 2 at 1:45 PM (JW Marriott Platinum Ballroom / Video 2)

Additionally, you’ll also be able to find:

• ATLUS (Booth #4001)
• com2us (Booth #220)
• Degica Games (Booth # 4210 / 4211 / 4310 / 4311)
• Extra Life (Entertainment Hall)
• gumi Inc. (Booth #4814)
• Manga Gamer (Booth # 2414 / 2514 / 2515)
• Riot Games Merchandise (Booth #215)
• Voltage (Booth #2009)

Source: Anime Expo 2016

The story of this particular game revolves around three secret ninja factions: The Hanzo National Academy, the Hebijo Clandestine Girls Academy, and the Gessen Girls Academy. Each has their own background for continuing the tradition of being a ninja academy. Each character in each academy has their own reason for being ninjas. In this world, ninjas can be classified as either good or bad, the good ninjas work to help the established government and the bad ninjas work as mercenaries for any company. The ninja academies compete in what they call the Shinobi Battle Royale in which each academy calls out to another in a duel and battle each other until the other group is defeated and they win the right to burn the loser’s academy to the ground. This is the main premise of Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus.

{youtube}vfsHTl9Cxjk{/youtube}

On the PC version, there is the option of using a keyboard or a gamepad. I decided to use the keyboard and see how it would handle. After a few matches, I found myself reaching for my gamepad because I could not stand the keyboard any longer. The keys were spread out and while the keys can be customized, I found it to be too much work. Once I switched to a gamepad, I had a much easier time playing. The game modes available are arcade, story mode or online matches (2v2, 4v4). There is also a store where you can buy, you guessed it, costumes ranging from skimpy outfits to sexy lingerie for the characters along with music tracks and various eye-candy accessories. In the arcade mode, you discover the reason the academy you picked has for being a ninja academy. The story mode however, goes through each individual character’s story and their reasons for becoming a ninja. Even the cut scenes in story mode play more like a visual novel that revolves around the characters.

Now let’s get to the jiggle physics of the game which is why everyone is here for. Compared to other Senran Kagura titles, the sexiness available in this game is rather tame. Yes, the characters lose some clothing as they take damage and there is dialogue about groping various body parts. However, most dialogue with mature content remain relatively tame and sometimes even comical. For example, as a character’s clothes and undergarments begin to disintegrate she is left with band aids, yep you read that right, you get bandages covering the vital parts. So you never see anymore than that you would in an episode of any fan service anime. Once you get over that aspect of the game it plays like a normal beat em’ ups fighting game. As you progress, you unlock more of the story; a good story. Each character has their own story to tell and you do get invested in the characters not due to their lack of clothes but because of their strong and captivating back-story. That, and having five characters per academy to play as, and having them crossover to other characters from other academies will make you want to jump from academy to academy to find out more of their story. Also just so you know that there are more than fifteen characters, but don't tell anyone or the shinobi girls will come after me.

In terms of game play, I found it a bit confusing with the character only having one normal attack and one strong attack. The game stated that you need to chain the attacks to make combos. This lead me to look at the movement chart, and after implementing it, I felt as if I was just button smashing until I won. Since the game revolves around being able to recover after an attack, I tried to play it like any other fighting game by blocking, but it was just easier to dodge incoming attacks. With this, I found a problem with the camera tracking as it doesn't really like to cooperate when evading, and as a result, it leads you into corners or worse, more enemies as you are moving. As with most beat em’ ups, combos are crucial to successful leveling and gameplay. In this game, I found linking combos was almost impossible because most combo actions were level locked, but also, the frequent interruption of a cut scene with your girls’ clothing disintegrating prevented you from doing so. When your opponent changes into their shinobi form you get a cut scene and when she does a shinobi attack (super attack) you get another cut scene. Even if you have the controls down and don't mind the cut scene interruptions, you will notice that the moves get repetitive which becomes boring to say the least. After a while, I felt as if I was just repeating my moves in order to continue the story and unlock the end story of each character. I have mixed feelings about the online multiplayer mode. Since the matches are randomized, you may be paired up with higher level players and that may leave you less than prepared. It would be nice to have different levels of difficulty for the multiplayer mode.

Overall, I found Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus an enjoyable game, not necessarily for the sexiness of the game, but the captivating story and the motivation from learning about each character. The actual combat of the game was lacking because of the repetitiveness, but if action beat em’ ups are your thing, then this game might be right up your alley. The interruption of combos from the cut scenes of the opponents changing between ninja mode, ninja super, or taking damage was distracting along with the camera tracking working against you. The story mode of each character was the best since it had that element of a visual novel which I really enjoyed. Along with the solid story and over 15 characters to choose from, I am sure that once you play it you will look pass the label this series has as a stereotypical fan service game.

Pros: 

-Opening movie plays as an anime opening

-Story mode play as a visual novel

-Each character has their own background story to unlock

-Cute characters with their clothes being taken off due to damage (not fully exposed)

-Up to 20 playable characters 

-Online Multiplayer matches

Cons: 

-Not Keyboard friendly so use a gamepad

-Cut scenes interrupt combo flow

-After a while you feel that you are just button smashing 

-Cute characters with their clothes being taken off due to damage (not fully exposed) 

-Camera tracking needs work

 Aniplex of America Announces AkibaFest™, A New Animation and Technology Festival Taking Place October 15th & 16th In Little Tokyo, Los Angeles

Los Angeles-based publisher of anime hit franchises like Sword Art Online announces 2-day animation and Japanese pop culture festival

Los Angeles, CA -- July 1, 2016

Aniplex of America, a Los Angeles-based publisher of many of today’s most popular anime franchises today announced their plan to bring AkibaFest™ --a new type of anime convention to Southern California-- inspired by the most popular aspects of Akihabara, aka the Japanese pop culture capital of the world. AkibaFest™ will take place on October 15th and 16th in 2016 in the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles.

Fans of anime, manga, games, cosplay, and more can register for updates on the AkibaFest™ website now. The full site will launch in late-July, with updates on performers, activities, participating anime and game publishers, as well as ticket and pricing details. For fans of animation and everything related to Akihabara, AkibaFest™ promises to be the ultimate fan event of the year.

Aniplex of America President, Hideki Goto, said “It’s clear from the passion exhibited by anime fans, cosplayers, manga collectors, tech enthusiasts and gamers that there is still a thirst for new experiences. However, it is only with the support of the fans that we can make AkibaFest a successful event. Only with their enthusiastic participation can we turn Little Tokyo into ‘Little Akiba’ on the weekend of October 15th and 16th.”

John Inada, Aniplex of America’s Director of Business Development said “A lot of events offer different facets of Japanese culture, but there hasn’t been an event that really brings it all together. Our goal for AkibaFest is to fill this void in as authentic manner as possible. We’re going to transform Little Tokyo into the closest thing to ‘Akiba’ as possible. If we can’t bring you to Akihabara, we’re going to bring Akihabara to you.”

AkibaFest™ is a cooperative venture between Aniplex of America, other notable anime and video game publishers, technology partners, and the Little Tokyo business community. Fans will be able to enjoy exclusive film screenings, expert panels and workshops, playable video game demos, technology demos, cosplay contests, themed cafés, exclusive merchandise offers, Japanese food and beverages, and much more.

For more information please visit the ANIPLEX USA website: here

The Regency Ballroom is a favorite of Japanese artists and bands and claims Babymetal, DIR EN GREY, The GazettE, and Kyary herself among those who have graced its stage. West coast fans should make sure to attend this show because it's your only chance to see her on this side of the United States. A few days later on July 25th Kyary will appear at the Playstation Theater in New York City which will be east coast fans' chance. Doors for the San Francisco show are at 6pm with the show at 7pm. If you want to be up close expect to have to get there much earlier than 5pm. Lines for the Regency Ballroom tend to snake down one of the nearby alleys.

The greatest hits album "KPP Best" is also available for purchase and download if you need a bit of a review on Kyary's music. The 24 track album is available on iTunes here and for physical copies from Amazon here.

J-Pop Summit remains one of the greatest values in Japanese entertainment ever since its creation many years ago and has featured names like Eir Aoi, Jam Project, and Tomomi Itano. This year's event will take place on July 23-24 at the Fort Mason Center in San Francisco and features multiple musical acts and appearances as well as art, exhibits, and more. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will be joined by GARNiDELiA, Yanakiku, WORLD ORDER, amongst others. The Ramen Festival also makes its return.

