<![CDATA[A-to-J Connections - Event Reports]]>

<![CDATA[A-to-J Connections - Event Reports]]>Wed, 18 Dec 2024 06:24:07 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[5 Days In The Life of A-to-J: An Anime Expo 2024 Recap]]>Mon, 15 Jul 2024 02:23:28 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/event-reports/5-days-in-the-life-of-a-to-j-an-anime-expo-2024-recapBy J.D.

Day 0 (7/3):

Also, my birthday and my cat’s.

I had a birthday breakfast with my family before catching the train to Los Angeles. It took about two hours to make it to Union Station and from there, I caught the Purple Line to 7th and Metro and walked another 15 minutes or so to the hotel where I met up with Manuel.

Over the next few hours, the rest of our roommates and friends came in and the party slowly started which was mostly drinking and singing along to whatever music was playing on the speaker at the time. We also tried to get a game of Jukebox, the karaoke musical that was recommended by Lemar the Con Guy during our interview with him at Anime Los Angeles earlier this year. We got through about four songs before it ended because our other players were too drunk to continue.

Day 1 (7/4):

I woke up early and headed out about 8:45. I arrived at the con center around 9:00 AM which I believe is the time the gates were supposed to open. Anime Expo is (in)famous for being a con that’s all lines. Last year, I waited more than an hour just to get in on day 1. This year, I was able to get in to the con in before 9:15. Is linecon dead? I guess it will take more time to see.

Blue Miburo Premiere

Based on the manga, Blue Wolves of Mibu by Tsuyoshi Yasuda, this was the anime I knew the least about before attending the AX premiere this year.

It tells the tale of a young boy named Nio. One day he meets Hijikata Toshizo and Okita Souji, two ronin from Mibu who would later become founding members of the Shinsengumi. What plays out in the first episode is a fairly standard “Two tough looking guys come into town. Mysterious events are happening and people suspect that they’re part of it” plot that serves more to set up the premise of Nio joining them in hopes of making the world safer for the most vulnerable including children like him.

If I had to pick one word to describe this premiere, it would be “Average”. I can’t think of much that makes it stand out from other historical fiction series but I also can’t think of anything that would turn most people off. At worst, it’s a little too on the nose when characters like Nio are speaking their mind about Japan towards the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the start of the Meiji restoration. I’ll probably watch it just because I think this period in Japanese history is pretty cool.

Conclusion: Give it three episodes

Spin the Wheel

This was a trivia game where two teams of three had to answer anime questions and if they got it correct, they spun the wheel to determine the number of points they got. If neither team got it, the audience got to answer it. I got to answer a question about Uma Musume: Pretty Derby. I’ve never seen the show. I just figured it was the answer to a question about characters named after racehorses. Overall, it was a fun panel but the variable nature of gaining points made for a very swingy game where one team basically had double the points of the other one. I also would have liked for more than two teams getting the chance to play on the stage.

Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League / Suicide Squad Isekai Event

This was another interesting one. It was in the Nova theater in LA Live. There was a short trailer and interview with one of the directors, the character designer and the screenwriter for Batman Ninja vs Yakuza League. It looks like it’s going to be an interesting sequel to the original Batman Ninja that shows Batman and Robin against alternate versions of the Justice League known as the Yakuza League. The poster shows off a version of Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Flash and Aquaman all with yakuza tattoos and Green Lantern using a Japanese chōchin instead of a more traditional lantern.

The main part of this event was dedicated to Suicide Squad Isekai. Episode 1 of the anime was shown dubbed. The first four episodes are currently available on Max and Hulu though at time of writing, only Hulu has the episodes dubbed. This isn’t a review or preview of the episode but I think it was a solid start. I think I’ll have to get used to the new voice of Harley Quinn but the action was good and I really liked this version of Clayface/Basil Karlo. The only thing I could do with less of what felt like obvious name dropping of other WB franchises. Harley mentions being woken up by Tweety Bird, watching every episode of Game of Thrones and thinks the world they’re in is a Lord of the Rings set. One on its own would have been okay but together felt a bit too much.

After the episode, there was talk with the director and producer about the show and the upcoming episodes. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing what is coming next.

Finally, there was a performance of the ending theme “Go-Getters” by the artist Calliope Mori. The song is catchy and getting to hear it live or at least as live as it can be for a VTuber was nice. I just wish the audio had been mixed better for a concert and showing. That was a running theme of the day.

J-Pop Y2K: A Guide to Japanese Pop in the 2000s

Manuel’s panel on the 2000s Japanese pop scene was interesting. He’ll have put the slides up on the site by now so check it out there. Sadly, the dominance of AKB48 and Arashi means we’ll never see a 2010s J-Pop Panel.

Momentary Lily Ep 1 World Premiere

If you thought this was going to change your opinion on studio GoHands, I am sad to report that it will more than likely not do that. I liked K and was willing to give their Tokyo Babylon adaptation a chance before it got canceled. Other than those two, I only really knew GoHands for their reputation as a studio that seems to over-animate and under-direct which leads to the hot mess that is this episode.

In the course of 24 minutes, we’re introduced to six girls each fitting into some broad (no pun intended) archetype like The Leader, the Gyaru, the Gamer, the Big Sister and the Amnesiac. They use cool weapons to fight monsters in the ruins of post-apocalyptic Japan. I’m not entirely sure if the monsters are supposed to be robots or aliens or maybe alien robots but that was lost in the frantic pace this episode moved it.

The main characters also have to scavenge for food in the ruins and have been surviving off the few freeze, dried or packaged foods that haven’t already gone bad. There’s a quick scene where the new girl teaches them to make the food taste better and be more nutritious but it’s over just as quickly as it began thanks to the pacing issues.

After the premiere, I got to talk with friend of the channel MrAJCosplay and we shared many of the same thoughts that you can find in their write up for ANN. The only thing I might add is that the big sister character Erika, due to the excessive amounts of animation, she breasts boobily in a way I don’t think I’ve seen since Highschool of the Dead.

There’s about six months between now and the actual premiere in January so maybe there’s time to turn this around or the later episodes will be a massive improvement over the first. At the moment, I can only suggest you stay away unless you’re the kind of person who likes watching a train wreck in real time.

Conclusion: Skip it.

2.5 Dimensional Seduction Premiere

The third and final premiere of Day 1 also brings the day to a close in the room where it began.

Based on the manga of the same name by Yu Hashimoto, 2.5 Dimensional Seduction is a romcom and a love letter to cosplay and fandom. Main character Masamune Okumura is the president and at the start of the series, only member of his school’s manga club. He is the kind of otaku who proudly and unironically says “2D > 3D.” He is dedicated to his waifu Lilliel and would never consider “cheating” on her.

All of that could change as soon as he meets Ririsa Amano, an aspiring cosplayer who is just as big a fan of Lilliel and asks him to help her with her cosplays and her dream of creating her own cosplay photo CD.

Will Ririsa’s cosplays and general nerdiness finally make Masamune see the appeal of real women? Probably. I don’t think this is going to go off in any unpredictable direction but after two episodes, it’s definitely shaping up to be a fun ride.

If you saw the episode of UPZ where Fangy and I talked about our anime 3x3s, you might remember that I put Girlfriend, Girlfriend on there because I love this kind of slightly ecchi absurd romcom. I was laughing so hard at some of the situations in these episodes and if you have any interest in the kind of series, I suggest you watch it too.

Conclusion: Watch it

Day 2 (7/5):

MangaGamer Q&A with Sayaka Ohara

Sayaka Ohara is one of my favorite Japanese voice actors. I love her performances as Erza in Fairy Tail, Titania in Ancient Magus’ Bride and Yuuko in Tsubasa Chronicles and xxxHolic. This panel focused entirely on Umineko When They Cry so I had very little idea what they were talking about but it was interesting to learn how she was picked for the role of Beatrice and her process of having to act out all the different sides to her personality. She was also joined by the visual novel’s scenario writer and illustrator Ryukishi07 which allowed for an additional prospective on Sayaka’s work in the series. Overall, it was a good panel that probably would have been a great panel if I had known anything about the Umineko. I’ll probably fix that in the near future.