Tickets for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's concert are still available at $40 online from AXS.  You can also purchase them day-of for $50 at the door.

Please visit www.j-pop.com for further information about J-Pop Summit.  Media inquires can made to here.

T-ONO: Can you tell me about your recently announced new work, Project Next?

Kawamori: I can only tell you a little bit about it because we are still at an early stage. I received this proposal from an agent who has made many animated productions worldwide. They approached me with a concept, that led to this project, which we believe can compete not only in Japan, but globally.

T-ONO: What do you think are the differences between the Japanese market and the international markets? What sets this apart from your other works? How will Project Next be geared toward an international market?

Kawamori: The longevity of the Japanese animation industry has allowed it to grown to such a size that there are too many niche markets. This division has made fans very selective about what they will watch. As a result I want to create something than has enough power behind it that it can appeal to a wide audience.

T-ONO: What are your thoughts on the current industry? Things have changed so much, right now there seem to be fewer long serious works and more comedies.

Kawamori: As I started working on this project, there were many occasions to talk about it with inputs from an outside perspective. During these conversations with people outside of Japan, I began to gradually realize that there is a very niche market out there. As a result we (in the industry) have twisted many storylines to further the segmentation of the market. Thus, I have made myself conscious of this while working on this project to create a plot and story that is simple, but still bold enough to appeal to Japanese fans. There is another point I would like to mention, which I hope I can get across. I feel that Japanese fans have over emphasized animation with regards to what they like; for instance when it comes to Japanese fans, they take the ‘perfect base animation’, and deduct points for every little animation mistake. In contrast, fans outside of Japan approach works differently using criteria that adds points, and pays specific attention to things that made them like the animation, such as the composition of certain scenes, the dialogue, and action choreography. Personally I favor the latter method when it comes to making animation, so it is challenging. It is hard to create a perfect work as a group, so it feels better to focus more on the accentuating parts of the animation.

T-ONO: Regarding your current work Macross Delta, how did the project come to be? Were you working on drafts during the end production of Macross Frontier?

Kawamori: While Macross Frontier was in production, I already had an idea to make a singing unit. In terms of the story, I wanted Macross Delta to focus more on the Valkyries. I wanted a departure from a large scale war and bringing it down to squadron based dogfights. Taking some themes from Macross Plus, I wanted to have the singing unit empower the pilots. Even during Macross Plus, I incorporated the eventual integration automated weapon systems and shift in aerial combat from manned aircraft to drones. This is also true currently in our world as well as the Macross universe. So when I created the story, at the current rate the pilot cannot beat the drone. So by utilizing music to amplify their potential, the pilots are much keener, and this synchronization of song and pilot is the crux of my story. Our sponsors requested that Delta reflect the size and scale of the Macross universe, thus I added Windermere as the opposing force.

T-ONO: During your long and storied career which of your productions would you say was the hardest? Which was the most enjoyable? Which would you change knowing what you know now?

Kawamori: Looking back, developing the first Macross (Super Dimensional Fortress Macross) and especially creating the VF-1 Valkyrie was the hardest challenge I had. The Valkyrie development in and of itself took a long time. In terms of the most fun, I am the kind of person who has fun while continually developing something. Any and all “regrets” I may have had during the course of a series production, I try to address that mistake and make it better with the next project I am doing. In a strange way I guess with regards to Macross I would say the production of the series would be like making a YF prototype, while making the movie adaptation akin to making a production model VF. (Editor’s Note: The metaphor is an engineering one where a fighter prototype usually serves as a test bed for new technologies, in this case ideas, and as a proof of concept. A production fighter usually will have more mature technologies, in this case animation, and be more streamlined.)

T-ONO: You have helped launch the music careers of artists such as Maaya Sakamoto, Megumi Nakajima, and Mari Iijima how did you develop an ear for this kind of talent? How do you maintain it?

Kawamori: With regards to music, for myself, I pay attention to what makes me emotional. I aim to find the best harmony between the song, the animation scene, and what kind of emotional impact I want to convey. I always try to anticipate how the emotion in a song synergizes with what is playing on screen.

T-ONO: In the past you started with the solo singer Lynn Minmay in Macross, the rock group Fire Bomber in Macross 7, and Sheryl Nome/Ranka Lee duet in Macross Frontier. Recently with AKB0048 and Macross Delta you included idol groups. Do you consider popular musical trends of the time when creating your new works?

Kawamori: In a Macross series I always want to do something new. I focus on things going on in the real world particularly the changes that are going on. With Macross Plus for instance, I created Sharon Apple, not because of a virtual diva(s) concept, but because at the time artificial intelligence was rapidly evolving. I think it is important to relate my writing to the real world. I like to follow the overall trend of a nascent technology that captures my interest.

T-ONO: What can fans expect in you new series Project Next, in terms of music?

Kawamori: I am still considering different possibilities for this world, and have not yet decided on what to implement in this project. For now, I am going to announce Project Next to the public while keeping an open mind to changes as I continue to work on the series.

T-ONO: Do you have a message for your American fans?

Kawamori: It’s been awhile since I have visited an American convention, and the lively atmosphere and all the fan’s passion for Japanese animation is making me excited. I hope that you all will enjoy Macross Delta, and will be eagerly anticipating the release of the upcoming Project Next!

_{Interviewers: Stanley Fung and Theodore Mak
Transcription: Yusuke Osada}

The lineup of Jam Project, Luna Haruna, Sphere, Minami, Yoko Ishida, Eir Aoi, and TM Revolution reads like a who's who of anisong superstars. At most concerts you might see just one or two (last year's J-Pop Summit in San Francisco had both Eir Aoi and Jam Project) but definitely not eight.

The Microsoft Theater has a maximum capacity of 7,100 and almost all the seats were filled. My seat was back in row CC. The vast majority of close-up seats had been sold either during the presale for premier fans or in the blitz after public sales started. In a compromise I picked an aisle seat so I would at least have an unobstructed view of the stage. That plan did not work as intended as fans were dancing in the aisles and I cannot blame them. It's hard to stay confined to your seat with a show this big.

As part of the pre-show entertainment DJ Kazu manned his turntables and played a variety of anisong remixes. People trickled in slowly as they got their tickets; it took about an hour to get mine from will call and another 15 minutes or so to actually get inside. You may remember me mentioning the sea of LED wands from the Love Live event. Microsoft Theater wasn't even full yet and it was putting that to shame. It did help that Daisuki was selling them at their booth in the exhibit hall but I consider it a plus. People who have never participated in otagei or waved a glow stick at a concert had them in hand.

Jam Project took the stage first. The group is composed of five members: Hironobu Kageyama, Masaaki Endoh, Hiroshi Kitadani, Masami Okui, and Yoshiyuki Fukuyama. Each member is fully capable of singing on his or her own and they each sang a song before exiting the stage and calling on the next member of Jam Project. This format is not new (having witnessed it before at J-Pop Summit) but what followed is: they didn't come out to do their group songs. I was a little confused at this point but all would be made clear later.

A short video played announcing the next singer: Eir Aoi. Eir's been very busy in America. She played at 2014's Anime Expo as part of Kill la Kill, 2015 at J-Pop Summit in San Francisco, earlier in 2016 in New York, and now returned to Los Angeles for Japan Super Live. It was a given she would sing Kill la Kill's "Sirius." "INNOCENCE" from Sword Art Online, and "Ignite" from Sword Art Online II were included too.

The roulette's next result was Luna Haruna. She's been a huge fan of anime and manga ever since she was young and now she's on the stage with some of the same stars she grew up listening to. Following Eir in the Sword Art Online theme was Luna's song "Overfly" which was used as the second ending theme. Most recently Luna sang the ending for High School Fleet titled "Ripple Effect" and included it as part of her set. She wasn't quite done on stage as Eir Aoi came back out on stage and the two sang a cover of "Melissa" from Full Metal Alchemist.

Veterans Minami Kuribayashi and Yoko Ishida would follow the two relative newcomers. Between the two of them they have more than four decades of experience. The two have sang theme songs for anime series like My-HiME, Strike Witches, Infinite Stratos, Fairy Tail, and Shirobako among others. For me the highlight of the show was their duet singing "God Knows" from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. It may have been nine years since I first heard it but I'm as blown away by it now as I was then. The guitar opening was replaced by an electronic synth version and once people realized what was going on the theater damn well exploded. I've listened to this song quite a bit as sung by Aya Hirano. Hearing it live with Yoko and Minami was transcendent.

Thinking of it, this show is one big nostalgiafest. Not that I'm complaining.

One person that a lot of people were looking forward to is Takanori Nishikawa, better known as T.M. Revolution. He hasn't put on a show in America since PMX 2004 more than a decade ago. Some of my friends were there but I hadn't even gone to a convention yet (my first was San Diego Comic-Con in 2005) at that point so seeing him live is new to me too. I best know him for "INVOKE" from Gundam Seed. Others might know him better from Soul Eater's "Resonance." Whatever you know him for, chances are you were on your feet and pumping your fist.

If you were hyped up during TMR's set then Sphere gave you a chance to come back down to earth. The group is composed of four voice actresses: Haruka Tomatsu, Minako Kotobuki, Ayahi Takagaki, and Aki Toyosaki. As voice actresses they all have flexibility when it comes to singing; one might have a more operatic voice and on the other side of the spectrum another sings in what can only be described as an "anime voice." I'll be honest, I don't know too much about them when it comes to music but it was fun to listen to.

As Sphere's set ended the clock struck 10PM. The entire show was billed as four hours from 7PM to 11PM. "What could take up the last hour?" wondered me and my friends. Perhaps more duets and collaborations like other festivals have? I'd be open to that. The answer was quite simple, actually: Jam Project, this time as a group. Their most recent work is "The Hero," the opening to One Punch Man. Jam Project has quite the catalogue spanning a couple decades and they brought out some of their best like "Rescue Fire," "Gong," and "Skill." That last one, "Skill," has a chorus that goes like this: "I can fly! You can fly! We can fly!" and everyone was compelled to jump in the air along the group. What a way to end the night.

With Jam Project's set ending that marked the end of the show. Four hours had passed in a flash. All that was left was to call all the participants on stage (which took up the entire breadth of the stage, mind you) for final calls and bows. Each person was asked to give a message to the crowd and the crowd responded with cheers and applause. It was hard to believe that this was only day two of Anime Expo.

It's going to be really hard to top this year. I said it once and I'll say it again: Love Live concert.

_{Photos provided courtesy of Anime Expo.}

 J-POP SUMMIT 2016 will take NEXT Saturday and Sunday, July 23^rd and 24^th at the historic Fort Mason Center located in San Francisco’s Marina district. Highlights of this year’s programming include

SOU•SOU- modern Japanese style clothing brand

6%DOKIDOKI- vivid kawaii brand

Sebastian Masuda- Guest of Honor and fashion visionary and 6%DOKIDOKI founder

UNA - pop star and fashion model, for a special live performance.

Details are available at: www.j-pop.com/fashion-line-up.

 J-POP SUMMIT is also proud to welcome AOI Clothing, a contemporary brand creating apparel founded on the concept of Euro-Asian design.

There also will be a dynamic live MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Stage and a collaborative display and pop-up boutique – “Harajuku Chaos”– that will showcase a further array of popular fashion brands.

J-POP SUMMIT TO SHOWCASE COLORFUL JAPANESE FASHION TRENDS AND EDGY APPAREL BRANDS AT THIS MONTH’S EXPLOSION OF POP CULTURE

The San Francisco Bay Area’s Premiere Japanese Pop Culture Event Celebrates “Harajuku” And “Kawaii” Fashion with Guests of Honor and Unique Opportunities to Purchase Products from A Dynamic Array of Fashion Brands

San Francisco, CA, July 15, 2016 – J-POP SUMMIT 2016, one of the world’s biggest Japanese pop culture events, announces a dynamic showcase of inspired Japanese fashion at this year’s festival.

J-POP SUMMIT 2016 will take place Saturday and Sunday, July 23^rd and 24^th at the historic Fort Mason Center located in San Francisco’s Marina district.

This year, the J-POP SUMMIT gathers a colorful vanguard of edgy and unique Japanese fashion labels and purveyors. Highlights of this year’s programming include workshops, exhibits, apparel items and accessories available for purchase from modern Japanese style clothing brand, SOU•SOU, along with a variety of other handpicked items and brands from Japan including the vivid kawaii brand, 6%DOKIDOKI located at the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Area. Details are available at: www.j-pop.com/fashion-line-up.

The Festival also will celebrate the return of Guest of Honor and fashion visionary, Sebastian Masuda, art director and an extremely influential artist for Harajuku kawaii culture, for a special series of events and attendee meet-and-greet sessions, as well as rising pop star and fashion model, UNA, for a special live performance.

J-POP SUMMIT is proud to welcome AOI Clothing, a contemporary brand creating apparel founded on the concept of Euro-Asian design. There also will be a dynamic live MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Stage and a collaborative display and pop-up boutique – “Harajuku Chaos” – that will showcase a further array of popular fashion brands.

J-POP Summit / MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Guests of Honor include:

UNA

UNA made her debut in 2013 and has since been around the world with her live music shows. As a model, her very cool and edgy original style has made her the new “It Girl” of Harajuku, garnering tremendous media attention and fan support. More details at: www.j-pop.com/guests/una-2016/.

Sebastian Masuda

Sebastian Masuda is an art director and an extremely influential artist for the Harajuku kawaii culture. He is the successful producer of a brand and shop in Harajuku called “6% DOKIDOKI,” and is also famous for being the art director for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s “PON PON PON” music video. His recent work includes directing “KAWAII MONSTER CAFÉ” in Harajuku. He currently lives in New York and has been working on a project called “TIME AFTER TIME CAPSULE” aimed toward year 2020. Join us and be a part of his latest art movement!! More details at:

www.j-pop.com/guests/sebastian-masuda.

Additional details on J-POP SUMMIT 2016 fashion programming follows below:

MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Area

MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON is a project that spreads Japanese pop culture to the world - including fashion, music, anime, food and more. J-POP SUMMIT attendees can browse and purchase handpicked items from Japan at the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Area. Among its interesting products, Kendama from Yamagata, Japan is a must-see. This Kendama is produced by “ASOBEAMS” which is a collaborating brand of the top Japanese apparel brand, BEAMS and talent agency, ASOBISYSTEM which Kyary Pamyu Pamyu belongs to. Also do not miss a special appearance and photo session by artist and model UNA at the booth. More details on MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON are available at: www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp. 

MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON will also hold a special lottery event entitled “MOSHI MOSHI LOTTO” at their area during J-POP SUMMIT to give away a trip to Japan and other exciting prizes. More details: http://member.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/2016event#jpop

Other interesting brands that attendees can discover in this area include:

AEON

AEON is setting up a special photo booth in the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON area. Attendees are invited to don a Yukata robe and take a photo in front of ONE PIECE character graphics!! Fans can get the photo printed right away by posting it on social media using #ENJOYAEON.

HARAJUKU CHAOS

Tokyo’s vibrant Harajuku district continues to give rise to an abundance of complex and unique fashion trends full of a diverse range of culture. ASOBISYSTEM, which delivers Japanese culture from Harajuku, teams with GAS AS INTERFACE to hold the first installment of a new, collaborative project called “HARAJUKU CHAOS.” The booth at J-POP SUMMIT will be stocked with “Chaos” wears and products featuring a logo designed by 3 up-and-coming artists that include graphic designer and painter, Naoki “Sand” Yamamoto of the brand “SAYHELLO,” art director Yoshirotten, and illustrator Esther Kim. 

More details are available at: www.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/12743.

6%DOKIDOKI

Legions of Japanese fashion fans are already familiar with the colorful and visually provocative pop products from 6%DOKIDOKI. Don't miss out on the many kawaii goodies that are usually sold exclusively in Japan!

More information at: http://dokidoki6.com/

MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON STAGE

Time & Place: 1:30-2:20 pm on the J-POP SUMMIT Main Stage on Saturday, July 23^rd

ASOBISYSTEM model and pop artists, UNA, makes a triumphant return to J-POP SUMMIT for a special live performance. During the program, attendees also can enjoy a fashion discussion led by UNA with a special appearance by Sebastian Masuda.