Re:Zero Season 3 World Premiere

If you remember from our recent anime tier list episodes, I love Re:Zero so getting the chance to see the debut of season 3 before anyone else was a chance I leapt at. I had intended to guarantee my spot by going to the Honkai Star Rail panel in the same room beforehand but I underestimated the combined powers of Mihoyo and Trash Taste. That line was cut off probably a long time before I even got to it. I wandered around a bit to kill time until that panel started and immediately returned to the line where I waited for about 90 minutes watching Kiki’s Delivery Service on my iPad.

The first episode of season three, set to premiere worldwide this Fall, is a 90-minute episode that occasionally feels like it might be better as four separate episodes. A while after the end of season 2, Subaru and Emilia are summoned the city of Priestella with the possibility of getting a crystal that can help Emilia achieve her goals. Over the course of the episode, more plotlines are woven in and different things start and stop which is why it might have been better as separate episodes. There’s not enough connecting all these things together but then, at the end of the episode, the stakes for this season are set. If I had been zoning out, the show had my full attention again. I can only hope that it keeps it up for the rest of the season.

Conclusion: Watch it.

This was followed by a Q&A with a few of the voice actors and production staff talking about their thoughts on the show and the upcoming season. It was a lot of fun.

WayForward Developer Panel

My final event of the day was the WayForward panel. I love the Shantae and River City Girls series so I’m always excited to see what they’re cooking up next. This panel went over their most recent games as well as some announcements about and first looks at parts of their upcoming titles and the Double Dragon DLC for River City Girls 2 that adds Billy and Jimmy Lee as playable characters. You can find my rough video recordings on our YouTube channel to see for yourself.

The panel also offered their advice and stories on getting into game devs and working on the projects as they showed them off. They also took time to answer as many fan questions as possible and had a small trivia contest. Sadly, I wasn’t picked for the RCG question I knew because they said I jumped the gun. I really wanted that Mighty Switch Force collection.

They closed off the panel with a special announcement that I won’t spoil here but you can check it out on our YouTube.

Day 3 (7/6):

Kayli Mills Autograph Session

My morning and early afternoon were all taken up by getting autographs from friend of the channel Kayli Mills. I woke up around 6 AM, showered and got to the con around 6:30. There was already a line a decent distance out from the Kisegi Gate. I sat there for a bit before the lines officially opened letting people inside to get into the line for autographs.

Yes, I was in line to get in line for a thing where I would have to wait in another line. I guess LineCon isn’t truly dead. I spent another hour and a half or so in line for the autograph ticket and got ticket #40 for Kayli’s signing. That was about 9:30 or so for a signing that started at 11:30. I decided to walk around a little bit before heading back to the hotel room for a short rest and to check in with my roommates most of whom hadn’t been awake when I left.

About 10:45, I left the hotel room for the JW Marriot where the signings were being held this year. Like I mentioned before, there was another line to get Kayli’s autograph but this was at least in an air-conditioned room that wasn’t packed with people so that hour or so was okay. I watched just watched so videos on my phone. When I finally made it to the front, I got my copy of River City Girls 2 signed along with my poster from the same game and my acrylic standee of Kayli’s character Misako.

Finally, I purchased a print of Kayli’s character Alice from Sword Art Online for Manuel because she’s his favorite SAO girl and he just “loves” having Kayli voice his favorite character as seen in our recent YouTube short. I immediately headed back to the hotel to give him his present and rest up before returning to the Marriot for the next event.

Oshi no Ko Season 2 Special Showing

This event was a presentation of episodes 1 and 2 of the second season of Oshi no Ko. I hadn’t watched the series until about a week before the convention and while I’m not the series biggest fan, I still wanted to see this.

We were let in really early and the place packed up almost immediately. It was so hot and I was so far back that I had trouble seeing the screen until some of the people in front of me either moved seats or left.

This season starts off right where season 1 left off with the beginning of rehearsals for the Tokyo Blade stage play that Aqua, Kana and Akane all have roles in. These first two episodes also dived into the logistics and behind the scenes happenings of the player which all came to a head when the original mangaka for Tokyo Blade showed up and got into disagreements with the production team.

It’s great drama and comedy but it occasionally feels a bit too heavy with exposition and like with season 1, it feels a bit too much when it’s Aqua being exposited at when another, less experienced character in the same scene would work better. I don’t think this ruins the episode but for me, it keeps it from reaching the same heights that it seems to hit for other people.

There was also a Q&A with the second season producer Shimpei Yamashita and the voice of Ruby, Yurie Igoma. I found it awkward that she was there promoting these episodes because Ruby only has a handful of lines in these two episodes but she was still oozing enthusiasm for the role and the upcoming episodes.

Finally, there was a giveaway based on the cards people were given when they came in the room. When it was announced, a decent chunk of the room, myself included, expressed confusion. I think in the process of letting us in early, they hadn’t had time to hand them out. It sucks for those who didn’t get the chance but I wasn’t terribly bothered. The prizes were a copy of season 1 on Blu-ray, the first volume of the manga and signed shikishi boards from just about every major Japanese cast member. In a happy coincidence, the winner was a cosplayer dressed as Ai so at least there’s a happy ending to this story.

Early Idols & City Pop: Music of the Showa Era

Despite the title sounding like it, this was not another of Manuel’s panels. It was another one that attempted to condense around 70 years of history into 80 minutes. Because of that, I think it was a bit too surface level look at the topic but as an introduction, it was pretty good even if I think Manuel would dispute some of the facts presented.

J-Pop Idols of the 1980s: The Golden Age of Show Era Pop

Manuel’s panel right after the previous one. Because it was restricted to one decade, it was able to focus more on some of the trends that popped up and some of the people involved. Manuel’s style is a bit more chaotic but still a bit easier to follow. He’s probably also posted the slides on our website so you can check that out now if you want to see the actual content.

After that, we all headed back to the hotel room and they partied while I was kinda just there. I don’t really drink or party and too many conversations going on at the same time wear me out pretty quickly so I just put my AirPods in and laid down.

Day 4 (7/7):

The next morning was mostly preparing for the trip back home. I packed up just about everything I could and cleaned up the room with the others.

Charity Auction

Just like with Anime Boston, this was my final event of Anime Expo. Sadly, there’s no audience participation catchphrase for me to yell here so nobody knows me. There were a lot of cool items like signed copies of games, game mat, skateboards and drawings by guest artists. There was even a signed shikishi that went for $4000. I was lucky to get four One Piece wanted posters for Robin, Chopper, Mihawk and Crocodile for $150. That was a steal in comparison.

And with that, my Anime Expo ended. I headed back to the hotel to pick up my luggage and headed for the train station to head home.

You can check out a different take of these events over on Ultra Podcast Z, linked below for your convenience.

]]><![CDATA[Anime Boston 2024 Report & Breakdown]]>Mon, 08 Apr 2024 04:33:54 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/event-reports/anime-boston-2024-report-breakdownBy J.D.

Intro

Anime Boston, my favorite big anime convention. This was my fifth time going after going in 2016, 2017, 2022 and 2023. It’s always nice to go and see some of my friends from college/Tora-Con. This time, it was the week after Tora-Con so I had seen most of them just recently.

There are a lot of different things I could possibly cover about this con but I thought it might be interesting to break down my experience event by event to show what going to a con is like for me. It was a new experience writing this all down so I hope you enjoy it.