SOU•SOU Kyoto San Francisco

SOU•SOU Kyoto Introduces Japanese classic "Tabi" work shoes and kimono inspired clothing with vibrant patterns. While SOU•SOU’s design are modern and bold, they are also dedicated to preserving the best of traditional technique by actively working with skilled Japanese craftsmen and time tested materials.

Shop online at http://www.sousouus.com. During J-POP SUMMIT, SOU・SOU San Francisco will open a pop-up shop for two days and host special workshop sessions. They also will offer exclusive J-POP Summit campaigns at their booth including a10% discount for Furoshiki and Tenugui purchased and special giveaway for free SOU•SOU ceramic plate for purchases over $50.

SOU•SOU Workshop

Title:  Wrap things up! Tenugui and Furoshiki Workshop

Place: SOU•SOU San Francisco Booth: C 12

Times: 12pm, 2pm, 4pm (both days).

Come see the demonstration of centuries old Japanese wrapping cloths, "Furoshiki" and "Tenugui.” Learn the multiple uses, such as gift wrap, bento box cover, and more!

AOI Clothing

AOI Clothing is a Japanese/French fashion brand based in Paris. Antique kimono fabrics are recycled in contemporary designs delivering a unique concept of Euro-Asian ready to wear apparel. The brand’s concept first resides in the principle of mixing. “KOKONTOZAI” is a Japanese idiom that illustrates the union between East and West, antique and modern. Traditional patterns and fabrics mixed with contemporary lines and shapes, eastern and western codes join into a timeless and universal creation.

Additional information is available at: www.aoiclothing.com/gb/.

About J-POP SUMMIT

J-POP SUMMIT is one of the world’s biggest Japanese pop culture events, held every summer in San Francisco, CA. By introducing the latest in Japanese music, fashion, film, art, games, tech-innovations, anime, food, as well as niche subcultures, the festival has become a landing platform for new trends from Japan.

Official website: www.j-pop.com

Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/JPOPSUMMIT/featured

Almost every ticket for the event was sold out. Love Live fans came dressed in costumes and Love Live t-shirts. The snaking line that funneled attendees into the hall was a myriad display of fans of all kinds as men and women came in their regalia. Upon entering the hall I took my seat and noticed that there was a theme to the room. I was surrounded by no less than a dozen attendees with light emanating from their hands.

I felt a little out of place.

It's not that I'm not a fan of the series; I've watched the anime and have played the game for over a year now. I watched the movie in theater and did a bit of wheeling and dealing to get the shikishi of Nozomi, my favorite girl. I bought my ticket to the event within the first hour of the start of general sales. No, the problem was that I was without a glowstick.

In the far flung past I was one of those with glowsticks in hand and dancing to the music (Japanese fans call it "wotagei" or "otagei") When I became a member of the press corp my weapon of choice became the camera and when you're busy shooting it's a bit hard to join in. While I've been gone, times have changed and glowsticks are much less prevalent. Where once you needed multiple glowsticks or a variety of colored inserts to tint a flashlight you have the King Blade LED wand. A large portion of the room is filled with this light.

The show hasn't even started and people are hyped. You can imagine the roars of the crowd the moment the Love Live introduction video started playing on screen. While the video is for the benefit of those who aren't too familiar with the franchise I have a feeling that most of the people in this hall didn't need it.

Of course a video is not what we're here for; the six girls who came out on stage are the stars. As stated earlier the entirety of Aquors is composed of nine but the other three were absent, most likely due to scheduling conflicts. That also meant there would be no live singing; it'd feel a little odd missing a third of the group and I don't want their first American performance to be like that (and I doubt they would too!).

Those present were:

Anju Inami as Chika Takami
Rikako Aida as Riko Sakurauchi
Nanaka Suwa as Kanan Matsuura
Arisa Komiya as Dia Kurosawa
Kanako Takatsuki as Hanamaru Kunikida
Ai Furihata as Ruby Kurosawa

Missing were:
Shuka Saitou as You Watanabe
Aika Kobayashi as Yoshiko Tsushima
Aina Suzuki as Mari Ohara

They each introduced themselves as well as the character they help bring to life. This is where the LED wands really shine, by the way. Remember people having stocks of different colors of glowstick? Push a few buttons and tada, you've now got a different color. Each of the girls has a theme color and fans were quick to switch upon each introduction. If you've ever watched concert footage from Japan you'll see a rainbow ocean that sometimes changes into a uniform mass whenever certain characters or songs appear. There was a bit of question and answer so fans could learn a little more about the people behind the voices.

The playback of the music videos Aquors’ first two singles would be the closest we’d get to a performance this year and the LED wands really came into play during them. Fans were pumping their fists in the air and performing different motions throughout the song. It’s a little hard to describe in words; you have to see otagei to really get the full effect.

{youtube}I3NmHsDXeFc{/youtube}

{youtube}gE4GzSihmy4{/youtube}

Part of the event was the screening of the first episode of the Love Live Sunshine anime. This is another American first; at this point no one else in America will have seen the footage. It was immediately available for streaming afterward though! The story is somewhat similar to that of the original Love Live anime. A girl wants to start an idol club and is met with resistance. Eventually things happen and the group is formed in full, including those who originally provided resistance. We know the beginning and the end and the anime is there to fill in the journey.

Every attendee was given a raffle ticket upon entering the theater and a variety of goods like signed posters and CDs was up for grabs. Each of the girls picked a couple of lucky fans as winners. Memorably Dia's voice actress seemed unable to pick a winning ticket for at least a dozen tries. The closest I got to winning was one of the people in my section two rows in front of me. Congratulations!

But with every hello there must be a good bye. In Japan "goodbye" is "sayonara." You actually don't use "sayonara" unless it is a true parting. When you know you'll be seeing someone again the more light-hearted "mata ne" or "jaa ne" (roughly "see you later"). I really do hope that it is a "mata ne" for American and Aquors. Please don't let this be the only time we meet.

So Anime Expo... now that you've had six girls, how about all nine? And a Love Live concert to boot? That would be the next level and a fitting part of a spectacular 25th anniversary.

_{Photos provided courtesy of Anime Expo.}

Anime Expo celebrated its 25th anniversary with this year’s event, which took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on July 1-4. This year’s show saw a huge increase in attendance, with more than 100,420 people that participated in this week’s events, including over 1,500 volunteers to make the event run smoothly for all attendees. With tape set down on floors in advance to mark the end of a line and with plenty of AX staffers on hand, I generally had no problem finding my way around. 

Highlights of the four-day long expo included the world’s first Anisong World Matsuri event, featuring a variety of live music and experiential performances by some of my personal favorites: Eir Aoi, Lia, Luna Haruna, Flow and Jam Project. Parties, demos and panels filled the weekend and attendees had the opportunity to interact with featured guests including Cosplay Senpai participants like Stella Chuu, Vampy Bit Me and J. Hart. My favorite video game creators Koji Igarashi (Castlevania, Bloodstained), Keiji Inafune (Mega Man) and Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape) were on hand to discuss their latest work. This year more than 100 guests, performers and guest of honor were on-site to mingle with attendees and provide special performances, sneak peaks and premiers. As someone who regularly attends anime conventions and other industry events throughout the year, this was a truly surreal experience for me having this many guests in the same building.

On my first day I lined up to go into the Exhibitors hall. This year Anime Expo took up more space in the Los Angeles Convention Center than E3 and with the increase in space it was generally easier to get around even on the more crowded days. This year the Anime Expo hosted some fantastic booths that offered many exclusive collectibles and chances to win various prizes, as well as a look at some of the real art used to make anime. Some of the booths had some really great set pieces, from Capcom’s Monster Hunter Generations airship and Ace Attorney courtroom stand from E3, and Pony Canyon’s booth with its rotating cast of cosplayers from Sound! Euphonium and Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers and the gorgeous wall of lanterns behind them and the shop on the other side. Some of my favorite gaming companies such as, Bandai Namco and Atlus featured game kiosks with some of their latest games like Dragon Ball: Xenoverse 2, God Eater: Resurrection, Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse and The King of Fighters XIV. 

Overall one of my favorite booths was the Aniplex booth which hosted an A-1 Pictures exhibit that featured art used in some of my favorite A-1 pictures anime – including Sword Art Online, The Asterisk War, Your Lie in April – and monitors above them showed the art in motion.

Sword Art Online characters Asuna Yuki and Konno Yuuki

Action stills from The Asterisk War 

Your lie in April characters Arima and Kaori 

Throughout most of the con I attended many industry panels which showcased all the newest anime and games coming soon. One highlight for me was the Sword Art Online: Festival panel which for the first hour had a plethora of special announcements including a release window of spring 2017 for the Sword Art Online movie, a Sword Art Online-Themed Concert in Hollywood staring Yuki Kaijura and a surprise guest appearance by the Japanese voice actors for Asuna and Lisbeth (Haruka Tomatsu, Ayahi Takagaki). Another event I did enjoy was the Star Ocean launch party. The event was held for the 20th anniversary of Star Ocean at lounge 21 to celebrate the launch of Star Ocean: Intergrity and Faithlessness at Anime Expo. The event had cosplayers for photo ops, alcoholic beverages and guest appearances by character illustrator Akiman, Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness director Hiroshi Ogawa and producer for the Star Ocean series Shuichi Kobayashi who took questions from the audience.

Day three I went to check out the entertainment hall located in the west area of the convention center. For me highlights included the Bang Zoom Entertainment booth which had a full schedule of events throughout the convention including, daily open auditions, Inside the Voice Actors’ Studio with various guests, ADR demonstrations, and autograph sessions with the voice actors. Bandai Namco had a community stage where they showed off some of their latest games and even hosted a presentation for their latest release Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization with special guest Yoske Futami who shared with us the latest information about the game. There was also a live stream you could view by going to Bandai Namco’s Twitch channel to see anything that was happening at their community stage.

All in all, I personally enjoyed my time here at Anime Expo. I wish I could have done everything but there just isn’t enough time with the sheer amount of events going on at a given time. I am really excited to see what Anime Expo brings to the table in 2017 and with the announcement of the new preview night making it a 5-day convention I expect things to get even crazier.

Photos provided courtesy of Anime Expo.

The plot of God Eater: Resurrection revolves around the behemoth like creatures known as the Aragami and have taken over mankind. These monsters are known for being remnants of gods, animated by highly sophisticated organisms known as oracle cells. The only known way to combat this enemy is with a device developed by the humans known as God Arcs: the remains of an Aragami that will only function under a compatible bond with a human. The player will take on the role of a “new type” of human that bonds exceedingly well with these animated weapons.

The story is delivered via voice-acted cutscenes with a cast of core characters you will meet along your journey. However, the story mission structure can get pretty repetitive. I found myself taking breaks in between story missions to grind through similar levels with the same 3-4 bosses and enemies, but regardless, the fact that there’s a story worth reading at all is a step in the right direction in a sub-genre RPG that emphasizes grinding. Where God Eater does stand out is in its depth of customization systems at the player’s disposal. The Aragami all carry specific strengths and weakness. Your characters are provided with a litany of melee weapons, guns, and various kinds of items and special abilities to take into battle. Enemies also have a physical and elemental weakness that players must consider. You will also want to make sure you stock up on items before each hunt so you are well prepared if the fight takes longer than usual.

You can choose between a number of different weapons like short blades, scythes, and hammers which have access to different combos depending on what you choose. This encourages players to rotate through different weapon loadouts rather than stick to one set that you really like. I mostly played using the Buster Blade weapon, though I occasionally switched it up to try some of the other weapon types, my personal favorite being the hammer. You’ll no doubt fight with the camera from time to time (especially when you’re cornered by multiple bosses, causing the camera to freak out), but combat can still be satisfying nonetheless. Further character customization comes by way of different types of elemental bullets and guns and different categories of physical attacks. However, I did not end up utilizing the guns very much during my playthrough and just stuck to using the different weapon types.

God Eater: Resurrection can be played entirely alone – I spent a vast, vast majority of my time playing on my own – but if you want to get online and play, you can do that too. Playing online makes the game way more enjoyable. The matchmaking options are surprisingly fluid and it’s easy to invite friends to a match. Gameplay is identical whether you’re by yourself or with friends, and this is where God Eater will likely find its long-term following.

My in-game clock had me somewhere north of 40 hours in God Eater: ResurrectioHpb-KdJYauAn, but could have easily tacked on another 50 to 100 more hours to that if I went back to complete all the extra missions, craft all the different God Arcs, earned all the PSN Trophies, or spent time in the multiplayer mode.

{youtube}Hpb-KdJYauA{/youtube}

Action RPGs like God Eater: Resurrection are often mocked for their repetitious nature, and a lot of criticism is deserved. But while it falls prey to the same pitfalls as many of its contemporaries (Is it really that hard to have a greater variety of maps and enemies?), God Eater: Resurrection does a lot well that its action bears a good deal of repeating. Whether you’re playing with alone or with friends, it’s an addictive and rewarding experience.

Pros:
- Fun combat
- Highly customizable
- Solid, Monster Hunter-like idea

Cons:
- Poor level/enemy diversity

A.W. : Phoenix Festa is based on a popular Japanese light novel — The Asterisk War: The Academy City on the Water, where in the 20th century a catastrophic event known as the Invertia leads to the destruction of many large cities on Earth. In order to recover from the devastation, the Integrated Enterprise Foundation is formed and cities are reorganized including one city called Rikka, also known as Asterisk. Within Asterisk, six academies hold tournaments called “Festas” pitting students from each academy against each other.

A.W. : Phoenix Festa combines dating sim mechanics and combat in one game and features its own original storyline carved from the light novel series. The game will let fans experience a true love adventure with numerous endings. A.W. : Phoenix Festa will also offer players various options to enhance relationships between their favorite characters which can be influenced through battles and conversations with non-playable characters (NPCs). Players may start the game as main character Ayato or an original character and go about daily school life by making friends and competing in the “Phoenix Festa” tournament. Players also train themselves in order to increase their combat abilities as they prepare to participate in the “Phoenix Festa” tournament with their favorite characters.

“A.W. : Phoenix Festa is poised to bring the unique action and story of the popular Japanese light novel The Asterisk War to life on the PlayStation Vita,” said Eric Hartness, Vice President of Marketing at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “A.W. : Phoenix Festa blends two very different genres; dating sim and action, into a very unique experience for anime fans and PlayStation Vita owners to enjoy.”

A.W. : PHOENIX FESTA will be available in the Americas on July 26, 2016 exclusively for the PlayStation® Vita handheld system via PlayStation®Network. For more information about A.W. : Phoenix Festa, go to http://www.bandainamcoent.com/games/a-w-phoenix-festa. To learn more about BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc.’s other products, visit: http://www.bandainamcoent.com/home.html or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BandaiNamcoUS or on Twitter at  http://www.twitter.com/bandainamcous.

For the uninitiated, the plot of Megadimension Neptunia VII divides its story into three parts, Zerodimension Neptunia Z: Twilight of the Desperate CPU, Hyperdimension Neptunia G: The Golden Leaders Reconstructors of Gamindustri, and lastly, Heartdimension Neptunia H: Trilogy Finale: Into Legend. While I would have preferred a single story experience, the overall story is pretty epic in scope. People with an extensive knowledge of the video game industry and for those who are familiar with the series, will get the most enjoyment out of it. Outside of the main CPU cast, veteran players will also enjoy seeing some of their favorite characters such as Nepgear, Uni, Rom, Ram, Iffy and Compa. The entire cast of core characters, as well as various antagonists and a majority of the NPCs you meet, come packing with great voice acting.

Nonetheless, Neptunia VII will begin relentlessly putting its claws into you as soon as you start exploring its combat. For veterans of the franchise, Neptunia VII will have a familiarity that welcomes you into the experience with its zany, action-packed combat. Each character has a litany of special skills and combos that can be unleashed in battle. New to the series, players will no longer have to manage their combo points. Now each weapon comes with a limited number of slots that allow you to slot unlocked moves. You have three different types of attack to utilize: standard, rush, and power. The guard and break meter attacks are gone in place of a new “Parts Break” system. Specific enemies, usually boss characters, have certain pieces of equipment, a cape for example, that will protect them. These parts can be broken to uncover their weak point. This enables the player to do higher damage and rewards them with more experience, items, and credits. EXE Drives are now more like a consumable resource and will no longer carry over from the previous battle. Whenever a CPU transforms into their HDD form, one EXE bar and some Shares are spent instead of SP like in previous titles. Another feature new to the series is “NEXT mode,” which gives CPUs a second transformation on top of the HDD form that features new special skills and a new costume.