Day One

Anime Musical Panel

It’s always interesting going to a panel before Opening Ceremonies. I’ve seen a few anime musicals because of my friend Andrew so it was cool to see the Prince of Tennis and Death Note I saw because of him mentioned. I liked that this panel went way back about a century when discussing adaptations of newspaper manga, how Takarazuka Revue and their adaptations of manga/anime including The Rose of Versailles shaped the modern industry or how basically every major male actor in Japan has probably been in the Prince of Tennis musical at least once.

It also showed me places where I can legally watch these online and got me looking forward to the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood musical adaptation coming out with Mamoru Miyano as Dio. This was a great start to a convention.

Opening Ceremonies

The opening ceremonies this year were the same as previous years. The two convention mascots, A-chan and B-kun, the con chair and vice chair all welcomed attendees to the con and introduced the guests including English guests, Japanese guests and musical acts. I really liked this bit from the English voice actor guests’ introductions:

Every other guest: This is my first time (as a guest) at Anime Boston
Michelle Ruff: This is my second time at Anime Boston
Greg Ayres: This is my 19th time at Anime Boston. [Editor’s Note: There have only been like 20 Anime Boston cons]

At the end, they realized there was one guest left to introduce and the audience was greeted to a surprise performance by BABYBEARD. They performed three songs including “Papaya”. I’m not entirely into their kind of music but it was definitely an interesting teaser of what they’d be performing at their concert later in the con.

They also let guests know about some of the other big events including the first drag show at Anime Boston.

Lunch Break

I met up with my friend Nick in the tabletop gaming/autograph space and we formed a team to play Wits & Wagers.

If you haven’t played this game before, here’s a quick rundown:

Someone reads off a question with a numerical answer like “What is the combined bounty of the Strawhat Pirates as of Chapter 1111?”
Teams/Players all submit their guesses.
Those guesses are placed on the wager mat from lowest to highest.
Teams/Players bet on which guess they think is closest without going over Price is Right style. There is also a “Lower Than the Lowest Guess” option. Teams/players always have at least two $100 chips they can bet with and earn more for successful wagers.
The correct answer is read out and whoever bet on the closest guest wins more chips. Bets pay out larger amounts the further they are away from the center.
Repeat for seven rounds.
At the end, the team/player with the most money wins.

I had just helped my friend Andrew run two themed versions of this game at Tora-Con the weekend before Anime Boston: One was Nintendo. The other theme was Shonen Jump. I expected another anime themed one and was kind of disappointed when we were just playing the regular version of the game.

There’s still a lot of fun to be had as people who know next to nothing about the topic try to guess. I think we all underestimated how many movies Martin Scorsese had released before The Departed. We randomly pulled that question but it was very fitting for Anime Boston. Nick and I went from last to second place in the Final Round by betting it all on “Lower Than the Lowest Guess” for “How old was Oprah when she first appeared as a news anchor?”

Kira Buckland Autograph Attempt #1

Since I was already in the autograph area and had some time to kill before the next panel, I decided to see if I could get Kira Buckland’s autograph. I love their work especially in River City Girls and was looking to get my copy of River City Girls 2 and the poster I got with it signed. I spent about 40 minutes waiting but the line wasn’t moving fast enough for me to get the autographs and make it to the next panel so I left to meet up with Nick and his brother Ben.

Draft Choices

This was a game I’d never seen before but according to Nick and Ben, they have played it at a previous year’s Anime Boston. Two players are given nine options and a property on which they will be sorted by like “Number of episodes” or “earliest premiere date.” The players then pick two each snake draft style. First player picks one. Second player picks two and finally, the first player picks another one. The options are then revealed from last to first and points are awarded to the players based on where their choices rank. (Last = 1 point, 2nd to last = 2 points, etc.). The person with the most points at the end wins.

I watched the first round to get a feel for the game before joining the second round. Its category was “number of manga volumes released as of Feb 2024”. Of the nine presented, my opponent and I picked the top four. I was lucky enough that my opponent didn’t know that Golgo 13 is the manga with the most volumes at 212 right now and I forgot that there are actually more volumes of One Piece than Detective Conan so I was worried that I wouldn’t win until the very end. For winning the round, I got a pin and a $20 Amazon gift card. Nick and Ben also played and won so we got a sort of friend’s hat trick.

Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night Premiere

I got to the room early and caught the end of the film Blue Giant. I only watched about 20 minutes but it seemed really good so I’ll definitely have to check out the whole thing later.

From Doga Kobo, the studio that brought you Oshi no Ko, comes a new original anime Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night. I don’t think the start of this got much fanfare. I was looking at my phone for a second and then, the episode was already playing without an introduction. Maybe I just zoned out.

Anyway, from the first two episodes, it seems the show is about who you are and who you want to be and how that interacts with society’s expectations of people. Mahiru Kōzuki is a lapsed artist who is doing her best to be a normal

While seeing an idol perform in front of a mural she designed, she almost yells out to the idol to stop blocking the mural of a jellyfish but decides against it. Luckily for her, another member of crowd, Kano Yamanouchi, does it for her because she also loves that mural. Mahiru follows Kano and eventually, they get to talking. Kano is a former idol who left her group after a scandal but it looking to make a comeback as the anonymous artist JELEE inspired by the Mahiru’s mural.

Kano asks Mahiru to team up with her to do art for her music. Mahiru is hesitant at first but later agrees. She notes that apparently, jellyfish can’t swim or shine on their own but with Kano, maybe she can shine as well.

Episode 2 introduces us to a new character Mei, a fan of Kano’s idol work who doesn’t like this new direction Kano’s music is taking. Since we’re past the basic setup in episode 1, I won’t go very deep into it but Mei also has her own issues relating to who she is really and who the people around her want her to be to fit in. She also plays piano and arranges music so JELEE see a possible new member in Mei.

I find myself liking Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night but I don’t know what kind of show this is after two episodes and I’m not entirely sure the show does either. Episode 1 feels more like a dramedy while episode 2 seems waver back and forth between that and full-on rapid-fire comedy. There are also some weird jumps between episodes that I had to wonder if either they hadn’t shown episode 2 or if I had just somehow completely missed something in episode 1.

I’ll probably watch this all the way through no matter what just because that’s what I do but most people might want to apply the three-episode rule.

Verdict: Give It Three Episodes

Kaho Q&A

I think this was the only time at all of Anime Boston that I actually used my Press status to get ahead in line. Kaho’s so popular that I just wanted to make sure I was in the room. She was kind enough to let all the press record it. It also seemed like she was streaming it to her Twitch but I don’t know how long that video will be available. I’ll have a transcript of my recording later but here are a few of the highlights:

She talked about her collaborations with Connor (CDawgVA) and how there are a few that have already been recorded but still unreleased.
She also mentioned that maybe he’s planned as a model for the BL posing book that she talked about in our interview with her at ALA 2024. [Here's that interview.]
She talked more about the JAV industry and her time in it, how it compared with her previous work in sports journalism and the advice she would give her younger self as she was starting in the industry.
She also talked about her first time in Boston and how she wanted to eat lobster, Dunkin’ Donuts and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Someone suggested she get the Boston Kreme donut.

And with that, Day One of Anime Boston came to an end for me.

Day Two

I was really excited for Day Two of the convention because it had some of the biggest events including our press panels with Yukana and Queen Bee and the Masquerade. Since I was confused myself for nearly two years, the Masquerade is the costume contest not a costumed dance. Anime Boston does have a semi-formal ball which was at the same time as the Masquerade.

Yukana Press Panel

I was really looking forward to this because I love her work especially in Code Geass and Cardcaptor Sakura but sadly, like Manuel, this got canceled so, I needed something else to do with my morning.

Dunkin’ Donuts Breakfast

Well, I was hungry and inspired by Kaho’s Q&A the night before, I decided to grab breakfast at Dunkin’. I got one of their bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches on a croissant since I had a bunch of those during Tora-Con and a donut as well. This place was packed. It’s not much bigger than a small mall shop but because it’s right by the main entrance to the Hynes Convention Center, staff and congoers were all here trying to get food early morning.