Since the game is nearly identical to its original PS4 release, both the story and mechanics are completely unchanged. One thing to note is that this is a port of the PS4 game and the graphical fidelity is much higher quality with dynamic lighting, particle effects, and character models. One more thing to note, players may want to pick up a game pad since the PC controls can be a bit difficult to figure out on a keyboard. Overall the game ran at a silky smooth 60 FPS during combat and normal gameplay; however, during cutscenes when the characters entered the scene or the camera panned around, the frame rate would drop slightly, but this did not ruin the gameplay experience. The 3D movies also ran flawless as well.

There are a lot of reasons to keep playing, too. Megadimension Neptunia VII took me 33 hours to complete, but I could have very easily tacked on 20-30 more hours if I went back to complete all the guild quests, competed in the in-game coliseum, earned all of the in-game titles and Steam achievements, or spent time unlocking all the post-game dungeons. Considering there are also multiple endings, it also means that my time with the game – and the possibilities of what I could accomplish in 60+ hours – could very well be multiplied by two. The Neptunia series has a long history, and it’s clear that Compile Heart has put a great amount of work into creating it’s best Neptunia game yet. While it may not be perfect, this is still a welcome addition to the PC platform that many JRPG or Neptunia fans will want to check out.

Pros:

- Fun Combat
- Charming Characters
- Anime CG Art

Cons:
- Confusing Keyboard Controls

On the show floor, I was quick to notice how much presence VR had this year at E3. I would say roughly 70% of the show was VR related. VR headsets were available in one form or another. Mostly Sony was pushing the PSVR with title’s such as Farpoint, Batman Arkham, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Here They Lie, among many other games. Besides the PSVR, there were VR headsets a plenty; everywhere we went there was a VR headset in one form or another. Also during Microsoft's announcement of their next console, Project Scorpio they said they were building it to support VR games that required such specs. The message I got from E3 this year was loud and clear: embrace the VR technology in all size and form. This message was made more apparent by the booth, Naughty America, which is an adult entertainment company bringing X-rated videos into the VR realm. We passed by on the last day to see what everyone was talking about and we saw a crowd waiting to demo the video. I couldn't see what headset they were using but just the fact the adult entertainment industry is testing the waters with VR says a lot. Porn has always favored the most popular format of media that consumers have chosen, from VHS over Beta Max and Blu-ray over HD-DVD and now we see them tackle VR.

I believe that VR is getting close to being a household item. We have seen some elaborations of this technology being tampered with since the Nintendo Virtual Boy, to the Microsoft Kinect, Playstation Move to even motion controllers. With consoles becoming more and more common in a typical household, and gaming being family entertainment, the next step is to bring all these together into a full 360 experience such as the PSVR or the Occulus Rift with the Microsoft Scorpio.

The only obstacle now is not the games but the price tag of all the hardware. With Playstation 4 being a three to almost four-year-old system, I have my doubts with its compatibility with the big titles such as Resident Evil 7 and Star Wars Battlefront. The rumored PS4K, or PS4 Neo, has no official release announcement but would most likely be necessary for the most immersive VR experience. The PSVR is marketed at $399.99 and is announced to be released on October 13 this year. Will this move pay out? Pre-order sales say yes by selling out at most retailers already. The PSVR bundle is promoted to come with a headset, and a camera. Will people choose console VR headsets over PC VR headsets? Or will this be another Virtual Boy fad?

T-ONO: Could you please introduce yourselves?

KEIGO:　I'm FLOW's vocal KEIGO.

KOHSHI: I’m also the vocalist, KOHSHI.

GOT'S: Bassist, GOT’S.

TAKE: Guitarist, TAKE.

IWASAKI: And I am the drummer, IWASAKI.

T-ONO: You just entered your 14th anniversary this year! Congratulations~!

FLOW: Thank you very much!! 

T-ONO: So this is your first time in Los Angeles and it looks like you traveled a lot so far. You have posted pictures of Santa Monica and Hollywood on your Twitter and Instagram, but where exactly did you go? 

KEIGO:　We arrived yesterday and we went to Hollywood using the Metro and this morning we went to Santa Monica.  

T-ONO: Did you get to go to Beverly Hills? The Pier? I have never been there so I would like to know what you enjoyed there?

TAKE: Yes, yes we got to go the Pier. The ocean was really pretty and the weather was amazing so I really wanted to go swimming. 

KEIGO:　We just didn’t have time to go.

T-ONO: Oh! So did you bring a bathing suit?

TAKE: Actually I didn’t bring a suit so I was just going to jump in. 

KEIGO:　You’re going to be soaking wet!! (laughs)

T-ONO: This is your first time in Los Angeles, but you have been all over the countries for your concerts and tours, is there any interesting memories you would like to share?

KOHSHI: We got to ride a boat down the Amazon River in Brazil and that was really fun.

T-ONO: Were you able to see any animals like crocodiles? 

KOHSHI: There was an attraction where we got to fish these ginormous fish called the Arapaima.  

T-ONO: The rivers have piranhas and other fish as well right?

KOHSHI: Yeah there was piranhas too.

KEIGO:　But even though these fish were ginormous, we were only given a stick to fish them so there was no chance for us to win. 

GOT'S: There was no chance for us to fish those things.

TAKE: It’s more about that we enjoy the tugging with the fish. Like “Oh! They ate the bait.”

T-ONO: Oh so you were actually able to get a couple of hits then.

KEIGO:　Oh it was as soon as you dropped it in. 

IWASAKI: Yeah the fishes were like in a corf so there was a lot of them.  

TAKE:  What you do is, you put a little tiny fish on the end of the stick and you drop it down. Well when one of the fish went to go eat it splashed and landed on GOT’S head.

GOT'S: I’m always the one who has bad luck with these kinds of events. 

T-ONO: It wasn't even fresh fish then...

GOT'S: No it was more like the smelly old kind of fish and it was on my head. 

KEIGO:　It went Pita! Right on his head. 

T-ONO: Is there any other interesting stories? Maybe more in the city?

TAKE:  Well there was a member that had a horrible experience in France.

KEIGO:　I got pick-pocketed in France’s metro station. I was by myself because it was free time and I really like soccer so I was going to go buy a soccer jersey for myself. And apparently it was already gone when I was at the entrance. I had my bag in front of me and I look down and it was a little bit open so I looked and my wallet was gone. 

KOHSHI: It was a total pro move. 

KEIGO:　Half crying, I got off the train, but I don’t know where I am, but thankfully I had my phone on me.  

T-ONO: At least you didn’t get your passport taken. Then you would have been in bigger trouble. 

KEIGO:　The fact that the concert was already over and I was having a great time enjoying the European views and now ready to get my souvenirs when I got pick-pocketed and from there on I just wanted to go home (laughs)

T-ONO: So how does your fans from overseas differ from the fans in Japan? Do they have any similarities?

KEIGO:　Each one of the fans from overseas show their entire expression 120%. People here in America, France as well as people in South America all have the expression and feeling of “I’m enjoying myself!!!”.

KOHSHI: All the countries can relate is that they are all passionate and enthusiastic during the concerts. 

KEIGO: You never get to research how the fans going to be so it’s very interesting. 

KOHSHI: Japanese fans are typically very shy. They don’t really come at you with their expressions. 

T-ONO: When you mention it, Japanese fans mostly use their towels and penlights, but not with their full bodies.

KEIGO: Fans get riled up when the staff are doing their sound checks too. 

T-ONO: Is there any interesting stories about your fans that you met overseas?

KOHSHI: One time there was an autograph session in Brazil and I looked up to see a very familiar kanji name, and there was a tattoo of my real name on one of the fan’s arms: Asakawa Kohshi. 

GOT'S: You don’t see too much of that in Japan.

T-ONO: Changing the subject a little bit, what is your favorite single/album song? Of course it can be a song that you like to play or sing as well.

IWASAKI: Picking one is hard, but I am actually excited about the newest single that is coming out “Kaze no Uta/BURN”. Tomorrow is the going to be the worldwide debut for “Kaze no Uta”. 

T-ONO: I’m really excited! It’s not supposed to be out till August correct?

IWASAKI: Exactly and it’s getting leaked tomorrow.

KEIGO: It’s going to be leaked tomorrow?? 

GOT'S: You make it sound like you don’t want them to listen to it.

KOHSHI: We want to keep it to ourselves. (laughs)

T-ONO: Does the other members have a song that they really like?

KEIGO: Mine would have to be Remember. It was the song right after I came back from my accident as well as we got to do the opening for Naruto. It is an anime song so whenever we come overseas, we sing this song and the audience sings it with us so it makes me really happy. 

TAKE:  I think you can’t forget about GO!!!  It really represents our band and almost everyone knows this song and it connected us with anime as well. We didn’t expect this song to create such a long relationship, and we get to still perform this song which is makes it very memorable for me to get to make this song. 

KEIGO: If it wasn’t for GO!!! We would never have been able to come here in the first place. 

T-ONO: Lastly could you give us a message to your fans from around the world?

KEIGO: As IWASAKI had stated, this summer we are coming out with our a new single “Kaze no Uta/BURN” and it is another anime and game themed song. So of course we would like fans from Japan to listen to it, but also to fans from overseas would be able to listen to it and we can come back to perform. After given the opportunity to have a world tour, we realized that coming to the country is the best way to express our feelings through the concert. So we would like fans to keep chasing after us and staying with us. Thank you very much. 

 Ayame, Hinata, and Mariru are the top 3 most loved and awarded maids from Maidreamin and together make Maidreamin Special Unit: 003. They brought the energy from Akihabara to Anime Expo to share their moe charm with fans. They had two daily sessions at 10am and 1pm everyday during Anime Expo. During which they welcomed all the masters and princesses to each session. During each session parties would be seated at a table and had AX maids take care of them. You had a café stand where you would go and purchase drinks and pastries. Meanwhile back at your table the in house maids would entertain your party by playing games or doing a small dance.

 After each party got settled in Ayame, Hinata, and Mariru would take the stage and perform a few songs followed by the in house maids doing a small number themselves. After the final number they would say farewell to their masters and princesses to end the show. After this people were encouraged to visit the merchandize table to buy stickers, CDs, and other small gifts. Also they could buy Polaroid pictures of themselves with Ayame, Hinata, and Mariru or any of the in house maids.

This event was very well received by all the attendees of Anime Expo so well that on the first day all the tickets where sold out for every session of the convention weekend. The atmosphere was welcoming and the entertainment was amazing. One thing that stood out was how much the maids seemed to enjoy themselves on stage. Their songs are made just for them and you can buy their CD’s for $30.00 along with other goodies. Remember if you are ever in Akihabara of Japan make sure you visit them at any of their 17 locations. If you took a picture with them why not upload it on twitter to them @ayame_md, @mariru_md, and @hinata_md also remember to #MoeMoeKyun!

{youtube}u3ZT89fAQAk{/youtube}

Get the details below.

Collector’s Edition
● Presented as a physical pop-up book, WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY comes to life through striking 3D paper cutouts. As the pop-up book is opened, fantastic physical content concealed in the book is revealed, including:
○ Physical game disc
○ A special 80-page hardback artbook showing off the fresh toy-like visuals
○ The original soundtrack of the game’s enchanting score
○ A set of three mini-figurines including the legendary Cloud, Lightning and Squall
○ Extra digital content, including White Chocobo®, Glow Moogle and Red Bonnetberry mirages, a Sephiroth summon and a Japanese voice-over option add-on

● Available exclusively through the Square Enix Online Store for $119.99 USD

Limited Edition
● Unique packaging including the physical game disc plus a 24-page artbook
● Extra digital content, including White Chocobo, Glow Moogle and Red Bonnetberry mirages, a Sephiroth summon and a Japanese voice-over option add-on
● Available at select retailers for $59.99 USD

Day One Edition
● Physical game disc
● Extra digital content, including White Chocobo, Glow Moogle and Red Bonnetberry Mirages, a Sephiroth summon and a Japanese voice-over option add-on
● Available at all retailers for $59.99 USD

The WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY – Welcome to Grymoire Trailer can be viewed below: 

{youtube}cjpdOV5eSuE{/youtube}

Ogawa: The biggest change is that we incorporated a seamless transition between battles and events and roaming around on the map and this is because tri-Ace president Yoshiharu Gotanda wanted to have a dynamic a cutscene incorporated into the game, or a “seamless cutscene sequence” that is why we had all the battle sequences and other events seamlessly connected together but we also wanted to have that kind of RPG feel that we had in previous titles, and to leave the feeling you get when you encounter enemies.

Kobayashi: The story line for Star Ocean 5 takes place before Star Ocean 3 and all the story line in the history is connected, and we wanted to keep the traditional RPG feel.

Crispin Freeman: Compared to previous versions of Star Ocean the platform is allowed so much more detail. Working on the earlier Star Ocean titles, we were limited in how much they could put in the game in terms of voice acting and story. The power of the current platform is so much greater that things can be more nuanced and more detailed than they were before.

Eden Riegel: This is my first time doing voice work for a Star Ocean title. With so many impersonal relationships, as an actor it was really wonderful to be able to tell such a comprehensive story, and I loved being a part of it. I felt like there was a lot of attention to performance and telling the story in a real and emotional way in addition to the excitement and the adventure and the battles which I think are extremely dramatic and fun and in transition between the story and the battles will be so seamless that it will feel like this huge comprehensive tail that you will get to experience by going through it and the ark is really cool. I was thrilled to be a part of this game and play Mikki and be able to tell this awesome story.

Christopher Corey Smith: I just got my mind blown because I did not know Star Ocean 5 takes place before Star Ocean 3. Having previously voiced a character in Star Ocean 4, this was a tremendously fun experience to work on this particular Star Ocean title. Emmerson is such a great character and I had a blast with him and I would come in and I would get to hear all the other clips that everybody else had been doing either that day or the previous days that I got to work off of and everyone did a wonderful job and this cast is so amazing and I am really honored to be a part of it.

Tessa Netting: This is actually my first time recording a video game ever so it was blowing my mind in all the best ways. The character Relia is so cute and so small with the way she has to run up to catch up to everyone else and I just remember how many times I had to say the word Fidel. I had to say his name probably 100 different times in different ways. I really loved Relias relationships with all the other characters and how they brought out her personality being very shy at first, but then later seeing them as more of a family. It was a great experience and I loved it so much.

Eerica Luttrell: I had a blast recording Star Ocean 5. It was so amazing and one kind of hilarious moment was one of the battle terms I used that may have not made it into the game was “Hammer Time”. I had a blast with such a great cast and it was such a beautiful game, seeing it in its entirety blew me away.

Aimée Castle: Usually when you get a breakdown as an actor for an audition you’re seeing it in black and white so when I first saw Fiore I thought, OK cool costume, nice skirt, big hat and big diamonds on her skirt. So I thought they were really nice tights and then when I got to the session I saw her in color and I realized it was skin it took on a whole other level. So thank you to Akiman for designing such a beautiful character. Every tweet I get is about her costume and I really enjoyed playing that character. It was really great to be part of such a fun cast.

Akiman: Because the producer wanted to have characters that were closer to the image of Star Ocean 3 and with Star Ocean 4, we took an anime like approach but the game still maintained a photo realistic look. JRPGs in general are based off the aesthetics we grew up with, for instance Japanese Anime and Manga culture so it does skew towards more of an anime type art. Because it is on the PlayStation 4, I tried to create something that’s in between manga and realistic art.

Crispin Freeman: Whenever we have to dub something from Japanese into English, there is the question of what is the process and sometimes what will happen is we can do whatever feels right in terms of timing. Sometimes we are told it must be no longer then this amount of time, because that is how its done and so if its shorter that’s ok it can’t be longer.

{youtube}5We2asTREf8{/youtube}

With Star Ocean 5 we had to match the exact timing of the Japanese line within about two tenths of a second. This causes a sort of “left right brain shuffle” in your head in trying to maintain the technical accuracy of the timing but without losing the emotional performance of what your trying to do which is some of the most difficult acting I know is out there which can be compared to opera or musical theater, where you have to match the timing with something precisely and be emotionally believable, “but that was a tense of a second too long, so we have to do it again” and so that can be really challenging but when you succeed it really works and its very satisfying and definitely worth the effort we put into it.