I had some time to kill and dropping into video rooms or AMVs is always a good way to pass the time and maybe find a series or an AMV maker that you like. Since the contest was just starting, I decided to drop in on that and due to some technical difficulties, I didn’t miss anything despite being late.

This year’s entries by category.

Listed as “Name by Maker – Song/Audio Source – Anime”
Category winners underlined. My personal favorites in categories are underlined and other awards are noted in parenthesis.

Trailer/Commercial

Typhoon by Silvercoat – Dune Trailer Audio – Trigun Stampede
Shion’s Gambit by SpuddStaaa – The Queen’s Gambit Trailer Audio – Shion no Ou
Mentos the Frog Slayer by Toon Addict Productions – “Fresh Goes Better” by John Groves – Reborn as a Vending Machine, I Now Wander the Dungeon
Izuku Midoriya Takes Off by MadMegatax – Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Trailer – My Hero Academia
Dear Silent Voices by hamstar138 – Dear Even Hansen Trailer Audio – A Silent Voice

Drama

Bloodlines by Rider4Z – “I’m Comin’ Home” by Aloe Blacc & AG – 91 Days
Destiny by Pyrothemusical – “The Arena” by Lindsey Stirling – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Real Ais Realize Real Lies by KeiichiFace – “Only Acting” by Kero Kero Bonito – Oshi no Ko
Save Me be Lelani – “Mayday” by Culture Code ft. Natalie Major – Belle
The Storyteller’s Burden by Seasaltmemories – “When We Were Close” by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu (Best Concept)

Action

Battle of the Sexes by Lelani – “Eye of the Tiger” by Tommee Profitt – Salaryman’s Club and Hanebado (Best Editing)
Kickstart My Heart by Takeshi – “Kickstart My Heart” by Mötley Crüe– Fatal Fury
Burning with Pride by Violet Skies – “Picante” by Galxara – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
angsty metal by Silent Hero – “Song 2” by Blur – FLCL
The Phantom Cuts by James Blond – “Golden Touch” by Jaxson Gamble – Noragami

Romance/Sentimental

Found x Family by Violet Skies – “Hypnotize Me” by Taylor Berrett – Spy x Family
Jurassic Voyage by Opner – “Mountain Sound” by Of Monsters and Men – Doraemon: Nobita’s Dinosaur 2006
Steal the Show by Tyken – “Steal the Show” by Lauv – My Dress-Up Darling (Coordinator’s Choice)
A Life in Pictures by Nuke – “Going Home” by Tom Day – Portrait Studio
Chiaroscuro by AdventLostKaichou – “Colors” by Halsey – Princess Tutu

Upbeat

A Love Letter To Ballroom by ResyAMV – “Dancing’s Not a Crime” by Panic! At the Disco – Welcome to the Ballroom
Memento Mori by Dragon Girl Sam – “What a Time to Be Alive” by Fall Out Boy – Zom100: Bucket List of the Dead (Judge’s Choice)
Double Take by BecauseImBored1 – “No Excuses” by Meghan Trainor – Various Anime [80] (Best in Show)
Miss Everything by Nashironeko – “Miss Nothing” by The Pretty Reckless – Bocchi the Rock!
Disco Expansion: Infinite Rizz – “Feels Like” by Outasight – Jujutsu Kaisen

Other

Military Grade Top Surgery by PieandBeer – “Autocorrect (Clean version)” by Kongos – Cyberpunk Edgerunners
Kidnapped [My Past] by Csaba Vasas – “Modern Love” by WARGASM – Various Anime [9]
Run Makoto Run by Qwaga – “Stop the Rock” by Apollo 440 – Various Anime [45] (Also my choice for Best in Show)
Choose Your Fighter! By HaloKami Productions – “Choose Your Fighter” by Ava Max – Demon Slayer Kimetsu no Yaiba (Made in New England Award)
Classic Actress by l33tmeatwad – “Classic” by MKTO – Millennium Actress

Fun/Comedy

Use My Code For 15% Off This AMV by Ileia & DrDino – “Just Wanna Rock” by Lil Uzi Vert; Original audio- Various Anime [9]
Haunted Hijinks by drewaconclusion – “Trick or Treat (For Halloween)” by The Mellomen – Various Anime [17]
You Can (Not) Repress It! By SailorTardis – “Repress It!” by Tom Cardy – Neon Genesis Evangelion
Imagination Academy – “Space Girl” by Blue Monster and Bikki – Spy x Family and Macross Frontier
A Million Dollars by Matthew Stanton – “If I had $1000000” by Barenaked Ladies – Laid Back Camp

Overall, these AMVs were all pretty good. Check them out if they sound interesting.

Whisper Me a Love Song Premiere

The second and final premiere I attended of Anime Boston was for the anime series Whisper Me A Love Song. Based on the manga series by Eku Takeshima and produced by Cloud Hearts and Yokohama Animation Laboratory, this anime will premiere on April 14, 2024.

This is a yuri anime. I’ve never really watched a lot of yuri anime so this was an interesting watch. I think that because it has a source material to build off of, this show doesn’t have the same problem I had with Jellyfish the day before where I wasn’t really sure what kind of show it wanted to be. Here, I can tell from the start that this is the story of the blooming relationship between two young girls: Himari Kino and Yori Asanagi.

To start off my thoughts, I have a question to ask you. You may have heard it before: Would you believe in a love at first sight?

Yes, I’m certain that it happens all the time.

Ok. Now, that I’ve gotten The Beatles references out of the way. Let’s talk about this show.

The two both fall for each other at first sight when Himari sees Yori sing and play guitar for the school’s light music club band at the first day of school.

Wait, sorry. There seems to have been some miscommunications on their part. It seems Himari only fell for Yori’s musical talents and not romantically. But, by this point, Yori’s also in love with her and determined to make Himari feel the same.

Overall, it’s a cute show with nice art and I like the visual stylings to the transitions between certain scenes. And by the end of episode, it looks like things might be moving much faster than I expected from other romance shows I’ve watched. I’m definitely looking forward to watching the rest of this.

Verdict: Watch It

Lunch Break

Since I didn’t have any restriction on my food today, I went to Anna’s Taqueria in the Prudential Center connected to the Hynes and got a chicken burrito. It wasn’t as bad as Dunkin’ in the morning but the place still had a lot of people making it a bit difficult to get my order taken. There were a few mistakes but it was still a pretty good burrito. With a Coke and added guacamole, it came out to around $16.

Queen Bee Press Panel

While I was waiting for this panel to start, I had two people come up and talk to me because they recognized me as the “Banzai!” guy from AB’s charity auction. I’ll explain what that means later.

I would once again like to bully Manuel for misleading me. Every time he’s talked to me about these kinds of panels, he tells me there will be like 50 people there and I’ll never get a word in. Here, at least, there were only three outlets covering it so I ran out of questions pretty quickly. I know better for next time.

Like with Kaho’s panel, I got to record this and will have the transcription later after it’s been approved by their management. I will say that I look forward to their shows held underwater and in space.

Kira Buckland Autograph Attempt #2

I had a few hours to kill before the Masquerade and luckily for me, Kira Buckland was holding a signing about 30 minutes after the Queen Bee presser ended. The line was shorter than the previous day and moved more quickly so I was able to get my game and poster signed at the cost of $80. Sadly, because I had trouble folding it properly, my poster is starting to tear. Hopefully, I can get it signed by Kayli Mills and then, put it in a frame before it is completely ruined.

Anime Boston Family Feud

I tried to join Nick and Ben in a panel but couldn’t get in because the line was too long and got cut off. I might have been able to jump the line with my press pass but I decided to find something else instead.

History of Kyoto Animation

Takeaway: Tamako Market is better than people give it credit for and you should watch it.

I like a couple KyoAni series with Free as my favorite but I don’t know much about the studio itself so this was an informative panel especially about the early days. I didn’t the role of housewives doing animation work and how many of them formed Kyoto Animation or much about their early works like Noroi no Onepiece or Munto. The panel also discussed the 2019 arson attack on the studio which killed 36 people, the outpour of support towards everyone affected and how it shaped the studio as it now stands.

If I could fault them for one thing, it’s that some times they would make big claims like “K-On! was an industry-changing classic” without really providing anything to really back that up. It’s not that I don’t believe them but like, a quote from people in the industry saying how K-On! changed the way anime was made would have made it better. There was also a weird bit where they said A Silent Voice had no previous property directly after saying it was adapted from a manga but I assume they just meant “no previous anime.”

Masquerade

In previous years, Anime Boston has used tickets to control the lines for the Masquerade. Congoers could pick up a ticket on Saturday morning to guarantee a seat either on the floor level or the balcony level. This year, they did away with that meaning I had to show up about an hour early.

I decided to get a seat on the balcony and got the back corner seat. All throughout the convention, there were QR codes to scan for little visual novel skits and items for congoer’s customizable avatars. Because the balcony is so high, the rigging for the lights on the auditorium stage made it impossible to properly scan the QR code. Luckily for us, one person took a photo of the code was came around to let us all scan it. That person is a hero. Later, they printed it out and came around holding it as well.

Anyway, back to the Masquerade. It has two portions: the Craftsmanship competition and the Performances competition. Both have four divisions: Youth, Novice, Intermediate and Master which all have separate awards.

Craftsmanship is first up. Contestants are introduced and walk across the stage showing off their cosplay for the judges. There are always a few Final Fantasy and Monster Hunter armor sets along with other anime and game characters. This year even had two Claudes from Fire Emblem: Three Houses and two different Link armor set cosplays from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom but the thing I was most impressed by was the cosplay of the boy and the heron from well… The Boy and the Heron. The heron was essentially a puppet another cosplayer controlled using strings. It was impressive to see and absolutely deserved its best prop win. After they’ve all walked off, the Performance section begins and the Craftsmanship judges go backstage to look more closely at the cosplays and decide on winners.

If there’s an exact order to performances, I’m not entirely sure what it is other than maybe when they entered. These are generally song and/or dance numbers or pre-recorded skits acted out on stage. There were too many to talk about all of them here so I’ll just go over a few that I thought were worth talking about.

The first of these skits and one I really liked was of Iida from My Hero Academia dancing using a machine created by Mei Hatsumei that started malfunctioning making it go on longer than intended. It was a lot of fun and I was happy to see it win a Judge’s Award at the end.

Speaking of dancing, another performance was of Adam from Sk8 the Infinity dancing to “The Masochism Tango”. It was a very interesting performance but I think it would have worked better as an actual tango with a partner as another character from Sk8. (Side Note: I’m not entirely sure the song is in the right time signature for a tango)

Another one I really liked was Smash This Gym Up where the Wii Fit Trainer competed in an aerobic exercise/dance competition. I think it really managed to convey that well through both the video displayed behind the competitor and the dancing they did. I was glad to see it win the Intermedia Division.

There was an “interesting” song number with the singer dressed as Mikasa from Attack on Titan. I say “interesting” because I think it might have spoiled part of the ending for anyone who hadn’t seen it yet. Sorry to those who got a great ending spoiled for them.

In another skit performance, Trucy Wright was looking for a key piece of evidence for Phoenix and Apollo. It incorporated some magic tricks and used video from the games to illustrate the world beyond the stage. I was glad to see this take second place in Masters.

1 million Gruesome Ways to Die – A Death Note Parody was fun. It was just a few Death Note cosplayers singing the song “A Million Gruesome Ways to Die” from the game Billie Bust Up! In the context of Light going over all the ways he could kill L. Really funny and really great singing. I was glad to see it take second place in Intermediate.

With the Performance competition done, there were a short set by Exhibition performers Perfect Trio Project doing a few songs by the Love Live Sunshine Aquors subunit Guilty Kiss. I might just be biased because I like anything with Yoshiko/Yohane in it but I thought they were pretty good.

With all the performances out of the way, the judges still needed time to decide the winners so they showed us the AMV contest winners. Like I said in that section, not really any videos I didn’t like just occasionally a few I liked more than the winners. See the AMV Contest section for more.

After that, it was time to announce the winners and when that was done, it was time for me to head back to my friend’s place to get ready for the final day of the convention.

Day Three

Dunkin’ Donuts Breakfast

Well, it worked the first time. Might as well do it again. I got another bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich and a Boston Kreme donut ($8.22). Still just as good. Thankfully the place wasn’t nearly as packed as it was the day before.

Charity Auction

The charity auction held on Sunday is one of my favorite events at Anime Boston. I love seeing all the cool stuff they have for auction and how fiercely some people will bid for it. Plus, it raises money for the National MS Society.

So, time to explain why those two, Harvey and Emily, know me as the “banzai guy”. At the auction, when someone bids exactly $50 on an item, the crowd is supposed to yell, “Yatta!” For every hundred-dollar amount between $100 and $900, the crowd is supposed to yell “Banzai!” and for every even thousand amount someone bids, the crowd yells “Sugoi!”

The auction starts at 9:30 AM and goes for about three hours. I don’t drink coffee and generally don’t have caffeine before 11 AM at the earliest so I don’t know how I manage to have the energy to be the person cheering loudest and doing that for the entirety of the event. It just kind of happens.

Nick and Ben showed up for a second but they were going to bingo instead (I swear we’re not as old as we sound.) so I was instead joined by another friend of mine Ian and a different friend’s dad (not pictured).

Here’s a few memorable items:
The first pick of Artist Alley table for Anime Boston 2025 - $1850. In previous years, this has gone for about double that price but this year, there was only one person bidding on it in the room so congrats to you. You’re probably going to make yourself a lot of money next year.

Godzilla signed picture - $666. A signed picture of Haruo Nakajima, the first suit actor for Godzilla. My friend Ian wanted this one really badly but he was already above what he thought he could afford and he thought that a $666 bid winning on Easter Sunday was too fun to beat.

Anime Boston Lifetime Pass - $2000. At around $100 for a weekend pass and prices more than likely going up a few times in the future, that will probably pay for itself in 10-15 years. Let’s hope that Anime Boston lasts that long. Last year, this went for $2800. I know because my friend’s dad won it for her last year.

Azumanga Daioh animation cell - $275. Seemed more like a storyboard but I’m not very knowledgeable on the animation process. Still, it’s a cool piece of anime history. Past years have had other cells from Cardcaptor Sakura and Detective Conan as well.

Lunch Break

I’m a creature of habit so I decided to go back to Anna’s Taqueria and get another burrito. This time I got a Mexican Coke ($15.11) and opened it with my handy Oathbringer bottle opener I got from my Year of Sanderson subscription.

I still had time to kill so I wandered around vendors and artists alley without finding anything I really had to buy before settling in line for closing ceremonies.

Closing Ceremonies

As its name implies, Closing Ceremonies is similar to opening ceremonies but instead of saying hello, it’s saying so long to the convention as it ends. There’s talk about and footage from the cool events that went on. All the guests who are still there come out to say goodbye and hope they’ll be back for more.

There was a performance from the winner of the karaoke contest. I think it was a city pop song but I couldn’t recognize it. I don’t think the audio was set up properly for music and singing. The Berklee College of Music, which is right by the convention center, has an anime band and this year they dropped into closing ceremonies to play two songs. I could only recognize “The Rumbling” from Attack on Titan but both songs sounded as good as they could with the way the audio was set up. Next time, I’ll remember to bring earplugs.