Eden Riegel: I have an amazing sense of what exactly one tenth or two tenths of a second is and felt at times I felt like I was a human metronome that I would do a take and say “that it was about .1 seconds too long we have to do it again”. It was extremely technically challenging, but in the recording process we never lost focus on what was important which was performance and I felt they were very generous on the amount of time that we could take to get a line just right in terms of intonation and the emotional contagions for it and also fitting into the technical specifications so that they could get the most possible information on to this game so we could tell such a huge story and I really appreciated that.

Tessa Netting: It was very musical for me while I was recording especially for screams because screams had to go on for a certain number of seconds. I found myself doing this sort of tribal dance so I would scream and keep the beat with my feet and It was finding and taking that length of time and finding it in your body and then it was recording it and putting the performance on top of it so it was very technical at first, but it got easier the more that you practiced and the more you felt what was too long and what was too short and overall it was very satisfying and fun.

Aimée Castle: I don’t know if I am speaking for all the actors up here, but I think there is also a sense when you’re doing a game like this that already has a different language version and you’re doing the English, you want to create the character and make it your own but you also want to give a nod to the other voice actor who has done it previously, so for me I felt like the fight scenes particularly was something I was trying to match and I believe the Japanese voice actor for Fiore had a little bit of a higher pitch than me, so I would try to match her screams and like Eden said intonation is a big thing and the rest of the time trying to create your own character.

Christopher Corey Smith: To follow up on the aspect of timing, I know that all of us have spent a lot of time dubbing from Japanese into English and when you dub anime you’re obviously working with existing picture and you have to match lip flaps and what does is that sort of robs us as actors of doing it with our own timing because we are already locked into the timing that exists in the picture.

So while it was slightly limiting to have to fit our performances into the parameters of ins and outs it was very nice to be able to imbue our characters with our own sense of personal timing because we didn’t have to match the literal performance that had come before us and I really had fun with that and really appreciated that aspect of it and one of the things that was kind of funny was that we all did get really good at matching the timing and we would try to get as many lines done in a session as possible and there was always a goal. “Crispin did this much, how many can you do?”.

So I would come in and be like “All right! I’m going to do this!” and there were a couple of times where we got up to whatever the magic number was and I would go “one, two, three, beyond it! yes!” and say “Yeah, got the goal for the day” and then I would come in next day and find out, “nah you didn’t, Eden came in and she beat you!”. So that happened two or three times with Eden and I knew if I was in first and she was in second it was going to be a short lived victory.

Kobayashi: So there was some talk about graphics earlier cause with JRPGs, I feel that the story for the game is the experience you want end game and it is more based on the Japanese anime and manga. So instead of creating your own experience, I feel that it should be something where you could become the protagonist and maybe become popular with girls inside the game, but just have that experience that you are the main character and that’s what I really want everyone to enjoy this game.

Akiman: I was a creator for Street Fighter before, however more games in the past were simple pixels and you couldn’t really try to draw cleavage well so after I left Capcom and became a free illustrator and when I got jobs I found out I was now able to draw beautiful cleavage and it’s like I am getting revenge on what I couldn’t do before.

Ogawa: Since it’s been seven years since that past title I really wanted to keep what was good in the past titles but still keep up with the current generation the feel or tempo and the driving fuel you get with a current generation game so I did want to try and keep that experience and especially for those people who have never played a Star Ocean title we tried to keep it so it’s really easy to get into.

Crispin Freeman: I just have to be frank I am a little worried now because I am a little insecure about my own cleavage I didn’t realize it would be so important so hopefully people will still enjoy the game.

Eden Riegel: I am also most excited about the cleavage. I am really excited for people to delve into Miki’s nerding out over signachurchy because she is pretty entertaining in those moments.

Tessa Netting: I am really excited for you guys to meet Relia and go on her journey and go with her through this story with all of these friends that she makes and since they help her, I hope you can help her to!

Aimée Castle: I think the word epic is thrown around a lot these days, but I have to say making this game really felt epic and seeing the game it feels epic and I hope you have a really epic experience, especially with Fiore’s cleavage.

Eerica Luttrell: I am very excited for you guys to experience fantasy and adventure and above all magic!

Christopher Corey Smith: I think you guys are really going to enjoy all the character interaction. The dialogue and the characters are first rate and I am particularly fond of the character interaction between Emmerson and Anne. “I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to Erica for this comment”. If Star Ocean 5 had a human resources department, Emmerson would be called into it frequently and get lectured.

The floor was opened up to the audience for a short Q&A.

Q01: With Star Ocean being such a huge franchise with a lot of history and with so many different stories. What does that mean to every one of you?

Kobayashi: Star Ocean really is a big title and I am actually a big fan of the Star Ocean series as well and it’s not so much to say I am at Square Enix Just because I wanted to work on Star Ocean and I might even quit if the Star Ocean franchise doesn’t go well anymore. I am very happy to see everyone here like this today and It really does give me a lot of energy and hope for the future. I also think games should have more cleavage.

Ogawa: So when I first started at tri-Ace the first game I actually worked on was Star Ocean 2 second story and then there was Star Ocean 3, but it has been a while and now there is Star Ocean 5. There were some mentions about cleavage. I am able to really put what I want into this title and they gave me a lot of freedom to do what I liked and I had a lot of fun working on Star Ocean again.

Q02: What was your most memorable moment of being part of the Star Ocean Universe?

Kobayashi: I am actually not popular with girls but with Star Ocean you can really enjoy being popular with girls! That’s what I like about the Star Ocean series.

Crispin Freeman: “I am not popular with Japanese game developers, but in Star Ocean I get to meet them and be on stage with them!”. I can tell an anecdote when I was working on Star Ocean 3 playing the character Albel Nox. We broke the Recording program. Back then we used a recording program called Pro Tools and Star Ocean 3 had 14 hours of cutscenes and they had loaded it all up into one recording session and as we got further into the session the computer refused to record anymore and it just stopped and gave up and said no. So with Pro Tools it would only let you record a session that was 12 hours long because who would record a story that’s more than 12 hours long?

Christopher Corey Smith: “First of all Crispin I am convinced that once you work on your cleavage, you will be much more popular with Japanese game developers”. The best part of working on Star Ocean 5 was being in this amazing cast that I am really proud and honored to be among. When I auditioned for Star Ocean 5 they didn’t tell me what the project was.I went in and I read for it and it was titled “Project RED” and that was the way they referred to it and I remember going in on the first day of recording and when I finally saw the script and realized it was Star Ocean I was so happy to be back. 

Q03: With other JRPGs like Final Fantasy that are trying to move away from traditional RPG formulas but Star Ocean 5, it seems to be trying to evolve inside of the traditional RPG formula. What was the decision process behind that?

Kobayashi: It’s been seven years since the last Star Ocean and for all the fans and newer players we wanted to create a game that doesn’t confuse them so that when you pick it up and play you will know its Star Ocean and that is why we went for a more traditional approach which was actually on purpose. The developers do want to take on new challenges so it could be possible to do something new and I would really like to challenge ourselves to do something completely new next time.

 Once we got inside we noticed that there were Playstation 4’s set up along one side of the room. In the rear of the room was where the bar section was and they had a special drink for the event. Up front was the main stage and in the middle were seats with coffee tables where attendees would sit and gather while others ordered their drinks. Also there was a red couch which was for the VIP guest that would be coming out soon. Before the show started people were encouraged to take pictures with the cosplayers to obtain a ticket and after redeem it for a t-shirt or a poster.

In the back was a photo booth at which you would be able to take a picture with your friends or by yourself and then choose the background. After you could share it on social media or send it to your email. After hanging out with fans of the game the MC came on stage and began the Q&A with Producer Kobayashi, character designer Akiman, and director Ogawa. Fans were asked to ask questions and once they answered the fan would receive a lithograph of the game. Some of the questions ranged from what each person's favorite character was to which Star Ocean game was their favorite.

They kept answering the questions of fans and then said bye but to keep enjoying the party. After a short intermission it was time for the voice actors to get on stage and answer questions from fans. They had a fun time answering the questions and the fans had a great time laughing with them. Shortly after they said bye to the fans but the party kept going. The party kept going for a few more minutes but soon the lights went on and the MC thanked everyone for coming and the launch party was over.

Photos by Star Ocean Twitter 

It was a great event to attend and talk to others that love Star Ocean games and play it while having a drink. Overall Square Enix threw another great event and the fans loved it.