The wrap up of the con, they talked about how the auction and other charitable events raised more than $20k. They also talked about next year. Every year of Anime Boston has some theme and next year’s is “Something to Look Forward To?” What could it be? The sweet release of death? Sure, if that’s what you want it to be. Also, please seek help.

The last thing before the credits rolled was another showing of the AMV Contest winners. Everyone around me stayed seated for that so I watched them again and left when the credits started.

After The Con

With that, my Anime Boston 2024 was done. I headed back to my friend’s place and we got dinner at a BBQ joint near his apartment. I got a hot chicken and waffles sandwich which other than the soggy waffle was really good. The next day, I flew back to California and got back to my normal schedule.

So, that’s my Anime Boston experience in a nutshell. For those of you that haven’t gone to Anime Boston or maybe even a convention in general, I hope this has given you an idea of what your time there could be like. Maybe, I’ve even sold you on attending what is my favorite big convention. Hope to see you all next year.

]]><![CDATA[Bushiroad 15th Anniversary Pop-Up Shop Opens In LA]]>Sat, 17 Dec 2022 23:17:35 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/event-reports/bushiroad-15th-anniversary-pop-up-shop-opens-in-la

Bushiroad recently announced that a pop-up store commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the iconic brand will be held in Los Angeles. A variety of merchandise, from various Bushiroad titles, will be available so fans will probably want to head to the new pop-up, detailed below, as soon as possible!

Bushiroad 15th Anniversary POP-UP Shop in LA Details:
The Bushiroad 15th Anniversary POP-UP Shop in Los Angeles commemorates 15 years since the start of Bushiroad. This pop-up event will feature exclusive merchandise from various Bushiroad IP’s such as “BanG Dream!”, “D4DJ”, “from ARGONAVIS”, “Revue Starlight”, “Cardfight!! Vanguard” and “Weiß Schwarz”.

Exclusive promotional items will also be distributed during this pop-up event, with different types being distributed each week.

■ Event Information
• Event Date:
o Start: December 16, 2022
o End: January 8, 2023
• Location:
o 319 E. 2nd St #115, Los Angeles, CA 90012
• Business Hours:
o Sunday to Friday: 12:00pm - 7:00pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
o Saturday: 12:00pm - 8:00pm

For More Information:
en.bushiroad.com/bushiroad-15th-anniversary-pop-up-shop-in-la

Exclusive Merhandise Details:
Exclusive merchandises not yet available on the Bushiroad Global Online Store and convention events will first be sold at this event. In addition to that, a presale of the “2023 Power Up Sets” from Weiß Schwarz will also available.

• [Weiss Schwarz EN] BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Cheering★Collection
• [Weiss Schwarz EN] Power Up Set: Kill la Kill
• [Weiss Schwarz EN] Power Up Set: The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi
• [Weiss Schwarz EN] Power Up Set: Log Horizon

Customers who purchase any of the following products listed above will be eligible to receive 1 copy of the corresponding promo cards shown below while supplies last.

＜What is “Bushiroad”?＞
Bushiroad is an IP Development company known for developing “Cardfight!! Vanguard”, “Weiß Schwarz”, “BanG Dream!”, “D4DJ”, various character merchandise, and other smartphone applications around the world.

Bushiroad Global Official Website: https://en.bushiroad.com/
Bushiroad Global Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/BushiroadGlobal
Bushiroad Global Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bushiroad/
Bushiroad Global Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushiroad_global/

]]><![CDATA[“MixBox Meets MyAnimeList” Collaboration Booth At Anime NYC 2022]]>Tue, 08 Nov 2022 16:56:25 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/event-reports/mixbox-meets-myanimelist-collaboration-booth-at-anime-nyc-2022

Anime NYC 2022 is just around the corner and the event announcements keep rolling out! Below are details regarding the booth run by MixBox and MyAnimeList and all that you can do over the course of the three-day convention. Check it out and look forward for more from Anime NYC!

MixBox, the popular anisong streaming platform that allows you to connect with other fans around the world in real time, will run a joint booth with MyAnimeList at Anime NYC 2022 from November 18 to 20, 2022. At the booth, visitors will be able to enjoy the following special activities:

1. MixBox Music + Photo Spot
Come listen to some great anisong tunes and take a moment to recharge between events. Don't forget to snap a photo with Lan Amane, the official MixBox navigator, and grab a special can badge before supply runs out!

2. Anime Music Quiz
Put your anime knowledge to the test! Listen to opening and ending songs and guess which anime they are from to win prizes.

3. Music Box Activity
Recreate popular anime songs as charming music box melodies ♫ Punch holes into our do-it-yourself song strips and then feed them into a music box to play the notes. Take the song strips home as a souvenir or to play in your own music box.

We will be creating music box melodies for the following songs:

● Snow Halation (from Love Live! School Idol Project by μ’s)
● STORYSEEKER (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 2 Ending by STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION)

Don't miss special messages from some of your favorite Bandai Namco Music Live artists, such as Ryo Takashi a.k.a Void_Chords and Mirai Akari, with digital gifts and content you can only enjoy at the MixBox meets MyAnimeList booth!

Booth Information
Event: MixBox meets MyAnimeList at Anime NYC
Venue: Booth #547 at Javits Center (New York, NY USA)
Date: November 18th, 19th, and 20th, 2022
For more about Anime NYC, please visit: https://animenyc.com/

About MixBox:
MixBox is a streaming platform by Bandai Namco Music Live that will keep you connected 24/7! Enjoy a variety of video contents while listening to artists belonging to the Lantis / Purple One Star label—all for free. Use the comment function to connect and chat with anime song fans around the world in real time. Lan Amane supports the service as its official Navigator. For more about MixBox, please visit: https://mixbox.live/

About MyAnimeList:
MyAnimeList is one of the world’s largest anime and manga communities, with comprehensive databases maintained by its passionate user base. The website allows members to track their viewing progress, rate and discuss titles, write reviews, and discover new works through various community-driven features. With over 18 million monthly active users from more than 200 different countries, MyAnimeList is an essential resource for the international anime and manga fan. For more about MyAnimeList, please visit: https://myanimelist.net/

]]><![CDATA["That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime" Special Event at Anime NYC Announced]]>Tue, 25 Oct 2022 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/event-reports/that-time-i-got-reincarnated-as-a-slime-special-event-at-anime-nyc-announced

Anime NYC is always a big draw as far as east coast conventions go and a huge event centered around the anime series "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime" was recently announced. Check out all the details below!

To celebrate the theatrical release of the film "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime" (Also known as “Ten-sura”), will hold a special event at Anime NYC with producers Kouhei Eguchi and Mika Iwahashi from Eight Bit Co., Ltd. and producer Mr. Kondo from Bandai Namco Film Works. In addition to this panel talk about “Ten-sura,” there will be a mini concert afterwards with theme song performers MindaRyn and STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION. And what's more, those who attend the event will get an exclusive sneak peek preview of the film, provided by Crunchyroll!

Event Information
Event: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Special Event at Anime NYC
Date: November, 19, 2022
Venue: Javits Center (New York, NY USA)
Time: From 11:15 am to 1:15 pm
Event website: https://animenyc.com/that-time-i-got-reincarnated-as-a-slime-special-event/

This event is free to attend with an Anime NYC badge. VIP tickets which come with a special present and premium seating will also be available to purchase.

VIP Tickets
Price: $45
To enter the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Special Event on November 19 at Anime NYC, a Saturday or 3-Day Badge to Anime NYC is also required. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Special Event tickets will not be mailed and must be picked up at Anime NYC. Additional pick up details will be emailed in the month before Anime NYC. VIP tickets include premium seating in front of the stage, a collectible amenity (printed smartphone stand), and an autograph session with MindaRyn and STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION.

Purchase the VIP tickets on the following website:
https://purchase.growtix.com/eh/Anime_NYC_2022

"That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Panel" Speakers:

Kouhei Eguchi

Producer at Eight Bit Co., Ltd.
He is a utility player who is familiar with all aspects of animation production and can take the lead or play a supporting role. He worked on That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond as an animation producer.

Mika Iwahashi

Producer at Eight Bit Co., Ltd.
A trusted producer by the other Eight Bit staff who is known for handling productions with much care and thought. She worked on That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Scarlet Bond as a line producer.

Bungo Kondo

Producer at Bandai Namco Filmworks.
Oversees a production team of over 20 staff as a general manager while producing the anime That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime as an executive producer. As a producer, his main works include IDOLiSH7, Macross Delta, and Black Rock Shooter.

"That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime" Concert Performers:

MindaRyn is a Thai anisong singer who gained popularity through her anisong cover videos, and her YouTube channel has nearly 1 million subscribers. She made her major debut in Japan last year, and her latest single “Like Flames” music video has been viewed over 4 million times on YouTube. Her long-awaited 4th Single “Daylight” will be released on February 23, 2022!

STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION is a sound-making project by R.O.N., who is active in many fields such as songwriting/composition/arrangement for anime soundtracks and producing music for other artists. The project was named after the idea of diving into the stereo sound source. R.O.N., a multi-talented musician who can play any kind of instrument, is a sound artisan with a powerful sense of melody and a track-making style that utilizes futuristic synth work.

]]><![CDATA[Crunchyroll Expo Announces BURNOUT SYNDROMES to Headline Music Fest Alongside Guests from "The Rising of The Shield Hero"]]>Thu, 16 Jun 2022 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/event-reports/crunchyroll-expo-announces-burnout-syndromes-to-headline-music-fest-alongside-guests-from-the-rising-of-the-shield-hero

Crunchyroll Expo recently announced several new guests including the hit Japanese rock group BURNOUT SYNDROMES, who will headline the New Crunchy City Music Fest, alongside an exciting slate of guests from the action/adventure anime "The Rising of the Shield Hero".

The poetic lyrics and electric melodies of J-Rock group BURNOUT SYNDROMES have powered the opening themes for beloved anime titles including three consecutive seasons of Haikyu!!, the opening theme for Dr. STONE, and the ending theme to Gintama. Burnout Syndromes will headline one of the mainstage performances at the New Crunchy City Music Fest alongside the previously announced progressive J-Pop group ATARASHII GAKKO!.

We at A-to-J Connections have been lucky enough to interview BURNOUT SYNDROMES back in 2020 and that interview can be found HERE!

The New Crunchy City Music Fest is a new experience for attendees of Crunchyroll Expo and will feature three days of performances from a mix of local and international artists. Access to the New Crunchy City Music Fest is included free with tickets to Crunchyroll Expo.

Crunchyroll Expo also announced an exciting mix of in-person guests from The Rising of the Shield Hero including:

Kevin Penkin—Award-winner composer behind the music of The Rising of the Shield Hero, Tower of God, and MADE IN ABYSS.
Hiromitsu "JIMA" Ijima—“JIMA” is a music producer and director behind The Rising of the Shield Hero, Tower of God, and MADE IN ABYSS, among many others.
MADKID—This popular dance vocal group is best known for the opening themes for The Rising of the Shield Hero, combining elements of J-pop, Hip hop, glitch hop, and trap music to create a unique sound all their own.
Kosuke Arai—Animation Producer from Kadokawa on The Rising of the Shield Hero.

Crunchyroll Expo is the yearly celebration of all things anime, featuring unique panels, exclusive merchandise, and world premieres. This year’s show will both be in-person and streaming online August 5–7, 2022, with an additional digital replay available until August 9, 2022. In person, fans will be transported to New Crunchy City, a bustling anime metropolis comprised of four distinct districts: the Central Shopping District featuring anime merchandise, con exclusives, swag and more, the Arts District home to nearly 150 artists, the Theater District showcasing anime premieres and screenings, and the Super Arcade featuring Club Yuzu, the place for gaming, raving, and more unique programming. Badge registration is available now at Crunchyrollexpo.com.

]]><![CDATA[Anime Fuse & Bushido Car Show 2022 Event Gallery]]>Mon, 13 Jun 2022 02:54:40 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/event-reports/anime-fuse-bushido-car-show-2022-event-gallery

Anime Fuse (also partnered with the Bushido Car Show) is a one day event held at The Big Fresno Fair on June 11 and it's an interesting event that mixes up a standard anime convention (with guests, vendors, and even a maid café) with a full car show. Naturally there was a lot to see and we have a gallery to show off the event below! Check it out, enjoy, and be sure to keep an eye out for more content from other events!

All photos by Ivan Aburto

]]><![CDATA[Special Performance by Steve Aoki Announced at Anime Expo 2022 to Celebrate Upcoming "One Piece Film Red"]]>Tue, 10 May 2022 07:00:00 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/event-reports/special-performance-by-steve-aoki-announced-at-anime-expo-2022-to-celebrate-upcoming-one-piece-film-red

Toei Animation and the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), the non-profit organization behind Anime Expo, just announced an exclusive Anime Expo performance by two-time Grammy-nominated artist Steve Aoki to promote the upcoming release of “One Piece Film Red”, which will take place on Saturday, July 2 at The Novo in L.A. Live.

Tickets to the event, which is part of Anime Expo’s 2022 programming lineup, will be available exclusively to Anime Expo attendees. Premier Fan badge holders have early access to tickets now at showclix.com, with tickets for General Attendee badge holders opening on Thursday, May 12 at 12:00pm Pacific. Fans can register for an Anime Expo badge at anime-expo.org/register/.

“One Piece Film Red” is the 15th film from the worldwide hit anime franchise from Toei Animation based on the “One Piece” manga series created by Eiichiro Oda. First announced on November 21, 2021, “One Piece Film Red” will be produced by Eiichiro Oda and Toei Animation, and directed by Goro Taniguchi. The movie is scheduled to premiere in Japan on August 6.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the upcoming release of ‘One Piece Film Red’ with this special performance by Steve Aoki produced exclusively for fans,” said Lisa Yamatoya, Director of Global Marketing of Toei Animation Inc. “Anime Expo 2022 provides the perfect backdrop to promote this exciting new film from creator Eiichiro Oda. Fans will not want to miss this opportunity to part of a one-of-a-kind One Piece franchise experience.”

“This year marks our first in-person Anime Expo event since 2019, and we’re incredibly excited about partnering with Toei Animation Inc. to host a special performance by international superstar Steve Aoki,” said Ray Chiang, CEO of SPJA. “Through both his music and fashion collaborations, Mr. Aoki has been deeply connected to the anime community for decades, making him the perfect artist to help welcome our Anime Expo fans back home to Downtown Los Angeles in 2022!”

“I have been a huge fan of Toei Animation from as early as I can remember. One Piece holds a special place in my heart because I have always been impressed by the resilience and determination of Luffy. His happy-go-lucky demeanor in the face of adversity inspired me in many ways. Having this opportunity to join forces with Toei Animation to commemorate their upcoming ‘One Piece Film Red’ is an immense honor. Not only am I performing during Anime Expo, but my brand Dim Mak is also releasing a merch collab at the same time,” says Steve Aoki.

Grammy-nominated artist, DJ and producer Steve Aoki is globally renowned for his cross-genre discography, which boasts three Platinum singles, six Gold singles and over ten Top 10 radio records; moreover, he averages 17.2 million listeners per month on Spotify and a monthly reach of 77 million across all platforms. Aoki is further known for founding DIM MAK, a lifestyle brand and record label credited with discovering influential acts like Bloc Party, The Chainsmokers, Bloody Beetroots and The Kills. The fashion side of DIM MAK has also collaborated with numerous iconic Japanese IPs including Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball and One Piece franchises.

Anime Expo badge holders will be among the first to have access to DIM MAK’s highly anticipated “DIM MAK x ONE PIECE” collaboration including Aoki-designed hoodies, tees, accessories, and skate decks all featuring original artwork from One Piece’s iconic Wano Arc. Fans can purchase “DIM MAK x ONE PIECE” merchandise all weekend long from Dim Mak at Booth #3326 in the Main Exhibit Hall.

For more information about “One Piece Film Red,” visit the official movie website at onepiece-film.jp.

About SPJA
SPJA is a non-profit organization dedicated to popularize and educate the public about Japanese entertainment and pop culture, as well as provide a forum to facilitate learning between professionals and fans. For more information, please visit www.spja.org.

About Anime Expo
Anime Expo (AX) brings together fans and industry from Japan, the US, and all over the world for the largest celebration of Japanese pop culture in North America. Taking place every year since 1992, Anime Expo features the best in Japanese animation, popular art, entertainment, music, fashion, and video games. For more information, visit www.anime-expo.org.

]]><![CDATA[Anime Expo Announces Live Convention's Return To Los Angeles for 2022]]>Wed, 28 Jul 2021 21:55:33 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/event-reports/anime-expo-announces-live-conventions-return-to-los-angeles-for-2022

The nation’s largest anime fan convention marked its 30th anniversary earlier this month with Anime Expo Lite. Held online again due to the continuing effects of the COVID pandemic, this year’s Anime Expo Lite garnered over 375,000 views from fans in more than 100 countries such as the UK, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Malaysia. With another online event behind us all, there's other big news for the convention.

Fans tuned into watch the livestream event on July 3 & 4 as well as during the VOD period from July 5 through 16. Program highlights included the "Star Wars: Visions Sneak Peek", the "Shikizakura" world premiere, and the "LisAni!LIVE" L.A. concert featuring performances by ASCA, BURNOUT SYNDROMES, JO☆STARS, Liella! (Love Live! Superstar!!), and Morfonica (BanG Dream!), as well as special guests such as Hololive English, NIJISANJI’s Lazulight, and many more.

Proceeds from the 2021 Anime Expo Lite online event benefited the Hate Is A Virus commUNITY Action Fund. The SPJA donated $77,000 to support local and national community organizations related to AAPI representation, mental health, and more.

“For the 2nd year in a row, Anime Expo was held online due to the Covid pandemic, but we were gratified and amazed at the continued strong support we received from so many fans from around the world,” says Ray Chiang, CEO of the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation. “We presented a comprehensive array of panel events, exclusive premieres, and sneak peeks, and music performances and made a sizeable donation to Hate Is A Virus, which will help them continue their work to battle anti-Asian discrimination and defamation, which continues to AAPI communities across the nation. As we look ahead to next year, we are excited to announce the return of Anime Expo to the Los Angeles Convention Center on July 1-4, 2022, and to welcoming back all of our fans, exhibitors, and participants.”

About SPJA
SPJA is a non-profit organization dedicated to popularizing and educating the American public about Japanese entertainment and pop culture, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. For more information, please visit www.spja.org.

About Anime Expo
Anime Expo (AX) brings together fans and industry from Japan, the US, and all over the world for the largest celebration of Japanese pop culture in North America. Taking place every year since 1992, Anime Expo celebrates the best in Japanese entertainment and pop culture. For more information, visit www.anime-expo.org.

]]><![CDATA[Virtual Crunchyroll Expo (V-CRX) Reveals Full Slate of Events for August Convention]]>Tue, 27 Jul 2021 17:38:47 GMThttp://a-to-jconnections.com/event-reports/virtual-crunchyroll-expo-v-crx-reveals-full-slate-of-events-for-august-convention

Virtual Crunchyroll Expo is almost upon us (August 5-7) and Crunchyroll has a full schedule packed full with guests, premieres, performances, and more! Furthermore they'll be VOD content available worldwide until 10 PD PDT August 9 from across all the stages and you'll have enough content to take over even the greatest of weekends! There's probably something in the lineup for you, but just in case, let's outline some of the events scheduled to take place.

This year, fans will be welcomed back to New Crunchy City and can expect:

An incredible lineup of guests including voice actors and creative staff from Black Clover, JUJUTSU KAISEN, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! X, The Rising of the Shield Hero and To Your Eternity among many others.
World premieres including the original anime series SAKUGAN, Restaurant to Another World 2 and the new OVA for Crunchyroll Original TONIKAWA: Over the Moon for You ~SNS~!
First looks at Fena: Pirate Princess, a Crunchyroll and Adult Swim Original, ORIENT, The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window and In the Land of Leadale, alongside Crunchyroll Original High Guardian Spice, which will make a special appearance in the Crunchyroll Industry panel.
An extensive slate of panels including The Making of Blade Runner: Black Lotus, an upcoming Crunchyroll and Adult Swim Original, Professional Athletes of Anime panel including Defensive End Ifeadi Odenigbo of the New York Giants and Defensive Tackle Larry Ogunjobi of the Cincinnati Bengals, and fireside conversations with voice actors Junya Enoki (JUJUTSU KAISEN, Girlfriend, Girlfriend) and Zeno Robinson (My Hero Academia), just to name a few.
The return of Crunchyroll-Hime’s Cosplay cup, which includes 41 finalists from 8 different countries including Australia, Brazil, Japan, Trinidad, and more, all vying for the top spot.
A showcase from Crunchyroll Games on the latest titles, partnerships, launches and more including special guests from Princess Connect! Re: Dive, Mitrasphere, and Grand Summoners.
Musical performances by 7 Billion Dots, Burnout Syndromes, MAGIC OF LiFE, Rhythmic Toy World, and TeddyLoid.
Concerts featuring music from The Rising of The Shield Hero and Tower of God

This exciting programming will be featured within Virtual Crunchyroll Expo’s immersive digital convention experience, allowing fans to enjoy and explore New Crunchy City. Each online city district represents the areas that fans are used to enjoying at live conventions including:

The Theater District featuring more than 100 hours of content across 4 live-streaming stages. Video on Demand will also be available for 5 days, with select content available in 7 languages.
The Super Arcade will house fan activations and activities like galleries for TSUKIMICHI -Moonlit Fantasy- and The aquatope on white sand, alongside Crunchyroll’s fan-favorite celebrity-inspired anime art gallery.
The Anime Arts District will feature V-CRX’s online artist alley where fans can purchase directly from artists around the world.
The Central Shopping District bdorfeaturing tons of shopping experiences!

Registration is free and open now for fans worldwide at expo.crunchyroll.com. Register now to catch action, announcements, special guests, and more. Also, a trailer for the event can be seen below!

About Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll connects anime and manga fans across 200+ countries and territories through the content they love. Best known as a top streaming service delivering AVOD and SVOD content, Crunchyroll also provides experiences to deepen fan engagement and community through social, events, games, consumer products, content distribution, content creation, and manga publishing.

Fans have access to one of the largest collections of licensed anime through Crunchyroll, Anime Digital Network (in partnership with Citel, a subsidiary of Média-Participations), and Anime on Demand video streaming services, translated in multiple languages for viewers worldwide. Viewers can also access simulcasts — top series available immediately after Japanese broadcast. Crunchyroll's services also extend to licensing of theatrical, TV, home video, consumer product, and video game rights.

Fans engage further with events (including owned events Crunchyroll Expo, Anime Awards, Crunchyroll Movie Nights, KAZÉ Anime Nights), consumer products through eCommerce and retail partners (Crunchyroll, KAZÉ, AV Visionen), Crunchyroll Games, KAZÉ Games, and manga (KAZÉ Manga, Crunchyroll Manga app, Crunchyroll Manga Store).

Crunchyroll was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Paris, Lausanne, Chisinau, and Berlin (AV Visionen). VRV (U.S.) and Eye See Movies (Germany) are also Crunchyroll brands.

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